The Boy Next Door || Harry Styles

~flashback three. | number 350.

f l a s h b a c k. summer of 2009. Harry 15. Melanie 15.

* * *

“I’m really not in the mood, Harry.” I said as I fell back onto my bed.

“Come on, Mel! Live a little! Let’s sneak out!” Harry exclaimed loudly. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me with cute puppy dog eyes.

“Okay, first of all, you know my dad doesn’t care if I sneak out or not and second, what are we gonna do?” I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock; it was already 12:00 AM.

“Let’s go to the beach or sneak into the zoo, I don’t know! Let’s be adventurous!” He hopped up and down and pulled me up with him.

“Ughh.” I groaned. I really was not in the mood to do anything. It was a long day after summer school and I just wanted to go to bed.

“Come on, Mel! Put your shoes on!” He laughed at me and started pacing around the room.

“Harry. We are not going anywhere. I’m still in my pajamas! And so are you!” I pointed out the obvious. I was wearing a loose shirt and sheep-printed pants. Harry was wearing blue sweats and a blue sweater.

“Who cares? It’s just you and me.” The way he said that made my heart flutter. His words changed my mind around in a matter of two seconds.

“Okay, fine. I guess.” I smiled at him.

“Wait, really?” He questioned again, as if what I said wasn’t true.

“Yes, okay fine. Let’s go, hurry!” I ran to my closet and slipped on some boots and pulled a sweater over my head. When I turned around, I found a dumbfounded Harry.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” I laughed at him. Walking towards him, I grabbed his hand and ran to the balcony door. For a moment he was quiet. Then a sly and cheeky smile replaced his Mona Lisa smirk. “Great.” He whispered to me as we climbed over the railing and jumped down from the tree house.

* * *

“When I meant adventurous, I didn’t mean the football field, Mel.” Harry whined.

Smiling in the dark, I kept a firm grip on Harry’s hand, just so I wouldn’t loose him.

“Harry, it’s perfect.” If we were caught out here, who knows what the school would do? Rules state that students are not allowed on campus after 8 PM. Oh, well, I thought, I honestly don’t care.

“Come on,” I dragged Harry along the way, but to be honest, I had no idea where I was going myself. Slowly, we walked across the field to the edge where the freshly cutgrass met the untamed trees and bushes.

“Did you bring a knife?” Harry chuckled. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or if he was genuinely scared I was going to hurt him.

Laughing, I said, “Yes, I’m just that crazy.” He elbowed me in the stomach and then slung his arm around my shoulder.

When we got to the perfect spot, I stopped and detangled my body from his arm. I crouched down next to the pile of logs and rocks and pulled out a ripped notebook. It was a different one from my brown moleskin notebook, of course.

“What’s that?” Harry asked as I brushed off the dust and dried leaves.

“A notebook.” I replied, sitting down on the moist grass.

“Of what?” the curious boy asked. Sitting down next to me, he leaned in closer to try to get a better look of the notebook.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what’s inside. But you have to keep it a secret, okay?” I didn’t really have to ask because I knew I could trust Harry.