The Water Boy (Narry) [Alternate Version]

Chapter 1

2 Months Earlier

"Remember your promise not to tell Dad." Gemma Styles, Harry's older sister, tells him as she pulls the car over on the side of the road.

Harry nods, his hair falling in his face. His eyes glance out the window and he sighs. He really doesn't want to be here and wishes Gemma didn't keep their dad's promise to take him here.

"Come on, Harry." Her voice is gentle and the expression on her face drops. She brings her hand up to rub her younger sibling's shoulder. "You know dad just wants you to have some fun this year. I do too."

Then her fingers swipe at his curly fringe so it's out of his eyes. "I know it's really hard for you. It still is for me too, yeah? Just at least try. You might end up liking it."

Harry's arms cross over his chest defensively. "I'm not even athletic so Dad's mental if he thinks this is a good thing for me."

"'Cause he doesn't want you say in your room and locking yourself away for the rest of your life. It's not healthy. Plus, I'm sure if you do this, then he won't try and get you to go to therapy." She tries her best to reason with him. Gemma is much better at getting through to Harry than their dad is.

He doesn't want to go to therapy and he isn't upset that it's the last resort. He doesn't think he needs therapy and he'll heal in his own time. It's been the toughest year of his life and he's in no rush to try and make all the pain and sadness to go away. That's the thing: Harry's still feeling. It's not like he's numb. There's nothing wrong with him.

"Now, are you gonna get out of the car or am I gonna have to be late to meeting my friends because you're being an annoying twat of a little brother?" She asks him, keeping her tone light and playful, even though Harry knows she's getting annoyed with him so much lately.

There's something he doesn't really understand about his sister and his dad. The same tragedy hit all three of them and both Gemma and their dad seem to be on track to being their normal selves. How did they manage to get there while Harry's trailing far behind?

"Don't really have a choice, Gem." Harry mumbles his reply as he pushes the door open and steps out on the pavement.

"Please have fun. Tell me about it when I get home, yeah?" Gemma calls out the window to him.

He gives her a little wave while nodding, watching as she pulls away from the side of the road to go off and be with her friends. She's been doing that a lot lately, spending time with all of her friends before they go off to university. Harry doesn't have many friends. He's a bit shy, even more so now that he feels like he's lost the person who he was closest to.

With his head down, Harry begins walking up towards the new school he will be attending next week. There's a pebble he begins lazily kicking - slightly helping to keep his gloomy thoughts out of his head, as well as helping him warm-up for what's about to come.

He passes by the main iron gate that welcomes him to the school. Then he cuts through the lot he's noticed others were walking through. Harry guesses these other students know exactly where to go. He's too shy and a little anxious to ask somebody where he should be going.

He blinks as he looks up at the building, stopping for a moment to try and calm his growing nerves. Harry's about to walk into an entire new world, one he hopes to finally be accepted into - well, one his dad really hopes he'll be accepted to. Harry doesn't exactly want to be here for the same reasons as his dad wants him to be.

His dad actually doesn't understand why Harry doesn't want to join the football team. It's not just because he doesn't care for playing the sport. Harry really lacks athletic skills that other people definitely have. His dad wants him to have more friends - more male friends to be exact. That's very difficult for Harry once word gets around that he's gay. Not many boys feel comfortable changing their clothes around Harry, or actually wanting to be around Harry at all. It's difficult for Harry to get through and explaining his struggles to his dad are pretty much impossible.