Youth [h.s.]

Chapter Eight: Peaceful Easy Feeling.

-

"I get this feeling
I may know you as a lover and a friend.
But this voice
keeps whispering in my other ear,
tells me I may never see you again."

-

"She's a slumber really but she hardly snores," her tall and uncensored roommate continues to assert while pouring pancake batter onto a hot pan. She has been talking her up since his arrival twenty minutes ago. Harry chuckles but listens politely, actually interested in learning a bit more about Ana, noting how passionately and fond her roommate is of her. She seems like someone who would do anything for her friends and he believes those are the best kinds of people in life. Loyalty is rare.

"Oh! She's a killer cook but can't bake for shit. Also, she's very cuddly when aunt flow comes around but I don't know how much guys like that since the factory is closed for maintenance and all that but she's a great spoon. Very warm and if the girls aren't too sensitive they're the best pillow you'll ever have."

"Why aren't you dating her?" Harry lamely jokes, sipping his lukewarm milk-less tea. How does he break it to her that just because he's British doesn't mean he doesn't prefer coffee on a cold Friday morning? And that he isn't interested in her domestic or her physical "pluses"?

"Just because I like her boobs doesn't mean I want to date her you accent having perv."

"I don't smell waffles, Z." Anna belatedly emerges from her bedroom door still rubbing the last bit of sleep from her enervated blue eyes. Harry finds himself smiling, leaning on the wooden counter with his elbow as she nears the kitchen, completely oblivious of her company. "I may have only been twenty for a week but at heart I'm eighteen and still hold my ground that pancakes are disgusting and waffles tops all."

"And I may be twenty-two as of five months ago but at heart I'm still twenty-two and you are a complete moron. Pancakes and waffles are the same damn thing."

"That's a dollar in the jar!" Her smile coats her face like honey as she hops onto the stool, still oblivious to the fact Harry was sitting right next to her with a fond expression on his tranquil profile. Adorned in what appears to be a men's grey flannel since it is much to oversized for her, she reaches over for the the coffee beans to brew fresh coffee when she spares a glance at him, quickly transforming into wide eyed shocked bewilderment.

"Zoe, please tell me I'm hallucinating and this man isn't sitting next to me." Her mouth is still agape slightly, bright blue eyes no longer sleepy but now very much awake and cognizant. Harry chuckles, looking over at Zoe who doesn't bother hiding the knowing smirk on her face.

"What? Don't fancy a morning booty call?" Zoe snickers with a overly gleeful grin as Anna squirms in her chair, red faced and completely unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry, love." Harry leans over closer to gently assure her with false confidence and a racing heart. "She invited me over for breakfast when I couldn't find you last night."

"What a manipulator! You told me he left you geek!" She cries, narrowed playful accusatory eyes at her grinning best friend across the wooden counter.

"Did I? He spent an awful lot of time in the restroom that I thought he made a break for it so I made something up to let you down easy but then he came out right when you left and I felt really bad. Bad judgement call, sorry man." Zoe apologizes and Harry nods, assuring her it was alright but the girl beside him seems a bit flustered. "Oh, c'mon Théma! I got him here for you."

"Théma?" Harry asks, both perplexed and wry at the strange nickname. Zoe turns away casually, looking in the fridge as Anna cringes. "You said your name was Anna."