Darling, You'll Be Okay (hs au)

1

A year later

I was occupying mine and Harry's old tree house that over looked the lake. I always come here to think and to get away. I had been there since noon and the sun had finally set. I knew my parents wouldn't come look for me. They were avoiding me. And I was avoiding every one.

I was supposed to go to Harry's birthday dinner celebration with him and his mom, Anne. It started an hour ago and Harry has been texting me frantically asking where I am. I wasn't worried about ditching Harry. He could always bring Beth or Jenna or Sara. Some of the many girls infatuated with him.

Harry and I have a very unusual friendship. Whenever one of us is upset or lonely, we have a different way to comfort each other. It started the night that my sister died. I use Harry to forget my pain and he uses me to forget his. We do it and then never mention it. An unspoken rule.

I got out the book I brought and a flash light. I never used to read before the incident but now I use it as a mean to escape. After reading several chapters, I glanced at the time on my phone:9:39. I was debating going home or staying up in the tree house all night when I heard a deep voice behind me.

"It's not good to read in the dark. You could hurt your eyes," Harry said.

"I think I'll be okay considering that it hurts my eyes every time I look at you," I replied.

"Is it because of my dashing good looks?"

"Quite the opposite actually," I joked.

Harry mocked being offended. "Your words hurt me but you know what hurt me more? The fact that you ditched me, on my birthday, to hang out in a tree."

"Yeah, well," I replied.

It was February and very cold. I started to shiver so Harry slung his arm over my shoulder. We stayed that way until Harry decided to break the silence.

"Let's go home." It was more of a question than anything.

"I don't really want to," I answered him.

"We can stay at my house if you want."