Spotlight |h.s|

Four

Harry Styles

I sit on the leather couch identical to mine, smelling perfume and sweet candies instead of the salty chips and cologne I'm used to. Aubrey and I are waiting for Max to show up. He called me last night and said to go right to her trailer 30 minutes earlier than usual, and now that I'm here, he's nowhere to be found.

Aubrey is standing by the table sucking on one of those strawberry candies grandmas carry around in their purses. The ones with the wrappers that look like a real strawberry. She has on a pair of baggy blue jeans and a black Arctic Mokeys t shirt. At least she has taste.

"Do you know why he wants to talk to us again?" She tries to make conversation.

"No idea." I shrug.

I'd rather not be here right now. I could still have another ten minutes of sleep. My loft is a ten minute drive away, and I just wake up, brush my teeth, and head here. I'm losing sleep over this bullshit. And not only that, I'm losing sleep to sit here and hang out with her. I can truly think of a million things I would rather be doing. After last night where I didn't get much sleep since I was... busy, I'm not too pleased about this.

I hear the hard candy crashing against her teeth as she moves it around with her tongue, awkwardly standing around and twiddling her thumbs. She's clearly all talk. All bitchy to me last night, and radio silent now. I didn't expect any less, it's just kind of amusing every time.

Her phone rings, making me turn my head in the direction of the sound. She reluctantly picks up after she reads the name, turning and facing the wall.

"Hey." She answers, obviously knowing who it is.

She listens to the woman on the line talk, me able to hear her muffled voice in the silence. I can't decipher what she's saying, but I know that she's talking.

"No, I'm good. I promise." Aubrey speaks in a shushed voice.

"I had to come in early today," she pauses to listen, "Yeah. It's fine, though."

The voice sounds a bit frustrated on the other line now, confusing me a bit. I feel like a stalker listening like this, but it's silent in here besides the sound of her talking, so I have nothing else to do.

"I don't need to come in tonight. I'm sure. Bye, Maggie." She says politely before hanging up.

"Maggie?" I don't recognize the name, "Who's Maggie?"

"Nobody." She automatically responds, only intriguing me more.

"I feel like you'd be proud to tell me about having a friend. Who is she?" I keep messing with her.

"Stop it, Harry. We're not here to talk and make friends. Just sit there until Max comes in and stop trying to make me upset." She crosses her arms in defense, still avoiding telling me.

"Why are you hiding it?" I probe her.

"I don't have to tell you if I don't want to. Leave it alone." She raises her voice a little.

"You are so defensive for no reason." I shake my
head in amusement.

"Well if you would stop fucking bothering me when I obviously don't want to tell you something, I wouldn't have to—" She gets cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"Getting along, I see." Max jokes as he lets himself in, Aubrey's mouth clamping shut as I laugh at her embarrassment. He sits down next to me on the couch calmly.

Her cheeks heat in embarrassment and she fixes her hair awkwardly as she waits for him to explain why we're here in the first place. She likes to seem professional to everyone we work with, but I make her snap, and she doesn't like that.