Reality

Five Minutes

Aubrey

"So tell me all about Missouri," Harry smiles as we sit down on the beach. He pulls his shirt off and attempts to brush sand off his towel. "How'd it go?"

Liam and I got back from Missouri late last night after our flight had been delayed three times. By the time we arrived at the house, almost everyone was asleep. The only person awake was Zayn, who was busy painting away in the kitchen. There was an awkward "oh hey, welcome back" followed by "yeah thanks." Not the greatest interaction but I suppose that's because we aren't very acquainted with him.

This morning, Harry burst into Liam's room and jumped on the bed to wake us up. I had the weirdest feeling as it all happened, like Liam and I were parents being woken up on Christmas morning by their overly excited child that knew a million presents were waiting downstairs. As much as I would have loved to sleep in some more, I actually really missed Harry.

He suggested we go out somewhere for breakfast but Liam wasn't into it. I think he was still running on awkward vibes from our meet up with his parents yesterday. After much debate, the two of us decided to head to the beach while Liam opted for a gym session with some guy named Mark. So here I sit on the sand with Harry at the beach in Santa Monica.

"It was a good trip," I nod my head and see a very unimpressed look on his face. "What?"

"I want to know details. How'd it go with his parents? You know, after all that punching drama. Did you meet any of his friends? What'd you guys do?"

"You're nosy."

"I'm only curious. A guy bringing you back to his hometown is typically a big deal in a relationship."

I nod my head in understanding. I know that this was a very big deal for Liam. It was a big deal for me. As I think back on the entire trip, I'd say it ended up being a pretty successful one. The party with his friends was a lot of fun. I thought it was great to meet all the guys that Liam surrounds himself with, even if a few of them were questionable. They made the night fun and entertaining, and I know Liam was having a good time. We didn't talk much throughout the night. He chatted with some of his friends while other friends spent their time getting to know me. People seemed very interested in and surprised about Liam having a girlfriend. When we got back to the hotel room, we made up for all the time spent apart.

As for his parents ... I think it turned out to be okay in the end. I'm not entirely sure if his mom likes me anymore, but his dad completely warmed up to Liam's wishes to quit the football team. He asked a bunch of questions about why he came to this decision and what he planned to do after. It was like watching a father meet his son for the first time after years apart. Liam was skeptical at first, thinking that it was just some kind of facade. But by the end of our little brunch, I think he was convinced that his dad was okay with everything. 

"The trip was nice," I say in response to Harry. "I met some of his friends at a party on Saturday, which I thought went well. I mean, aside from that and meeting his parents, we didn't really do a whole lot. He gave me a little tour around his school campus and showed me around St. Louis. It's a cute place."

"How'd it go with his parents? Did you guys end up talking to them again, following up from Friday's incident?" He scrunches his shirt into a ball and shoves it into the tote bag I brought. 

Shirtless Harry is different from shirtless Liam. Harry has scattered tattoos and is all lean muscle in a thin frame, while Liam has a strong, muscular build from playing sports his whole life. Harry is a little bit taller and a little more lanky. Liam is only a few inches shorter but much more compact. Harry is paler than Liam's tanned skin, and Liam's abs are more defined than Harry's ... though I might be biased.