Two Truths & A Lie

Chapter 19

Weeks had gone by.  

Being with Harry was like standing in the eye of a hurricane.  The two of us were perfectly happy, hanging out every single day, sometimes just getting together to do homework and other times just watching movies or going out on dinner dates.  Despite the blissfulness I felt with him in the calm, I couldn't ignore the rest of the storm going on around us.  

Miranda and I hadn't spoken since our fight.  Instead, she actually turned into another Raven that I had to deal with.  We would pass in the hallways, she would slam into my shoulder and not say anything.  Niall would merely grab my hand as he passed and give it a friendly squeeze, but he couldn't ever talk to me - not with Miranda near him anyway.  In the weeks that passed, he spoke to me once, and that was only when he came over with Zayn because Miranda was occupied taking pictures for someone's wedding. 

"This is stupid, Em," Niall tried to tell me that day he came over.  "I hate going behind Mir's back like this just t' see yeh.  You know I love ye' both but-" 

"There's no point in asking Em to forgive Miranda," Zayn interrupted, laughing at what Niall was about to request of me. 

I shook my head.  "I'm sorry, Niall.  I love you too but Miranda is just not a good friend to me.  She never really has been and it only took our fight for me to realize that." 

"It only took HARRY for you to realize that," Zayn said softly.  Both Niall and I looked over at the kitchen where Harry was putting together some snacks for the four of us before we got into our movie for the afternoon. "I'm serious," Zayn continued.  "You used to be just like Miranda.  You've changed, Em.  In a good way, I mean.  I like how you don't worry so much about everyone else anymore." 

"Well hell," Niall said, huffing and slapping his knee.  "You're making my girlfriend sound like a monster now, Z.  Like Miranda's the 'Before' picture and Em is the 'After.'" 

"She is a monster..." I muttered.

Zayn shook his head and said,  "Miranda has a lot of good things to offer, Niall-"  I snorted.  Zayn silenced me with a raised hand and continued.  "But you can't tell me you're not tired of all of the drama.  You can't tell me she doesn't just sit around and talk about how 'horrible' Em and Harry are all day.  She guides you around like a lost puppy.  Where did that independent trouble-stirring lad go??" 

Niall chewed his lip but didn't respond for a second.  He glanced over to Harry in the kitchen once more and then to me before he adjusted his Bulls hat on his head and sighed.  "Miranda has kinda changed... for t' worse, I think..." 

As Harry came back in the room,  I spoke up.  "The last thing I want you to do is think I'm trying to get you to break up with her, Niall.  If you're happy with Miranda, then date her.  But don't blame me for the fact that you can't talk to me without getting punished with a week of no sex, and definitely don't expect me to just sit here and say good things about her if you can escape her long enough to hang out.  I did this boyFRIEND-girlENEMY thing with Liam and Raven for long enough to know how to work it out." 

And with that, we started the movie. It had been two weeks from that talk and nothing between either of them changed - toward me, or each other. 

Liam and Raven's "secret family" ordeal turned out a lot better than I would have expected, but that didn't convince Liam that it was okay to talk to me again.  Once students got over the shock and offense of finding out that Raven successfully hid her pregnancy from the entire school, everyone was thrilled.  Liam and Raven were the center of attention and both even looked 93 percent less stressed.  If anyone tried to hit on Raven anymore, Liam was quick to step up and fight them off - his new-found assertiveness was something I could tell was bringing them closer and was making Raven feel like she was hot shit.  Just what she needed.  I guess that's why she cheated on Liam all the time before - she just wanted him to show he cared.  Still not a good enough reason to cheat in my eyes, but it was working now.