Harry was just really glad he wasn’t dead. He couldn’t really say that he was content with his situation, just happy that he hadn’t had the shit beaten out of him, yet. It was a fine line he was walking on as he slumped through campus. Everywhere he went, he seemed to stop conversation and not in the desirable way. Rumors had spread like wildfire through the university and he had heard some pretty crazy stuff from the mouths of his friends – those were probably not even the worst ones. There was something about Louis’ parties that had an infamous appeal and when something happened at one of them, even in university, the world suddenly reverted back to high school-like behaviour.
Zoe watched her curly haired friend, head in his hands and body hunched over; it looked like he wanted to disappear into thin air and never come back. The dim lighting from the outdoor lamppost was just enough to cast a pool of light around the table. Harry almost disappeared into the shadows, his dark jumper and chocolate curls hiding him from the outside world. From what she knew about Harry since they were young and living a few houses down from one another, he hated being talked about. He never would explain himself and didn’t complain about what people were saying about him, but this had reached a whole new level. He was recluse and antisocial towards anyone that wasn’t his immediate group of friends around him. Harry had a lot of friends, a lot of casual acquaintance friends who right now seemed much, much further away.
Luckily, ‘the clique’ had stuck around and taken it upon themselves to find out the most information about what was being said about their friend and placate any misconceptions or rumors. James was particularly helpful on the personal level: making tea and getting Harry food so the elder didn’t have to go into too populated of an area. He had even gone as far as to make Harry a mix-tape – the official sign of friendship from the younger football player and greatly valued.
Zoe sat up straighter when she saw her football playing friends return from their practice, hoping to get more news. Adam and triple J (Zoe had secretly began to call them that since James, Jack and Josh seemed too long to refer to them as) ambled along with a few other boys that Zoe didn’t know, but it was Niall that stuck out from the group. Zoe’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the Niall approach the table where she sat, only to turn away beforehand and head off with Jack and two guys Zoe figured were Luke and Jared. The adrenaline rush Zoe had gotten when she saw the blond plummeted when he hadn’t acknowledged her and she felt her stomach clench and her throat close up. Niall and she, just over forty-eight hours ago, had spent the night together – she had given him her most treasured piece of her, her virginity. Trusted him with her body and a piece of her heart – and he had walked off as though nothing had happened. Zoe felt frustrated, no furious, that he could do this to her and for once she was going to take action.
The brunette stood up, her nails digging into the wooden table and mentally prepared herself to what she was going to do. Her breath was shallow and mainly through her nose and her hands balled into fists. Her friends had taken notice and intervened.
“Zoe, what are you doing?” James asked curious as to why she stood up so suddenly. Zoe didn’t say a word back, not taking any notice over to the ringing in her ears. She marched along the tree lined stone path with her target in mind. On the way, she crossed Jack, who was returning to the table. She was caught off guard when he took her arm to keep her from continuing her rampage.
“Where are you going?” Jack was confused as to why Zoe – who was usually quiet and passive – was stomping off with a death-wish.
“Let me go, Jack. I need to take care of something,” she snapped back and pulled her arm away, surprised when she was met with no resistance. Jacks eyes were wide and his palms up in surrender; he had seen the blaze in the curly haired girl’s glare and absolutely did not want to get in her path.
