Soundtrack Series

FOUR - Ready To Run

Harry: Your heart sank once again as yet another headline reads his name with the words ‘STILL TOGETHER’ big and bold. She was playing the games again and he was allowing her. You had no idea what was running through Harry’s mind every time he decided to go back to her. You thought he was stronger than this. You knew how badly he wanted this relationship to work though. But how was it ever supposed to if the one he said he loved was sleeping around with other guys? She had tested her limits last week. She knew she could get away with cheating on him; she had discovered that fairly easily. She had been photographed bringing another guy into the house she and Harry shared in London. However, here on the front cover they were, back together, smiles on their faces, hands holding onto one another tightly. Although, your feelings towards her were strongly negative, and had been for a very long time now, what you felt towards Harry, your closest friend, was stronger. Every time another cheating story broke you knew how it was going to end and you wanted to shake him for it. He was not going to respond to this, he never did. In addition to not saying a word, he would take her out to buy her something really nice, which is what he was doing in these front cover pictures. You were sure this is what kept her around. You stand in front of the magazine rack at the book store, continuing to scan and count the covers with his face on them. It truly broke your heart. You couldn’t do anything. He wouldn’t listen to you. You had tried over and over with absolutely no success. Harry was the stone wall you were desperately trying to break. You just needed him to see that he could live better than this. He was doing this to himself. You knew this was hurting him, no matter what sort of façade he decided to put on. You have yet to pick a magazine up, not wanting to see the details. What you wanted to do was call him. To beg him to give it up. To tell him that no matter how much he thinks he will be able to change this situation, it isn’t going to happen. He’s given her too much. Too much room to work with; room that she has learned to manipulate and control. She was running this show and Harry was just a figment in the background to keep the attention on her. You had to commend her on that. Whatever it was that she was doing to him, she was doing it well. You had never seen anyone have this sort of effect on him before. You just wish she was doing it for the good. But again, this was happening. It was turning into a routine now. Everything in you told you to call him. To just talk to him. He would tell you he’s happy though, that they have been working on things throughout the week and that there is an understanding. There never was one though, you weren’t even sure they had even talked about what she was doing or if Harry just went along with it as if it were a part of their relationship now. Either way it broke you. He was so far away and hurting himself. The emotional damage he was doing to himself was relentless. When was he ever going to understand?   

Liam: You smile yet again at your phone screen, not noticing the annoyance on Liam’s face as he lies across from you on the couch. He wasn’t going to say anything though, he knew who you were talking to. Mark. It was always Mark. Well for at least the last week it had been. He was all you had really been talking about. It was safe to say Liam was fed up. He didn’t want to hear about how wonderful Mark was. Or about how he had surprised you two days ago with a dozen yellow roses on your doorstep with tickets to a show in Lieicester Square this weekend. He didn’t want to hear about any of that. None of it impressed him. To Liam you could do better. To him you needed someone to surprise you with ten thousand yellow roses and a trip to Australia. That is how you impress. “You want to go to Australia?” Liam blurts out in the middle of the movie you hadn’t actually been paying attention to. “What?” You question, pulling your phone away from your face. “I’m leaving for Australia in a couple of weeks, do you want to go?” He explains further. Australia? Where was this coming from? Yes, you knew he was starting his tour up soon but you weren’t expecting an invitation. You had been to shows with him before, but he had never invited you off to somewhere so far away. “Can you do that?” He laughs at your simple question. He was reeling you in. “Of course I can. Do you want to go or not?” The truth is he was asking to get you away; away from Wolverhampton and away from Mark. If Mark could surprise you with theatre tickets, Liam could certainly one up that easily. You had always wanted to go to Oz, and Liam had always been your primary option for making that happen. However, up until this point, you had only been able to travel to the rest of Europe with him. “Australia?” You repeat in almost disbelief. “Yeah, we will be there for a couple of weeks, what do you say?” He watches you intently. Your mind is racing. This was without a doubt the grandest of gestures. Yes, Liam had always treated you well in every aspect of the word, but this was big. Bigger than big to be exact. This was a private, all-expense paid, multiple week trip to the place you had only been to in your dreams. Why was he doing this? He had only been back in town for a week or so and he was already outdoing himself. Maybe he knew everything would work out this time and it would be no problem for you to travel with him. Had he been arranging this long? Was this how he was planning on asking you? Obviously, because that’s how he did. This surely wasn’t a spare of the moment idea. Why are you putting so much thought into this? Liam needs an answer. “Uh yes! Yes, you know I would absolutely love to go! Thank you!” Your phone drops onto the floor as you move across the couch, laying your entire body on top of him, hugging him tightly. “You’re welcome,” he says into your hair. Your reaction brings a smile to his face, he knows in this moment you have forgotten about Mark.