bambi | h.s

0.25

„Love is so short,

Forgetting is so long."

- Pablo Neruda

Harry could feel the cold air on his skin as he walked to the door. It was a Friday evening and he was supposed to meet his long-time friend at his house. But there was much more on this boy's lips other than just talking about how it goes; he just ended a long time relationship and didn't really have a place to stay in.

He slowly lifted his hand to ring the doorbell, but before he could do that the door opened, revealing his great friend Grayson. They knew each other since they were little, Grayson was four years older than Harry, but that was never a problém. During his studies on high school, Grayson got a girl pregnant and being the good guy that he is, he left the school to move in with her and help her raise the child. They didn't see each other since that time - Grayson was with his new family and Harry was studying literature. And now, sixteen years later, they met again.

„Harry!" Grayson exclaimed, pulling his friend into a hug. Harry felt weird hugging him; they never did that before. So as quickly as he could, he pulled away, but still keeping a smile on his face.

„It's so good to see you again," Harry said, almost whispered. Sixteen years were stuck on his lips, but he just couldn't get out anything else than the simple sentence.

„I am so happy to see you too," Grayson nodded. „Come in, my friend!"

As Harry walked in, following his slightly older friend, his eyes were scanning the whole house. It wasn't anything too modern, but there was something about all the mansions that made Harry feel like he was in his mother's house again. Vanilla candles were placed all around the house, their smell filling the air. There was a big fireplace in the living room, exotic flowers on the windowsills, paintings hanging on the walls along with pictures of Grayson's family. Harry didn't really pay attention to them, because in a few seconds, they were in the dining room, where the smell of the vanilla candles was replaced by the smell of roasted chicken and apple pie.

„Maira?" Grayson called. Seconds after, a woman, who Harry assumed was around thirty, walked in. She had short red hair that went just below her jawline. Harry noticed her piercing green eyes, almost identical to his own. She smiled as she saw him.

„Oh, I don't believe you guys met. Harry, this is Maira. Maira, this is Harry."

Harry did remember her, he remembered the day they spoke to each other quite clearly, but he decided not to bring that day up. „Hello, I'm Harry."

„Maira," the woman smiled as they shook hands.

There was a short pause before the green eyed boy spoke again. „Um, can I use the bathroom?" he asked, embarrased by the way he ruined this moment of reunion.

„Sure, go ahead. It's on the second floor, right next to the laundry room," Maira said, giving Grayson a mysterious look Harry just couldn't unriddle.

So he slowly walked upstairs, hearing the stairs make squishy noises every time he took a step further. He reached the bathroom, grabbing the handle, but before the door opened, he heard someone say:

„You outran me."

His whole body shook with suprise. And so he turned around, doing something that later completely changed him.

He saw her.

There she was, standing 5'7 in her mom jeans, wearing a t-shirt with a band Harry never heard of. Her hair was just above her shoulders, blonde, with a hint of ginger; but maybye it was just the light. A pair of nerd glasses sat on her small, freckled nose, her eyes were the same pair of emeralds just like Harry's. And on her neck she wore a short necklace, where a simple key was hanging from the black strand.

„Huh?"

„Wow, are you okay?" she asked, her sweet, but a little raspy voice ringing in Harry's ears.

„I-I am, yes I am, w-why wouldn't I be?" Harry suttered, feeling his body react to her in such an unusual, different way.

„You seem a little pale... or maybye, judging by the slight tint of pink on your cheeks, a little red."

„N-No, I am okay," he said, trying to smile. But why was smiling suddenly such a hard task?

„Good. You must be the friend of my dad, right? He hasn't stopped talking about you since he announced that you're going to visit us. I'm Priscilla by the way."

And then she smiled - so preciously but effortlessly - and for a brief moment, Harry felt his heartbeat stop.

„I-I am Harry," he finally smiled too.

„Okay Harry, I'm going downstairs now," Priscilla said, and Harry grabbed the handle again, but he was distracted again by the girl's soft whisper.

„I hope we will get to know each other more tonight."