The clock struck 7.15.
I needed to get my head on straight. Is Harry really going to come? I thought. Would he tell my parents the truth and destroy my life? Heck, I'm destroying my own life. I never should've gotten my father to tag along to the concert in the first place. I mean, it's a concert. People are bound to get drunk and act crazy.
"Helena! Would you come downstairs and help me with the dishes?" I heard my mother bawl.
"Yeah... coming!" I shouted back weakly.
The clock kept ticking and ticking... we were nearing seven thirty.
I was hyperventilating; my fingers agitating. Daniel would never talk to me again if he found out what was happening.
"Calm down, Hel." I told myself as I looked in the mirror. "You're an idiot, you know that?"
I was so vulnerable that my heart almost jumped out of my chest when my handphone vibrated.
I'd received a text message from Harry. I bit my lip in distress as I clicked open the text.
'Hmm... how exactly did i become ur boyfriend? do enlighten me.'
Was what he wrote.
'I didnt tell my dad anything - lets get that straight. he assumed. n if u wanna do urself a favour, dont come.' I replied.
'Too late. already here. Dont wanna be late n give a bad first impression. :)'
I looked up at my clock. It was seven-thirty.
I clenched my fists worriedly and scrambled over to my bedroom window. I could see Harry's black BMW pulling up in the driveway. He got out of his car and looked up at me. He winked and gave me a cheeky smile before heading towards the door.
What is he going to do? I can only imagine the things he'll say...
"Helena, he's here!" My mum yelled from downstairs.
"Coming!" I responded, my voice shaking.
I took a deep breath and counted to three. "I can pull this off. It's only for one night. How bad can it be?" I told myself, looking in the mirror and giving my hair one final brush. The feather I'd stuck in my hair for the festival got tangled in my hair.
I straightened myself up and slowly walked down the stairs. I could see Harry talking to my parents. He was wearing a checkered red long sleeve over a white t-shirt. My mother sure looked like she was having a great time laughing at whatever he was telling her.
I wanted that to be Daniel. I wanted him to be the one to make my mother laugh and get along with my father.
"Oh, she's here." My father exclaimed.
"Hey Hel." Harry smiled and walked over to me to give me a hug. Only my family, close friends and Daniel call me 'Hel'. How irritating. "You look very pretty." He whispered in my ear. Dear god.
"Hello, Harry." I tried my best to smile and quickly pulled away.
"Oh. I thought your name was... um... Dan? If I'm not mistaken." My mother differed. She has a sharp memory. I hoped that she'd forgotten.
I waited for Harry's response to her question.
"Oh... Daniel you mean? He's my brother." He replied confidently. "You must've gotten confused when Helena was telling you about my family." Smart ass.
"Oh right, that must be it then. Shall go to the dining room?" She grinned.
"Of course." I said. "Harry, could I talk to you in the other room please?"
He nodded and I pulled him into the living room. "What's the deal?" I asked him.
"What do you mean?" He said, trying to sound all innocent.
"Why are you playing along?"
"Why are you?"
"That's..."
"What?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Look, just put up with it for one night alright? Tomorrow, I'll just tell them that I broke up with you." I told him, crossing my arms.
"Hmm... define 'one night'." He smirked.
"I mean dinner, you pervert." I punched him in the arm.
"Look, I'm playing along just because I want to have some fun. The holidays just started." He said, moving in closer to me. I couldn't help thinking he had an ulterior motive. "Why don't you just tell them that I'm not your boyfriend?"
"Fun? This isn't 'fun', Harry. It's serious to me." I said, moving away from him. "And I didn't tell them because..."
"Your dad didn't like how Daniel acted at the festival." Harry completed my sentence.
"Yes." I sighed. "But please... please don't tell Daniel about this."
"Kids, you're taking a little too long in there." My father called from the dining room.
"Coming." Harry shook his head, messing his curly hair and then flipped it before making his way to the dining room. What the hell was that.
The dining table was full of different dishes. My mother's speciality is the classic parmesan-cheese lasagna. It's so extremely delectable I can't even explain the sensation. She cooked it up for dinner, along with barbeque chicken wings and beans.
"That's just hilarious!" My father almost choked on his beans laughing.
"And that's how I got my name." Harry shrugged, smiling.
"You're the first boy Helena's brought home that's gotten along with us this good." My mother told him. I just knew Harry's head was about to explode with all those compliments.
"Well, we share the same sense of humour and we have similar personalities." He put his hand on mine and I moved my hand away.
"Helena, you've been very quiet this evening." My father said.
"Just a little tired... from the festival and stuff."
"She must be mentally exhausted from seeing the wild jungle man on stage." My father laughed.
"My brother?" Harry laughed along.
"He's your brother?" My father stopped laughing. "Sorry."
"Yeah. It's not a problem. He is wild." He replied. "Had a little too much to drink." He chuckled.
"When I met him the other day, he seemed very nice and calm." I intruded. I started to get a little defensive.
"That's only because he was sober. He acts really crazy when he's drunk, which he is most of the time since we moved here." Harry said. How could he say those things about his own brother?
"And what about you...?" My father questioned.
"I'm very against alcohol. Effects are terrible." He told him.
"That," My father swallowed his chicken then continued; "Is what I want to hear."
I couldn't believe Harry. When I said 'put up an act', I didn't mean winning my parents hearts over and dissing his own brother. My parents like him so much I have a feeling they might even make me marry him. I shivered at the thought. Was he doing it on purpose so I wouldn't 'fake break up' with him?
