Unlikely (H.S.)

fifty-two

~Harper~

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

And again.

And again.

We were walking through a shaded garden just beyond the gallery, the dappled sunlight hitting Harry's shoulders like something out of a painting. He looked over at me, smiling so softly it made my stomach ache, then adjusted the strap of his vintage camera and turned back to take a photo of a crumbling stone fountain. The hum of Barcelona still clung to the air, children laughing in the distance, pigeons flapping, the faint sound of guitar from somewhere down the hill. Harry and I were walking through the maze of winding alleys near El Born, his hand lightly brushing against the small of my back every so often, like a reminder. Like a tether. The sun was bright, but the stone streets stayed cool in the shade of the tightly packed buildings. I tried to stay in the moment. Tried to be here with him.

But the second we sat on a low stone ledge outside a tiny gallery, and Harry took out his camera to fiddle with the lens cap, I made the mistake of checking my phone.

Buzz.

Nate: Girl you are literally everywhere 😭
Just saw a video of you walking hand in hand with your linen prince down some alley 🙃
Also, can he adopt me??? 😭

Amalia: Are you okay?
Like, actually okay?
I saw one of those awful gossip TikToks and wanted to throw my phone in the lake
But really, are you okay? For real, not for Instagram.
I feel like I'm watching you get swallowed

My thumb hovered over the screen. My pulse was in my throat. I'm not ready to respond, not yet.

God, I'm fucking pathetic.

Buzz.

Daphne: They're calling you "An opportunistic fame seeker"
Want me to send a strongly worded email to the entirety of the internet???
Fuck em
FUCK EM ALL

Amalia:You looked fucking sexy though
I mean it
That dress is perfect on you
You look stupidly good in that white dress
Also I'm lowkey crying seeing you in Barcelona like a movie
Like... what is your life rn????
Can you bring me a dress like that home home? 🤔

Nate: You and your pop star boyfriend are the literal definition of soft launch gone nuclear
People are feral 🙄
Also the back of your head is famous now, WTF is up with that?

Daphne: They're tearing you apart in the comments 🖕
I know you don't want to talk about it but... we're here
Please don't shut us out 💔

Nate: Oh and tell Mr. Styles I want my bartender fee in signed vinyls

Hunter: You good, H?
You know you don't have to prove anything to anyone
But you also don't have to go through this alone
Seriously tho...
You say the word, and we're there

I looked out down the alley we were in, my phone still in my hand, buzzing yet again. I was squeezing that phone as though it may float away if I were to let go. I reminded myself to take deep breaths and tried to calm my mounting anxiety.