A Moment in the Crowd

Chapter 29: The real world

Lily:

"Harry!" I scream at the panting figure and his eyes dart up to find me. He immediately rushes over and I drop my hands that I hadn't realized had shot up to cover my mouth, gaping in shock at the scene.

"Lily, I'm - fuck I'm so sorry." He searches for some sort of sign that might be written on the lines in my face or through the crinkle of my eyes but I don't let him. I make sure that my eyes don't meet his, the embarrassement would be too clear in them.

"Miles, are you okay?" I shout to the boy who, admittedly creeps me out, but doesn't deserve a bloody nose for it. 

"Fucking control that asshole you call a boyfriend, Lily. Seriously what the fuck?" He dabs at his still bleeding nose and gives me a disgusted look, as if it's my fault. Somehow, I agree with him.

"I'm sorry Miles." He shakes his head and walks away.

"What's going on out here?" An authoratative voice booms through the whispers coming from the crowd of students gathered around the scene.

"Let's go." I tell Harry and grab him by the wrist to drag the both of us away from the scene. The last thing I need is to get told off by one of my professors, or worse, by campus police.

"Lily, please look at me. I'm so sorry, he was taunting me, I didn't mean to - " I cut Harry off before he can feed me more excuses.

"Not fucking now, wait till we get back to the dorm rooms." I tell him coldly while still dragging at his wrist to move faster.

We reach the rooms quickly and I hastily close the door behind me, locking both Harry and I in. Amy isn't back yet and I assume she went out with some of her other friends for a while.

"Seriously, what the fuck was that?" I ask Harry as I sit at the chair next to my desk. I swivel in it to face him and he sits on my bed.

"I don't know, he was saying a load of shit and I couldn't help it." His defeated eyes lock with my embarrassed ones and I look away. I can't see him looking so upset with himself. It will cause my defense to crack.

"So you're instinct was to punch him in the nose?" I ask while untying my combat boots, staring at the ground as I do.

"Well, not initially but somehow that's what happened. I'm telling you that Mark guy is an asshole." He runs his fingers through his hair and I look up to notice the redness of his knuckles.

"Miles." I correct him.

"Whatever, honestly, you shouldn't be near him." He tells me through deep breaths that attempt to control his breathing.

"Harry I don't think you know me well enough to be able to say who I shouldn't be near." Harry shoots me a look that almost dissolves me into tiny pieces, "Before you turn me into flames with that glare let me at least finish." I sigh and he relaxes a little. "I agree with you, alright? I don't like the feeling that guy gives me, but I don't go around picking a fight either." I tell him.

"I didn't pick a fight Lily, that fucking kid did." He retorts.

"Well that fucking 'kid' is my age." I tell him before swivelling in the chair to put my hands under my chin while my elbows rest on the desk. I exaggerate a sigh and I can hear Harry get off the bed and approach me.

"I'm sorry." He whispers softly into my ear while rubbing my arms. "I didn't mean to fight him, I promise."

"It doesn't matter, I'm not going to tell you off for having a fight Harry. I just don't need to be involved in it. I don't want to be the centre of any drama, alright?" I look behind me to meet his gaze.