Concealed

seventeen

Harry's POV

"Styles, my man! How are you?" Zayn greets me as I walk into the party. Drunk people surround me, and I immediately regret my decision. I wish I never came. I could be home sleeping right now.

"Good," I shrug. I'm so uninterested.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, I know that isn't true but it seems that way. You ready to party, loosen up a little?"

"I guess," I say, as he turns on his heels walking into the kitchen, pushing past mingling teenagers with red solo cups in their hands. He hands me a drink, and I bring it to my lips not caring what is in the cup.

The burn of vodka burns my throat, but I keep sipping regardless of the taste.

"So what have you been up to?" Zayn asks.

"Nothing really, Zayn I see you every day?"

"Yeah but you're always spaced out, or with Noelle." He tells me, as his gaze shifts from my eyes and looks behind me. "Speak of the devil."

I turn around to see Noelle walking in through the crowded living room, as her eyes lock with mine. I don't really feel like being around her after what I saw today. I just need some time to process it.

I turn back around to Zayn, taking a big gulp of my drink. I rock back and forth on my heels as Zayn looks at me confused. My eyes widen and I hope he gets the hint, but I guess he didn't notice.

"Hey Noelle," he calls waving her over to us. Fucking asshole.

"Hi guys," Noelle greets, smiling at us both. I smile awkwardly and roll my eyes before chugging the rest of my drink and pour some more.

"Easy killer," Zayn laughs. "What are you doing here Noelle?"

"Well I came to find Harry. I went to his house but his dad said he saw him leave with Liam and I heard around school you were having a party so I don't know, I just figured I could find him here," she shrugs nonchalantly. Why did she go to my house?

"Oh, well you're quite the detective," Zayn says handing her a drink. She takes it from him and sips immediately as I cringe of the thought of her drinking again. I nod at her, just to make things less awkward but it doesn't work.

"I'm uh, gonna go find Liam," I announce weakly, sound more timid than I intended. I turn on my heels but I feel a grip on my bicep.

"Wait, can I talk to you?" Noelle asks.

"Uh sure," I say as she leads me out back to Zayn's deck. Lights hang off the gazebo, lightening the dark outside. We stand in silence for a little, before I swallow my annoyance towards her.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I came to find you, like I said."

"Okay well you found me?"

"Look I have to just ask you this and I need you to answer honestly," she tells me. Fuck, I knew this was coming. "Did you follow me after school today?"

I don't answer, sipping slowly instead.

"Harry," she snaps.

"Fuck, yes I did okay," I confess. She looks at me with wide eyes.

"Why? I specifically told you-"

"Because Noelle! You're the most secretive person I know and I just want, and still want answers. I just don't understand what there is to hide."

"Harry, don't follow me again, I mean it. It's not safe. Look all I can tell you is-"

"No I don't even want to fucking know! Unless it's the truth, the entire truth, I don't give a fuck. It's just going to piss me off. I'm trying okay, I'm trying to understand and to give you the upper hand but you keeping secrets isn't helping!" I say, starting to yell but the volume of my voice decreasing as my sentence finishes. It feels good to get it off my chest, but I still don't feel better about it.

"Then I guess this won't work Harry, I can't tell you the whole truth. I'm dead if I do. If I could I would, I've already fucking explained this. Cut me some slack," she said turning away from me, leaning on the white railing, looking into the starry sky.

"I've tried Noelle, I'm trying now," I say more calm than I have said anything this entire conversation. I debate confessing and confronting her about what I saw in the factory but I don't think this is the appropriate time or place. I don't feel like fighting anymore with her. It's like I'm fighting a battle that I'm constantly loosing because nothing has changed, and I guess nothing will.

Silence fills the fresh air around us.

It's not an awkward silence, just a silence that indicates one of us is afraid to say the wrong thing. I want this "friendship" to work between us. I want more than a friendship, but I can't be with someone who sneaks around all the time.

"I'm going to get another drink," I mumble. She doesn't follow or respond, as I walk inside shutting the door behind me.

***

Four drinks later, and I feel amazing. I forgot the feeling of being this drunk. Nothing hurts, nothing phases me, no thoughts invade my mind. I get a break.

"Harry!" Ali squeals as she runs over to me. She throws her arms around my neck and lifts her feet off the ground. My arms wrap around her waist, by instinct or habit I suppose. "How are you? It's been forever," she says exaggerating the forever portion of her sentence.

"Mhmm," I hum in response putting her on her feet. I don't feel like dealing with her clingy ass tonight, but then again I'm drunk as hell so who knows.

"What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in a party in a while," she says looking into my eyes. Her blonde hair falls over her shoulders and the tight black dress frames her stick figure. Her grey eyes are rimmed heavily with black making them pop, but making her look like a whore.

"I decided to come tonight. Liam invited me," I slur. I should probably sit down, my balance is leaving me bit by bit.

"Well it's good to see you back at it," she smirks and bunches the bottom of my shirt in her tiny fists.

Noelle's POV

I look away from the unknown crowd of drunk people I'm standing with and I set my gaze on Harry. A short blonde girl in an incredibly short black dress and red pumps.

Jealously courses through my veins as is see red blur my already drunk altered vision. I don't know why I'm jealous, I haven't confronted my feelings for Harry because I don't even know how I feel about him. I like him, a lot, I just don't know what to do. He can't even be my friend let alone anything else.

The vodka has boosted my confidence slightly as I disregard my subconscious and walk over to the curly haired boy with the blonde bitch hanging on him.

AUTHORS NOTE- hiiiiiiiii guys! I hope you all don't hate me. I'm so sorry it's taken forever to update. I've recently joined another cheer team so I have practice everyday and with school work it's been so hard to update and the days I have had time to update Wattpad wouldn't let me log into this account so I fixed the bug problem and here we are lol. Like I said I'm so sorry and I know I always have excuses and apologizes there's nothing I can do so I just update when I can. Hopefully this is longer than normal, I tried really hard to make it long without dragging the chapter. I know it's annoying that I won't just say what Noelle does but that'll ruin everything so just wait :). Thank you guys for everything as usual and please vote!

PS WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK OF 1D AT THE BRITS??????? THEY LOOKED SO GOOD I CANT AND DRUNK LIAM AND HARRY TAKING A WEE I JUST CANT OMFG OKAY FANGIRL OVER

And you're cute as a button, every single one of you. Lol I'm dumb bye.

-Shelby .xx