RUMORS (Harry Styles//a.u.)

One

*present day*

East Canyon High School.

Where it is social suicide to drift away from your clique, and impossible to avoid gossip anywhere you turn. But that's all high school ever is nowadays, kids who think they know everything, and the lies they tell to make it seem that way.

Today was my first day of senior year, and although I'm not a stranger to these halls, I'm definitely the odd one out right now. School started two weeks ago at East Canyon, but I, having moved back after two years of living in New York, just got back yesterday.

"You're back!!" A voice screams from behind me. A few moments later, I feel arms wrap around me and a body collide with mine. The body pulls away and I'm face to face with one of my close friends, Lacey. "Look at you! Has it really been two freaking years without you!? New York must have changed you! It's like..you're glowing. Did you dye your hair or something?!"

"I got it done like months ago! Just touched it up before coming back over here." I pull her in for another hug, "God I've missed you!"

Lacey and I kept in contact almost every day that I was away, but it didn't compare to being physically together in person. We catch up while walking the halls of EC and feelings of nostalgia fill me. It seems like just yesterday I was a freshman entering the halls for the first time. I'd made a ton of friends that year, and I actually enjoyed my freshman experience here. But that was, of course, when I had Harry.

Harry was my best friend, ever since we were kids. Our moms were best friends and roomates in college and even though they're married and have families now, they still live across the street from each other. Harry knows every little thing about me, and I know every detail about him inside and out. I had been trying to reach him ever since I got back, but every call was sent straight to voicemail and every text was ignored. After I left for New York, it was like he just dropped out of my life. We promised to keep in contact and talk everyday, but that only lasted for a month. He stopped calling, texting, sending packages...and I lost the only best friend I ever had.  

"Lacey? Have you talked to...Harry lately?" I ask her after we pick up my schedule from the school office.

"Harry? Harry Styles?" Lacey stares at me like I was speaking a different language. "Are you kidding? He's unreachable now. Right after you left he slowly started shutting people out until he just put up all these walls and stopped talking to everyone. He hangs around with us at lunch sometimes, but he always keeps to himself. " We both approach my locker and I open it to set my books in.

"He even got a few tattoos! AND he wears all black now. All the time dude. It even scares me sometimes." Lacey tells me while leaning against the lockers next to mine. Harry Styles? Tattoos? That didn't make any sense. Harry cried like a baby when I playfully hit him too hard in the eighth grade. How could he handle a tattoo needle?

"Are you guys talking about Harry Styles?" A girl by the name of Sarah says while at her locker that was close to mine. "Sorry, didn't mean to butt in. By the way, welcome back Madelyn! But yeah, that is who you're talking about right?.." She leaned in close, her voice was at a soft whisper. "I heard that last weekend, at the senior class' welcome back party, he got totally wasted and took a freshman's virginity in the bathroom."

I burst out laughing before she even finished her sentence. I knew East Canyon excelled in gossip and rumors, but who would be crazy enough to believe that. I remember the time I dared Harry to take a sip of his dad's drink when we were 7, and knowing him, he ended up doing it and I have a polaroid picture somewhere in my room of his sour reaction face.  

I turn towards Lacey, who's face was dead serious. "Madelyn, it's not a joke. Harry has.....changed" she says with a hint of worry in her tone. "He's got a rep now. And it's not a good one."

"Lacey. Are you sure we're talking about the same Harry?" I laugh, shutting my locker door. "The Harry who used to make us sit and watch Love Actually with him EVERY Christmas. The one who personally baked pink cupcakes on my 15th birthday. The one who used to sing so loudly-"

Lacey covers my mouth and looks around the halls, her voice now at a low whisper. "Look, everyone knows you and Harry were best friends and that you had a jolly good time, but that was in the past. He's always so ticked off and emotionless now. The Harry you know, it's not him anymore."

The school bell rings and Lacey drops her hands from my mouth. Thankfully, I had first period with her, so I could hammer her more about what exactly did happen to Mr. Styles. We walk into English, and I got a few welcome backs from familiar classmates. Our teacher finally walks in and tells us to pick a seat before she takes attendance. I sit in the second row, so I can still be up in front, but not in the way front, and Lacey takes the seat behind me. I do a quick scope of the class, taking note of the cute boy by the window, and the one sitting behind Lacey.

The second bell finally rings and all the last minute kids run into the class, trying to make it in before our teacher starts calling attendance. I notice Sarah run in and she gives me a smile, and right behind her, I see him. I see Harry. Or at least I think it's Harry. I try to wave to him, but he doesn't seem to notice as he plops down in a seat that was saved for him by one of his friends. He definitely grew taller, taking in his built frame when he walked into the classroom. His hair grew out, and he has it pushed up and out of his face now, compared to the mop of curly locks I was so used to. His facial features were strong , and his shirt wasn't buttoned up all the way, so we could see his chest and part of a ...tattoo? I saw a few more on his arms, but I was too far to see what they were of. There's no way in hell that I believed that this is my best friend since birth. But despite his sudden transformation from awkward preteen to apparent heartthrob, those eyes were the same.

"Oh my god" the girl next to me squeals, "Harry's in this class! This is a sign! Do you think I have a chance? I think this is my chance! The high school gods have finally answered my prayers." She excitedly tells her friend in front of her. I try to hide my laugh so she wouldn't notice that I heard what she said, but I fail miserably. Could she be any more desperate? Her boobs were practically hanging out of her shirt and her makeup was so caked that her face and neck were two different colors. She shoots me a death glare and I roll my eyes at her.

"Madelyn, I get that it's your first day back and all, but you better start learning your place in this school because I don't need your sass." she sneers, annoyance clear in her tone.

"I don't think Harry is going to need yours either." I challenge her. Her mouth drops open, and she's at a loss for words. I smirk and lean in closer to her, making sure to pronounce every word clearly. "And just fyi, no. You actually don't have a chance."

The teacher finally calls for our attention and starts class. The bitch next to me turns to face forward, crossing her arms in anger. Lacey gives me a subtle, under the desk high five and I hear a small chuckle coming from the corner of the class. I turn around to see Harry's eyes on me, filled with amusement as he tries to cover his laugh by coughing. I smile at him, and give him a small wave. His face forms a small smirk while he leans back into his chair and he waves back with a small wink. I direct my attention back towards the teacher with my smile growing bigger and bigger. I knew he hasn't changed.

(A/N: SO!? What do you guys think!? Is it worth continuing? Interesting enough!? Let me know with comments and votes and spread the word! This story is going to be stellar because I've got a lot in store for it!  Love you guys! .xx )