First Love // H.S.

8

'Louis, what's your seat?' I ask once I'm beside him.
'12B. Liam has 12C, do you know who 12A is?' Louis answers. I frown.
'How come you are seated beside Maddie and I'm not? That's so unfair, I thought I was gonna be beside Maddie.' I say.
'What seat you got?' Louis asks.
'15A. At least it's the window seat.' I answer, sighing.

'Oh, fuck me.' I hear Harry groan from behind me. I slowly turn around and look him in the eyes.

'Excuse me?' I ask.
'I got 15B.' He answers.
'No, you're joking!' I protest, snatching his ticket out of his hand. I get a sinking feeling inside me once I see the letters 15B on his ticket.

'This can't be happening. Niall, Liam, Zayn, does anyone of you wanna switch?' I ask.
'I'd like to switch!' Niall immediately answers excitedly, making me feel relieved.

'Thank god. Um, what's your seat?' I ask.
'15C. So if we switch, I get to sit by the window instead of you.' Niall answers. The relief I once had disappears within a second.

'Seriously, Niall? How about you switch with Harry, so that I'm next to you instead of Harry? Please?' I ask.

'Yes, Niall, please.' Harry says.
'I don't wanna be in the middle seat. I'll stay at 15C, then.' Niall answers disappointedly.

'Zayn, Liam?' I ask, turning myself to the two other boys.
'My middle seat is empty, but I'd like to take advantage of that extra space, so no. It's not that bad you have to sit beside Harry, right?' Zayn answers.
'You don't understand. Liam?' I ask.
'I wanna sit with Louis. Sorry.' Liam answers. I sigh.

'Come on, Olivia, get back to Maddie. She's waiting.' Louis says.
'Why don't you switch seats with me so that I'm beside Maddie, and you're beside Harry?' I suggest. Louis shakes his head.

'I'm not letting Liam alone with you two. You guys are annoying together, and I want Liam to live happily in peace. Plus, I wanna sit with Liam.' Louis answers. Louis gently pushes me out of the line. I sigh and walk back to Maddie.

'Whoa, you look like you're about to be sick. What's wrong?' Maddie asks when she sees the look on my face.

'I have to spend eleven hours beside Harry.' I answer. I realize I'm holding another ticket in my left hand.

'Oh, this is his. What if I just throw it away?' I propose to Maddie, showing her the ticket.

'Didn't you try to switch? Who am I gonna be with?' Maddie asks.
'Of course I tried to switch. None of them wanted to. You're with Louis and Liam.' I answer. Maddie shrugs, seeming to be cool with that.

'Um, don't tense up, but Harry's coming your way.' Maddie warns. Before I get the chance to turn around by myself, someone grabs my right wrist and turns me around.

'Why are you touching me? Let me go.' I say, looking at Harry's hand holding my wrist.

'You didn't give me my ticket back. I need it. Is this mine?' Harry answers, releasing my wrist to examine the ticket in my right hand.

'You're not getting your ticket back.' I say, stepping away from him.
'Yes, I am.' Harry answers, grabbing my left wrist and pulling me closer to him.

'This one's mine. Release it, Livvie.' He orders.
'No. I don't wanna spend eleven hours next to you.' I answer stubbornly, tightening my grip on his ticket.

'And you think I'm so thrilled about it? Come on, Livvie, just release my ticket.' Harry says. He tries getting his ticket by slipping two of his fingers under mine, but his fingers end up getting stuck under my firm grip.

'Why?' I ask, looking up at him.
'If I don't get on this flight, there won't be a music video and the song won't be released any time soon. It would be your fault.' Harry answers, looking back down at me. I sigh and loosen my grip on his ticket and his fingers, enough for him to slip the ticket between his fingers, but I don't seem to notice my grip is still too tight since I'm still holding his hand, what I don't seem to notice either.

'Oh, come on. You'll live.' He says quietly, leaning closer to my face, a little smile appearing on his face.

'I won't.' I answer quietly.
'You're just nervous about the fact you have to spend eleven hours beside your crush.' He says, the smile on his face getting bigger.

'Get over yourself. I don't have a crush on you.' I answer, staring him into his green eyes.
'Then why are you still holding my hand?' He asks, looking down at my hand. I do the same, and see he's right- I'm holding his fucking hand.

'Ow, shit, I'm sorry. I didn't notice.' I mutter, quickly releasing his hand.
'That's alright, I don't mind.' He answers, taking my hand in his again.

'And I don't think you mind this either.' He states. He slowly releases my hand, stepping away from me. He gives me another smile before walking back to Louis and the others.

'Liv?' Maddie asks. I slowly turn around and look at her.

'Jeez, you're blushing so hard! What just happened?' she asks.
'I, I don't know, I guess he, he- I don't know.' I stutter. 'Mads, he drove me crazy out there. Why didn't you say something?'

'Sorry, I thought he was just convincing you to give him his ticket back. Why were you holding hands? I saw you release his hand and then he took your hand again, even though he already had his ticket. What did he say?' Maddie asks.

'I don't know why he did that. And he said nothing. It doesn't matter. What matters is that what he did out there did something to me. The way that he talked, the way that he smiled and the way he took my hand.' I say quietly, for some reason wanting to cry. Maddie gives me a compassionate look before hugging me.

'It's okay, baby. You'll figure it out.' She says while slowly releasing me.
'I can't spend eleven hours with him. I can't.' I say, feeling desperate.
'If you want, we can switch.' Maddie suggests. For some reason, that feels like the worst idea ever.

'No. I'd rather spend eleven hours with Harry than with Louis.' I say. Maddie nods, and looks at the line in front of us.

'Um, Liv, he's looking at you.' Maddie speaks quietly.
'Who, Louis?' I ask, making a quarter turn to look at the line. My question gets answered by the sudden eye contact with Harry, what gives me a heart attack. He quickly looks away.

'You guys are so into each other.' Maddie comments.
'No, we're not.' I answer, still looking at Harry, who keeps glancing at me while he talks with Niall.

'Then stop staring at him.' Maddie says.
'I will.' I answer, looking at her, away from Harry.

'Good luck these eleven hours, honey.' Maddie says.