The Boy From the Mall (Harry Styles FanFic)

Chapter 5: The Past

CHAPTER FIVE

*Harry's POV*

I feel really terrible about asking Ariana to tell me everything, but a part if me isn't. I just want to know what's wrong so that I can be there for her and help her.

Ever since we first met I could tell that she was a bit depressed and lonely on the inside. She did well at hiding it, but I could see right through it. The way she was so self-conscious and covered her body in jeans and sweaters. I didn't think it was anything more than just teenage girl insecurities. That is, until her sister said that she'd been starving herself. That's when I realize I hardly ever see Ariana eat. She always turns down food. When I asked her about it she just said it was nothing. But she had a fake grin in her face. She couldn't fool me, I'm her best friend.

I watched her as she stared at her lap.

"I-I never told anyone before. No one knows. Not my mom, not my dad, not Hannah. No one Harry.....But if you really want to know..."

"You can trust me"

I took her hand in mine, letting her know I was here for her.

"It all started in the 7th grade." She chocked out.

It pained me to see her like this. So broken and vulnerable. I just wanted to pull her into my arms and never let go. I wanted to protect her from anything that ever caused her pain, anything that ever will cause her pain. I just wanted her happy.

"W-w-when I w-was i-in-" she was sobbing so hard I could barely understand her.

"Calm down. Take a deep breath."

And she did just that. After a few minutes of getting her to clam down she let out a deep sigh before speaking again.

"Okay. Here goes nothing" she sighed. "Growing up my parents cared more for Hannah than me, just as they do now. But I didn't really let it bother me. My aunt would spend time with me a lot and she treated me like a daughter, I guess she felt a bit sorry for me that I didn't really have 'parents'. Also because I got picked on at school. It wasn't that bad back then though. Just like 2 or 3 kids. During the summer after 6th grade, my aunt found out she had to move to Florida because of her job. She promised we'd still talk and video chat, but after a while it all just stopped. She stopped calling, stopping emailing. It all just ended." She let a few tears slip down her cheeks when she said the last sentence and I used my thumb to wipe them away.

"Um... I-I wasn't the prettiest girl when I was younger. I had gotten a bit of acne over the summer, I had braces, and it didn't help that I was shorter than everyone else my age. So it wasn't a shocker when kids started to pick on me. They called me things like 'connect the dots' and 'polka' short for polka dots." I squeezed her hand a little tighter as I saw her eyes getting watery.

"As I got older the bullying progressively got worse. I-I tried to shrug it off b-but it's hard. It's hard to go years with people calling you stupid, ugly, fat, and untalented. It's hard when a new student wants to talk to you but you have to tell them to stay away because it won't be good for them. It's hard to gain hope that maybe they won't care and they'll stay with you...only just to have all that hope crumble.

I had no friends because everyone hated me. The worse part was who started the bullying. It was Kylee Fitzgerald. My ex-best friend. We were BFFs until 7th grade when she got dared to be rude to me in order to join the cheerleading team. E-ever s-since then everyone b-bullies me. T-that's why I was bit scare at first when you said we were best friends. I-I was scared it might happen again. But I...I know you'd never do that to me. You'd never hurt me. Right?"