Crossing Oceans

Chapter 2: Orientation

Chapter 2: Orientation

Harry walked cautiously out into the living room. Nick was still flipping channels 30 minutes after seeing Harry's last outfit. 

"Nick.... this one?" Harry held out his arms and spun in a circle. His sweater sleeves flowed off his wrists as he turned. This was his favorite jumper; it reminded him of England and his 16th birthday.

"Haz if I've told you once I've told you a hundred you must wear American clothes for our first event here. That," Nick gestured, "is not acceptable." Nick's own style was much more classy than Harry's. He liked to describe it 'what the Americans would call hipster', but really didn't understand why Harry would chose to wear the same ratty old brown boots after three years of wearing them nearly every day. However, Nick tried not to argue about clothes Harry had received as gifts for his 16th birthday. 

"Nick it's one of those jumpers," Harry whined and stepped in front of the television so Nick was forced to look at him. With a deep sigh, he ran a hand over the hole on the knee of Harry's jeans and stood up.

"Mate, I'm over it now. You're ready, yeah? We have only 20 minutes to cross campus." Nick grabbed his keys of the coffee table and adjusted his collar. After holding the door open for Harry (and his impossibly slow walking for such long legs), Nick locked the door to their apartment and started down the stairs.

They reached the door of the reception hall just five minutes before the start. Looking around, all Harry could see were swarms of bodies. Buzzing around the food, buzzing around the tables, buzzing with conversation... the room was a beehive. He looked around at all the different people and noticed all the different cliques already forming. To his left was a table of "dudes', tossing an American football around and getting shushed by various cranky teachers. To his right was a table of gossips, reapplying their red lipgloss, giggling and sneaking peeks at Nick and Harry through their compact mirrors. 

"Looks like word spread that the new British rich kid has arrived," Nick smirked and nodded in the girls' general direction.

"Come off it Grimm... find seats okay? I'm headed to the loo," Harry whispered and headed to the right. 'Of course these brats are at the closest table to the bathroom..' Harry thought, frustratedly. As he passed the table, one of the girls tipped back her chair so it touched the wall and blocked his path.

"Erm...excuse me miss but.. you're chair. It's blocking the walk," Harry nervously stated. A dark brunnette flipped her hair into Harry's face and smiled a blindingly white smile.

"Oh is it now?! I'm so very sorry about that." The girl flipped her hair a second time but still didn't move. Harry looked frantically around for backup but Nick was at least a hundred feet away. He could feel his face flush as he turned back to face the girl's sickeningly sweet smile.

"Well... you're awfully perky," Harry mumbled. "Can you please just..."

"OI ZOELLA MOVE DA FUCKIN CHAIR CHRIST DA LORD!" Out of nowhere, a loud blonde boy popped up beside Harry. The girl rolled her eyes as her friends frowned.

"Ugh Niall you ruin my life.... just because you're my cousin doesn't mean you're the boss of me," Zoella snarled. She moved her chair and glared and the boy as he hooked arms with Harry and marched to the bathroom.

Harry opened the door. "So... Niall is it?"

"Niall Horan, mate. And you're Harry Styles are you not?" Niall smiled a bright smile similar to Zoella's. 'Must run in the family' Harry thought as he averted his eyes.

"Yeah that's me. How do you..."

Niall laughed abruptly. "We're neighbours mate! Anyways, I'm starvin'. The lads picked a table, wanna sit with us?" 

Harry smiled timidly. "Erm... sure but I do need to piss so.."

"OI! Do your business mate i'll meetcha out there!" Niall practically skipped out of the bathroom.

"He's quite the character is he not?" A deep voice commented. Harry whirled around to find another student in the bathroom. Written on his name tag were the words 'Zayn Malik, Guide, Junior'. The boy dried his hands and held one out to shake. "Zayn Malik."

Harry completed the handshake. "Erm. Harry Styles." 

"Nice pants." Zayn's eyes traveled to the rip in the knee. "Pretty sweet."

Harry's eyes widened. 'He thinks I'm SWEET?'  

"Whoa there bro calm it down a bit! Sweet like rad you know?" Zayn explained. Harry just looked even more confused. "Cool. Your pants are cool. Sorry my boyfriend is Californian so I pick up waaaay too much beach lingo from him." Zayn's eyes glazed over in a kind of dreamy trance.

'Boyfriend. Got it. Must be thinking of him...' Harry thought as Zayn drifted back to present time.

"Oh sorry! It happens when I think of him... anyway do you want to go sit? The program is starting and I need to get back in time for tours. You're sitting with that blonde freshman right? If not you're welcome to join some of us older guys. You seem pretty cool Harry." There was a twinkle in Zayn's eyes that made Harry get the idea that the guy had an idea and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a part of it necessarily. Harry shifted uncomfortably. 

"Erm.. I need to find my roommate first." Harry rushed out of the bathroom to see Niall waving from a table in the center. Sitting around him were unfamiliar faces, but one face caught his attention. Nick was sitting to Niall's immediate right, chatting and laughing with one of Niall's friends. Harry sighed and hurried past Zoella's table and plopped down in the seat next to Nick. 

"Haz! Where've you been? I've met loads of people already! Look this is..." Nick pointed to his left.

"Niall yeah we've met." Harry smiled weakly at Niall. 

"Hey Haz are you okay? You still look a little pale from this morning.." Nick frowned.

"I'm fine I'm fine," Harry insisted as he tugged at his sweater. He glanced around the room and caught sight of Zayn. He watched him sit down with the table of tan, sporty guys. 'Ah one of those...' Harry thought. 'Maybe I'll chat him up more later...'

"EXCUSE ME STUDENTS AHEM," a lady in her 50s yelled into the microphone on the podium. "I am the Dean of students Mrs. Hughes, and welcome to the University of California in Los Angeles' freshman orientation. Let's begin with the college schedule details..."