You & I || H.S.

Chapter 20

“Hi.” I greeted her, but she didn’t look up. I took a deep breath then placed the tray on the table. “I brought you the cupcake you always order.” I continued, hoping to get an answer from her.

“I don’t want it.” She said, still looking down at her hands. My eyes widened in surprise, I never thought she’d speak this soon. I rose an eyebrow at her. What does she mean she doesn’t want it? She always orders it.

“B-But you always order it?” The statement seemed more of a question than a normal sentence. She sighed heavily, still looking at her hands.

“I don’t want it because I’m moving on.” She spoke again and I opened my mouth in utter shock. She always orders those cupcakes and I know that they’re Harry’s favorites, which means that she orders them because of Harry. What does she mean then?

“What d-do you mean?” I asked and she looked at me for the first time since I knew her. She had dark green eyes and her hair was sticking to her face. She was absolutely beautiful, but she covers her features with black make-up. I wonder what happened to her.

“I’m moving on.” She said and I raised both eyebrows at her. “I know you.” She continued and I almost choked on my non existent liquid.

“Excuse me?” I said when I was finally able to form a sentence. How does she know me?

“You’re Annabeth Chase, right? Harry Styles’ girlfriend?” Am I imagining things? What does she know about me?

“I am not his girlfriend.” Was the first thing that came out of my mouth. “And how do you know me?” I asked.

“Everyone who knows Harry knows you. You two go out a lot together.” She said and I just stood there in shock, watching her as she slid her bag over her shoulder and standing up from her place. “For years I’ve been in this horrible state of mine because of him, don’t let him do the same to you. He’s nothing, but a jerk, a jerk who knows nothing about love or feelings.” She said and stopped right in front of me.

“If you know Harry then you for sure know the silly Ashley Cooper who gave him everything and took back in return nothing, but betrayal. She lived for him, but he ruined her. That’s me; I’m Ashley Cooper who was turned into Ash. I’m only here to warn you, Annabeth. Don’t you let him fool you as he fooled me. Do whatever you can do, but don’t fall for him, it ends horribly.” And with that she turned and walked away, leaving me standing where I am, paralyzed.

I processed Ashley’s words in my minds, trying to answer any of the questions inside my head. The only answer I got was that Harry did cheat on Ashley. He is a monster.

~~*~~

It has been a week since mine and Ashley’s conversation which showed me the truth about Harry. I now know that he cheated on Ashley after turning her to a bad girl and taking away everything in her. How could a person do this? How does a person with a heart and feelings do this? Then I remembered Ashley’s words; He’s nothing, but a jerk, a jerk who knows nothing about love or feelings. She’s right.

Of course all of you would expect of me to forget Harry and never look at him again and all of these things. Well, you’re wrong. I have acted normally around Harry. I didn’t tell him anything about my conversation with Ashley. Heck, I didn’t even tell him I know who Ashley Cooper is. I guess I’m a coward who can’t get rid of the love she has for this boy. Nothing changed between us in this week, we’d see each other in school, talk normally then head to our homes where we would text all night. I have to admit that part of me never wants to leave Harry and doesn’t really care about what Ashley has said. This part only wants to be with Harry and live the dream I’ve been dreaming to live, but part of me is always left confused and crazed! This part wants to know the whole story from the beginning to the end, and he wants to know the truth from Harry himself. You could say I’m torn between two options, whether to forget completely about Harry and face him with the truth that I know what he has done to Ashley or to forget completely about what he has done to her and live my life normally as every teenage girl. Until now, I haven’t chosen an option. I guess I’m leaving fate to decide for me.

The only people who knew about my conversation with Ashley are of course Mel, Steph and Sarah. We had to tell Sarah and Steph about Ashley and her story at first which caused them to have their mouth hung open for an hour or so not believing that Harry did this to anyone. Melina of course used Ashley’s words to warn me again from Harry. She said that I must not give him everything and that I must be strong enough. I reminded them of one important thing that means a lot; Ashley was Harry’s girlfriend and I don’t even know what I am to him. As much as it hurts me, I have to admit that it cause a strange feeling of safety inside of me. It’s strange, but maybe if I wasn’t his girlfriend, it won’t hurt me as much if he did anything to me as it would if I was his girlfriend. Who am I kidding? I would be dead if he did to me what he did to Ashley.

I stared at my Literature homework I was supposed to do, but ended up drawing weird lines on the paper. I sighed and laid back in my bed, thinking about Harry. Something seemed really strange with him since I mentioned if he had a girlfriend. His reaction was stranger, though. It was like he saw a ghost or something. I wonder why, maybe he doesn’t like remembering her? Maybe he’s guilty and regretting? Maybe, but I don’t really thing so because he seems to be living his life normally as other people do, not caring about a thing. I think this Ashley subject is eating me alive. Screw Melina for telling me about it. My lids felt heavy and I was finally drifting to sleep.

I jumped when I heard the doorbell ring. I checked my phone and found the time three in the morning. Who in heavens would visit anyone at three in the morning?

“Shoot.” I mumbled as I got up and walked towards the door. Everything was blurry so I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hands. I turned the door knob and gasped. Right in front of me was Harry standing, soaked from head to toe. He had a black eye and his lips were split open and blood was oozing from them. What happened to him?

“Harry?” I said in a weird voice.

“I’m really sorry for waking you up, Annabeth. I-” He was cut off by him sneezing. He shivered and I moved aside to let him in.

“Come on in!” I gestured for him and he stepped inside, taking his shoes off before doing so. I closed the door shut behind me and took his coat from him and hanged it. I gestured for him to go to the living room then followed. He sat down on the couch and I sat beside him after turning the heater up as he seemed to be freezing.

“I’m really sorry, Anne. I- I had nowhere to go and it started raining and I-” This time I cut him off by placing my finger on his lips causing him to look at my eyes. Are- Are those tears?

“Harry its fine. What happened to you?” I asked, worry evident in my voice as I spoke. He looked at the ground for a moment and I noticed a tear fall from his eye. I stared at him in shock. I’ve never in the whole time I knew Harry saw him cry. Heck, I never saw him this vulnerable. I always saw that flirty, cocky, tough side of him, but seeing him cry, in front of me? Something terrible must’ve happened.

“I- I fought with my father.”