the "forever" mixtape ✦ l.s.

no name

one of these days, you'll realize what you mean to me

+++

harry had always been a pretty simple guy, his life mostly routine. he had a mom, who was a nurse, a dad, who was a lawyer, and an older sister, who was away at college. growing up, he made lots of acquaintances at school, but few close friends. he was merely a drifter; someone going through the motions of life.

harry was simple. he wore plain sweaters and skinny jeans every day. he ate cereal for breakfast every morning. he would go to school, come home, do his homework, then go to sleep, only to repeat the pattern the next day.

harry was bored. he wasn't satisfied with his life. he never left the house unless it was for school. it wasn't like he didn't want to something different; he just didn't know how.

the boy that harry might consider his best friend, niall, was the only person who really paid any real attention to him. yeah, his parents were nice enough, and his sister would sometimes text him for his birthday or the holidays, but harry felt as if he was a stranger in his own home.

niall would talk to him at school and sit with him at lunch. harry would chat with a few of his classmates throughout the school day, but the conversations were so dull and lacked any sort of substance. niall was really only harry's friend because he was very persistent, and wouldn't leave harry alone even when harry hardly acknowledged him.

harry was lonely, to say the least. but he didn't know what to do to make himself happy.

+++

"come on, harry. tomorrow is the last day before winter break! everyone's gonna be there." niall stood next to harry's locker at the end of the school day, begging him to go to some party some kid was throwing the following day.

"niall, you know me. i'm not going." harry mumbled in response. after four years of friendship, niall still couldn't figure out why harry insisted on being a recluse. but then again, neither could harry.

"ugh, fine. i'll guess i'll just be all alone, with no one to hang out with... all by myself..." harry rolled his eyes at niall's overdramatic behavior. he knew good and well that niall had plenty of other friends he could hang around.

"i'll see you later." harry muttered before closing his locker and walking towards his next lesson.

"maybe one day, curly." he heard niall chuckle behind him, though he wasn't exactly sure what he was referring to. maybe one day harry would go to a party with him? maybe one day he'll leave his house to go anywhere? maybe one day he'll be happy? harry didn't know.

+++

the rest of the day dragged on, and soon enough, the final bell rung. harry walked down the hallway towards his locker to pick up the books he'd need for his homework- same old, same old. when he unlocked and opened the locker, however, he noticed something different. placed on top of his biology textbook was a cassette tape, and underneath that, there was a folded up piece of paper.

harry was confused, mainly because he wasn't sure how whoever put the tape there had gotten into his locker. he assumed it was niall, since niall was always standing around him and probably knew his combination.

shaking off his bemusement, he grabbed the tape and note, along with the books he'd need later, and placed them in his bag. he exited the dreary school building and began his walking route home.