The Boy Next Door (Harry Styles)

Chapter 5

Harry..this is how he feels all the time. He'd understand. I know he would, he's one of the kindest people I know, I've never heard a mean comment come out of his mouth despite the billion comments and punches and kicks and remarks he gets every day. I tr to wipe the tears away but they just keep coming back. I don't even think before I'm running down the stairs and out the door. I just need somebody right now, anybody. I run up Harry's driveway and knock on his door probably 10 times before he opens it, looking a bit scared and shocked at how I was knocking. I step in and throw my arms around him, crying loudly into his chest. He wraps his arms around me hesitantly but still does, and closes the door behind me. We probably stand like that for a good 10 minutes, him just holding me and rubbing my back while I soaked the front of his t-shirt with my tears. After a while, I stopped crying, just sniffling and Harry pulls away from me. "I'm going to bring you to the couch?" I nod, not saying anything back. He picks me up and I lean into him. I really don't have it in me to think about what i'm doing, and if it's weird or not. I don't really care at the moment.He sets me down and then sits beside me. "It's gonna be okay, just breathe" I try to do as he sais, and eventually it stops "It'll be okay, don't worry about it."

"How do you know?"

"I've been in your position before, It always gets better I promise you" Either he's somehow telling the truth, which I don't believe or he's a really good liar, trying to make me feel better. It never gets better for him, he continuously gets mocked and bullied and pushed around. He was right about me though, I'll get better. But will he?

"Okay" I sniffle and lean back against the couch. He still hasn't asked me what's wrong. I don't wan't him to though so that's good, He was just there when I needed him to hold me and tell me i'ts gonna be okay, not even knowing what happened. I do feel better than before, but I feel bad for knowing that he always felt like this, and I never did anything to help him. Sure I didn't know it was this bad but I shouldn't have let people bully him in the first place, I've known him since forever, why did I never help him? I was to scared of what people would think of me, probably. I can't believe right now that I cared so much about what they thought of me for a couple of minutes, while this is Harry's life. Every day, multiple times a day. "I'm sorry"
He looks over at me confused "For what? You didn't do anything"

"Exactly, I didn't do anything and i should've. I should've stood up to those bullies and punched them in the face" I see a smile tug on the corner of his mouth "No, you don't need to"

"Uh, yeah I do! What are you talking about? They're horrible people, especially Jack" Harry laughs a little and leans back on the couch like me "They're not horrible people, just..misunderstood." A moment passes before he speaks gain.
"Maybe they have something bad going on at home that I don't know about. It doesn't make it right, but there could be a reason, you know?"
I stare at him in shock "How do you do this"

"Do what?"

"This, get bullied every day, constantly showing up with new bruises and cuts but you're still positive and not hating the bullies. I don't get it, If I were you I'd be laying dead on the side of the road"

He laughs again and I see dimples in his cheeks that I hadn't noticed before, probably since he didn't usually smile. He should, he has a nice smile. "Just don't let it get to you alright, if they see that it hurts you, they'll only go stronger. Show them that they have no power over you, and they'll do it less."
I raise my eyebrows at him and sigh "Wow, yo're really something Harry."

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno, you're so smart and strong and you;re still doing fine after years of bullying, still positive as ever." He smiles at me and it makes me smile
"Thanks, Jodie. You know, my mum was right about you. She said that you were nice and everything and I should talk to you, but I couldn't do that. I;d be absolutely humiliated"
I look up at him and give him a confused look "Why?"