Side.

Side. - Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

Nervously I came home. Dean’s car was in the drive way and Emily’s curtains from her bedroom were slightly opened. The second I closed the front door behind me, Alice appeared in the door way. I looked up to her and immediately felt guilty, knowing that the sweet woman was worried sick about me. 

“Demi,” She said, relief clearly in her voice, “Where were you? We were so worried about you!” I gave her a small smile to let her know I appreciated the fact that she was worried about me. The red haired woman walked up to me and cupped my cheeks in her cold hands. “Where were you?” She asked again. Then I heard someone running down the stairs and I couldn’t expect someone else than Emily. “Demi!” She squealed. The door which was between the hallway and the living room was slightly opened, and I could see Dean sitting on the couch, the TV remote in his hand. He didn’t bother to get up, but watched us though. 
“We called you the whole time, but you didn’t pick up.” Emily said, slightly annoyed, yet happy I was home again. “I’m sorry,” I apologized as I hang my coat on the coat reck, “I was at a friends’. I should have told you, I’m really sorry.” I lied, half lied actually. I did feel sorry that I let them worry about me that much, but I wasn’t that sure if I should call Harry’s place a ‘friends’ place’. 
“Well, okay. At least I’m glad you’re home.” Alice gave in with a heart-warming smile on her face. She was way too sweet. I smiled at her, but could see Emily wasn’t convinced yet. “Do you want something to eat, Demi?” Alice asked as she already made her way to the living room. “No thanks.” I replied as I still stood in the hallway, together with Emily. 
“Who’s sweater is that?” She asked with an actual disgust tone in her voice. I looked up to her and gave her a ‘shut up’ glance, but I answered her though. “From a friend.” I replied as I pushed past her up the stairs. Of course she followed me, ready to confront me about everything. 
“At who’s place were you?” She asked, forcing me to tell her, as I walked into my bedroom. I kicked off my shoes and let myself fall on the mattress of my bed. I closed my eyes while muttering, “Doesn’t matter.” “Yes it does!” She fought back, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Emily was a lovely person and a good friend of mine, but sometimes she pretended like she was a mother and could say everything she wanted to. Then she could play bossy all the time, even over me. It was sweet because she was just worried about me, and wanted to.. ‘protect’ me because I was new in town, but it was annoying on the other side. 
“No.” I said determined as I sat up again. “At who’s place were you?” She asked again. What was I supposed to say? She’d surely get angry with me if I told her that I stayed at Harry’s, and she even would force me to tell her more about what Harry and I have done, well… that we just hang out sometimes. I folded my hands and placed them in my lap as I looked around in my room, everywhere but Emily’s eyes. “Well?” She said impatiently. “I can’t tell you.” I said honestly. “Why not?” “Because…” I drifted off, really not knowing what to say. I was thinking who’s name I should say, I could say Liam’s, but I actually didn’t want to lie anymore. 
“It’s just a friends’ place, right?” She hissed, “Than why can’t you tell me?” “Because he’s not your friend.” I sighed. “It’s a guy?” Emily said, tone full of disgust. I’m sure if I said I was at Liam’s, it wouldn’t have been a problem to her. “Y-y-yes…” I stuttered, already expecting an outburst from her. “Demi, did you go out last night? Like, partying?” I didn’t say anything back. I did go out the night before, but I didn’t go partying. “Did you get drunk? Oh my god,” She said as she ran her hands through her hair with a short laugh, not believing that ‘I got drunk’, which obviously wasn’t true at all. “You got drunk and let someone fuck you, am I right or am I right?!” Emily yelled. A flash of pain went through my chest, how could she think that? Why would she expect me to let someone fuck me? Anger boiled up inside of me, but I decided to stay calm to prevent more problems, because both of us yelling at each other wouldn’t solve anything.
“No, you’re wrong.” I said calmly as I looked up to her, anger in her eyes. “Then tell me,” She said, “Tell me at who’s place you were.” I wanted to tell her, I just didn’t have the courage to. How would she react? We couldn’t just ‘break up’ as friends, well, we could. But we still lived in the same house, so we didn’t have that much of a choice. This was the first time I had a fight with my ‘sibling’. I didn’t even know how to solve this, or what to say, because I just never experienced it before, only fighting with my mother, but that was different than this. 
“I don’t have time for this shit Demi,” She muttered, clearly disappointed. “I thought that we could actually be sisters, at least friends.” “But we are sisters, aren’t we?” I replied desperately as I stood up. “Yeah, but sisters trust each other Demi, and they tell each other everything!” She replied as she walked out of my bedroom. “Em!” I yelled after her. I felt so stupid and guilty for everything. How could Harry, or just a boy in general, ruin our friendship? That was the last thing I wanted. I was glad I met Harry, but I didn’t want him to be the reason Emily and I couldn’t be friends anymore. 
“I’ll tell you.” I said quickly, hoping she’d give in, and she did. “Fine.” She said and crossed her arms back in front of her chest. “Please promise me you won’t get mad.” I begged her, already knowing that she couldn’t keep that promise. “If there’s no reason to get mad, I won’t.” There was a reason.
“I was at Harry.” I mumbled, not expecting her to hear my words, but she did though. “What?!” Emily shouted in disbelief. I bit my lip, trying not to cry. She was disappointed and upset with me. 
“Demi, why?!” “It’s a long story, I –” I tried to explain, but Emily cut me off. “Oh, you don’t have to explain anything!” She shouted. I was sure that Alice and Dean could hear us from downstairs. “We all told you to stay away from him, and guess what? You never listened! First you talk to him and thighs, and now you sleep with him? How could you!” “I didn’t sleep with him,” I corrected her, emphasizing the word ‘with’. “I slept at his place, now with him!” I tried to make her believe my words. “He’s no good Demi, you’re gonna get hurt.” She said, totally ignoring my previous comment. I knew she was right, I actually barely knew Harry and I regretted going out last night, well I didn’t , but I regretted that I made her so worried about me, and now disappointed. I wished she would give me the chance to explain that Harry was a nice guy, to me at least.
“I’m sorry Em, I really am.” I apologized. “You better be,” She huffed back, “I only say his because of your own safety, you know that right?” Her voice was back to normal, sweet and caring. 

- “How did it go? Xx” 
I read Harry’s text while I let my pen and study notes fall. I exactly knew where he was talking about. He wanted to know how ‘my parents’ reacted when I came home.
- “Not that well .”
I decided to leave an ‘x’, it wouldn’t make that much difference though. I sighed and looked out of my window. The sky was dark, yet bright so I could see the stars and half a moon. It was Saturday night, and most of the people would go out, like partying or hang out with friends. But I didn’t feel like to, I actually never did. Emily hadn’t really talked to me the whole day, but I guess she wasn’t that angry anymore either. I hoped that she wouldn’t tell the others. I didn’t want everyone to think ‘bad’ about me. Only Liam and Emily knew, but Liam knew everything. 
I felt my phone vibrate next to me and saw Harry’s name appear on the display. I didn’t hesitate to pick up.
“Hello?” I said like I was unsure who I was talking to, even though I knew it was Harry. “Hi,” He greeted back, “What happened?” I could feel the tears burning in my eyes when I thought about what happened between Emily and I. “I told Emily I was at your place, and she became really mad and also for not listening to her and the others earlier, because they kept staying I had to stay away from you.” To say those words out loud, it even more hurt. The thought of staying away from Harry was something I didn’t want, even though I didn’t know him for that long. 
“It’ll be okay,” Harry assured me through the phone. “But maybe Emily is right.” What?
“What do you mean?” I whispered. “Maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore.” Harry said. It felt like I got stabbed in the chest. “I don’t want that..” I admitted honestly. “Why?” Harry asked in a whisper. What was I supposed to say? I couldn’t just say that I was in love with him, because I wasn’t even that sure about that yet. I didn’t know what my feelings were for him. 
“I don’t know… I think we can get along quite well, right?” I answered. “Yeah,” Harry said with a sigh, “that’s true, but I don’t want to…” He drifted off for a bit, and I patiently waited for him to continue, “I don’t want to put you in any danger and I Don’t want you to ruin your friendship because of me, I mean, we’re nothing.”