Blue

"Norie?" Harry whispers grabbing my shoulder. "We're at your mum's."
"Already?" I groan grabbing his hand to pull myself from inside the car. He presses his hand against the skirt of my dress and dust the wrinkles out. I'm too tired to insult him or tell him to move as far away from me as possible and plus it's Christmas!
"Better." He says. I look past him to the cobble stone pathway leading up the lawn to her door where Louis is hugging my mother and sharing a handshake with my father. He turns to face them as well and looks back at me.
"Are you going to be nice to me?" What is he talking about? I am being nice, I have been nice to him all day.
"I'm being nice. Now walk." I snap He leans down shaking his head and kisses my cheek catching me off guard. I roll my eyes and push away from him.
"i really do love that dress on you!"
"Harry walk!" My mothers eyes go wide as she sees me, red cheeks and Harry trailing behind me.Her beaming smile greets me at the door and she kisses my cheeks, wrapping me close to her. Even though I only live 19 minutes away I barley get to see them. It's not that I don't want to it'sw just that I'm too busy on a daily basis.
"honey, you look ravishing. That lipstick is a wonderful shade on you."
"She's been told." Harry chimes in from behind me as his hand finds my waist. Just feeling his hand on my body brings up memories that I'd rather stick a knife down my throat than see. "Mrs. Barragan. It's always a pleasure." He takes her hand and kisses both sides of her cheeks.
"Oh, Harry. You've known me since you were in diapers. Call me Charlotte. How's Ann, dear?"
"She's wonderful. Spending Christmas with Robin ." He turns to my father. "Richard."
"Harry." I step between them and head inside getting tired of hearing him suck up. Although I have to applaud him for being so charming.
Louis is sitting with the small children making them laugh and telling jokes. I get pulled into a lung collapsing hug.
"Nora Elise Barragan. Where have you been?" A burly man in cargo shorts and a polo shirt thunders.
"Uncle Fredrick!" I try my best to hug him but I don't do good with sweaty body hair.
"you haven't sprouted a bit, have ya?" I shake my head and pull from him heading into the family room. "What'd I say?"
"She doesn't like for people to acknowledge that she's a smurf." Louis pipes in.
"Well I think she looks lovely." I hear before I fully reach the crowded room and Harry's laughter. The whole famil'y here. The Hanson's from Alaska, the Rodgers from California, Martinson's from Texas. Too many to count.
I feel Harry's hand back at my lower waist as I walk through greeting people.
"Could you not?"
"What, I thought we were being nice?"
"Nice, doens't mean you can touch me where ever you please. I'm not screaming at you. Why can't you take that and leave?" By leave I meant go back to London.
"Because believe it or not-I like touching you." I roll my eyes and find the nearest seat. Just to spite me Harry grabs a chair and puts it directly against mine. Louis finds us and sits on the floor next to my cousin Darcy who has been infatuated with him since birth. She's 6 now. I watch as she curls her fingers around his thumb and finds his lap laying her head on his tattooed arm. Seriously what happened to them? Louis had 0 tattoos when he left to go to London.
"Aww." I tease nudging his leg.,
"Hush." He strokes her curls and looks forward. My mother comes out her greeting duty to stand before the family and announce gift exchange. I wasn't expecting anything really, I had forgotten Louis and Harry's gifts so I am glad when they receive more than me. I guess my mother spread the word sooner than I thought.
After gift exchange people exit into the back yard where two goalies are set up for soccer. Louis' eyes light up as he pulls off his shirt and slips into an old pair of tennis shoes from his years in the valley.
"Come play some football." Louis urged. I used to play soccer a bunch in high school but it's been years since I've played. Harry pulls off his shirt and kicks his heels against the pavement on the porch.
"Have you guys forgot she sucks. I schooled her last time."
"I don't suck. I had a sprained ankle and I only went down 13-15."
"Then come on." He grins.
"Fine." I smack the tattoo oh his abdomen and head outside. Staring at both Louis and Harry's chest gives me a migraine. All of their innocent white skin is replaced by scratchy black ink that looks so perfect. I kick off my heels and stand beside Louis.
"Team up!" Someone shouts and Lou clasps onto my wrist. Someone grabs Harry and I'm thankful. We divide the lawn into two teams ours against Harry's.
"Go up there!" Louis instructs as Harry steps up to the ball. I stand my ground and stare into his eyes as he bites his lip and fumbles with the stud in his lip.
"You're pretty hot you know that?"
"Shut up Harry."
"I'm serious." The whistle is blown and I take the first kick at the ball, sliding uner Harry's legs and using my knees to maneuver the ball as I try to stand. With one last kick I bounce the ball off the top beam and into the goal.
"What?!" Scattered through the yard and then excited cheering. Louis grins at me and I turn to Harry who has his mouth in one big drawn out awe.
"How did you do that?"
"I'm short remember?" Harry angrily takes the stand again and i join him.
"You're good."
"I know."
"You know, Norie. I was serious before." He dribbles the ball and shoots it to another player. Louis intercepts it and somehow I have it again. Harry runs at me full force."About thinking you were hot. I could take you right here. I'd demolish you." I gasp and look at him as he steals the ball and makes the goal. The smile on his face is sinister.
"I knew that would get you." I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand and join Louis a few feet down the lawn.
"You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." I don't know why that threw me off. Maybe because it reminds me when Harry used to so flirty and not so crude, seeing him now is torturing me, seeing him is making me remember what we had I can't fight it knowing that he knows exactly what he is doing to me and he's enjoying it. I really do hate him. I hate him for leaving me, I hate him for meeting me, i hate him for showing me such a fictional side to him and I hate me for being so indulged.
I breath and head inside pushing through people until I got upstairs and shut the door behind me. Harry is making me so emotional in the worst way possible. I sit on the edge of the tub and shove my face into my hands and scream, I scream because I don't want to cry over him or the things he may have done to me in the past.
"Norie?" It's Lou.
"Yeah?" My voice is already hoarse.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just...had to pee." He pauses and for a second I think he left.
"Did Harry say something to you?"
"No." I lie. I finally collect myself and open the door smiling at him. "I thin k I want to go home.
"Yeah. We'll go home. I'll go find Harry."
"Okay." I smile. If I go directly to bed when we get home I can skip any unwanted confrontation with Harry but then again I'll spoil anytime I have left with Lou. I knew he would ruin my time. I head downstairs and find my parents.
"We're gonna go home, okay?"
"Okay, dear. Come and visit more."
"I will." I promise her. Louis calls me from the door keys in hand. "Bye, love you guys."
I practically run to the car but Harry pulls me aside.
"I'm sorry." He says.
"Forget about it."
"I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't so..."
"Okay." He lets go and I climb inside before switching on the radio to "Give me Love" by Ed Sheeran.
I push the door to my dorm open and find pajamas from the closet. I hand't noticed we were gone long but as I settle into bed my phone screen reads 7:20 and Alex and me are still kissing.
____________________________________________________________________________-
Louis and Harry are up at 6:30 passing through the open door with bags. I groggily throw the covers over my face and turn away from the sun.
"Norie," Louis calls. "Come say goodbye, Love." He jumps on my bed and pulls the cover from my face. "We're going back to London today." I grab his shirt and pull him down.
"Stay!" I groan.
"Sorry, Love, I have school." Harry stands by the doorway looking away from us. I raise my hands around his neck and give him a hug. He chuckles and pulls my up out of the covers.
"You can't go back to sleep." He says as I fight him. "You have to bring us back to the airport."
"Ugh!" I scratch a hidden bobby pin from my hair and lay it on the table. "Why are you up so early?"
"The ride is 6 houre, love. I have school work to do!" He's always been a big procrastinator.
"Are you ready?" I ask.
"Yeah, the bags are already in the car." I hope I loose my keys on the way out or my car won't start. It's going to breath me to see th-him leave. Unfortunaltey everything goes as planned and the WELCOME TO PHOENIX sign comes into view before we pull into terminal.
I feel a tear forming at the brim of my eyes. I don't want to cry, not when I feel like half of it is because of Harry.
"Louis-I." Here they come! I cover my face with my sleeve as he pulls me into his chest and kisses the crown of my head.
"Love." I wrap my arms around his neck. His hand moves across my back as he drops his bags at his feet and embraces me fully. "Don't cry."
"I'm trieing-" I laugh.
"I'll see you Fourth of July. I promise." I squeeze him tighter. That is too far! He pulls me away from his body and wipes my tears.
"I love you." He assures me.
"I love you too." He turns to Harry and smiles.
"Come on you old bloak. Don't want wo miss our flight." Harry shakes his head and shows his empty hands.
"I'm staying." I nearly choke on my gasp. Louis body stiffs.
"What!" We both shout.
"I transfered to Phoenix U. You remember when you were taking a shower yesterday? I was talking to the dorm manager. I almost feel like fainting.
"You get on that goddamn plane!" I snap.
"No," He chuckles. "I guess we'll be seeing each other a little more latley." He smiles. "My rental should be here."

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