Absolutely, Positively, No Harry's Allowed// H.S

Chapter 11

Memphis POV

I tossed and turned all night in the bed, unable to get everything off my mind. Harry, my brother, Principal Sanders, my Gram..just all of it. All of it weighing down on me and making me wonder how the hell to deal with everything.

I was finally able to admit to myself that I wanted Harry, but having him or being with him wasn't an option. There were too many obstacles in the way, mainly all the things that were keeping me awake tonight, sans my Gram.

She'd probably be over the moon if I told her Harry was my boyfriend. My wedding would already be planned and the names of my children chosen. But even letting myself hope for something that like that was pointless.

The next morning I moved on autopilot while getting ready for school. I let my hair down in its natural dark curls, and only applied and little bit of mascara and lip gloss.

I walked down the stairs and noticed all my brothers eating at the table together, all laughing and joking except for Knox. He had his head bent over his cereal bowl, not even paying attention to things going on around him. Totally engrossed in his bowl of fruity pebbles.

He looked up and we made eye contact, and immediately we both looked away. I kept walking, not wanting to sit at the table and eat with everyone, not wanting to pretend like I was okay when I was dead on my feet and my mind was still spinning. Dickson wouldn't leave me alone until I confided in him, and I wasn't ready for that talk yet. Plus the thought of eating right now made me feel even sicker.

    Principal Sanders had me under his thumb, and I until I figured out how to get out of that, there was nothing I could do. Nothing I could say to anyone.

     I was leaning against the car waiting to go to school, when I heard the front door slam. Looking up, I saw Knox walking out of the house and making his way over to the car. He leaned on the door next to me and crossed his arms and his ankles looking down.

    "Still mad at me?" He asks.

    "What do you think?"

    "I'll take that as a yes."

    "It's one thing to drag me and Dick into things, its another when you involve Bristol and Nash."

    He sighs and shakes his head, looking down the road where the sun was starting to peak over the line of trees. "If I agree not to involve them in what we do, will you stop being pissed off at me?"

    "You mean you care that I'm mad at you?" I ask in mock surprise, putting my hand over my heart for dramatic effect.

    Knox cracks a smile and looks at me the way my big brother used to look at me before he got mixed in with all the negative things he now lets control his life. "Despite what you all think of me, I don't like fighting with any of you or any of you being mad at me."

    "I believe you, you just have a funny way of showing it." Slapping Nash upside the head, for example.

    "Yeah, well, we can't all be perfect." He said, and cracked another smile at me. "I'll leave things alone with Bristol and Nash, okay?"

    "Okay." I said softly, wanting to say more but the rest of my brothers filed out of the door, laughing boisterously. I would take whatever small victory I could get. There was no point in fighting over me and Dickson being involved too. We'd seen too much, done too much right along with him. There was no hope for us being left out of things.

        A garage door opening across the street caused us all to turn and look. I heard the telling sound of a motorcycle starting up, and was completely stunned into silence when I saw Harry riding out on it with a helmet placed over his head. He went by our house slowly, and could tell her was looking in our direction by the way his head was turned. He turned back towards the road and took off, the sound making its way to my eardrums long after he was out of sight.