Kiwi |H.S.|

sixteen

    Avoiding him was harder than expected.

    As I'd mentioned before, Harry and I had very different schedules. I saw him once or twice a week typically, but so far it had been two weeks and there'd been no sign of him. I hadn't come home after a long day at work and discovered him lounging in Ariana's fluffy chair, or heard him laughing with Julian at the Bistro. The past fourteen days had been a Harry-less world for me.

    The day grew cooler but they were still warm. It was no longer sweltering heat that garnered you back into your dorm room during the day, but rather the soft breeze after forgetting to remember a hoodie. The leaves didn't begin to fall like they did in Seattle. Instead they stayed perfectly intact, as though I were in a dream world. Some days however, I missed the sound of the crunchy leaves under my boots.

    It wasn't necessarily difficult to avoid Harry - or at least it wouldn't be if I wasn't constantly drawn to him. I kept going back to the night we spent at the vacant carnival. I kept day dreaming of the steamy kiss we had on Beckett's couch. He was sketched into my brain and for whatever reason I just couldn't shake him.

    My mother and I barely ever spoke. The hospital was limiting her phone calls because they caused her distress, and oddly enough the lack of calls was a relief on my part. Ever since the incident with Arthur I began having nightmares. Many of them were about my mother and father. In my dream I was a little girl again, and my mother would hit me. I forgave my mother and long time ago for all that she did because it wasn't all her fault, but speaking to her had become a lot harder.

    Calum cried almost every time I spoke to him on the phone. I missed being his big sister and getting to hold him every night. As much as I hated it a few months ago because of the amount of responsibility that came along with it, I missed taking care of him. Janet had told me that he loved kindergarten and was doing amazing in all of his classes, but I still worried. She claimed he was living his best life.

    And that was all I could've ever asked for.

    None of my friends from back home had contacted me since my first week of school. I was better off without them. This was my fresh start and although they weren't terrible people, they were toxic for me.

    I entered the deserted coffee shop on the corner of the street across from campus, my earbuds in as I listened to Daniel Caesar. I hummed along shamelessly, well away that strangers could most certainly hear me if they paid close enough attention. I was waiting for my coffee when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

    My body jumped as I quickly pulled out my earbuds and I spun around. Julian stood in front of me, a lopsided smile on his face. His hair was messy underneath his beanie, framing his face well. He looked young and boyish. Something about him made him seem so innocent but I doubted that was the case.

    "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized swiftly, glancing down at my shoes, "Were you out on a run?" He assumed correctly.

    I nodded with a warm smile, "Yea, I was actually," I tucked my earbuds into my legging pocket, "But I'm not the most sporty person. My body was slowly giving out so I figured I'd stop for a coffee and let myself breathe." I told him honestly.

    His eyes flickered to the barista as she called out my name, handing me a medium iced coffee. I noticed the latte in his hand when he spoke, "Do you wanna sit down for a few? I had about an hour to burn before class and I don't really wanna go back to my dorm. It's too nice out." He offered, motioning towards an empty table near the window.

    "Sure." I responded immediately as I made my way towards it.

    He followed in suit as we sat across from one another. He leaned back in his chair comfortably before sighing contently. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he spoke.