caught I h.s

Chapter 8

Just before the bell for class is due to ring, I see Riley strolling up to me, a wide grin covering her features and her usual ponytail swinging from side to side.

"Guess what," she says excitedly. I chuckle softly, leaning against my locker.

"What?"

"It's official. James asked me out," she exhales deeply.

"No kidding?" I say happily. "That's great!"

"I know, wow," Riley smiles. "He told me everything, and showed me the drawings you told me about. Holy shit, they're amazing!"

I nod enthusiastically. "I'm glad he actually talked to you. I thought you'd show up and he would run off, to be honest."

"Yeah, he is a bit shy," Riley agrees. "But it's okay. He showed up and stayed, and it turns out the feeling is mutual, so everyone wins."

I jump a little when the bell suddenly goes off, blaring in my ears extremely loudly. "Fuck," I curse under my breath.

"What do you have?" Riley asks as we start walking away from the set of lockers.

"Stats. You?"

"Photography," she replies.

"Isn't Harry in your photography class?" I ask curiously. Riley nods.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason, really, though he asked me yesterday afternoon while we were doing our Bio project if he could sit with us at lunch today," I answer her. Smooth.

Seeing her confused expression, I continue. "I'm not sure why, but it would be okay, right?"

Riley shrugs. "Sure. I'll keep you updated on the James situation!" I smile and say thanks, before pulling out my phone to text Harry the information.

---

"You know them all, right?" I whisper to Harry as we make our way to the place where I'd been sitting at breaks for the last two weeks.

"Um, yeah," Harry replies slowly, studying the four people sitting in a circle on the concrete. "Riley, Ella, Calum, and Louis, correct?"

I nod in reply, and smile widely when Riley notices us.

"Hey guys!" She says, gesturing for us to come and sit down. I take my usual spot beside Riley, and Harry sits beside me, Louis on his right.

"Hiya," Ella says in her high pitched voice, which matches her petite frame perfectly. Calum nods at us and smiles, and Louis, being his charismatic, spontaneous self, reaches out his hand to shake Harry's.

"'Ello, mate, nice to meet you," Louis says.

"Hi Louis," Harry laughs. "We had History together last year, remember?"

"Of course I remember, I was joking," Louis scratches his brown hair. "Who could forget a handsome face like yours?" Harry shrugs, nudging Louis lightly with his shoulder.

I'll admit, a weight was lifted when I saw how Riley's friends reacted to Harry; a tiny bit of me thought they'd shun him, but thankfully that hasn't happened.

"Right," Riley says suddenly, grabbing her bag and unzipping it to reveal a pack of cards. "What game?"

Ella raises her hand, a determined look on her face. "Bullshit. Please." She glances around the circle to gauge the reaction of everyone else, and it is all positive. Harry smirks beside me, and I get the feeling that he isn't a beginner at this certain game.

"I'll deal," Ella offers, taking the cards from Riley's outstretched hand, her blue eyes focusing intently on the task at hand.

"Left to the dealer starts," Riley states, and Louis begins with double Jacks.