video games // h.s. au

chapter five

Harry

I fell asleep on the couch that night, PS3 controller in one hand and the other in a bag of barbecue crisps.

When I woke up, Dylan and Jake were gone, probably at school. I looked at the analog clock on the wall: 12:19. I choked on my saliva and shot up, tripping over my own feet down the hallway to my bedroom.

My room was small, minimalistic with white walls and dark blue carpeting. I had a few posters here and there and my guitar leaning against the end of my bed, and besides a closet that was pretty much it. I was rarely here, so it didn't make sense to make it extravagant. Plus, I hadn't had a girlfriend in years and even if I had, I wouldn't be bringing her to my mum's house.

I rushed to get myself ready, brushing my teeth while simultaneously tugging on a dark pair of skinny jeans. I'm out the door before I can even tie my boots, practically racing down the sidewalk. Mum took the car again, leaving me to race to work.

To: Liam

hey gonna be late

From: Liam

ok hrry up

I groaned inwardly- if I could go any faster I would. I bit my lip in anticipation, trying not to draw blood with my bouncy steps. Brushing past pedestrians, I mumbled apologies and check my phone. 12:56. I'm making good time, I told myself.

Part of the rush to work was excitement to see Marley again, which confused me and intrigued me. Why was this girl on my mind so much? We'd only just met, and it wasn't like I was someone girls drooled over. And with a face like her's, she had to have had a boyfriend.

I thought about her soft American accent as I caught a cab, thanking the Lord for public transportation and good luck.

"Where to?" the cabbie asked, his gruff beard and salty voice throwing me off for a second before I nervously replied, "Game Buddy in Mayfair, sir."

It was half past one when we arrived, a true miracle for my sake- and more importantly, Liam's. He clapped me on the shoulder when I walked in, not interrupting his detailed conversation with a concerned mother worrying about the amount of violence in Halo 3.

The two girls whose appearances I'd memorized came in not long after my shift started, pretending not to notice me as I had them. Their giggles and hushed voices interested me, and I walked over, leaning against a display for some new video games.

"Can I help you, ladies?"

Marley wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Oh, yeah, totally. What's the difference between Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time?"

I choked on air, coughing aggressively for a good minute before regaining my composure and shaking my head. "I, uh, what?"

"They're Zelda games," the brunette sighed, her funk-colored hair friend giggling beside her, "jeez. You have a lot to learn."

The bell rang at the door, signaling a costumer. I looked over the shelves to see two teenage boys, wearing similar outfits to mine (black skinny jeans and a t-shirt) and browsing idly.

"Looking for something?" I piped, strolling across the small store over to them.

One of them, with honey-blonde hair covered by the hood of a charcoal hoodie, looked up at me and shook his head. "Nah, we're good."

His friend, tan with black hair and brown eyes, muttered something under his breath. "Well, actually, I just got a 3Ds and I dunno what some good games are. Any suggestions?"

My palms started to sweat, my heart racing. No, I thought, I don't have any suggestions.

I opened my mouth to speak when Marley appeared beside me, a grin gracing her features. "If you're into racing games, you should definitely get Mario Kart, obviously. Some pretty basic games are Pokemon and Super Smash Bros, a couple of Zelda games and like, Final Fantasy. I have all of those, so... Yeah."

The shorter boy grinned, nodding excitedly. "Thanks!"

"No problem!"

I turned to Marley, surprise evident on my face. "Wow, someone's a nerd."

She blew me a raspberry, her nose scrunching in an adorable way that made my stomach drop. "Wow, someone's a jerk," she countered, her joking tone making me smile.

Marley helped me like that for the rest of the day, pretending to shop when my supervisor came in to check on me and recommending games while I manned the cashier. We were a great team, really.

At the end of the day, Hadley came to pick Marley up with a guy who looked familiar. He was probably a costumer before, or I'd seen him walking the streets of the city. Marley hugged him with a squeal, planting kisses over his face.

I cleared my throat, feeling awkward. Hadley did the same, standing next to me and shuffling her feet. "Oh, sorry guys. Harry, this is Ben, my boyfriend. Ben, this is Harry, he's gonna teach me how to play guitar."

I held out my hand, wincing when Ben's grip crushed it. "You're a lucky guy, Ben," I said, smiling with all the friendliness I could muster.

He grinned, nodding unconvincingly. "Yeah, sure am. Alright, girls, lets go."

Marley gave me a short hug, her smile pressing into my chest. I hugged her back, breathing in her warm scent with a sigh. "Bye Harry!"

"Bye Marley! See you guys around, yeah?"

Marley shrugged. "Who knows, you're kind of a jerk. Text me?"

a/n: this is so bad goodbye