change.

two.

"And then he just left. Walked away like nothing happened. Like he did not just have the wind knocked out of him."

"Did you follow him?" Niall's bright blue eyes begged for an answer. It was the next day, and we were at our favorite diner during our lunch hour break from the job we shared. Paid internships for Music Nation magazine, competitor to Rolling Stone.

"No." My best friend gave me an annoyed look I expected. I pretended to be really interested in the contents of my chicken nuggets.

"You know, I don't care what goes into these things, I just love them so mu-"

"Don't change the subject." He raised a brow and I could tell he was judging me.

"Aw Ni, I couldn't. I mean, I trust Liam, he wouldn't just go around punching people without good intention!" There was silence, then and I looked up, following his new gaze.

Niall whistled, his attention no longer on me but on a shy looking waitress with glasses and a side braid. She had to be around our age and she wore a sweet smile and always greeted me nicely. That's what I like about Niall. He notices the girls with for what their heart echos, not their bodies.

"Talk to her." I smirked.

He giggled nervously, I was glad the subject was different now.

"I can't do that. She's too beautiful for me."

"Um, excuse me! Miss?" I loudly called across the crowded diner. The lunch rush was not the time to be ignorant, but for Niall, I'd stop time.

The slightly sweaty young waitress looked up from her other customers and located my voice. She quickly hurried over, holding up her ring finger to the customers apologetically. They nodded sweetly and I was grateful the two guys were fellow young people who were chill.

"Yes?" She arrived breathless. "Can I help you?"

"Hi," I smiled warmly. "I just wanted you to know that I love your brown highlights! Also, have you met my friend Niall?"

She looked confused and then whipped her head around. Flushing, they shared an awkward laugh. It was like love at first sight.

"I suddenly have to go pee." I announced. I headed towards the ladies' room and my phone beeped.

I checked my reflection, then my phone. It was an unsaved number but it had but it had a tone that was ingrained within my mind.

"Have you forgotten my name yet?"

I smiled to myself while girls around me reapplied their makeup.

"Are you ignoring the fact that I haven't given you my number, yet you are texting me?"

An immediate reply. I like that.

"I know a guy named Ed who knows a girl named Joyce who has a little sister who is a lot like you..."

I could pick up his witty and playful tone from the tiny illuminated screen and my heart did a thing I didn't exactly enjoy or hate.

"Speaking of Joyce, how exactly do you know my sister?"

I immediately regretted pressing send for the fact that I didn't get a quick reply.

"If you're not going to use the mirror, you can move." I rolled my eyes at the snobby blonde behind me and quickly exited the ladies' room.

I came back to the table to find Niall grinning broadly and the negative feelings exited me instantly.

"Someone got a number!" I cooed as I sat down, flicking my brown hair off my shoulder.

"Someone got a date Friday night!" His blemish free face shone and I couldn't help but smile too.

"Has a date." I intentionally corrected his improper grammar. His face instantly went blank.

"Sorry. You know I can't help it." Wincing, I looked down.

"Wey hey, I got a date!" Niall pumped his fist in the air and people around us cheered.

I spotted the waitress giggling to herself in admiration. Aw.

My phone beeped on the table.

"You free Friday?"

I smiled to myself.

"Only if you give up some details."

An immediate reply again which made me breathe in relief.

"You are hard to turn down."

So are you.

---

My sister welcomed me home by raising her tv remote as she sat on the couch while the Futurama theme song rang out across the apartment.

Living with my sister and not my parents was the best decision ever. She has Netflix.

"They're saying HAIM is becoming bigger." I threw my bag on the immaculate-to-my-sister's-taste floor of the living room and pulled a half-full pint of Haagen Chocolate ice cream from the freezer and a spoon. I instantly heard the television mute and leaned against the counter.

"Liam told me about last night." My sister has this "lecture" voice that she switches to often. Unfortunately, now was one of those times. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh wow." I said in a monotone voice.

"Now I'm not trying to rule your life, but you should trust Liam on this one. I don't want you leaving concerts with strange men. Who knows what could have happened? Thank god Liam was there to take you back inside."

I should've known Liam was gonna spare my sister the truth. He really is a good guy, and apparently my sister not knowing it was Harry saved both of our asses. Joyce would have gone ballistic if she found out Liam got into another fight after cleaning up his act for her.

"Please don't be mad, sis. He was just looking out for you." She turned back to look at me, holding the couch like she might fall off. Her coffee colored face was in wrinkles and she took my silence as being angry.

"I'm not mad, boo. Promise. But I'm gonna go to sleep, I'm pretty tired." I returned the ice cream to the freezer, the spoon to the sink. I kissed her on the cheek goodnight and went into my room.

I love my room. My sister gave me free reign of how I wanted to decorate it, so I chose to cover the walls in handwritten quotes from my favorite songs. I add accordingly, black sharpie at the ready to offset the pale purple paint. The back wall was the only exception.

In actual black paint were the last two paragraphs of my favorite novel, The Great Gatsby.

Therefore, I am always reminded that no matter how hard I try to make the future different, I am reminded that the past is one thing that can't change.

"Boats against the current."

The screams of that night.

"Born back ceaselessly..."

The suspense and uneasiness.

"...into the past."

The unbelievable shock.

Somehow, my thoughts traced themselves to Harry.

Would he be the one to change everything? To make me forget?

To make different the quote on the wall into something more fearless, more daring, more romantic.

Will we slip into a brisk unrecoverable intimacy?

I was greeted by a rose on my dresser the next morning. Beside it, a Tiffany and Co. box and a note. My stomach beating fast, I was silently hoping that it wasn't jewelry.

"Music is the greatest form of magic. -H."

Instead of jewelry being inside, a tiny scratched iPod mini was within, the contents only being a playlist called "(H)its." I smiled dryly at his immature sense of humor and pressed the center button.