The Sidekick.

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I tapped my pen on the surface of my desk anxiously. My mind was elsewhere today, making it was hard to concentrate on the details in the documents. In my other hand was one of my many untamed curls.

Harry had not talked to me since Monday, now it was Friday. Not once did he leave his office during the day, not even cracking open the door. No one on the floor questioned him either.

At lunch, I sat with Louis, along with Niall. The table sat a few others as well; Pilar, who managed all issue with the Government and made sure everything was distributed correctly,  Miles, Orion's son who was a tanker-man, and Vega, another tanker-man. Tanker-men were very important to the company, they traveled to the water supply a lot to check the pipes and filters. They knew when to send in people to clean the pipes and make sure the water was pure.

The table group was very kind to each other and treated each other equally. Miles was the youngest, only nineteen. Unlike most of us, I believe he didn't study for the job and went straight into the field with his father's guidance. Vega was thirty-one and already had two young daughters with her husband, Ajax, who worked in mechanics. He built things under the Government, like surfing trolleys and tubes. Pilar was twenty-three, she didn't say too much, simply just observed the conversation through her black bangs. Pilar would be matched in two years due to her age. Niall on the other hand was my age, and talked of a doubt out in the souther quadrant of the company's land.

Louis talked a lot, in fact he was most of the conversation. He was two years older than I and had been matched with a jokester, just like himself, named Arabella. She worked at the food factory. The workers cooked, packed and organized the large cities food into their proper tubes. Louis said it was poor judgement of making her work there, because she was very messy. Every night Arabella would come home covered with splatters of food on her green shirts.

"She's a disaster, but I love her." Louis had told me. That made my heart melt knowing that The Government has paired correctly. From my studies, I recall the statistics that showed that most deuced couples worked, 97.6% to be exact.  The couples that fell apart were paired correctly, but one member or both didn't put enough effort into the relationship. This is what drove me practically insane, the fact that I could be a part of that 2.4% that never worked out.

"Lunch." Louis hollers from his cubicle, immediately popping into the break room, everyone following his lead. I glanced at my watch 11:35, it was indeed lunchtime. I stand up, capping the pen that I had been twirling in my hand. Everyone else had already filed into the break room. I would be the last to arrive, passing Harry's door my insides churn. I halt, turning towards the black door and knocking twice like usual.

This time the brunette doesn't ask who's there.  I can hear the boy stumble to the door, with his long legs I'm not surprised if he trips.

Harry opens the door a crack, just so I can see his face popping through.

"What?" his voice is hoarse, but still deep and serious.

"Would you like to eat lunch with me?" I stand  on my toes like a child hopeful he will say yes.

"No, sorry I have work to do. I don't leave the office when others are on the floor." In his eyes I can see that he truly is sorry like he's bound to the office by law.

"All right, you're always welcome to join us." A half grin lays on both of our lips. Harry sighs loudly.

"How did you know it was me?" I perk up, lifting my head up to his eyes.

"You're the only one who would bother asking something. Plus, you knock twice, most people knock three times." He doesn't open the door any further than the small crack that showed his eyes.