what once was mine | ✔

chapter three

With Harry disappearing, I've been able to focus on homework for the remainder of the evening. What was once a few hours became a few days without seeing him, and it was starting to get annoying, especially with this history project we have to do together.

Ophelia and I are hanging out in our shared room when she asks, "So what do you want to do for your birthday?"

My sixteenth birthday is tomorrow, and this is the first time I have given it any thought. My parents already called and asked what I wanted, and I told them the same thing like I do every year - new paint.

I shrug. "I'm not sure. We could always just order in and watch movies?"

Ophelia groans. "That's boring. You're turning sixteen! We have to do something fun!"

"Cotillion is fun. We can call that a celebration!" I tell her, rolling onto my stomach.

She laughs, "I mean...yes but no."

We laugh all night until it's nearly one in the morning and we can barely keep our eyes open. Her light snores fill the room and guide me to sleep, dreaming of a blue eyed pirate.

In the middle of the night, a loud pounding on the door makes me and Ophelia stand up straight. We share a worried look and gap at each other. The pounding from the door keeps coming, and I'm scared it's going to wake up everyone else on our floor.

We rush to our feet and peer through the peephole on the door. Ophelia gasps, "It's Harry?" She yawns in the middle of her statement. "How did he-" YAWN "- he know where we live?"

I'm sure it's not hard to ask around.

I shrug and go to open the door.

In between his hand and fake hook is a bouquet of blue orchids. His tired eyes make peace, as Ophelia peers behind me.

"A peace offering, I hope?" She remarks.

He stares. "Thunder bolt, right?"

She rolls her eyes. "Nice hook. What is it made from? Cheap plastic?"

"Ophelia!" My voice is a little louder now. "What are you doing here, Harry?"

"For you." He sticks out the bouquet. "We don't get much life on the Isle...but I've always found blue flowers rare and enchanting."

His blue eyes look into my green ones longingly as I take the flowers, handing them off to Ophelia. "Thanks... I'll be sure to stick them in a vase."

There's a moment of silence between us as Ophelia walks away, and If I could make that one moment last forever, I would. It's calming and I almost want to ask him why he's here.

Harry clears his throat. "There's something I want to show you. Would your guard dog let you sneak off in the middle of the night?"

Unamused by his insult, Ophelia makes an inappropriate gesture. I send her a daring look, mouthing to Knock it off.

"I don't see why not." I tell him, not listening to Ophelia's warnings from behind. "Let me get a jacket."

I managed to find a pair of sweatpants to go along with my white pajama top and Auradon Prep sweatshirt. Harry's dressed in his usual attire of dark red coat, but his black ripped jeans and white ripped tee throw me off. Why isn't he in his own pajamas? Or at least in comfy clothes?

We walk side by side in silence to the dock, embracing the spring air during nightfall. I step onto the dock, but gasp softly as I watch him climb down the small cliff to the shoreline below.

"What are you doing?" I cry out. "Dock is this way."

"Come on, the view's better down here!" Harry calls out, helping me to where he was standing.

If he insists the view is better on the shoreline, who am I to correct him?

He sticks his hand out for me to hold onto. It's warm and sends a rush through my body that I've never experienced before. Within this daydream, I don't even realize that I trip over a rock and go plummeting to the ground and take Harry with me.

When I open my eyes, Harry is underneath me in the sand. I feel his breath upon my lips, and for a second it takes everything I have to not want to close the space. For that one moment, I almost considered kissing him.

I shake my head and hurry to my feet, brushing the sand off my pants. "So, uh..what did you want to show me?"

Harry grabs me by the shoulders and spins me around to face the oceanic horizon. In the distance, little specks of golden light float into the night sky like stars.

"Stars?" I ask him. That's a little lame, honestly...but I won't tell him that.

"Look closer." He points out to the golden floating lights, and suddenly it hits me.

Lanterns. Lanterns floating into the sky.

Each year on mine and my mother's birthday, we light lanterns and release them into the sky. Family tradition, really, but why tonight?

"How did...why did..." The words get caught in my throat. It's so odd to see them not on a birthday celebration, but I can't deny just how beautiful they are.

Harry grins softly, taking my hands in his. My hands relax in his, and the hollow pit in my stomach returns. He takes one hand and rubs his thumb under my eye. "You're even more beautiful under lantern lights." He mutters.

Even more beautiful...

"Harry?"

"Yes, Flower?"

I look up, eyes darting from his own to his lips. I've never known a feeling like this before, and it's more intense. Before him, I didn't imagine I'd experience something like this so young.

He leans in closer...and closer...

"Don't take this the wrong way."

Then everything goes black.