COUNTING STARS

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Ariel’s P.O.V
The bell boomed through the school signaling that school was over, I got up slowly than usual and rounded my chair to push it in then I bent over grabbing my bag off beside the table sliding it onto my back. “Ariel!” Barney stood at the door frame waving at me, eagerly excited over something. I walked over to her curious to what she wanted to tell me. “Guess what?” She slid her arm around mine, us both walking down the hall side by side. “Sam said it!” I pulled Barney’s arm dragging her off to the side I lowered my voice. “He proposed to you?” She started laughing. “Oh sweetheart no, I’ve barely known him that long” I grabbed my heart smiling in relief. We continued back on walking down the hallway “He said he loved me” My mouth fell open squealing with happiness. “Really?” She nodded her head, barely holding back her tears. “He said it last night before he dropped me off at h--……actually what happened to you last night? One minute you were there then next boom you were gone like the wind” I smiled even brighter as I thought of last night and this morning having this huge secret not to tell was

exciting. “Um, I just got carried away, I went home early I was really tired” She pushed into me “Liar, I bet Jesse was being his stalker self calling you over and over and over again” A group of kids came running past us, anguished to get outside. “Barney I-I have to tell you something…..” Another group of kids came running past us; everybody was in a rush to get somewhere. I heard chants outside and hollering, I looked at Barney wondering if she heard what I heard. She grabbed my arm dragging me outside the door, the violent sound got louder and louder as we brushed past everybody making it to the front. My mouth dropped and my heart started slowing down into even beats. Blood dripped down from Harry’s wound that reopened from last night, Jesse’s lip was busted but they both didn’t care by the look of things they’ve been at this for a while now. “You better get your boyfriend” Jesse always got into fights this was nothing new. I pulled Barney closer to me whispering in her ear. “I’m not with Jess…..Barney, I’m with…..” She gasped as if that was her last breath – mouth open wide she turn to look at Harry who was now on top of Jesse socking him repeatedly in the face. “Ariel!” She leaned in whispering to me.

“I can’t even….you guys seem so opposite does Jesse know?” I shook my head. “He thinks….that I’m with Harry, but he doesn’t actually know and I want to keep it that way” Barney smiled. I knew she never liked Jesse; somewhere inside my head I thought maybe I could somehow get her to like him but that never happened and from then on Barney never trusted Jesse nor adored him as much as I did. I couldn’t take watching the guys anymore I ran into the circle jumping in-between them before another punch blows off. “Stop!” I split both my arms like a T pushing them away from each other. “Move Ariel, don’t you see….adults are talking” Jesse grabbed my wrist pulling me out the way I fell back unbalanced falling over onto the ground. Out of nowhere Sam came in grabbing Harry pulling him back, Barney ran over to me kneeling down helping me up. I didn’t understand how this fight started but I have a pretty good idea of why it started. I got up with Barney clinched on to my arm. “Ariel!” Jesse called out. The crowd got quiet suddenly listening closely to what Jesse had to say. “Come here baby…” I hesitated towards his arms but quickly stopped. I’m so used to running into Jesse’s arms effortlessly that I almost forgot that we broke up. “No Jesse…..” The crowd gasp, everybody knew about

Jesse’s quick temper and how he always got his way, rejecting him is like getting ready for a slap. “What you say to me?” I took a step back as he took a step forward isolating himself from the crowd. I quickly looked over at Harry; his hands curled one finger at a time into a tight fist. “You heard me Jesse….w-we are done” Mixtures of snickers, giggles and “Oooooooo’s” came from the crowd. He looked around at every kid feeling embarrassed. “Is it because you’re with that asshole?” I looked over at Harry; he had his glasses on being quiet more than quiet silent without any settle movement how could he be so imperturbable in a moment like this? “No……you know what?” I gathered up some of my courage that was stored all the way behind my

shyness. “Maybe….so what Jesse! So what if I’m with Harry, what are you going to do beat me too?” Everybody gasped once again but only because I admitted out loud Jesse’s one biggest flaw. He looked around noticing that one who’s starting to look like an ass now was him. “Go home Jesse” I Whispered sincerely, he still stood there staring at everybody, staring at me then at Harry. He had regretful eyes and an impassive face; it was kind of hard not to feel sorry for him. “Yeah Ariel….I’ll do that” His words told me this wasn’t the last time I’ll see him; I knew he would be back but for now everything was fine. I walked over to Harry; Barney followed behind me. Everybody lost interest in the fight and dispersed to their car’s and back into the school.

“Are you okay?” I rubbed my hand over his bruised cheek and slightly wiped away the blood running down his face but it just smeared it. He didn’t answer my question for a while and I was beginning to get scared, what if I said something he didn’t like? What if he’s mad at me for telling everybody were practically together? Within seconds the corners of his lightly pink lips curved up into a warm smile. I felt relieved now. He pressed his hands to the small of my back; lightly and gave me a slight shove to thrust against his chest. “As long as you’re here to take care of me”
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I decided to drive instead of Harry; I mean he was kind of beat up. “Where do I turn now?” He pointed towards the right with his phone. “Why were you guys fighting anyways?” He cleared his throat “It’s nothing Ariel….I took care of it that’s all that matters” My knuckles tightened around the wheel and my feet pressed down more onto the gas pedal. “Why won’t you tell me?” He was scrolling through his phone vigorously. “Because…..I don’t want you to worry, when you’re with me you’re not supposed to worry” I heard him pounce his fingers around on his phone, the dialing tone was the only sound in the car. He raised his phone up to his ear with his forehead creased. “I’m worrying over you not telling me why you guys got into a fight” He

growled and removed the phone from his ear for a split second. “He wants you back Ariel. And he’s going to try to get you back…..and that’s simply not going happen” He raised the phone back up to his ear “Hey…” I whipped my head around to look at him, his voice was different he wasn’t speaking in that charming British accent anymore but his voice was clear like English. He nodded for this house that was up a head, it was white and small with a bunch of flowers blocking the front entrance. I pulled up to the curb looking at the house it was beautiful “Get out…” He nodded for me to get out. I turned the car off and got out. I watched him talk in the car moving his hands around with his words; I slid my hands into my back pocket taking in more observation of the house. This place felt old, how could I have passed this house I’ve basically seen almost every place in Beaumont, been down almost every street yet I can’t manage to

remember ever seeing this house. Suddenly a presence was standing right next to me, Harry’s hand slid around to my hip pulling me close into his side. “Why did you tell me to get out?” With his other hand he slid his phone into his pocket “Because……I was taking care of business” He leaned down to passionately kiss my temple. What kind of business? Now I will always think of that fat guy and that secret room and that smell of cigars. We started our way down the path to the house; Harry stopped just a fraction of the ways. “What?” I followed his gaze to the driveway where two cars rested. “I don’t know who’s car that is….to the right” He grabbed me pulling me into the garden and down he looked back over his shoulder putting his pointer finger over his

mouth “Shusssshhhhh” I didn’t know what was going on and that made me beyond scared, this was the one thing that was out of my control. Harry left my side and went running back to the car he returned within minutes with a pistol in his hand snapping a slim block up into the handle. “Stay here” He crept lowly up the steps and posted up against the house “Aunt Phe Phe?” He held the gun up against his chest getting ready for shooting. The door opened slowly, I slapped my hands over my mouth. Out came a fragile women, Harry saw her before she saw him and quickly hid the gun behind his back “Harry boy ya know ya live here, stop playing almost gave your aunt here a scare” He hugged her -- careful of not letting her see the gun, smoothly he slid it to the back of his pants tucking it in and shielding it with his shirt. “What happened Harry?”

She grabbed his jaw turning his face from left to right “Oh Phe Phe I’m fine.....I have somebody I want you to meet” He turned back looking at me, I awkwardly stood up in her garden and waved shyly to her “Hi....” The women was confused to why I was standing in her garden, I walked up the stairs standing next to Harry. “Is this your girlfriend Harry?” Her eyes ran up and down my body then stopped at my face. “Um…I’m…” I looked at Harry – I didn’t know what to call us, we never really talked about it. “Yes….PhePhe” He came up sliding his fingers into mine. My eyes widened looking at him; hey I’m standing right here did I say I was your girlfriend? I couldn’t

believe he made that decision for me. “She’s my gurl….” I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you” She stared at my hand then at me and crossed her arms. “Nice to meet you too” I slowly drew my hands back. “Harry…..I want you to meet somebody as well….come here” I followed her into the house but Harry pulled me back onto the porch – wrapping both his arms around my hips he enclosed the space between us and crashed his lips onto mine. He grabbed my jaw syncing our lips together, with every move we became one. He pushed me carefully back pinning me up against the wall, his hand slightly lift up my shirt rubbing around my hips circling to the back where he pulled me up against his body peeling me off the wall. I removed my lips from his breathing hard from anticipation and excitement. “What was that for?” He kissed my neck quickly “Nothing…..I just felt like kissing you” I smiled gleefully at him, he let go of my hips and rejoined his fingers with mine and walked me into the house I closed the door behind me, Harry went off into the kitchen but while I first slid off my shoes by the front door. When I turned around I noticed another person a girl, not a man and definitely not PhePhe’s husband but a fragile young women probably the same age as me or higher. I walked up next to Harry; he was stiff staring at the women. “What’s wrong?” I couldn’t tare his focus away from her; she turned around in the seat and got up holding her back and leaning just a bit. She was pregnant,

probably 6 or 7 months but enough to see a huge stomach. “Hi Harry….” I was confused, how does she know Harry? “Hi….” They stared at each other for a while like they’ve known each other for a long time. She finally left her eyes from Harry and came over to me; she walked closer to me leaning out her hand I leaned mine out in respect. “Hi I’m Ariel….” I shook her hand forcing a smile on my face. “Hi…..I’m Julianna, Harry’s pregnant wife….” I dropped my hand out her hold and looked up at Harry. He closed his eyes flexing his jaw, Harry’s wife? And she’s pregnant with his child? My heartbeat sped up, I couldn’t take…..I didn’t know what to do…..i could feel me getting light headed and the room was beginning to spin and I was seeing double of everything “Ariel?” That was the last word that went through my ears before my eyes closed and I was staring into pure darkness.

Notes