How Cliche (Narry Storan)

How Cliche (Narry Storan) Part 4

"What are you doing Friday night?"

My first reaction to Harry's question was to hug him as tight as I could and shout joyously, "Holy breakup, Batman! You finally ditched Chelsea!"

But I hate Batman and Harry seemed too happy to have just gotten done with a breakup.

So instead, I asked cautiously, "Why?"

Harry shrugged, hoisting his backpack higher onto the one shoulder it slung off of. "Chelsea and I were going to the movies and I wondered if you wanted to come along."

I had to bite my tongue from saying at least five different things that would have gotten Harry angrier at me than he'd ever been at anyone. "What are you seeing?" I finally asked once I was sure every insult to Chelsea and every snide remark about the two of them was pushed far enough down my throat and in the back of my head they wouldn't come back up.

"Whatever Colin Farrell is playing at the moment," Harry answered with a grin. "He's Chelsea's favorite actor."

He sounded proud, as if knowing his girlfriend's favorite actor made him the best boyfriend in the world. Harry had his flaws like everyone else did, he wasn't the greatest person in the world to make him the ultimate boyfriend (or best friend), but I was willing to bet he was the best boyfriend she'd ever had.

"No, thanks," I finally answered. It would practically be suicide to spend over two hours with them together. "I've got...homework."

"Niall Horan, you and I both know that you don't do your homework until Sunday. And you can't tell me that you've suddenly decided to be a good student."

"Fine, I'm not doing homework."

Harry glanced sideways at me. I could tell he was prepared with the Are you okay?'s and What's wrong?'s once again. I appreciated that he cared but I wasn't about to tell him I wanted Chelsea gone. With the amount of jealousy disguised as hate I had for her, I didn't want to hurt Harry by telling him. Not yet, at least. I didn't think it had gotten too far yet.

"Then what are you planning on doing?" he asked instead.

"I haven't touched me tar in weeks," I quickly lied. Truth was, now that Harry had Chelsea, the amount of free time I had was alarming. I was close to perfecting every Eagles song ever written. "And I think I should catch up on my reading. You know how I love my literature," I said lamely.

I steered myself towards the stairs in hopes of losing Harry. I had lost count of how many times I had been trying to do that lately. But he followed me even though his class was on the first floor.

"You hate reading," Harry countered.

"Not anymore," I mumbled bitterly.

"What was that?" he asked, frowning a little.

I shook my head and stopped in the middle of the hallway, causing people to run into us and mutter expletives before pushing past us. "Nothing," I sighed. "Forget about it. As much as I'd love to spend a night with you and lovely Miss Chelsea, I'm sure I've got other stuff to do."

Harry stared at me, looking somewhat determined. Then he sighed as well and shook his head. He turned around and ran back down the steps so he wouldn't be late for his next class. I stayed standing in the middle of the hallway, staring after him. He hadn't even bothered to beg me to go as I knew the old Harry would have done.

The old Harry and I would've had fun singing along to the songs they play before the previews. We would take breaks to answer the movie trivia that sometimes flashes across the screen. We would've thrown popcorn at people but would have missed entirely because we have horrible aim. The old Harry and I would not be seeing a Colin Farrell movie.

But I bet the new Harry and Chelsea wouldn't sing because Chelsea has a terrible voice. They wouldn't play the trivia game because Chelsea knows only as much as her fashion magazines tell her in reviews. They wouldn't throw popcorn at people because Chelsea would be afraid of revenge and possibly of touching the artificial butter. The new Harry and Chelsea were going to see a Colin Farrell movie but they probably wouldn't even watch it because they'd be so busy sucking face or whatever it is couples do at movies.

The thought made me feel sick. I wanted to go back down the steps to the nurse's office and tell her I had to go home because I had a terrible case of envy and lovesickness. But my feet carried me to my next class and from there I spent the rest of the day ignoring the sharp pangs of jealousy when I couldn't get my mind off of Chelsea and Harry.

During the day on Friday, at the end of school, I caught up with Harry when he was walking out of the building. Before I could stop myself, I was telling him I would go to the movies with him and Chelsea. He smiled widely and said, "Thanks, Nialler. It wouldn't be the same without you."

It's not the same with me, anyway.