Adopted By Harry Styles

8

"Nothing good on?" Harry's voice startles me. I turn around from my seat on the couch and see him walking over toward me.

"I...um, I didn't turn on the TV...I'm sorry," I apologize, though I wasn't really sure what I was sorry for. It was sort of a habit of mine. I always seemed to think everything was my fault. Maybe because everyone I knew always seemed to put the fault on me.

Harry shakes his head and takes a seat next to me, leaving about a foot of space between us. "Don't be silly, you don't have to apologize," he reassure me.

I don't say anything in response because I didn't know if he wanted me to reply. I felt like a nuisance. Harry isn't going to want to take care of me. If he hadn't been at the park, he wouldn't even know my name; he wouldn't know I exist. I'm sure he regrets going out that night. I start playing with the ends of my hair and wait for him to say something.

And, eventually, he does. 

"I know this is a lot easier said than done, but you don't have to be shy around me. Promise you I don't bite," he tells me. His voice was deep, but somehow still gentle. There wasn't an underlying anger in Harry's voice like there was in Mr. Wallows voice. "How's it feel officially being out of Mr. Wallows house now?" 

I nod my head. "It's good," I whisper, feeling bad right after I said that. My short, quiet response didn't make me seem interested in the conversation we were having, or trying to have. And I did want to talk to Harry, but I was nervous, and my nervousness was a lot more apparent than my interest.

My eyes are focused straight down on the tan rug that covered the wood floors, but I am able to see Harry nod his head out of the corner of my eye. "Do you think you could tell me a little bit about yourself?" he asks, changing the subject.

"Like what?" I ask, my voice still a whisper,O hoping it didn't come off as rude.

Harry thinks for a moment. "How about school. Which school did you go to?" he asks.

"Mission High School," I say, feeling ashamed of myself for going to such a bad school. Mission High School was known for being a bad school with neglectful teachers, bad sanitation, and poor students. But it was also close to Mr. Wallow's house, so that's where he sent me.

"Mission High School, yeah?" Harry says. "That one is quite far from my house. Would you be okay switching to Riverwood High?" I had a feeling Harry knew just how terrible Mission High school by the tone of his voice, and I feel like I wouldn't have much of an option as to whether I switch schools or not. Though, I didn't really mind. I wasn't friends with anyone at school; people weren't the nicest to me there.

"That's fine," I say.

"Good, and we can get you started there soon. I don't want you to miss too much school," Harry tells me, but I didn't really care when I started, or if I started at all. School wasn't a place to learn new things for me, it was a place to worry about what people thought about me and how they would treat me.

"You don't have to rush it...I don't mind missing it for a while," I say, glancing over at Harry, who was looking at me, and then looking back down. I felt my cheeks warm and hoped Harry didn't start to think I had problems at my old school, even though I did, even though I'm sure he already knew by the way those people were treating me at the park when he first met me.

Harry let's out a breathy laugh. "Don't like school, do you?" he asks.

I hesitantly shake my head.

"Yeah, I wasn't too fond of it either, but I think you'll like Riverwood a little more than Mission. Take my word for it," he says. 

I nod my head, but I didn't actually agree with him. A different school couldn't be that different. It would still be filled with teenagers who have nothing better to do with their life than make fun of other teenagers.

And, apparently, Harry could tell that I didn't believe him.

"You don't seem too convinced," he says.

I shrug my shoulders and hope he won't get mad at me for not believing him. 

"Just give it a shot for me. And if things don't work out, we'll figure something else out. I know kids can be pretty rude to each other these days." Harry leans forward and tries to look in my eyes. "Can you look at me, sweetheart?"

I turn my head toward him and eventually gather the courage to look up at him. His eyes were soft, and he made it seem like I could trust him. But I knew better than to let my guard down too soon; that's when they take advantage of me.

Harry gives me a smile. "I'm not going to let someone else ruin your happiness anymore. I think it's about time you have some good times, don't you think?" he tells me.

He was convincing me. The way his eyebrows knitted together and the concern I could see in his eyes made it even harder to not trust Harry. I wanted to trust Harry, of course. I wanted to have someone to talk to. I wanted to have a place to confide in that wasn't my own mind or a book.

But the idea that this could all be a game still lingered. Harry might not care about me at all, and I could simply be falling for his trap, like I have done with so many others.

I nod my head anyway, agreeing with him.

Because, at this point, I didn't have anything to lose if he did betray me. I have nothing, so I can't lose anything. 

Something about Harry seemed different, though. There was something about him that was genuine, and it made me think that, just maybe, I would have a chance to be happy, to catch up on the lost moments of my childhood, and to just be normal for once.