Limitless

Chapter 22

I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was so stuck between being fired up and being torn to pieces that all I could seem to do was stand there and take it all in. My hands began to shake and right when I decided to turn around and leave, I slammed into someone.  Books went everywhere.

“I’m so sorry Lou!” Finn cried, immediately dropping to his knees and picking up his and my things. I took them back from him as he held them out to me.

“It’s okay Finn.”

He studied my face through his thin glasses. “Are you okay? You look like you might be sick.”

I thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. “I’m fine.”

Finn smiled. “Well Mr. Parkins put us together for our physics project! I was thinking we could build like, a mousetrap car or something today at lunch!”

I groaned in my head but smiled politely at Finn. “Sounds great!”

He patted my shoulder awkwardly and ran off down the hall.  I was planning on leaving but now I couldn’t.  I was disappointed to find out later that even Emma and Liam were skipping today.  I walked to classes alone and couldn’t help but think that every girl was staring at me – talking about how I was with Harry last week and now here I am, alone, looking miserable as I walked slowly through the halls. They probably thought that we had sex too. And now I was a slut. And then Harry dumped me like every other girl and that’s why I was sad. The more I thought about it and strained my ears to hear their whispers, the more quickly I walked.

At lunch, I sat with Finn.  He had attained all of the parts that we needed for the project and really did all of the work, asking me to occasionally hold a wire or pass him a wheel or something.  I was glad at the moment that I had Finn just because I knew that we would be done with it today.  It wasn’t due for another three weeks, but he was good about getting things done early… and also just doing the whole project himself.  As I held a wire for him, I looked across the room to Harry who was sitting at Claire’s usual table and eating grapes out of her hand.  I noticed a few other girls at the table, watching the two enviously.  I didn’t understand how they could like someone like Harry so much but bare to see him with Claire like that.  Why would they choose to sit and watch the love of their life eat grapes out of another girls manicured hands?  Right as I grimaced, Harry looked over at me. I quickly turned back to the mousetrap car.

When Liam and Emma showed up the next day, they said nothing about Harry. In a way, I was grateful.  I didn’t want to talk about it… but then again I kind of did.  I was glad to have Liam around in the hallways though because anytime Harry and Claire would pass, Liam would grab both Emma and myself and pull us into a group hug, shielding my view. I would laugh because it was a silly way to try and make me feel better, but at the same time, it didn’t help me at all. I knew what was happening, why try to hide it? 

I finally got a call back from Noelle about a job and started work on Wednesday.  I just folded clothes and restocked sizes and unloaded boxes of whatever new stuff we got.  I loved being able to see the clothes and read from what country they came.  The rest of the job wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t really that fun.  In the 5 hours I worked, three people came in to look around, felt a few of the shirts, and then just left.  I was glad that we weren’t super busy all the time but it was also a reeeeally long five hours. Noelle sang along to all of the songs that played in the background and talked about being home-schooled, as well as he future plans. “I want to be a hairstylist! I did this myself,” she said, pointing to her ombre’d hair.  It actually looked really good.

“I have a friend who owns a salon and a school. Maybe I can talk to her for you.”

A huge grin spread across Noelle’s face and she dropped the box of clothes she was holding. The jumped up and down and threw her hands into the air.  “That would be stellar!”

I laughed.  When Noelle wasn’t talking at a million miles a minute, she was pretty cool.

Somehow I managed to get through the week. I was mad that I didn’t have work on Friday because it left me with a decision to make. Party? Or home alone?  I stayed back for a little bit after the bell rang to talk to my English teacher, Mrs. Knappenberger, about the rubric for one of our papers.  After I got the help I needed, I walked into the empty hall of the school and opened my locker to put some of my books away. I nearly screamed when I closed my locker and saw someone standing on the other side.

“Oopsy!” Claire giggled. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

The posse of girls behind her began to giggle with her.  I glared at all of them and soon, they all stopped.  Claire took a step toward me, clicking her long, fake fingernails together as she did.  I didn’t budge.

“I was going to ask you for a favor… but I can’t seem to remember…” She tapped her chin. “Oh! Well I guess I’ll phrase it differently: I dare you to stay the fuck away from Harry.” She grinned innocently, clearly pleased with herself.

My face fell. Maybe it was a coincidence.

She suddenly became serious and glared right back at me. “He’s mine bitch. Always has been. He told me about your little game and now I want in.  Here is your first dare from me: NEVER talk to Harry again.”

“When did he tell you?” I asked, trying to keep my cool, but I was struggling.

Claire shrugged and grinned. “About two weeks ago. I dared him to go on dates with you. I dared him to make you feel special and then I dared him to break your silly little heart.” The girls behind her giggled again. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  I shoved past Claire and ran to my car.  I threw my car into drive and sped out of the parking lot. I didn’t even turn my car off when I finally got to the apartment.  Too furious to knock on the door, threw open the door and let myself in.

“Hey Lou! Here for the party?” Louis asked as he looked through some CD’s. 

"Lou, everything okay?" Liam asked.

I ignored them both and continued down the hallway.  I peeked into the bathroom to see if Harry was there, but continued to his room when I saw the bathroom was empty.

I slammed my fist into the door. “HARRY STYLES YOU OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR I’LL TEAR RIGHT THROUGH IT.”

Louis and Liam poked their heads into the hallway and stopped their party-prepping to watch.

I pounded the door again and again until finally Harry turned the lock and opened the door.  He stood and looked at me coolly.  My fists were clenched and I was breathing hard.

“How dare you tell Claire about our little dare game?! How dare you! That was supposed to be a secret between us!” 

Harry’s eyes widened slightly as he knew he had been caught.

“And the fact that you fucking let her dare you to take me in and make me feel like you actually fucking cared-”  I felt tears begin to run down my face but was too heated to stop them. “Fuck you. Just…” I turned to walk down the hall.  Harry grabbed my wrist.

“What are you talking about? She didn’t-”

Harry stopped as I sobbed once and shook my head. “Please just stop lying to me! I don’t want to hear it! The way you treat girls is fucking sick Harry! I thought that maybe I was different and it turns out it was all a shallow dare from that SLUT!”

I yanked my hand from his and tore off down the hall, pushing through Louis and Liam. 

“LOU!” Harry called after me. I kept running.  As I opened the front door, I heard Louis yell at Harry.

“What the hell mate?! I thought maybe you’d changed! Maybe Josh was right!”

I sobbed again as I got into my car and drove home. There was no way that Josh could be right.  That couldn’t have all been acting. I refused to believe it.