NEVER h.s

Two

Wednesday

Today I chose to walk to Starbucks instead of waiting for Hannah to pick me up. It's closer to the science building anyway but I'm just too lazy. The only reason I'm putting myself through this is to get there early and spy a little on Harry. I know, creepy. Get over it.

I walk in, not bothering to go order anything until Hannah gets here. Harry is sitting in his same spot as usual, his face stuffed in his notebook. They must be best friends, because I've never seen him without it, unless he's with the other guys. That journal must be filled with some good shit, I wish I could get my hands on it. Pretty sure I'd probably know everything about the kid after reading that thing. Bored, I pull out my phone and check the time.

12:57

Hannah will be here in three minutes. I know what your thinking, that's odd. Who gets there at one o' clock, on the dot. Well, Hannah does. She isn't one for wasting time, being late, procrastinating, being patient, or not looking decent (that's a whole other story though). It's easy, Hannah just isn't late. That's where we are very different, I do all those things without a care in the world. Anyway, since Hannah will be here soon, I pull out my phone and play flappy bird.

Lord, bless my soul and help me get past 13.

The bell above the door rings and my head snaps up, my body tensing out of habit. Hannah waltzed through the doors in all her glory. Ahaha, that's funny, what glory? I crack myself up. I love her. Trust me.

I get up, walking over to join Hannah in line as slide my phone in my back pocket, leaving my bag by the table. Harry's head shoots up, as it has been doing ever since Monday. It's almost like he's waiting, expecting us to walk through the doors at one. Odd.

That's creepy.

Thanks subconscious for that very optimistic thought.

Harry makes a questioning look, seeing that my bag is already at the table. I just shrug back at him and give my order to the cute boy at the resister.

----

"I really have to pee." Hannah says, her legging has been bouncing for two minutes now. I just didn't say anything, so she would sit there awkwardly, in pain for a little while. It's not like I don't have a reason though, she let me walk around with a booger hanging out of my nose for almost a day last year, until I looked in the mirror. She deserved it. I'm a good friend, I swear.

"Took you long enough. You've been shaking your leg for like two minutes, Hannah." I say laughing, she's already out of the booth rushing down the hall.

Like I was expecting, Harry slides into the seat across from me.

I look up from my notebook, "Hey." I say smiling.

"Why were you here early?" He blurts. How is that in any way his business?

"Why?" I hold out the 'y', giving him and odd look.

"I - uh, no reason. I've just never seen you without Hannah, and y'all always get here right at one." He saves, adding a smile at the end.

"That sounds even creepier." I say, laughing out loud.

"You never get the same drink either, how's that for creepy? I know you, Ash." He says popping an eyebrow. My stomach flips at my nickname coming from his pink lips. What?

Although, he screwed up. I don't want anyone to "know" me. Especially someone I don't know, especially Harry. I don't want anyone to be able to hurt me. I don't want anyone to hold something over my head, to torture me with. Not even Hannah knows everything.

"You don't know me.", I deadpan, glaring at him, "no one does, and no one will."

"Oh but Ash, I know a lot. I know that your favorite movies are marvel movies, leading to the fact that captain America is your favorite super hero. Your favorite candy is sour patch watermelons, and you adore nerd ropes. Your best mate is Hannah, who got you addicted to coffee but you still prefer tea over coffee any day. You read all the time, but only mysteries. You could listen to Hunter Hayes, watch Marvel movies, and eat in content for the rest of your life. I know you would marry Sherlock Holmes, if he was actually Robert Downey Jr., at your first chance. Also, and most importantly, I know that all you wanna do is make your father proud, and walk in his footsteps. And let me just tell you babe, he is." He says, smirking.

Great so he knows I'm a geek.

My heart doesn't even have it to flutter at the pet name. I stare at him in shock and fear, his words hitting me like a brick wall. The first thought running through my head is that he's been stalking me, but I would've noticed. I stand up about to dart out the door, tears are threatening to spill. A large hand wraps around my forearm, quite like it did before.

I sniffle, slowly turn to look at him, "Please, I know that was creepy but just give me the chance before you run away." He pleas.

I don't know why I even gave him a second glance, but I nod slowly, wiping my tears as they fall, sitting down slowly. I think it's because I wanna know how this boy sitting in front of me, that I've known for three days, told me something about my father like he was still alive. Maybe it was because he has something that he's hiding and that I want to know badly. Or maybe it's both.

This mysterious, secret keeping boy in front of me, he smiles at me. After that my feeling are thrown all to hell in back, even worse than they already were. If that's possible. I look behind him as I lock eyes with Hannah coming out of the bathroom. She does a double take as she sees who is sitting in front of me, I haven't told her about talking with Harry yet. The shock and fear in my eyes is most likely what sends her reeling. Once she makes it to our table, she not-so-nicely taps on Harry's shoulder.

"Excuse me, but I'm pretty positive that you're in my seat, harassing my best mate." Harry's visibly tenses, his jaw tight. Geez.

Harry slowly expands to his full height, which is a few inches over Hannah, and but about a whole foot over me. I let out the air I didn't know I was holding in as he walked away from our table.

Just as quickly as he walked away, he turns to look at me, "I'll see you tomorrow, Ashton Lee." He says, winking.

I'm officially creeped out, like if I wasn't before, I am now.

"What was that?!" Hannah shrieks, and I'm legit right now. She shrieked.

I winced, "I don't know."

"Really Ashton, because it seems to me like y'all have a thing that I clearly wasn't informed about. He used your middle name, I'm the only person who knows your middle name!" Hannah says, sliding into the same spot Harry was a minute ago.

"I don't know, Hannah. He just told me about myself, some of it you don't even know." I say, still so freaking confused. The big man in the sky must be laughing in my face.

"You said you wanted to know about this weirdo, and now, I'm gonna help." She said, and with that she threw her notebook back in her bag, we threw away our coffee, and headed to the apartment.

All I know is that I'm gonna find out what Harry knows, what he's hiding. I'm not gonna let him know something about me and my nonexistent family that I don't. I'm not gonna let him hold this over my head.

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AU: Okay so, Ashton is American if anyone is wondering. Also, I was thinking about writing a chapter as just her story? Idk.