Savior

The Boy with Chalk

There was a storm inside me before I came to Cheshire.

Angry claps of thunder. Thunder so loud and booming that it shakes an entire house. Thunder so loud and frequent you can't hear anything else.

White hot streaks of lightening. Blinding and chaotic, never striking twice in the same place. No, hitting me everywhere and anywhere at any moment.

Howling winds of Him Him Him. So loud I can't hear myself think, so loud I can't possibly think of anything else.

Snapping branches. Flooding streets. Taking no prisoners and wrecking irreversible havoc inside of me.

Rain so thick, so powerful that you can't make out a hand in front of your face. Just the mist in front of you, just the rain. Nothing else exists.

Bitter. Angry. Vengeful. Lost.

And then came Cheshire. And the thunder came to halt and I could suddenly hear birds chirping and the soft lull of music again.

And then Eliza. And the lightening stopped striking and I could finally see. See the purples and reds and pinks of the sunset. The sunrise. See the stars dotting the sky and lights in the buildings like fireflies.

And then the nightmares became less frequent. And suddenly, the wind lulled to a slight breeze, no so much shouting Him Him Him, but whispering. Still there to remind me, but letting me breathe.

And then Niall. And I suddenly wasn't chaotic anymore. Cars weren't swept off the road in my wake and trees were able to stay intact sans Hurricane Layla. And I could live in peace.

And then Harry.

Harry came and the rain just stopped. The rain finally cleared and suddenly there was a whole world in front of me.

I can see the hand in front of my face and not be afraid it belongs to someone else. I can return a smile from a stranger without crossing the street to avoid them. I can laugh and dance and sing because the rain has gone and the storm has stopped.

And I can live.

I am able to sit with these three people I call my friends and be completely relaxed because of them.

"What's your favorite color? What flavor cake do you prefer? Music? Beverage? Food? Oh my, there is so much to plan for." Eliza shakes her head, scribbling some things onto her notepad and I try not to laugh at her.

"My birthday isn't for another month. You have plenty of time to plan."

She looks at me like I just grew a third head, "You have never been to a birthday party hosted by yours truly. One month isn't nearly enough time."

I want to say I don't want a party, or that it would only have the four of us in attendance, or that I'd be happy with a movie marathon, but I let her have her fun.

Niall begins to conspire with her and I let my eyes wander around the empty café before they land on Harry, only to find his eyes already trained on me. I can't explain it, but ever since that day in the rain last week when Jaime interrupted us, every time I look at him my heart hurts.

But, the opposite has affected Harry.

He seems lighter somehow, more free. He talks to me more and jokes around more and is just all around more... more. Though, I don't know why either.

He doesn't back down from my stare and instead shoots me the most sincere smile I've ever seen grace anyone's face and his dimples dig into his cheeks and his eyes crinkle and my chest aches.