The Writer (AU)

Chapter Fifteen~ Socially Unacceptable

HARRY'S POV:

As we walked toward the school, I couldn't help but grab her hand and hold it in mine. Seeing her slightly blush, I only smiled and almost blushed myself.

"Harry," she whispered.

"What?"

"People are staring." Looking around, they were staring.

"So? Let them stare. Lions never concern themselves with the opinions of sheeps," I chuckled, only pulling her closer to me. When we got inside, I felt her tense against me and was about to ask her what was wrong until I saw where she was looking.

"Go," she whispered, urging me into the class.

"What? It's just Katie Lauritzen," I shrugged, wondering why she was acting so strange.

"Well, well, Ellison." Her voice gave me the chills at how villainously witchy it sounded.

"Katie," Ellie sighed.

"Seems like Harry's downgraded from his last sexcapade," she chuckled, looking down at our hands and it was taking everything in me not to yell at her. Ellie's face just turned bright red and I knew she was trying not to cry.

"Can you just leave her alone?" I scoffed, tired of this imbecilic girl in front of us.

"Harry," she laughed. "C'mon you can't honestly say you find her attractive. I mean, look at her." Clenching my teeth together and taking a deep breath, I felt Ellie softly place her hand on my stomach.

"Let's just go," she whispered.

"No, Ellie. We're not just going to go. This is completely ridiculous," I replied as Katie stood there with a smug grin.

"Harry-"

"Katie," I sighed. "I'm sorry that you can't understand that I will never date you. Not in eighth grade, not now, not even thirty years from now. And yes, I do think Ellie is absolutely beautiful. She's nice, smart, funny, all the things you'll never be because your inability to actually defrost the thing you call a heart. And I would appreciate it if you never spoke to me nor my girlfriend again." Ellie stood next to me, speechless and Katie just began to laugh.

"This isn't over, Harry," Katie seethed, putting her manicured nail on my chest. Clutching her wrist, I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.

"It is," I replied with a low tone and removed her finger from my chest. Walking through the crowd that had formed, Ellie and I walked into class and she was still quiet. Sitting down in her seat that was now next to me instead of in front of me, I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"Can you like, move?" I heard a girl say rudely to her.

"Is this your seat?" Ellie asked, wiping at her eyes.

"Uh, yeah. Duh."

"Sorry."

"Just move." Ellie started to get up and I butted in.

"You don't have to move, babe. There are plenty of other seats. She can find somewhere else to sit," I said firmly, looking at the petite brunette girl chomping on her gum.

"Look bitch, just get out of my seat," she snapped at Ellie.

"I was gonna get up, but since you decided to call me a bitch, I think I'll stay put," Ellie smiled triumphantly.

"Mr. Hilbert!" the girl groaned. "She's in my seat."

"There are plenty of other seats to sit in. Don't start today, Brecken," he replied nicely. Rolling her eyes as she found a new desk to sit in, I scooted mine closer to Ellie's and tried to figure out something to say. We were watching The Great Gatsby and we were going to have to write a story that started with the last line of the book. I had read The Great Gatsby thousands of times so, I wasn't really that worried about it.

"Hey," I delicately whispered, tapping Ellie's arm and caressing it lightly. "Are you okay?" She was acting strangely shy and unconfident for some reason.

"Yeah," she nodded with a shrug. There was no way she was okay. There were tears in her eyes and she was trying to quietly sniffle.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Harry I-"

"Don't tell me you're fine. I know you're not." For two tall people, we both knew how to whisper quietly.

"Harry, it's really nothing. I'm okay," she smiled weakly. Sitting through the rest of class until the bell rang, we pulled our desks back apart and she gathered her things. Walking with her to her next class, I kissed her forehead as she walked in and walked down the hall to my class. There was something definitely wrong and it was only second period. Second period ended just as fast as it had started and the same with third before I finally got to fourth period and lunch.

"Moseley!" I called after the tiny girl. "Have you seen Ellie?"

"I think she's either down in the locker room or in the library," she called back through the sea of kids.

"Thanks!" Practically speed walking toward the library, no go. Locker room was the best bet. Making my way toward the athletic hall with my lunch in hand and slightly labored breathing, I checked the handle of the locker room door to see if it was locked. Thankfully, it was open. Quietly walking in so I wouldn't scare her, I turned the corner toward the varsity lockers and heard sniffling. It had to be Ellie.

"Ellie?" I said, seeing her sitting in front of what I assumed to be her locker.

"Hey," she smiled, wiping at her face. "What's up?" Dropping my stuff and sitting down next to her, I pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and pulled her to my chest. I felt her sobbing against me and it took everything in me not to cry for her.

"Shhh, babe. It's okay," I murmured. "You're okay. What happened?"

"That whole thing with Katie and then Brecken in class."

"Was it what they said?"

"I just don't see why people are so mean. Like, I'm a really nice person and I know his makes me sound like a total baby,but it just hit me really hard today. Maybe I'm PMSing or something, I don't know," she slightly laughed. Chuckling and stroking her hair, I kissed her forehead.

"You're okay, sweetheart. They're just bitter and stupidly frivolous girls. You won't have to worry about them in college."

"I've gotta worry about them for another year."

"God help us all." She began to laugh a little bit more and looked up at me.

"There's that gorgeous smile that I love so much," I beamed.

"Sorry for being so mopey."

"Ellie, it's okay love. I promise."

"Can we just keep hugging for a few minutes?"

"We can," I laughed and pulled her back toward me. I took a deep breath and felt relieved that she had stopped crying. If she was PMSing, at least it was that and not Katie. Katie had been trying to get me to date her since actually, seventh grade and I'd alway turned her down because she was so nasty to people. I was actually surprised Ellie was just going to walk away. That takes a really big person-no pun intended. Sitting there, holding her and feeling her arms secured around my waist, I smiled. Not only happy to be holding her, but her heart as well.