Side.

Side. - Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

The next morning I woke up and turned on my phone. I saw I had text from Harry, saying, “I enjoyed last night, sleep well x.” He had sent it just a few minutes after I had turned my phone off that night before. I smiled when I remembered him kissing me, it wasn’t a real kiss though since it was only a quick kiss on the cheek. But I still didn’t know what I should be thinking about it. What did he mean by it? Did he see me as a good friend? Was it just to thank me for having a fun night? Did he like me? Was it because he was drunk? No, he wasn’t drunk, and he wouldn’t like me either… Though, I did like it, a lot, and it made me feel happy, especially at that moment, and special, but on the other side I was worried that I’ll get too close with him and that he’d break me somehow, even though I already knew he would never do that. And what about Zayn? I was still thinking about him, the ‘fight’ and that girl’s name, Kimberly. And I still wanted to know how Zayn knew those things about me, which he said while we were in the bus together on our way home from school, because I was sure Harry didn’t tell him anything about me, since they didn’t seem to like each other. I knew that Harry didn’t want me near Zayn and said he’d be dangerous, but somehow, me being stubborn, I was sure I could handle Zayn myself and didn’t need anyone’s help by that.

I got out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower and rinse and wash my long, brown hair. Fortunately I didn’t have that much homework to do, maybe only studying a bit, but nothing more. Maybe I could send my mom a message on Facebook too, even though she’d probably be asleep. 

“Hey Demi,” Emily said when I walked out of the bathroom, steam following me. “’Morning.” I greeted back, holding my pyjama’s in my hands as I walked back into my bedroom. I had changed into a pair of jeans and a simple sweat shirt since it was already 11:30AM. Just when I was drying my hair with the towel Emily walked into my bedroom, immediately falling onto my bed. “Are you feeling a bit better now?” She asked. “Yeah, how was the movie night?” I said changing the subject since I had been feeling well all night. “Good, but we missed you.” I couldn’t help but chuckle and blush at the same time when I heard her words. “You know that Tina is coming over for you, right?” She added. “Tina?” I said confused, “You mean Mrs. Miller?” “Yes, but she’ll be here in only 2 hours so don’t worry about time and you don’t have to hurry, I guess.” Emily said. I just nodded while brushing my fingers through my tangled hair, causing a silence growing between us, it wasn’t awkward though. I looked up to her seeing the blonde haired girl looking through one of my note books, I didn’t mind though, there wasn’t anything very private in it and I trusted my ‘sister’. It’s too bad I didn’t have a brother or sister during my youth. I never knew how it felt to have a sibling, but now I knew that it was actually amazing and never boring. 

“Did you go out last night?” Emily asked out of sudden, causing my heart to skip a beat. “Eh, yeah, I went walking for a minute to get some fresh air.” I said, lying again. I hated to lie, especially to her. She was one of my best friends at the moment, plus she was my ‘sister’ and I was sick of lying to her, if she’d find out I was lying to her she would probably never trust me again. But if I’d tell her I went to a damn party with Harry Styles, the guy she didn’t want me to come near, she would hate me and wouldn’t trust me ever again either. Why haven’t I just listened to her and the others? And why didn’t I just stay away from Harry? This would cause problems and maybe I’d even lose my friends, the last thing I wanted. I never had really friends, and now I finally got them and I didn’t want to lose them. 

“Oh,” She replies with a short laugh, “Because I heard you were at that party but I didn’t believe it, because I know you’re not that kind of person, right?” Guilt went all over me, she didn’t believe the truth, she trusted me. “No,” I said back, nervously. I felt tears burning in my eyes. Emily trusted me for the fully 100%, while I was lying about everything. I wish I could be honest with her, and I actually wanted to tell her everything, about Harry, maybe even Zayn, and even the party. But I couldn’t, at least not yet. 

“But what did you hear?” I asked after a short while throwing my wet towel into the hamper with dirty clothes. “About what?” “About me and the party.” “Well, I heard that you were there with Harry freakin’ Styles and that he got into a fight or something and that you played that game where you have to drink a lot and I heard that you got drunk as hell.” She chuckles at her own words. “That’s the biggest bullshit I’ve ever heard in my life.” She added. “Yeah,” I said with a nervous chuckle to let her know that it was complete bullshit. I told her that I’m a boring person when it’s about parties and going out. I was wondering who had told her about it and how they could made up those shit that I got drunk, which I absolutely weren’t since I only drank one cup of – actually disgusting – alcohol.

“You’d never go to a party with Harry, will you?” Emily asked desperately. She was too good and too sweet for me, all she wanted was to ‘protect’ me and keep me away from Harry. She didn’t want me to get in trouble, she really cared for me. “No, of course not Em.” I assured her and she sighed in relieve. 

“Em?” “Yeah?” “What did you mean with ‘It won’t end well’? You know, what you said not too long ago.” I really wanted to know, maybe the same that could happen to anyone who would be around Harry happened too Kimberly too. “You know, what would happen if I’d hang out with Harry? It’s not that I do hang out with him or something, but you know.. what could happen?” I choked out my sentence, still nervous. “Oh, well,” Emily started as she sat up, leaning against the headboard of my bed. “He once had this friend, a girl, and I don’t really know but I heard that she was so in love with him that nothing could ‘stop her’,” She said, raising her index fingers while saying ‘stop her’. I nodded to let her know to continue. “But because Harry is… not in a good situation, he has never been by the way, something happened to her, I don’t really know what but now she lives in somewhere else. I don’t know that many things about her or what exactly happened to her, why?” I thought everything would be less tenuous, but I didn’t get that much more information about it. “Oh, no, I was just wondering.” I replied before we both went downstairs to have a quick breakfast and I got ready to talk to my social worker. 

The next day, Monday, I went to school again, acting like nothing happened. I didn’t tell Em about Harry yet, and I didn’t tell Mrs. Miller anything either. Even though someone should tell everything to a social worker, I didn’t, and it wasn’t like I didn’t trust her, but I was just afraid that she’d tell anyone else about it. 

When I was at school, I had seen Harry a few times and I wanted to walk up to him and say something, but he just didn’t see me. I could text him too, but I wanted to say it face to face, to make sure he knew about it. 

“Harry,” I whispered as I walked behind him in the not so crowded hallway. I could see his muscles through his thin shirt before he turned around, smiling brightly when he saw me. I couldn’t help but smile back at the beautiful boy. It was weird how everyone saw him as a mean, ungrateful and dangerous boy, while I saw him as a sweet and caring guy, sometimes a little frightening. “Meet me at the art classrooms at 3, okay?” I said. He just nodded and then I walked away. I was glad he understood everything that I didn’t come near him in school, because he knew everyone didn’t want me to.

I quickly headed to class and saw Liam sitting at the back. I took the seat next to him and he looked up from his phone, smiling. “Hi Demi,” He said. “Hi.” I greeted back before taking my books out of my bag. We talked for a bit before the teacher came in, already telling us that he’d let us leave a bit earlier than normal because he had to go somewhere. 

“Demi,” Liam said out of sudden just when we were writing something down from the big screen in the front of the classroom. “Hm,” I said, letting him know to continue. “Is it true that you were at the party Saturday?” He asked. I almost dropped my pen and my heart skipped a beat. I didn’t expect him to ask this question. I swallowed away my nerves and looked up at him. “No, why?” I tried to make him believe my lie. I hated it. Lying to Emily gave me a bad feeling, but lying to my other friends too made it even worser.

“Oh, I heard some things, but to be honest I didn’t know if I had to believe it.” “Why won’t you believe it? I guess you all know I’m a boring person when it’s about parties and going out, you know.” I said quite pushy. “Yeah, I do believe you that you’re not that kind of person but…” He said, drifting off at the last few words. “But what?” I said looking straight into his eyes, wanting to know what he wanted to say.

“You were with Harry that night, weren’t you?”