Until We Meet Again // H.S. AU

XX. Black Lights

(song: if you didn't see me by dale earnhardt jr. jr.)

"Maybe he's just busy, like helping his dad or something with work," I make up another excuse and put the box of CDs I'm carrying down on the counter.

It's been three days since my date with Harry. We haven't spoken since and I've been trying to think of reasons why he hasn't tried to talk to me. I don't know if our kiss scared him off, or if he decided he really doesn't like me anymore, or maybe something happened to him. I don't know. I don't want to make the first move to talk to him though, because I don't want to seem desperate or clingy or annoying.

"Yeah, maybe," Steve mutters.

"I'm sorry for talking about this so much," I apologize to him since I know I've been annoying him about it this whole time.

"It's fine--" Steve gets cut off the bell on the door jingling. The last person I would expect--though he's the only person on my mind--walks through the door.

"Uh, hi," Harry stares at me with wide eyes.

"About time," Steve says to Harry and pats his shoulder as he walks to the back of the store.

When Steve leaves there's an awkward silence between Harry and me.

"Uh, what's up?" He tries to break the silence.

"Um, nothing much."

Harry nods his head and I begin to internally panic. He came all the way to the store I work in just to ask me what's up? He's got to be kidding me. He can't just ignore me for three days and then say "what's up" the first time he sees me again.

"So. . ." Harry scratches the back of his neck.

"Yeah. . ."

"Are we--are we good? You know, 'cause, um--we haven't really," Harry stutters and I realize he's been just as confused as me this whole time.

"Yeah, yeah. We're good," I smile at him and he smiles back.

"Cool. Sorry for, um, ignoring you, I guess. I didn't know if I should call or text or see you in person, or if you even wanted to see me, so," Harry tries to explain himself.

"Yeah, I get it, I felt the same way."

"Yeah. . . So no more awkward silences after we go on dates?" He jokes. I laugh in response and hug him, yearning for the feeling of his arms wrapped around me.

"Ah, so you two are fine now?" Steve walks back in the room.

I nod my head in response and he smiles back.

"Great, because a friend of a friend of mine is throwing a pool party tonight and I thought you guys might want to go. Sound good?"

"A pool party in October?" I ask.

"It's an indoor pool."

Harry and I exchange looks and he shrugs his shoulders at Steve.

"Yeah man, sounds fun."

"Awesome. I'll text you the address later."

"Okay. I'll see you later," Harry says and kisses my cheek before he leaves.

• • •

Harry arrives at my house to pick me up at 7:30. I keep trying to decide if I want to put my hair up or leave it down, finally deciding to leave it down when I realize we were already pretty late. I ran to his car, partly because we were late, but mainly because it was mid-October and I was wearing shorts and a tank top.

"Look at you, running and being active for once," Harry joked when I sat down and closed the door.

"Ha ha," I rolled my eyes at him as he laughed.