In The Middle

Chapter 9: Empty

Sophie’s P.O.V.

            It’d been a week since I last talked to Harry. Eleanor and I joined another lunch table with some of her other friends, even though Louis stopped sitting at the old table anyway. It was fine, but I missed Harry. I missed his green eyes and his dimples and his long, lean body. I think I missed his laugh the most. But, Harry was complicated, and I didn’t see why I should start something with a boy like that. I still needed to talk with him, though. I owed him a conversation. I had to let him know that I didn’t hate him, and that I was sorry for walking away like that after he’d made such a big confession.

            And, I had another issue: I still wasn’t sure whether or not to tell Eleanor about Louis. It might make her feel less rejected if she knew he didn’t like any girls in that way. Or did he? I actually didn’t know if he was gay or bisexual. Obviously Harry would be the one to ask, but that wasn’t an option right now. I decided to keep my knowledge to myself for now. Maybe Louis wanted to keep it a secret, and if that was the case, it wasn’t my place to tell anyone, even Eleanor.

            “Sophie, I’ve got to ask, what’s up with you and Harry? I wasn’t going to make you change lunch tables with me or anything. I haven’t seen you guys talk at all either,” asked Eleanor, looking genuinely concerned. “Well, we got in a little bit of a fight,” I replied. “About what?” she asked. I thought for a moment, being careful of what I was going to reveal. “He…he snogged someone else right after the dance,” I said. Eleanor’s face turned bitter. “What a jerk! Who was it?”

              Should I tell her? No, I told myself that I wouldn’t. “I don’t know. Someone else saw it and didn’t recognize the person,” I lied. “Was it a reliable source? Did Harry actually admit to it?” asked Eleanor. “He admitted it. I didn’t ask with whom, though. But that part doesn’t even matter. What matters is that he did it,” I said. Eleanor frowned. “I guess so. But still, if I ever find out who that girl is, she better watch her back.” I laughed at this and so did Eleanor. It was even funnier because she meant every word.

 Harry’s P.O.V.

            I looked over at Sophie’s new lunch table. Mine was becoming pretty lonely; it was the two remaining couples, Niall, and I. Louis didn’t even come to lunch anymore. Strangely, no one asked me why, even though I was Louis’s best friend. Well, ex-best friend. I had no idea where he was spending his lunch period, but I just tried not to think about it. Instead, I engaged in mindless conversation and glanced at Sophie.

            She looked happy. She made friends pretty easily, since she was so nice and funny. And soon enough, she’d get a boyfriend that could replace any bit of her heart that I’d left empty. She’d forget about that sexually confused Harry boy, and all those conversations at lunch, and that kiss at the formal, and the date they were supposed to have that one Friday. And while she was at that other table giggling with her friends, here I was, miserable. I still had Niall, Zayn, and Liam. But Zayn and Liam were wrapped up with their girlfriends, and Niall was wrapped up with his prospective girlfriends.

            Something needed to change. I needed Louis or Sophie back in my life. Ideally, I’d have both of them. However, at this point, I’d settle for just one: one person who really understands me and has the power to make me feel better no matter what.