Crown of Thorns
Chapter 7 (Saturday)
I'm walking home from my soccer game in the bright sun.
I'm all sweaty and achy from where I've been bruised and battered. Today's game we lost, 5-3. Megan wasn't here today I think that's why did- and I can't say that I helped much in today's game.
I'm worried and I was anxious on the field because dad would be home when I get there.
Not that I have any problem with him- I just don't see him often and every time that I do see him I feel like I have to impress him somehow. I feel like my father is one of those fathers from those horrible tv shows and movies who the kid never sees and always has troubles with.
I think dad and I have troubles, but we just don't talk about them.
I love my dad, but we're distant. His job is a great job and gives mum and I more then enough money. We have a massive house and would be called one of the richest families in town. And because of that, we never see him.
I walk up my driveway and let myself in. I can hear mum speaking to him in the kitchen. His deep booming voice seeming to bounce off the walls. I poke my head into the kitchen after dumping my bag by the door.
"Dad!" I beam when I see him. His massive frame is sitting in one of our stools at the kitchen island in the middle of the room. His blue eyes and blinding white smile are the same and he opens his arms up for a hug.
I wrap my arms around him and he laughs. "How is my little girl?"
"Good," I tell him as I step out of the embrace, "I need to go have a shower and get dressed, but I'll be right back." And with that I turn and fly up the stairs and into my room. I fling open the bathroom door and jump into the shower.
My dad loves mum and I- he does. But there's a somewhat cost to his love. Impress him and he pays attention. Last year scored an almost perfect report- which was equally surprising to me as to the rest of my family- anyhow, my dad took me to Tahiti.
Even to me, I seem like a spoilt little girl with daddy issues.
I turn the shower off and dry myself down before heading back into my room and opening my wardrobe door to find the right thing to wear. Clothes go flying as I search through them. I tug on some denim shorts and loose tee. I comb my wet hair quickly with my brush before throwing it across the room and running back downstairs.
Dad and mum are exactly where I left them. Dad is dressed in one of his work suits, his large, tall frame completely filling the chair that he is seated on. Mum is leaning over the island in the middle of the kitchen, she's wearing a simple, casual dress that I've never seen before. There's a light blush on her face and I can see she's wearing some makeup.
It's like this every time dad comes home.
"Mia," dad smiles, "how are you? It's been a while, look at you! So beautiful!" I find myself returning his smile at that comment. My father's always been a charmer, it's why he's so good at his job.
"It's only been a month," I say like it's no big deal that I haven't seen him for roughly 30 days.
"Well you're even more prettier then I remember, just like your mum." Dad takes a hold of her hand and mum laughs like she's twenty years younger. I grin at the sight. It almost feels like dad never left. When it was just us three and dad was always home. When we didn't have the big house and flashy cars.
That was 12 years ago and I barely remember anything from that time when I was four. We moved here into this flashy neighbourhood in this expensive town when dad got a new job. That was when I first met Harry.
Don't think about him, do not think about him, I tell myself as I sit down next to dad. I won't do it.
And I manage to do that for most of the day, until some time around dinner. Dad, mum and I are sitting in Dugeeni's- the expensive restaurant I suggested to mum. We just had our ordered food set in front of us when dad asked the question.
"I saw a couple cars parked outside next door. Who moved in?" Donna's eyes are on mine as soon as the last words left dad's lips.
"Uh," I began but mum cut in.
"I have no idea but, Mia, you know the neighbours don't you?" There's a twinkle in mum's eyes that has been there since dad arrived earlier today. I swallow nervously, not sure how she's going to react when I tell her that my childhood crush has moved back next door.
"Harry Styles," I cough on his name, "he's uh, got the house back."
Mum gasps and grins, "little Harry? Oh, he was such a cute kid. Dimples and curly hair."
I laugh uneasily, "yeah. I think he's living with some friends in there." As mum and I remise about the annoying little fuck. I notice dad's eyes darken as they turn into a stormy blue glare. I keep talking to mum as I watch him glare at his plate, stabbing the meat with his fork and knife and eating it forcefully. His brow is furrowed and he seems to be deep in thought.
Dad looks up at and gives me one of his charming smiles and I smile back.
~~~
The lack of light is hurting my eyes. I'm in bed, my laptop propped up on my lap and I'm scrolling through tumblr. Emma is on the bed next to me, watching the opening credits to Dirty Dancing. It's well past midnight and we're still both wide awake.
Dinner finished well, mum and dad dropped me home before they turned the car around and headed off to their hotel which I want to hear nothing about when they get back tomorrow morning.
But luckily before they left I managed to convince my parents to let Emma stay over for the weekend.
I sigh as the voices from Harry's house get louder. They've been going since we got back at nine. The music is a muffled thump- it's the reason why we're still up. I'm only on my laptop and Emma's only watching tv because we know there's no hope in sleeping.
Thank God dad isn't home tonight, he'd probably walk right on over and tell them to shut up.
Suddenly there's a small but loud tap against my window. Boyish laughter follows the sound.
"What was that?" Emma whispers, hers and my gaze on the window and the glass door to my balcony. I tense with fury when I hear Harry's laughter. There's a rain of stones that hail down on my window.
Oh he fucking did not.
"Oh my God, there's guys out there," Emma breathes.
I lower my laptop screen just a tad and glower at my window again, silently daring the boys to throw something else at my window again.
They do. A pebble or some other small rock rebounds off my window again, making an audibleponk sound. More barely contained laughter follows and I slam down my laptop screen and hurl myself out of bed to turn the light on.
I open the door to the balcony and storm out in the night.
Harry is standing alone in my garden, his arm raised to throw another rock at my window. His friends are sitting on the fence that divides our yards. Their hands covering their mouths as they clutch at their stomachs.
In the poor light cast from my bedroom, I see Harry grin when he sees me. The light illuminates his skin, casting shadows on his smiling face. He looks gorgeous just as he does every other day that I see him.
"Oooh! Pyjama party!" Niall yells when Emma comes to stand beside me on the balcony. I immediately realise that I'm only wearing an oversized nightshirt and Emma is in pink flannel pyjamas.
"Could you guys just shut up?" I hiss as when Emma asks me quietly, "isn't that Niall?"
"Come over!" Harry slurs and the guys cheer.
"Are you drunk?" I ask him, squinting at his unnaturally cheerful face.
"No," he answers and the others on the fence behind him stifle girlish giggles. I sigh with frustration, rubbing my knuckles against my forehead. "Get out of my yard, guys." I'm tired and I don't need this now. Dad has drained every bit of energy from me. Spending a day impressing someone is a lot harder then it seems.
"Oh come on!" One of the guys on the fence yell and I can't make out his face.
"Please," Harry smirks, "we need chicks. We're planning on having a gang bang." The guys howl with laughter and one of them falls forward off the fence and face first into the bushes which only causes everyone to laugh harder.
Emma's got a hand over her mouth and she's trying hard not to laugh.
"Fuck you," I shout, feeling so tired.
"You offering?" Harry's wearing his famous wicked grin and I can feel my cheeks reddening. I turn and walk back inside but Harry yells out again, "If you don't come down, I'll scream."
I'm walking home from my soccer game in the bright sun.
I'm all sweaty and achy from where I've been bruised and battered. Today's game we lost, 5-3. Megan wasn't here today I think that's why did- and I can't say that I helped much in today's game.
I'm worried and I was anxious on the field because dad would be home when I get there.
Not that I have any problem with him- I just don't see him often and every time that I do see him I feel like I have to impress him somehow. I feel like my father is one of those fathers from those horrible tv shows and movies who the kid never sees and always has troubles with.
I think dad and I have troubles, but we just don't talk about them.
I love my dad, but we're distant. His job is a great job and gives mum and I more then enough money. We have a massive house and would be called one of the richest families in town. And because of that, we never see him.
I walk up my driveway and let myself in. I can hear mum speaking to him in the kitchen. His deep booming voice seeming to bounce off the walls. I poke my head into the kitchen after dumping my bag by the door.
"Dad!" I beam when I see him. His massive frame is sitting in one of our stools at the kitchen island in the middle of the room. His blue eyes and blinding white smile are the same and he opens his arms up for a hug.
I wrap my arms around him and he laughs. "How is my little girl?"
"Good," I tell him as I step out of the embrace, "I need to go have a shower and get dressed, but I'll be right back." And with that I turn and fly up the stairs and into my room. I fling open the bathroom door and jump into the shower.
My dad loves mum and I- he does. But there's a somewhat cost to his love. Impress him and he pays attention. Last year scored an almost perfect report- which was equally surprising to me as to the rest of my family- anyhow, my dad took me to Tahiti.
Even to me, I seem like a spoilt little girl with daddy issues.
I turn the shower off and dry myself down before heading back into my room and opening my wardrobe door to find the right thing to wear. Clothes go flying as I search through them. I tug on some denim shorts and loose tee. I comb my wet hair quickly with my brush before throwing it across the room and running back downstairs.
Dad and mum are exactly where I left them. Dad is dressed in one of his work suits, his large, tall frame completely filling the chair that he is seated on. Mum is leaning over the island in the middle of the kitchen, she's wearing a simple, casual dress that I've never seen before. There's a light blush on her face and I can see she's wearing some makeup.
It's like this every time dad comes home.
"Mia," dad smiles, "how are you? It's been a while, look at you! So beautiful!" I find myself returning his smile at that comment. My father's always been a charmer, it's why he's so good at his job.
"It's only been a month," I say like it's no big deal that I haven't seen him for roughly 30 days.
"Well you're even more prettier then I remember, just like your mum." Dad takes a hold of her hand and mum laughs like she's twenty years younger. I grin at the sight. It almost feels like dad never left. When it was just us three and dad was always home. When we didn't have the big house and flashy cars.
That was 12 years ago and I barely remember anything from that time when I was four. We moved here into this flashy neighbourhood in this expensive town when dad got a new job. That was when I first met Harry.
Don't think about him, do not think about him, I tell myself as I sit down next to dad. I won't do it.
And I manage to do that for most of the day, until some time around dinner. Dad, mum and I are sitting in Dugeeni's- the expensive restaurant I suggested to mum. We just had our ordered food set in front of us when dad asked the question.
"I saw a couple cars parked outside next door. Who moved in?" Donna's eyes are on mine as soon as the last words left dad's lips.
"Uh," I began but mum cut in.
"I have no idea but, Mia, you know the neighbours don't you?" There's a twinkle in mum's eyes that has been there since dad arrived earlier today. I swallow nervously, not sure how she's going to react when I tell her that my childhood crush has moved back next door.
"Harry Styles," I cough on his name, "he's uh, got the house back."
Mum gasps and grins, "little Harry? Oh, he was such a cute kid. Dimples and curly hair."
I laugh uneasily, "yeah. I think he's living with some friends in there." As mum and I remise about the annoying little fuck. I notice dad's eyes darken as they turn into a stormy blue glare. I keep talking to mum as I watch him glare at his plate, stabbing the meat with his fork and knife and eating it forcefully. His brow is furrowed and he seems to be deep in thought.
Dad looks up at and gives me one of his charming smiles and I smile back.
~~~
The lack of light is hurting my eyes. I'm in bed, my laptop propped up on my lap and I'm scrolling through tumblr. Emma is on the bed next to me, watching the opening credits to Dirty Dancing. It's well past midnight and we're still both wide awake.
Dinner finished well, mum and dad dropped me home before they turned the car around and headed off to their hotel which I want to hear nothing about when they get back tomorrow morning.
But luckily before they left I managed to convince my parents to let Emma stay over for the weekend.
I sigh as the voices from Harry's house get louder. They've been going since we got back at nine. The music is a muffled thump- it's the reason why we're still up. I'm only on my laptop and Emma's only watching tv because we know there's no hope in sleeping.
Thank God dad isn't home tonight, he'd probably walk right on over and tell them to shut up.
Suddenly there's a small but loud tap against my window. Boyish laughter follows the sound.
"What was that?" Emma whispers, hers and my gaze on the window and the glass door to my balcony. I tense with fury when I hear Harry's laughter. There's a rain of stones that hail down on my window.
Oh he fucking did not.
"Oh my God, there's guys out there," Emma breathes.
I lower my laptop screen just a tad and glower at my window again, silently daring the boys to throw something else at my window again.
They do. A pebble or some other small rock rebounds off my window again, making an audibleponk sound. More barely contained laughter follows and I slam down my laptop screen and hurl myself out of bed to turn the light on.
I open the door to the balcony and storm out in the night.
Harry is standing alone in my garden, his arm raised to throw another rock at my window. His friends are sitting on the fence that divides our yards. Their hands covering their mouths as they clutch at their stomachs.
In the poor light cast from my bedroom, I see Harry grin when he sees me. The light illuminates his skin, casting shadows on his smiling face. He looks gorgeous just as he does every other day that I see him.
"Oooh! Pyjama party!" Niall yells when Emma comes to stand beside me on the balcony. I immediately realise that I'm only wearing an oversized nightshirt and Emma is in pink flannel pyjamas.
"Could you guys just shut up?" I hiss as when Emma asks me quietly, "isn't that Niall?"
"Come over!" Harry slurs and the guys cheer.
"Are you drunk?" I ask him, squinting at his unnaturally cheerful face.
"No," he answers and the others on the fence behind him stifle girlish giggles. I sigh with frustration, rubbing my knuckles against my forehead. "Get out of my yard, guys." I'm tired and I don't need this now. Dad has drained every bit of energy from me. Spending a day impressing someone is a lot harder then it seems.
"Oh come on!" One of the guys on the fence yell and I can't make out his face.
"Please," Harry smirks, "we need chicks. We're planning on having a gang bang." The guys howl with laughter and one of them falls forward off the fence and face first into the bushes which only causes everyone to laugh harder.
Emma's got a hand over her mouth and she's trying hard not to laugh.
"Fuck you," I shout, feeling so tired.
"You offering?" Harry's wearing his famous wicked grin and I can feel my cheeks reddening. I turn and walk back inside but Harry yells out again, "If you don't come down, I'll scream."
Without meaning to, I stop and smile. Shaking myself, I frown and remove any emotion on my face. I turn around but I don't walk back. Emma looks at me and grins.
"I wanna go," she says with an excited grin.
"Well you're a slut and your vote doesn't count," I tell her and her grin just widens. She looks back to the boys outside and shouts at them that we're coming over and before I can argue she shuts the balcony door behind her and starts ruffling through the clothes in my wardrobe.
"Emma!" I say in an exasperated tone.
"What? These are five hot guys, no way am I wearing any of the clothes I brought." She picks out a skimpy midriff that I've never worn and she shows it to me. "Didn't I get this for you?"
I shrug and she shrugs.
"Do we have to go?" I really feel like I'm whining, scratch that- I am whining.
"No Mia, we don't," Emma says and casts a concerning look at me, "but I think you need it. You're always grouchy whenever your dad comes home. You need to loosen up girl. Plus that pizza guy from yesterday left me very un-sat-is-fied." She draws the word out syllable by syllable.
I cross my arms over my chest, "so in other words you're getting you're whore on."
"Ouch, Mia." Emma winces slightly and I sigh for the 100th time tonight.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I do get grouchy." I blow out a gust of air and swing my arms side to side. Ten minutes later Emma and I are both dressed and just as we are about to head out the door, I find myself shaking my head.
"No," I say and stop, "I don't want to go." Emma looks at me, she leans against the unopened door and looks without wavering.
I don't know why I don't want to go. Perhaps it's because I'm afraid that Harry and I will fight again, like we do every other time. I do want to spend time with him though, and find out if Louis what said about him being a 'nice guy' is true. But I feel cheap going over now. They're all drunk and this is definitely not my environment or expertise.
Emma finally nods and asks, "you sure you don't want to come?"
"Yeah," I say, "I'm tired anyway." Which is true, my lack of sleep is finally catching up with me.
"Am I a bad friend for wanting to go?"
I nod and laugh, "yes. But it's okay, you go. I'm going to sleep so there's nothing really to stay here for."
Emma sighs and puts her hands on her cheeks, pulling her face down in stress, "you're making this really hard for me."
I open the door and she steps away from it so it can be opened fully.
"Go," I say. She looks at me and then gives me a hug, "I'll be back soon. I won't do anything naughty, I promise. I'm really sorry for being a slutty, needy, attention whore."
I laugh and bid her goodbye before closing the door behind her. I head upstairs where I change back into my nightshirt before I climb into bed. I turn off the tv and I settle into a sleep.
~~~
I wake to darkness because I hear the door open and close behind someone.
Emma's back, my mind sleepily registers. I hear Emma come up the stairs and into my room. I numbly listen to the sound of clothes on skin and the ruffle of them as they hit to the floor.
The bed drops under the weight of another person climbing under the duvet next to me. I softly moan to let her know that I am awake and am acknowledging her return. She moves closer to me and wraps an long arm around my waist. Curls tickle the back of my neck.
My eyes fly open. That's not Emma.
I let out a sound cross between a squeak and a squeal before catapulting myself out of the hold around my waist as well as throwing myself out the bed- taking the sheets with me.
I fall back against the wall, my body sprawled out on the ground, the blankets wrapped around my legs.
"Harry!" I shriek when he switches on the bedside lamp. He's topless and pantless- wearing only a dark pair of underwear- in my bed, staring down at me with a bemused expression on his face. I stare up at him in shock and horror.
Why is he in my bed? Why is he here? What is he doing almost naked? Why does he look so good without a shirt on?
I curse myself for that last question.
"W-what?" I splutter, unable to form any other more intelligent words.
"I'm tired," is all he says and I stare at him.
"Get out," I finally manage. Harry pouts, he pouts.
"Don't wanna." He leans back into my pillows and stares up at my glow-in-the-dark star covered the ceiling. Without meaning to, my eyes start traveling up and down his torso. The light cast by my lamp has splayed shadows over the shapes and lines of the muscles that work underneath his skin. They all look hard and well defined and I can't stop staring.
But my eyes wander down further and with my mind screaming at me to stop, my gaze comes to rest on the obvious bulge in Harry's underwear.
I screw my eyes shut a second after I see it. Oh fucking Jesus almighty Christ- fuck, shit, crap, hell.
Hesitantly I open my eyes to find Harry's on me. His lips are forming into a suggestive smirk that tells me that he knows what I just saw. My gaze drops as my face burns with embarrassment. I hear Harry laugh and I close my eyes again at the sound.
"It's okay, love. Did you look your fill or do you need more?" I can hear the smile in his voice.
Cocky bastard.
"Shut up," I tell him but I'm also kinda laughing. I open my eyes again and look at him. He's grinning at me, his dimples showing and his green irises shining.
"Why are you here?" I ask him, drawing my knees to my chest as I sit upright against the wall.
"They're being too loud, and I couldn't pass up the chance when Emma said you're parents aren't home."
"I'm going to kill her," I groan softly.
"Don't. She's been of good use, told me many things about you," he trails off and I glare at him.
"What did she tell you?" I grit past my teeth. Harry just grins at me again.
"Not telling," he replies in a sing song voice.
"Fine, don't. Just get out of my bed." Now I'm tired, grouchy and pissed. Harry rolls over and buries his face into my pillow, I mange to make out a muffled no that comes from him. With the blankets wrapped around me, I stand to stare down at his large frame stretched over my mattress.
"Out. Now," I snap but this time I get no response. So I lean forward and forcefully shove him off. He tumbles onto the ground and I throw the blanket over the mattress where he was. I slide in under the warm space and turn on my side so my back is facing him.
"You're mean," he whines and I hear him stand up.
"You're drunk." My eyes are shut and I'm so tired that I can just fall asleep right now.
"Am not."
"Harry, I can smell the alcohol on you, face it. You're drunk." Suddenly I can feel his presence close to me. The mattress dips under his weight but I can't place where his body is. His warm breath is on my cheek and I feel the heat of his eyes on my face.
"Say my name in that throaty voice again. It's turning me on," his voice has dropped audibly lower and the air simultaneously changes from fun and light to hot and heavy. I roll over onto my back and my eyes snap open, finding Harry's face looming over mine.
His hands are on either side of my arms and his knees have trapped in my body. His green eyes are peering down at me hard. I swallow nervously after I feel my breath get stuck in my throat.
"Harry," I repeat without wanting to. My sleep laced voice cracks on the name but he still smiles wickedly. He leans down and his lips press against mine. It's only for a second because then I find my composure and I grab his face with one hand.
He looks surprised when I squeeze his cheeks, my nails digging into his skin. I glare at him as I do this. I push his head away before shoving him off me.
"Don't," I warn him. I stand up and walk to my opened door. I point at it as I stare at him. Harry smiles mischievously as he hops off my bed and scoops up his clothes from the floor. He backs out the door without turning away from me. The same stupid smile on his face.
"I'm gonna dream of you tonight, only this time, you'll be in my bed," he tells me and I step forward and aim a kick him. But he only laughs and sidesteps it.
"Do that again, I can see your undies." Harry grins and I slam my bedroom door in his face.
I'm all sweaty and achy from where I've been bruised and battered. Today's game we lost, 5-3. Megan wasn't here today I think that's why did- and I can't say that I helped much in today's game.
I'm worried and I was anxious on the field because dad would be home when I get there.
Not that I have any problem with him- I just don't see him often and every time that I do see him I feel like I have to impress him somehow. I feel like my father is one of those fathers from those horrible tv shows and movies who the kid never sees and always has troubles with.
I think dad and I have troubles, but we just don't talk about them.
I love my dad, but we're distant. His job is a great job and gives mum and I more then enough money. We have a massive house and would be called one of the richest families in town. And because of that, we never see him.
I walk up my driveway and let myself in. I can hear mum speaking to him in the kitchen. His deep booming voice seeming to bounce off the walls. I poke my head into the kitchen after dumping my bag by the door.
"Dad!" I beam when I see him. His massive frame is sitting in one of our stools at the kitchen island in the middle of the room. His blue eyes and blinding white smile are the same and he opens his arms up for a hug.
I wrap my arms around him and he laughs. "How is my little girl?"
"Good," I tell him as I step out of the embrace, "I need to go have a shower and get dressed, but I'll be right back." And with that I turn and fly up the stairs and into my room. I fling open the bathroom door and jump into the shower.
My dad loves mum and I- he does. But there's a somewhat cost to his love. Impress him and he pays attention. Last year scored an almost perfect report- which was equally surprising to me as to the rest of my family- anyhow, my dad took me to Tahiti.
Even to me, I seem like a spoilt little girl with daddy issues.
I turn the shower off and dry myself down before heading back into my room and opening my wardrobe door to find the right thing to wear. Clothes go flying as I search through them. I tug on some denim shorts and loose tee. I comb my wet hair quickly with my brush before throwing it across the room and running back downstairs.
Dad and mum are exactly where I left them. Dad is dressed in one of his work suits, his large, tall frame completely filling the chair that he is seated on. Mum is leaning over the island in the middle of the kitchen, she's wearing a simple, casual dress that I've never seen before. There's a light blush on her face and I can see she's wearing some makeup.
It's like this every time dad comes home.
"Mia," dad smiles, "how are you? It's been a while, look at you! So beautiful!" I find myself returning his smile at that comment. My father's always been a charmer, it's why he's so good at his job.
"It's only been a month," I say like it's no big deal that I haven't seen him for roughly 30 days.
"Well you're even more prettier then I remember, just like your mum." Dad takes a hold of her hand and mum laughs like she's twenty years younger. I grin at the sight. It almost feels like dad never left. When it was just us three and dad was always home. When we didn't have the big house and flashy cars.
That was 12 years ago and I barely remember anything from that time when I was four. We moved here into this flashy neighbourhood in this expensive town when dad got a new job. That was when I first met Harry.
Don't think about him, do not think about him, I tell myself as I sit down next to dad. I won't do it.
And I manage to do that for most of the day, until some time around dinner. Dad, mum and I are sitting in Dugeeni's- the expensive restaurant I suggested to mum. We just had our ordered food set in front of us when dad asked the question.
"I saw a couple cars parked outside next door. Who moved in?" Donna's eyes are on mine as soon as the last words left dad's lips.
"Uh," I began but mum cut in.
"I have no idea but, Mia, you know the neighbours don't you?" There's a twinkle in mum's eyes that has been there since dad arrived earlier today. I swallow nervously, not sure how she's going to react when I tell her that my childhood crush has moved back next door.
"Harry Styles," I cough on his name, "he's uh, got the house back."
Mum gasps and grins, "little Harry? Oh, he was such a cute kid. Dimples and curly hair."
I laugh uneasily, "yeah. I think he's living with some friends in there." As mum and I remise about the annoying little fuck. I notice dad's eyes darken as they turn into a stormy blue glare. I keep talking to mum as I watch him glare at his plate, stabbing the meat with his fork and knife and eating it forcefully. His brow is furrowed and he seems to be deep in thought.
Dad looks up at and gives me one of his charming smiles and I smile back.
~~~
The lack of light is hurting my eyes. I'm in bed, my laptop propped up on my lap and I'm scrolling through tumblr. Emma is on the bed next to me, watching the opening credits to Dirty Dancing. It's well past midnight and we're still both wide awake.
Dinner finished well, mum and dad dropped me home before they turned the car around and headed off to their hotel which I want to hear nothing about when they get back tomorrow morning.
But luckily before they left I managed to convince my parents to let Emma stay over for the weekend.
I sigh as the voices from Harry's house get louder. They've been going since we got back at nine. The music is a muffled thump- it's the reason why we're still up. I'm only on my laptop and Emma's only watching tv because we know there's no hope in sleeping.
Thank God dad isn't home tonight, he'd probably walk right on over and tell them to shut up.
Suddenly there's a small but loud tap against my window. Boyish laughter follows the sound.
"What was that?" Emma whispers, hers and my gaze on the window and the glass door to my balcony. I tense with fury when I hear Harry's laughter. There's a rain of stones that hail down on my window.
Oh he fucking did not.
"Oh my God, there's guys out there," Emma breathes.
I lower my laptop screen just a tad and glower at my window again, silently daring the boys to throw something else at my window again.
They do. A pebble or some other small rock rebounds off my window again, making an audibleponk sound. More barely contained laughter follows and I slam down my laptop screen and hurl myself out of bed to turn the light on.
I open the door to the balcony and storm out in the night.
Harry is standing alone in my garden, his arm raised to throw another rock at my window. His friends are sitting on the fence that divides our yards. Their hands covering their mouths as they clutch at their stomachs.
In the poor light cast from my bedroom, I see Harry grin when he sees me. The light illuminates his skin, casting shadows on his smiling face. He looks gorgeous just as he does every other day that I see him.
"Oooh! Pyjama party!" Niall yells when Emma comes to stand beside me on the balcony. I immediately realise that I'm only wearing an oversized nightshirt and Emma is in pink flannel pyjamas.
"Could you guys just shut up?" I hiss as when Emma asks me quietly, "isn't that Niall?"
"Come over!" Harry slurs and the guys cheer.
"Are you drunk?" I ask him, squinting at his unnaturally cheerful face.
"No," he answers and the others on the fence behind him stifle girlish giggles. I sigh with frustration, rubbing my knuckles against my forehead. "Get out of my yard, guys." I'm tired and I don't need this now. Dad has drained every bit of energy from me. Spending a day impressing someone is a lot harder then it seems.
"Oh come on!" One of the guys on the fence yell and I can't make out his face.
"Please," Harry smirks, "we need chicks. We're planning on having a gang bang." The guys howl with laughter and one of them falls forward off the fence and face first into the bushes which only causes everyone to laugh harder.
Emma's got a hand over her mouth and she's trying hard not to laugh.
"Fuck you," I shout, feeling so tired.
"You offering?" Harry's wearing his famous wicked grin and I can feel my cheeks reddening. I turn and walk back inside but Harry yells out again, "If you don't come down, I'll scream."
I'm walking home from my soccer game in the bright sun.
I'm all sweaty and achy from where I've been bruised and battered. Today's game we lost, 5-3. Megan wasn't here today I think that's why did- and I can't say that I helped much in today's game.
I'm worried and I was anxious on the field because dad would be home when I get there.
Not that I have any problem with him- I just don't see him often and every time that I do see him I feel like I have to impress him somehow. I feel like my father is one of those fathers from those horrible tv shows and movies who the kid never sees and always has troubles with.
I think dad and I have troubles, but we just don't talk about them.
I love my dad, but we're distant. His job is a great job and gives mum and I more then enough money. We have a massive house and would be called one of the richest families in town. And because of that, we never see him.
I walk up my driveway and let myself in. I can hear mum speaking to him in the kitchen. His deep booming voice seeming to bounce off the walls. I poke my head into the kitchen after dumping my bag by the door.
"Dad!" I beam when I see him. His massive frame is sitting in one of our stools at the kitchen island in the middle of the room. His blue eyes and blinding white smile are the same and he opens his arms up for a hug.
I wrap my arms around him and he laughs. "How is my little girl?"
"Good," I tell him as I step out of the embrace, "I need to go have a shower and get dressed, but I'll be right back." And with that I turn and fly up the stairs and into my room. I fling open the bathroom door and jump into the shower.
My dad loves mum and I- he does. But there's a somewhat cost to his love. Impress him and he pays attention. Last year scored an almost perfect report- which was equally surprising to me as to the rest of my family- anyhow, my dad took me to Tahiti.
Even to me, I seem like a spoilt little girl with daddy issues.
I turn the shower off and dry myself down before heading back into my room and opening my wardrobe door to find the right thing to wear. Clothes go flying as I search through them. I tug on some denim shorts and loose tee. I comb my wet hair quickly with my brush before throwing it across the room and running back downstairs.
Dad and mum are exactly where I left them. Dad is dressed in one of his work suits, his large, tall frame completely filling the chair that he is seated on. Mum is leaning over the island in the middle of the kitchen, she's wearing a simple, casual dress that I've never seen before. There's a light blush on her face and I can see she's wearing some makeup.
It's like this every time dad comes home.
"Mia," dad smiles, "how are you? It's been a while, look at you! So beautiful!" I find myself returning his smile at that comment. My father's always been a charmer, it's why he's so good at his job.
"It's only been a month," I say like it's no big deal that I haven't seen him for roughly 30 days.
"Well you're even more prettier then I remember, just like your mum." Dad takes a hold of her hand and mum laughs like she's twenty years younger. I grin at the sight. It almost feels like dad never left. When it was just us three and dad was always home. When we didn't have the big house and flashy cars.
That was 12 years ago and I barely remember anything from that time when I was four. We moved here into this flashy neighbourhood in this expensive town when dad got a new job. That was when I first met Harry.
Don't think about him, do not think about him, I tell myself as I sit down next to dad. I won't do it.
And I manage to do that for most of the day, until some time around dinner. Dad, mum and I are sitting in Dugeeni's- the expensive restaurant I suggested to mum. We just had our ordered food set in front of us when dad asked the question.
"I saw a couple cars parked outside next door. Who moved in?" Donna's eyes are on mine as soon as the last words left dad's lips.
"Uh," I began but mum cut in.
"I have no idea but, Mia, you know the neighbours don't you?" There's a twinkle in mum's eyes that has been there since dad arrived earlier today. I swallow nervously, not sure how she's going to react when I tell her that my childhood crush has moved back next door.
"Harry Styles," I cough on his name, "he's uh, got the house back."
Mum gasps and grins, "little Harry? Oh, he was such a cute kid. Dimples and curly hair."
I laugh uneasily, "yeah. I think he's living with some friends in there." As mum and I remise about the annoying little fuck. I notice dad's eyes darken as they turn into a stormy blue glare. I keep talking to mum as I watch him glare at his plate, stabbing the meat with his fork and knife and eating it forcefully. His brow is furrowed and he seems to be deep in thought.
Dad looks up at and gives me one of his charming smiles and I smile back.
~~~
The lack of light is hurting my eyes. I'm in bed, my laptop propped up on my lap and I'm scrolling through tumblr. Emma is on the bed next to me, watching the opening credits to Dirty Dancing. It's well past midnight and we're still both wide awake.
Dinner finished well, mum and dad dropped me home before they turned the car around and headed off to their hotel which I want to hear nothing about when they get back tomorrow morning.
But luckily before they left I managed to convince my parents to let Emma stay over for the weekend.
I sigh as the voices from Harry's house get louder. They've been going since we got back at nine. The music is a muffled thump- it's the reason why we're still up. I'm only on my laptop and Emma's only watching tv because we know there's no hope in sleeping.
Thank God dad isn't home tonight, he'd probably walk right on over and tell them to shut up.
Suddenly there's a small but loud tap against my window. Boyish laughter follows the sound.
"What was that?" Emma whispers, hers and my gaze on the window and the glass door to my balcony. I tense with fury when I hear Harry's laughter. There's a rain of stones that hail down on my window.
Oh he fucking did not.
"Oh my God, there's guys out there," Emma breathes.
I lower my laptop screen just a tad and glower at my window again, silently daring the boys to throw something else at my window again.
They do. A pebble or some other small rock rebounds off my window again, making an audibleponk sound. More barely contained laughter follows and I slam down my laptop screen and hurl myself out of bed to turn the light on.
I open the door to the balcony and storm out in the night.
Harry is standing alone in my garden, his arm raised to throw another rock at my window. His friends are sitting on the fence that divides our yards. Their hands covering their mouths as they clutch at their stomachs.
In the poor light cast from my bedroom, I see Harry grin when he sees me. The light illuminates his skin, casting shadows on his smiling face. He looks gorgeous just as he does every other day that I see him.
"Oooh! Pyjama party!" Niall yells when Emma comes to stand beside me on the balcony. I immediately realise that I'm only wearing an oversized nightshirt and Emma is in pink flannel pyjamas.
"Could you guys just shut up?" I hiss as when Emma asks me quietly, "isn't that Niall?"
"Come over!" Harry slurs and the guys cheer.
"Are you drunk?" I ask him, squinting at his unnaturally cheerful face.
"No," he answers and the others on the fence behind him stifle girlish giggles. I sigh with frustration, rubbing my knuckles against my forehead. "Get out of my yard, guys." I'm tired and I don't need this now. Dad has drained every bit of energy from me. Spending a day impressing someone is a lot harder then it seems.
"Oh come on!" One of the guys on the fence yell and I can't make out his face.
"Please," Harry smirks, "we need chicks. We're planning on having a gang bang." The guys howl with laughter and one of them falls forward off the fence and face first into the bushes which only causes everyone to laugh harder.
Emma's got a hand over her mouth and she's trying hard not to laugh.
"Fuck you," I shout, feeling so tired.
"You offering?" Harry's wearing his famous wicked grin and I can feel my cheeks reddening. I turn and walk back inside but Harry yells out again, "If you don't come down, I'll scream."
Without meaning to, I stop and smile. Shaking myself, I frown and remove any emotion on my face. I turn around but I don't walk back. Emma looks at me and grins.
"I wanna go," she says with an excited grin.
"Well you're a slut and your vote doesn't count," I tell her and her grin just widens. She looks back to the boys outside and shouts at them that we're coming over and before I can argue she shuts the balcony door behind her and starts ruffling through the clothes in my wardrobe.
"Emma!" I say in an exasperated tone.
"What? These are five hot guys, no way am I wearing any of the clothes I brought." She picks out a skimpy midriff that I've never worn and she shows it to me. "Didn't I get this for you?"
I shrug and she shrugs.
"Do we have to go?" I really feel like I'm whining, scratch that- I am whining.
"No Mia, we don't," Emma says and casts a concerning look at me, "but I think you need it. You're always grouchy whenever your dad comes home. You need to loosen up girl. Plus that pizza guy from yesterday left me very un-sat-is-fied." She draws the word out syllable by syllable.
I cross my arms over my chest, "so in other words you're getting you're whore on."
"Ouch, Mia." Emma winces slightly and I sigh for the 100th time tonight.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I do get grouchy." I blow out a gust of air and swing my arms side to side. Ten minutes later Emma and I are both dressed and just as we are about to head out the door, I find myself shaking my head.
"No," I say and stop, "I don't want to go." Emma looks at me, she leans against the unopened door and looks without wavering.
I don't know why I don't want to go. Perhaps it's because I'm afraid that Harry and I will fight again, like we do every other time. I do want to spend time with him though, and find out if Louis what said about him being a 'nice guy' is true. But I feel cheap going over now. They're all drunk and this is definitely not my environment or expertise.
Emma finally nods and asks, "you sure you don't want to come?"
"Yeah," I say, "I'm tired anyway." Which is true, my lack of sleep is finally catching up with me.
"Am I a bad friend for wanting to go?"
I nod and laugh, "yes. But it's okay, you go. I'm going to sleep so there's nothing really to stay here for."
Emma sighs and puts her hands on her cheeks, pulling her face down in stress, "you're making this really hard for me."
I open the door and she steps away from it so it can be opened fully.
"Go," I say. She looks at me and then gives me a hug, "I'll be back soon. I won't do anything naughty, I promise. I'm really sorry for being a slutty, needy, attention whore."
I laugh and bid her goodbye before closing the door behind her. I head upstairs where I change back into my nightshirt before I climb into bed. I turn off the tv and I settle into a sleep.
~~~
I wake to darkness because I hear the door open and close behind someone.
Emma's back, my mind sleepily registers. I hear Emma come up the stairs and into my room. I numbly listen to the sound of clothes on skin and the ruffle of them as they hit to the floor.
The bed drops under the weight of another person climbing under the duvet next to me. I softly moan to let her know that I am awake and am acknowledging her return. She moves closer to me and wraps an long arm around my waist. Curls tickle the back of my neck.
My eyes fly open. That's not Emma.
I let out a sound cross between a squeak and a squeal before catapulting myself out of the hold around my waist as well as throwing myself out the bed- taking the sheets with me.
I fall back against the wall, my body sprawled out on the ground, the blankets wrapped around my legs.
"Harry!" I shriek when he switches on the bedside lamp. He's topless and pantless- wearing only a dark pair of underwear- in my bed, staring down at me with a bemused expression on his face. I stare up at him in shock and horror.
Why is he in my bed? Why is he here? What is he doing almost naked? Why does he look so good without a shirt on?
I curse myself for that last question.
"W-what?" I splutter, unable to form any other more intelligent words.
"I'm tired," is all he says and I stare at him.
"Get out," I finally manage. Harry pouts, he pouts.
"Don't wanna." He leans back into my pillows and stares up at my glow-in-the-dark star covered the ceiling. Without meaning to, my eyes start traveling up and down his torso. The light cast by my lamp has splayed shadows over the shapes and lines of the muscles that work underneath his skin. They all look hard and well defined and I can't stop staring.
But my eyes wander down further and with my mind screaming at me to stop, my gaze comes to rest on the obvious bulge in Harry's underwear.
I screw my eyes shut a second after I see it. Oh fucking Jesus almighty Christ- fuck, shit, crap, hell.
Hesitantly I open my eyes to find Harry's on me. His lips are forming into a suggestive smirk that tells me that he knows what I just saw. My gaze drops as my face burns with embarrassment. I hear Harry laugh and I close my eyes again at the sound.
"It's okay, love. Did you look your fill or do you need more?" I can hear the smile in his voice.
Cocky bastard.
"Shut up," I tell him but I'm also kinda laughing. I open my eyes again and look at him. He's grinning at me, his dimples showing and his green irises shining.
"Why are you here?" I ask him, drawing my knees to my chest as I sit upright against the wall.
"They're being too loud, and I couldn't pass up the chance when Emma said you're parents aren't home."
"I'm going to kill her," I groan softly.
"Don't. She's been of good use, told me many things about you," he trails off and I glare at him.
"What did she tell you?" I grit past my teeth. Harry just grins at me again.
"Not telling," he replies in a sing song voice.
"Fine, don't. Just get out of my bed." Now I'm tired, grouchy and pissed. Harry rolls over and buries his face into my pillow, I mange to make out a muffled no that comes from him. With the blankets wrapped around me, I stand to stare down at his large frame stretched over my mattress.
"Out. Now," I snap but this time I get no response. So I lean forward and forcefully shove him off. He tumbles onto the ground and I throw the blanket over the mattress where he was. I slide in under the warm space and turn on my side so my back is facing him.
"You're mean," he whines and I hear him stand up.
"You're drunk." My eyes are shut and I'm so tired that I can just fall asleep right now.
"Am not."
"Harry, I can smell the alcohol on you, face it. You're drunk." Suddenly I can feel his presence close to me. The mattress dips under his weight but I can't place where his body is. His warm breath is on my cheek and I feel the heat of his eyes on my face.
"Say my name in that throaty voice again. It's turning me on," his voice has dropped audibly lower and the air simultaneously changes from fun and light to hot and heavy. I roll over onto my back and my eyes snap open, finding Harry's face looming over mine.
His hands are on either side of my arms and his knees have trapped in my body. His green eyes are peering down at me hard. I swallow nervously after I feel my breath get stuck in my throat.
"Harry," I repeat without wanting to. My sleep laced voice cracks on the name but he still smiles wickedly. He leans down and his lips press against mine. It's only for a second because then I find my composure and I grab his face with one hand.
He looks surprised when I squeeze his cheeks, my nails digging into his skin. I glare at him as I do this. I push his head away before shoving him off me.
"Don't," I warn him. I stand up and walk to my opened door. I point at it as I stare at him. Harry smiles mischievously as he hops off my bed and scoops up his clothes from the floor. He backs out the door without turning away from me. The same stupid smile on his face.
"I'm gonna dream of you tonight, only this time, you'll be in my bed," he tells me and I step forward and aim a kick him. But he only laughs and sidesteps it.
"Do that again, I can see your undies." Harry grins and I slam my bedroom door in his face.
AHHHH OHMYGOD I WOULD MOVE AWAY
4/13/14