Getting out of bed the next day was a struggle. I had a bad night's sleep, tossing and turning in my sheets. My dreams were plagued with images of deep, intent green eyes.
I flip the blankets off my legs after I throw my alarm clock across the room. Anything to shut it up.
After wetting my face and getting rid of any sleep dust in my eyes, I brush my teeth and tie up my hair. I stare at the tired looking brunette in the mirror before me, her blue eyes seem weary and so I change my mind and hop into the shower.
I sigh as the warm water pools down my head and my back. I try not to think of Harry and make an effort to think of anything but. I settle on mentally preparing myself for another day of school and reminding myself not to be late of Jack when he comes to pick me up. But then I will have to explain to Jack who the 'millionaire' is and then I can't win.
Every thought I have ends up leading to him.
After washing myself off, I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel. I dress hastily into my uniform, not wanting to be late and hold up Jack.
Deltern's girls uniform consists of a checked, white and navy pleated skirt, a silver and blue tie and a basic white shirt. I ditch the navy school sweater otherwise I'd cook in the hot weather outside. I instead pick up the navy blazer with the school symbol embroidered in silver on the front pocket.
Running past the kitchen and not stopping for breakfast, I slam the front door behind me and fly down the steps of my porch just in time to see Wanda and Jack roll up.
"Woah, just in time. Surprised you didn't trip," Jack says when I throw my bag over the seat and swing into the beat up old car.
"Ha-ha." I strap the seatbelt over my chest just as he backs out of my drive.
"So?" Jack nods to Harry's house just as we pull away. I let out a sigh that sounds more like a groan. Jack looks at me and raises an eyebrow in question.
"His name's Harry. He's our age and has moved to our school," I say in a bored, bland tone, "he's also the kid who I used to live next door to."
Now both of Jack's eyebrows fly up, "no shit?"
"Mhmm," I nod.
"So what's he like?" Jack asks.
"He's a dick." Jack laughs as I wind down the stiff window. The cool summer breeze hits my face and pushes my hair back from my eyes. There is silence in the car, the only noise coming from the wind whistling from the window and Wanda's jumpy engine.
"Hey, do you really wanna go to school today?" Jack asks me out of the blue. I turn to look at him, frowning slightly.
"Yeah, why?" Jack has never been one to skip school, ever in the nine years that I've known him. I mean sure, we've skipped school before a couple times, but that was in younger years, when we first met Emma.
Jack shrugs, "I dunno, I don't feel like it today."
I take Jack in carefully. His normally kept, carefully styled sandy brown hair has been messed up in a I-just-woke-up kinda way. He wears his school uniform ruffled and creased, much unlike his mum's perfectly ironed style. His brown eyes are staring straight forward out the windscreen, avoiding my gaze.
"Where would we go?" I ask him.
"Oh, I don't know. Eat, hang around. We could go to that park, you know, the one near the cinema?" He says breezily, his eyes shining when they finally look at me.
"Is this where you were yesterday?" Jack stays quiet, answering my question with an unspoken voice.
"Does Emma know?" Emma, between Jack and I, is like a mother or an older sister. She, like my own mum, had a habit of disobeying her parents rules just because she didn't like them. However Emma got into quite a bit of trouble when she was younger and now tries to make better decisions- sometimes making them for us when she thinks it suits.
Skipping school falls under her list of offences.
Jack looks at me like I'm stupid, "No," he laughs humourlessly and then turns back to the road, "no, she doesn't know."
"Then we won't be skipping school today, Jack," I sigh. Jack doesn't say anything in response but I think he understands that he'll be attending classes just the same as me.
I don't ask why he has the sudden impulse to skip. Might be some guy issue, something along the lines of 'living on the wild side' or some other weird tendency that boys have- like bringing so much reading material into the bathroom.
That, I've never understood.
Jack pulls Wanda into the school parking lot and I hop out, turning to grab my bag before shutting the car door behind me.
"Cya at recess," I tell Jack, adjusting the strap of my bag over my back. Jack nods but doesn't look at me, he instead stares at something in the distance. I roll my eyes and walk away.
I stash my bag in my locker and withdraw my books for first period. Emma, who is further down the corridor, sees me from her group of admirers which includes Ben. She smiles at her crew and waves goodbye before walking up to me.
"Hey babe," she says when she draws near, hugging her books to her chest, "Jack at school?"
I nod, "Yeah." But I don't tell her that he was in fact intending to not be. The bell rings over head and so Emma and I begin to make our way down the crowded halls to our homeroom.
"Oi! Emma!" I look over to the group of boys leaning against some lockers. I scowl when Emma looks over at them and they all wolf whistle at her and make suggestive sounds and movements with their hands and hips.
Emma makes a disgusted sound to match mine as we walk on past.
"They make me sick," Emma tells me and I nod in understanding. Though I don't.
We sit down next to each other in home room and meet up with Jack when recess rolls around. I barely listen to when Jack and Emma speak across our table. I sit there, chewing slowly on my food, stuck in my own thoughts.
They both don't address me, which I'm fine with. They know when not to talk to me, not because I'm mean or rude or anything. I'm just a pain to talk to when I'm having one of my 'days' Emma once told me. Apparently I act like I don't hear her, which I find hard to believe because everyone listens to Emma.
I excuse myself so I can use the bathroom and I stand up. I make my way to the girls room, staring at the pavement. The weather's too hot out here, there's almost no breeze and I can feel the sun burning down onto the top of my head.
Suddenly I smack into someone's back.
"Oh, sorry-" I start but cut myself off because it's Harry. He turns around and looks down at me.
"Mia," He smiles. I glance between him and Niall who is sitting on one of the picnic tables set up outside. Niall grins at me and gives me a wave.
"Oh, hi," I say dumbly to Harry. I am still trying to get my head around getting back to reality from my daydreams.
"What are you doing?" I ask because it's only polite to make conversation at a time like now.
Harry flicks his head over to Niall and together they share a wicked smile. "Oh nothing much."
I stare hard at both of them. I don't want to know but it's suspicious seeing as they're the only two kids outside in this heat. Plus they're new as well as reckless morons.
"Uh-huh."
Harry takes a step towards me and lifts a damp lock of my hair off my shoulder.
"Did you have a shower?" Harty asks, seeming to examine my hair with close eyes.
"Yes," I snap, slapping his hand away. Harry let out a low whistle, "now that's a nice image."
I glare at him as Niall snorts. Harry just grins at me. I roll my eyes in disgust, maybe I'm finallygetting a grasp on what Emma goes through everyday.
"Yeah, alright," I say with no interest whatsoever. I step away to make my leave to the toilet but Harry grabs my arm quickly.
"Hey, hey." He gently pulls me back and I drop my eyes to his grasp to let him know that I'm not comfortable with it, even if I am getting the tingles. I look up into his green eyes once again.
"Go out with me?" He says. I frown and lean in closer.
"Sorry?" I must not of heard him right, did he say-
"Mia," Harry smiles, "will you go out with me?" He says it more clearer this time but I still have to stare at him a while longer before the message sets in.
With an angered noise and a scowl directed at him, I rip my hand out of his grasp.
"What's your damage?" I ask him before storming off. I can hear Niall splitting his sides in laughter but I don't turn around.
If Harry thinks that he can mess around with me like that and treat me like- like trash! And expect me to come running to his side when he asks for me, then he's got another thing coming. God, hedisgusts me.
The rational part of my brain is telling me that I'm over exaggerating and that I'm just acting angry to hide my confusion and delight that the fact that he just asked me out. And to be honest I am kinda happy that he did ask me out. I mean, beside the fact that he doesn't respect me and that he's a massive perv- he's, I think, kinda of a nice guy. Maybe.
He's also hot.
And that's a tick in anyone's books.
But I won't, I will not accept his offer on those two traits alone. Plus, the one about him possibly being a nice guy, I'm not even one hundred percent sure enough!
I'm still fuming by the time I use the toilet and reach and come back to Emma and Jack's table. They are arguing over which is better; Microsoft or Apple.
"Apple is the one who comes up with the ideas! Micro just steals them and tries to pass them off as their own!" Emma shouts as I take my seat across from her.
"Microsoft is older then Apple and has come up with it's own ideas in the past. Plus when they do make products similar to Apple's it's normally better." Jack shrugs as if it's a fact of life.
"Then why," Emma gets out her iPhone and flicks the screen back and forth, "does everyone have one of these? Mm? If Microsoft is so good?"
"Because Micro doesn't sell their own phones. And isn't that what the kids are doing these days? Following the trend with what's cool and shit? Isn't that what you're doing?" Jack says with a bland and truthful smile.
"But its's Steve Jobs!" Emma cries, "I don't even know the other guy!"
"Bill Gates," Jack looks outraged, "Bill Gates," He uses his hands in downward motions as if he is slamming them onto the table.
"Well you know what?" Emma says leaning in with a snigger on her face, "Bill Gates can Microsoft up his ass."
Obviously I had not been missed.
The bell rings and we make our way back to class. The day goes on and Emma and Jack continue with their playful banter and I kinda hope that during this time that Jack feels like he doesn't want to be missing school.
I see Harry in the corridors again but I completely ignore him as I walk past. Emma always points him out whenever he's around and I smile and nod and act like there's nothing wrong but to be honest I don't have the energy to tell Em that he asked me out.
I don't think I'd be able to deal with her squealing in my ear so close to the end of the day.
By the time that the end of the day does roll around, I'm tired and groggy. Jack jokes to me about me being on my period- I think he's been around Emma and me for too long.
I wave to Em at the gates as her mum's sleek black car eases in front of her and she clambers in. I turn back to Jack and his shit can called Wanda, throwing my bag in the back seat I jump in next to him.
Jack turns the key in the ignition and tries to start old Wanda. The thing makes a wheezing sound and doesn't start. Jack grumbles something under his breath and tries again. Wanda makes the sound again before the engine splutters and coughs and then dies out with a big bang.
The students filtering in the carpark give us both a weird look before they go back to their loitering.
"Jack..." I trail off.
"No, no. Not today baby," Jack groans before swinging back out of the car again to pop the hood. I sigh and join him.
We both cough when steam and smoke rises from the rusted engine of the car. I swipe at the air, getting it to clear so we can examine it properly.
Since I know nothing about cars I ask Jack, "what's it look like?"
Jack sighs and shrugs, defeated. "I dunno, I'm not good with cars."
The sun shines down on our backs as we stare helplessly at Wanda's insides. I notice we are getting quite a few looks from the other rich kids that attend our school. Some of them laugh as they climb into their new, shiny convertibles.
"Oi Jack! Car troubles?" Someone shouts and I and surprised to see a grinning Sam walking towards us. I don't ask Jack how Sam knows his name, I'm too surprised to even speak.
"Yeah," Jack shouts back, "think you can help?"
"Sure, let's see what you got," Sam says when he draws near. He smiles at me and says, "hey Mia."
I smile back and say hello in return. I peer at Sam when I do so. I notice that he has some bruising around his nose. Instantly reminding me of the fight that he got into with Harry yesterday.
He probably got that from him.
Sam looks down at the steaming engine before him. He lets out a low whistle, "Damn."
Jack beams, "so you know about cars? You'll help?"
Sam nods, still staring at Wanda. "I'll help," he says, "but only with the engine. The rest of the car I can't do much for."
"God, good. That's all I need."
"Great, now you get behind the wheel," Sam instructs, "start the engine when I tell you to."
Jack runs around back to his front seat and places his hands on the driving wheel, ready for his mark. Sam turns around and grins at me as he starts fiddling with the engine.
"How you going, Mia?" He asks me. My heart jumps a bit when he looks at me with his big blue eyes. So different to Harry's-
Stop thinking about Harry at a time like this! I tell myself.
"G-good," I stammer, "yourself?" Sam nods and turns to the engine, turning knobs and checking things.
"Yeah, I'm great. I just wanted to talk to you about something."
"Yeah, what's that?"
"Harry Styles." Oh god, not him. "You friends with him?" Sam asks me. I shake my head quickly.
"No, nope. Not me."
He sighs with what seems like relief. "Oh good," he says, "a girl like you should not be messed up with the likes of him."
I smile but frown at the same time, "what? Why?"
Sam looks at me carefully as he keeps working on Jack's car, "he and his friends, they say they're in a gang."
My mouth drops open. "What?"
Harry, in a gang? What, no way. I mean yeah, the dude's a douche but in a gang? I know Harry. Well not really. But I knew him, granted from a very young age, but still. Harry, like, what, he?
No.
Sam shrugs, "yeah. A gang. A pretty bad one from what I've heard too. The city's not known for it's gangs but there's apparently been activity. Wars and stuff. Better act safe, Mia."
I blink at him, my mouth still open. I'm too shocked to answer.
Sam smiles tightly at me before turning back to his work at hand. He pulls something then checks something else before finally yelling to Jack to 'start her up.'
Jack turns the key and magically Wanda revs to life.
"Thank you!" Jack shouts from the window to Sam who replies with a grin and thumbs up. He then and closes the hood and turns to me and I blush unexpectedly.
"Cya Mia," He says, "hope what I said didn't scare ya."
I shake my head, letting my hair swish around my shoulders. "No, not scared. Concerned maybe, but not scared."
Sam smiles and pats my arm in a comforting way, "I'd like to see you more.
I beam at him and nod. He waves to me and then walks away from Wanda and me, throwing a grin over his shoulder as he leaves.
I let out a rush of air from my lungs before joining Jack in the now working car. He drives me home and drops me off at my house. I collect my bag and wave goodbye to Jack. I run into my house and drop onto my bed. Sighing in relief that the day's almost over.

Notes

All credit goes to doily


Everyone we have to break the veto record with story of my life!!! All watch it as many times as you can!