Artwork [h.s]

twenty-nine

That day, during the free period I decided to disappear for a little bit again, feeling like I needed some alone time to gather my thoughts and take in the new situation.

I was sitting on the steps like usual, clinging to my coat as I sketched the building on the opposite side of the street, when I heard the door behind me being opened. The faint sound of steps reached the short wall a little behind me, but I didn't look up, figuring that it might've just been some stranger trying to spend some time alone as well.

My pencil stopped on the paper page of my notepad, though, when the person sat next to me.

I looked up all of sudden, confusion written all over my features when my eyes met a pair of amber ones, making me realise that it wasn't who I thought it would've been at all.

He passed a hand through his raven hair, pushing it back, before speaking. "So you're the reason why Harry's dropped us lately."

I frowned, not understanding what was going on. "I don't think I'm following" I answered truthfully.

"Oh come on" Zayn said with a little ironic laugh, "he's been spending day after day with you, acts like we don't even exist anymore."

"Oh" I replied, surprise in my voice. I hadn't really realised that Harry spending time with me implied him not spending time with his friends before that. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "Ah, it's alright. Just wanted to see the reason why myself. Curious about what he finds of so interesting in you, that's all."

I pursed my lips, not knowing what to reply to something like that.

"The thing is, when you're friends with Harry you start to realise that's more of an honour than anything else. He could drop you all of sudden, and you'd just understand it, like it would just make sense." He let out a small chuckle. "It's hard to get his attention, but it's even harder to keep it." He threw a cigarette butt on the floor and stomped on it, making me realise that I hadn't even noticed he was smoking, being way too concentrated over his words. "But I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

I gave him a small nod, shutting my notepad when I noticed his eyes were wandering over my sketch. I always hated when people looked at my drawings without my permission in general, and I disliked it even more when people looked at my sketches before they were finished. I'd always lived by the belief that my drawings were awful until I finished them, so it was really important for me to keep them secret until they were ready to be shown.

"Well, I should go" he said, standing up. "I'll see you around, mysterious girl."

Before I could even say anything, he had already gone back inside, leaving the main door to shut at its own pace behind himself.

I stayed outside for some more minutes, trying to make sense of the conversation I'd just had, before shaking my head and standing up, entering the building as well.

I walked in the direction of the cafeteria, my notepad safe again in my pocket, but was stopped right before I could go inside.

"Sierra" a voice said, and I turned around fast, getting the sudden instinct of leaving as soon as I realised it was Aiden.

Of course, I wasn't really that kind of person, so I just waited for him to reach me, anxiously tapping against my phone, that was hidden in the pocket of my coat.

"Is it true?" He asked as soon as he reached me, and I furrowed my eyebrows, having no idea of what he was talking about. He sighed loudly. "I heard Janette say Harry stood her up on Saturday night and then left her for you" he explained, "so I asked her about it and I discovered she went to the same place we did, and that Harry left at around the same time you did. Did you really stand me up to go hang out with him?"