United

Unlocking Secrets

Saturday morning. I heard a knock on my door and when I opened it, I saw Stella standing with a grin on her face.

"Good morning sunshine! Ready for our reseach?" She said storming into my room. "Nice view!" She croosed to the window.

I stood behind her, looking out at the cemetery and, in plain view, the live oak tree where I'd had the picnic with Jasper. And, invisible from here but clear in my head, the place I'd been pinned under that statue with Harry. The avenging angel that had mysteriously disappeared after the accident.

Remembering Harry's worried eyes when he whispered my name that day, the near touch of their noses, the way I'd felt his fingertips on my neck, all of it made me feel hot.

And pathetic. I sighed and turned away from the window, realizing Stella had moved on, too.

"Thanks. Where are your books?" I asked Stella, looking at her bare hands. She wasn't carrying anything.

"We don't need books." Stella said.

"What? But you said-" I paused. I didn't know where this was going. "I thought we were going to do our research on family trees." I said.

"Oh, there are much important things to do than a stupid family trees research." My friend said smirking and walking towards me. "Look Elena, I know I told you to stay away from Harry Styles but-"

"Ssshh!" I hissed, jumping to close my door. I stuck my head out to make sure there was no one, especially Jasper. He was the last person that I wanted to hear whatever Stella was going to say. Once I had scanned the whole hallway, I closed the door and turned to face Stella. I put my hands behind me and slightly started rocking on my feet.

"What makes you think I want to know anything about him?"

"Oh, come on!" Stella said, moving her hands in the air. "How many times do I have to tell you that you, my dear Elena Juliet Windsor, are a TERRIBLE liar!"

"Ssshh!" I said again.

"Despite the fact I warned you about him and told you to stay away from him, you didn't. Because the truth is that YOU'RE MADLY HOPELESS IN LOVE WITH HARRY STYLES!"

"OH MY GOD! STELLA LOWER YOUR VOICE!" I yelled, throwing myself over her and making the both of us to fall to the ground. I covered her mouth to silence her nonsense.

After a few seconds, she managed to break my grip. "Actions are louder than words." She said laughing. I gave her a dreadful glare. "Hey! I'm only saying," she continued. "That if you 'hipothetically' wanted to know more about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, you could conceivably bark up a more fruitful tree." Stella shrugged. "I'll help you."

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea... Oh God, of course it was! I came to the agreement yesterday that I wouldn't keep going with this whole Harry thing. Just tell Stella NO. "I'm listening." The words blurted out of my mouth without me even thinking.

"I knew you'll say that." Stella said smiling. "But first, could you please get off me?" I haven't realized I was sitting on her. I apologized and got off her.

"Thank you." She said. "Now, the reason why I didn't bring books with me today is because I'm giving you", she widened her eyes goofily, "a guided tour of the highly off-limits underground lair of The Royal Conservatoire office records!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." I swallowed. "What if we get caught?"

"Elena, do you want to know about this guy or not?" Stella asked severe. I nodded. "Well, come with me you little stalker. I'll take you to the Holy Grail. Besides, what else are you going to do on a perfectly sunny Saturday morning?" I could tell she was enjoying this.