Harry’s POV

I talked to Louis that same afternoon after Valerie left while he was getting ready. His reaction was way different that I expected it to be.

-Hey, Louis, can I talk to you for a minute?

-Sure, Hazza. What’s bothering you?

-Nothing really, it’s just that I think you need to be careful with...Valerie.

-What do you mean? – He is calmed down putting on his shoes.

-I mean you guys spend a lot of time together and you two play lovers in the movie and...I don’t even know her really other than what you say about her but, you do talk a lot about her and she seems nice. She is beautiful, a blind could see that, and she is funny and so attractive. I mean it’s easy for you or for any guy who spent that much time with her to get confused.

-Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve been giving it a thought myself because she is so...how do you say? Charismatic? And I thought I was maybe sort of falling for her? But I’m not, mate. I’ve already talked to her. I appreciate you caring though. Thanks, dude.

-What do you mean you talked to her?

-Well, I told her what was going through my mind and she laughed at me. – He laughs probably remembering that moment. – She says it was normal though. Because we are playing lovers, sometimes actors confuse their feelings with their characters’ feelings and she said maybe Clyde was falling for Bonnie and that I got confused.

-And how are you going to handle that?

-I’m just letting it be, Harry. Nothing is going to happen between us. That I know. And she really is a great friend of mine. I don’t want to let her friendship go. It’s sort of what you have with Lou. A beautiful beautiful friendship but nothing more.

When he brought up my friendship with Lou, I got to understand. I remembered at first I also wonder if I liked Lou because we got along so well but I wouldn’t change our friendship right now for anything in the world so I get he doesn’t want to distance himself from Valerie. Regarding to me, I just would like seeing her again.

Louis gets a call and he asks me to reply his phone because he is already downstairs. I see it’s Valerie because of the picture of her cross-eyed and showing her tongue. I laugh slightly.

-Hey, Lou. It’s Valerie.

- Hey Valerie. It’s not Lou, though. – I keep on chuckling about the picture.

-Oh, Jesus. Don’t tell me you are laughing because of Lou’s picture of me. – She laughs herself.

-You look funny. I’ll go get Louis.

-Well, actually, I can talk to you. – She laughs and I smile. – Mmm...you know I told you before I was going to this friend’s party with Louis and I didn’t invite you and that was rude. – I laugh at her apparent nervousness.

-It’s okay, Valerie. It’s your friend’s party. I didn’t think it was rude.

-I asked my friend if I could invite another friend though. She almost got offended for me to ask her so you can come with us if you want to.

-That’s sweet of you but I don’t think I would fit there and I know nobody.

-You know Louis and you know me, don't you? You can be with us all night, unless we lose Louis if he tries to mingle with my friends; I mean you know him. But anyway, you could be with me. - She waits for my answer and I don't know what to say. Even though I know I should decline her proposal, it sounds like fun and I sort of want to go. - I’d like you to come.

-No more talking then. I’ll see you later.

-Sweet. Bye, Hazz. - I smile at her using of my pet name.

-Bye, Val.

After Valerie picked us up, we drove to Britt’s house (that’s how her friend is called) while Valerie and Louis sung out loud to The Royal Concept and I laughed at them feeling a bit jealous of Louis for having that thing with her. To be honest, I was suffering in our ride to the party because I was really afraid that Valerie was going to dance releasing the wheel.

Eventually we made it to the party and so far Valerie has kept her promise. She has been with Louis and me all the time, introducing us to some people and offering us drinks. Val is such a sweet girl when she wants too. Her friends are all quite nice people; I could definitely be a friend of hers if she was going to take me to parties like these. The music wasn’t too loud and it wasn’t the typical electro music that you would hear at a night club. I mean that type of music is nice, don’t get me wrong, but I prefer this kind of friends reunion. I’ve recognized The Royal Concept, Foster the People, Cider Sky, Smallpools and some others on the radio, which is something to be grateful for because they are all great.

Val and I were both sitting in the same couch without touching each other talking to a male friend of hers who was teasing her all the time. She plays along if you ask me. Abruptly, she turns to face me and caresses my forearm smiling at me.

-Are you having fun? – I nod at her smiling at her little concern. – I know this is not the type of parties you guys go to but I like this sort of reunions too sometimes and...I don’t know I want to share a bit of what I really am with you guys. – She smiles at me sort of embarrassed.

-Are you apologizing for bringing us to this cool party? I would sign a contract with you right now to make every Friday night like this.

She laughs at that and takes my hand to make me stand. I realize she has just left her friend there at the couch and chuckle when she realizes too and shrugs giving me a funny grimace.

-Would you dance with me even if the music isn’t dirty?

She smiles leading me to the dance floor. I would dance with her even without music. Wait, what was that? Way too cheese, right? I just nod at her question and she dances with me to Call it what you want by Fosters the People. I have to laugh when she uses her red cup as a microphone and starts to sing to me. Then I find myself singing to her and smiling so widely. "We've got nothing to prove. Your social guides give you swollen eyes but what I've got can't be bought so you can just call it what you want!"

It has been a long time I’m not that stupid just having fun being all weird surrounded by people. I feel like I’m seventeen years old again and I like the feeling Valerie gives me when she pulls herself close to me to pretend she is playing an invisible piano which seems to be in front of us. She smells good and her back is touching my chest. I bet she is not even realizing that. Then she takes my cup and goes running to the table to leave them there and when she is coming back she starts dancing in her way back at the rhythm of Pumped up Kicks by Foster the People and I wish I had a camera to record this.

In her way to where I am, she finds a friend of hers with blond long hair and takes her from the elbow, pointing at me and whispering something in her ear. Then the two of them come dancing to me. It is sort of creepy but they are fun so I’m laughing my ass out.

After the dancing session, Valerie goes to bring some more drinks to Louis, me and herself. And the three of us team to play to the movies. Louis is creepily good at it and Valerie is tipsy and fun. I’m awful, I’ll say it but Valerie laughs hard every time I humiliate myself trying to get them to guess the movie.

When Valerie and her crazy blond friend, whose name I’ve learnt to be Sandra, get bored of the movies, they just appear with the Singstar and huge smiles on their faces. I swear they look just like kids. I can’t help but to laugh when I see them all bossy standing up at the table explaining how this sing off is going to work.

-So because we have a few professional singers between us – She briefly looks at Louis and me. – Me myself included, - her friends, Louis included, laugh at that and I figure she is a horrible singer. – We need to make the teams as balanced as possible. That’s why we are paring Harry with the worst singer between us. The merciless question is... Who is this?

-I believe that’s you, Val. – his teaser male friend says making everyone laughs but her who pretends to be offended before smiling at him.

-I honestly don’t know why you would say that. I mean everyone laughed at your incoherent assumption.

-Alright, Harry has to deal with Val. We’re sorry Harry. - Sandra apologizes.

I just laugh. They don’t know how badly I want her in my team.

-You guys are mean. Harry, we are winning this shit.

And like that she gets off the table and walks towards me, placing my arm around her shoulder, which means she is drunk. We start to decide what we are going to sing.

-Alright, we could sing some Ed Sheeran but it’s difficult to get these guys emotional and that damn redhead is good. – She looks to the side giving me a view of her flawless outline. – Maybe we should think about a duet. What do you think?

-Duet like something of The Civil Wars or like some collaboration?

-Jesus, The Civil Wars would be great but....I’ll confess something to you. I’m not that good of a singer as everyone thinks. – She is serious but she smiles as soon as I burst into laughter. – So we should probably be a bit more humble and go for something easier for a shitty female voice.

-I got it. It might be a bit difficult but you’ll be fine. You are the one that I want by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.

She smiles widely and I know she likes the idea.

-But we have to do a bit of dancing if we want to win this thing. Damn Sandra is so competitive... - Right, because she isn't. - But she sings even worse than me. She moves her body well though, we must be careful and then we have Julia, that bitch has a beautiful voice.

I’m smiling and chuckling at her way of talking about it as if we were planning a coup or something. You can tell she is an actress by the way she takes things to a whole new level.

After listening to Louis’ and Sandra’s performing Hungry Eyes (which was a good one, I’ll say it) it’s our turn. She has chosen a name for our duet: All we do is win. I laughed the second she told us holding the microphone. We then sing the song and she teases me getting closer to me just to distance herself from me again being the prettiest Sandy anyone has ever seen.

Her friends vote for us and three teams get to the semi-final: Sandra and Louis, All we do is win, and her friends Chris and Paula. When she sees we have won, she hugs me as tight as possible and I laugh at her non strength. We decide our next song is going to be California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas and I swear she is the worst chorus girl of all times which makes her even sweeter in her black short top which lets me see her belly and her high waist black shorts.

Chris and Paula are no longer our adversary and we have to “fight for the title of winners against those sons of a bitch” as Valerie as literally said, referring to Louis and Sandra. As our final song, Valerie has chosen All I do is win by Ludacris, Snoop Dog and T-pain, promising she would perform great the rap part. I trust her mainly because I want to see that and it is worth it. Valerie covering Ludacris’ is the funniest thing I’ve seen in my entire carrier and she actually does it great. Obviously we won. Even Louis and Sandra voted for us after laughing their asses out watching Valerie standing on the table performing the song like there was no tomorrow.

As we go back home that night, I can’t erase the smile from my face as I haven’t been able the whole night. I totally understand that Louis wants to spend that much time with Valerie and I get that he got confused. I mean, this girl is just...Valerie, I guess. We ended up taking a cab because none of us could drive. We drop Valerie off first and she takes our hands to say goodbye before getting off the car and going to her home dancing and singing A hard day’s night by The Beatles and Louis and I both laugh in the cab. I think I have never laughed so much in the same night and Valerie Veneel is the one to blame.

Notes

"All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray..."

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