The Girl Next Door

The Big Reunion

I felt better. I really, really felt better. Not quite all happy with rainbows and unicorns and stuff- but I no longer need a gallon of Starbucks and a bucket of ice water thrown on my face just to get up.

I got into UNI with Johanna and Ellie. I got my own place. I play in a café every Sunday. I don’t need anyone. The only thing I miss in my life is Cat.

“I don’t care if you need air, just stay home today, okay?!” Ellie ordered me over the phone.

“So you want me to die?”

“Yes,” she announced happily.

“Well thank you.” I sighed in desperation. “Fine! I’ll stay home, but I curse you, Ellie Owens. I curse you.”

I hung up the phone and collapsed on my newly unwrapped couch.

My place wasn’t nearly as big as Harry’s mansion in London, but it was all I needed. It was just a small studio apartment with brick walls and giant-Friends style- windows in the middle of the city centre. I could watch TV out of the comfort of my bed and thankfully the kitchen was almost as close.

I sighed desperately and covered my eyes with my hands. For some reason Ellie wants me to stay home tonight. Not that I was planning on going clubbing or anything but a choice would’ve been nice. Now I’m a prisoner in my own home.

Cute.

I heard a knock on the door and lazily went towards it. The person kept knocking.

“I’m coming!” I shouted.

My hand grabbed the knob and the door opened.

“Hello!” Ana yelled and smiled sheepishly to my surprise. I was too shocked for words. “Can I come in?” she asked. I nodded quickly. She came in, looking around the walls of my apartment. I followed along, still confused. I didn’t know whether I was mad, or happy, or surprised- probably all.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” she said. I shrugged my shoulders and sat on the couch next to her. I hugged my legs as she sat down next to me.

I inhaled deeply. “Ana, wh—what are you doing here?”

“To be honest, Ellie called me and said we should talk.”

“So that’s why she wanted me to stay at home tonight,” I muttered.

“But I wanted to talk to you too.” I gulped.

“Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I’m so, so, so sorry for not telling you about that thing with Harry, but I didn’t really have a choice because his management is a bitch and—“

“Dude, chill,” she said, and for a second she reminded me of her old self. “I’m here to apologise.”

“You?”

“I know you didn’t have a choice. But after that thing with Charlie and the fact that I couldn’t see you every day like I was used to—I don’t know. I guess it just all made me mad.”

“I missed you.” I admitted. I felt as if the weight of the world fell off my shoulders.

“I know you did, chap.” She hugged me. For a moment, I felt like I had a family again. Her hair now fell down her back and the tips were dark brown. I missed her so much I almost forgot how she looks like.

“Carter,” she said, knitting her eyebrows. “What happened with you and Harry?”

Houston, we have a problem.

I exhaled. No point of not telling the truth.

“Well, I’m still not sure what exactly happened, but… It all started when Harry kissed me when we were here last summer. Since then he’s just been distant. Then we moved in together and we just kind of got closer and then one day he just told me he loves me.” I bit my lip and focused on the fly on the hardwood floor under the coffee table.

“And how do you feel about him?”

“I don’t know. He’s more than a friend, definitely, but I’m not exactly sure what does that mean.”

“So let me see if I got this straight; Harry Styles, the Harry Styles told you he loves you and you ran away?”

“Yep.”

“Because you didn’t know how you felt towards him?”

“Yep.”

She sighed in frustration. “Gosh, Carter, this is so like you! Whenever it gets tough with someone, you just close inside yourself and run away and forget about it because you’re too afraid of getting hurt.”

“Me? Tell me one time besides this when I ran away.”

“Charlie.” It took that one word for me to know that she’s right. My face turned grim. “That’s your problem, Carter. You’re too afraid of getting hurt to love someone.”

I knew she was right. But listening to her saying that, I wanted to protest.

“You’re not my psychiatrist.”

“I’m your best friend. It’s in the job description.” She smiled. “And speaking of Charlie…” Right on cue, the front door opened and Charlie stepped in. I immediately got up. Maybe to get a sharp object. Maybe not.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Ana said as Charlie was walking towards us. “But, where exactly can I go to leave you alone in a place as small as this?” I was just about to yell at her to stay where she is if she holds life dear when she ran to the bathroom- the only place with a door.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him bitterly.

“Carter, I’m just here to talk.” He sat on the sofa, his hands spread out protectively. I sat on the other end and crossed my arms.

“Talk,” I ordered.

“I’m sorry for that thing with Ariana.” His look trailed off to the window. “I just wanted you to feel angry and without any options so you’d know how’d I felt when you were away with him.” He said that last word so bitterly, like he wanted to throw Harry off a bridge. Probably, I would’ve helped him. I shook my head.

“That still doesn’t take back what you did, Charlie.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You still deserve that punch Harry gave you.” He grinned.

He knitted his eyebrows. “I need to know one thing.”

Why do I have the feeling this will get awkward?

He knitted his eyebrows. “Did you ever love me?”

Did I really? Oh yes. For years. But how can I admit that?

“I did.” He lifted his head and our eyes met. “I still do, just not in the way you’d like,” I quickly looked back at the floor. His head slanted again. “I’m sorry.”

“Friends?” he asked.

I smiled. “Friends.” I kissed him on the cheek just as Ana walked out of the bathroom.

“I see you’ve worked things out,” she said.

“We have, for your information.” I turned towards Charlie. His blue eyes were smiling again in a long time. “And now for a ‘The Living Dead’ marathon, shall we?”