Palas

7. "If you'll dance with me."

It takes Harry exactly an hour before he knocks on my door. I might have been so bored that I timed it. I changed my outfit into an old shirt that I got from my father and some jeans. But I wasn’t bothered to do anything else with my look.

“Hello.” I open the door for Harry and he waits in the hall while I gather my stuff. I slip my phone in my pocket, wishing James would have picked up when I tried to call him earlier, because I am afraid that I won’t hear my phone once we’re gone.

“Wait, should I write a note to Rosie where I am?” I ask Harry who doesn’t look bothered typing away on his phone.

“What’s your number?”

“What’s that got to do with it?” I furrow my eyebrows and hold up my hands as I have no clue where he’s going with this.

“To text you her number,” he coldly says.

“Sorry,” I mumble before I give him my number. Within seconds I get a text from him with Rosie’s number. “How late does her shift end?”

“Eleven,” Harry informs me with that same flat tone.

18.03 PM
Alex: Hey Rosie, I got your number from Harry ;). I just wanted to let you know that I will go to Little Italy tonight. I have to work early tomorrow so I won’t be home late. Maybe see you there? X

“Let’s go,” I say to Harry and join him in the hall to lock our room. “So who else is coming?”

“I’m not sure. Whoever is waiting in the garden.”

“I think it is more like a jungle,” I explain Harry the nickname I made up the first day I got here. “It’s just the palm trees and the high grass. Looks like a jungle.”

I shrug my shoulder when I don’t get a response from Harry, but when I look over he’s smiling. We reach the jungle where a small group is sitting on the plastic chairs and beds.

“Alex is joining us tonight,” Harry tells the group who all look up to me.

“Hey Lex!” Nialls voice startles me from behind and I almost fall on Harry again who groans.

I turn around to meet Niall who is a little shorter than me. “Niall,” I breathe. “You scared me.”

“Sorry, you got a bad conscious then,” he sniffles, sipping from a beer.

“I guess so yeah,” I mumble, suddenly wondering if I should introduce Niall to Harry. I have no clue who knows each other and who doesn’t.

I look around the group again and see two girls I’ve never seen before with Olivia who I met at the bonfire. Liam is there with another guy I haven’t met and Josh. I guess I just wait and see. Harry takes a seat next to Liam and they start to talk which surprises me. I thought they didn’t like each other.

****

“You telling me you never, ever, drink?” Niall blurts over the table we’re all sharing. In the end no one else came to join us and we left soon after we arrived to eat at a bar called Happy Hour.

“Just special occasions,” I lie to hopefully stop the interrogation.

“But this is your first time here, that’s a special occasion right?” Louis, the only guy I didn’t know by name, butts in.

“Guys, she doesn’t like to drink.” Josh sticks up for me and I am grateful that he does. Both Louis and Niall shrug their shoulders in defeat and keep quiet about my drinking habits.

“Don’t mind them.” The girl next to me starts to speak to me, referring to Louis and Niall. “It’s all they think about, beer. Well and sex.”