Mixed Up // Harry Styles

Six

Picture of Aaron on the side.

                                                  CHAPTER SIX

     “Who was that?” Nathan fires the first question of many at me as soon as I approach him and Felicity.

     “Just some boy,” I answer him, taking a seat beside him and watching as Fliss gently dabs at his split lip.

     “Some boy she’s getting cosy with, that is.” She adds, firmly pressing and holding the cloth to Nathan’s lip as she pauses to smirk at me.

     “Am not!” I protest.

     “Oh yeah, sure,” She rolls her eyes and chuckles to herself, continuing to dab away the remaining blood.

     “I have other things on my mind anyway,” I sigh and place my hands on my lap, twiddling my thumbs against one another.

     “Are you still going after that jerk Harry? Isn’t he like, engaged now or something?” Nathan questions curiously, looking between mine and Felicity’s faces for answers.

     “He isn’t a jerk,” I defend him.

     “I’m sorry, but didn’t he ditch you as soon as One Direction happened?” Felicity snaps at me, letting the cloth drop to the floor and stands staring at me with her hands on her hips. “Yes, I thought so. He’s a jerk, Hol.”

     “He doesn’t mean to be,” My voice squeaks and I shy away from their stare, pulling the collar on my jacket further up my neck to hide my blushing cheeks.

     “That’s a common lie, everyone knows that. Don’t fall for it like the rest do.” She rolls her eyes and takes hold of the Nathans hand to help him up out of his chair as he staggers and clutches his stomach, wincing in pain.

     “I’ve been falling for it for years now,” I whisper and stand up also, one hand firmly gripping my bag strap whilst the other twirls the end of a strand of hair around my finger.

     “Are you going to the after par-“

     “No.” Felicity answers stubbornly without letting me finish my sentence. “And you’re not going to the party either, I don’t care what that Aaron kid said.”

     “But-“

     “Nathan.” She cuts me off again and faces him, motioning for him to inform me of something.

     “Them parties are always trouble,” He tells me. “Someone gets punched, someone gets stabbed, another gets shot and there’s always one who doesn’t survive the night.”

     “What?”

     “Holly, you heard what he said loud and clear,” Fliss sighs and leans her head on Nathans shoulder whilst still looking me straight in the eyes.

     “I know I did, but it can’t be that bad.”

     “Fine, go if you wish. But we can say I told you so,” She points out clearly.

     “Now go find your lover boy.” She sarcastically adds.

     “Fliss, you don’t have to be mean about it,” Nathan warns.

     “No, if she wants to go, then let her go, but she’s been warned.” She spits, and then tilts her head upwards to look at him, “Now can we go home?”

                                                               *

FROM: HAROLD

Where are you? Are you OK? X.

     I roll my eyes and sigh as I push my phone back into my jean pocket and gulp down the last few mouthfuls of vodka left in my glass Aaron had generously gone and got me from the kitchen. We’d only been at the party for half an hour and I’m already feeling lonely and out of place, standing in a far corner by myself whilst Aaron had disappeared to the toilets with a group of boys to do god-knows-what, and frankly I’m not interested and don’t want to know what is going on behind that door but I have a wide variety of options flying about my head as girl after girl emerges out of it.

     My body quivers and I place my now empty glass down on the table beside me, tugging my jacket tighter around my body, collecting my bag from between my feet and working my way towards the front door, my eyes firmly set on it.

     Suddenly, a crookedly smiling face appears in front of me with red rimmed eyes and it takes me a while to register it as Aaron in this dim lighting.

     “Are yo-u leaving already?” He asks, his words becoming more and more slurred.

     “I have to, something’s come up,” I lie and continue to shuffle past him.

     “Wait.” He stops me by taking hold of my hand and staggering closer as I spin on the spot to face him. “Can I have your number?”

     “Oh,” I say taken a bit by surprise. “Um, alright.”

     He takes out his phone from his pocket carefully as though it’s his prize possession, and hands it over to me. I hold it gently in my hand and press firmly on the keys after being shown how to create a new contact. Handing it back, he looks through his contact list and smiles when he sees my name, he selects it and my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket shortly followed by my standard ring tone.

     “Just checking,” He chuckles and puts his phone back into his pocket, holding onto my arm to stable himself as he walks me outside and halfway up the footpath.

     “You best be getting back,” I tell him and gesture over to the doorway where a group of boys all stand, waiting and watching, every one of them.

     “I suppose.” He sighs, “See you around?”

     “I guess,” I reply with a smile.

     “See you then.” He kisses my cheek lightly, pulling back and smiling sheepishly at me and strolls back to his friends still watching from the doorway, all of them patting him on the back and cheering between one another.

     I shake my head and begin my journey down the poorly lit street, deciding to stop beneath a street light to get my phone out and ask for a lift.

     “Hello?” Their voice groggily questions.

     “You’re probably going to kill me, but can you come and pick me up?” I squint my eyes shut as I await an answer.