YOU AND I

‘Thank God’, that was my first thought when I reached school in time. And when I was about to enter my school compound, I heard someone call me. I couldn’t quite see that someone’s face but by her voice, I could recognize her as a woman. She was sitting in her car and a girl stood by the car. She was apparently new to our school and the woman-her mother, stopped me to help her out. But she was cut off by her daughter. And by the looks of it, the daughter didn’t want any help but her mother was far too concerned to just leave her. And clearly the girl was embarrassed by her mother.

I really wanted to help the girl but the minute her mother took off, she too took off. And that was after she caught me, just standing there, staring at her like some stalker. I would’ve gone after her but I didn’t want to weird her out any further and above all, I didn’t want her to have a bad impression on me. After all, first impression is the best impression, isn’t it?

“Hey, Harry. What are you doing over there? Feeling a little lost, eh?” and without even turning back, I knew who it was.

“Ehhh, how could I possibly get lost when I have my mate watching out me all the time? Right Niall?” I smiled and went in for a hug.

“Ohhh, Harold. Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you,” he hugged me back tightly.

“Yeah, mate. I missed you too,"I sighed

At last. I felt like I’d reached my home. God, how did I even get through the past two months? Unbelievable.

"Hey Harold, so now are we going to go inside or not?” Niall broke the silence.

“Why? Thinking about skipping school the first day itself, are we? Just let me park my bike first,”

“Well, it would be fun if we could skip school on first day itself, don’t you think?,”

I just shook my head and smiled. And after parking my bike, we went to our usual spot to join the rest of our gang. Not much of a gang really. Just the five of us. Me-Harry Edward Styles, my mate here-Niall James Horan, and my other three mates-Liam James Payne, Louis William Tomlinson and Zayn Javadd Malik. We all were in the school band and actually that’s how we met. And now you couldn’t see us apart even if you wished.

“Hey Harold, who you were looking at just now?” Niall asked out of the blue.

“When?” I decided to play dumb, just to tease him.

“Just now. Before I called you. Figured it would be Jenna but then I remembered she hadn’t come back from New York yet. So who was she, huh? You were literally staring at her till the second I called you,”

“Wait, Jenna hadn’t come back yet?”

“Yeah, she told me to tell you. She said that she tried calling you a couple of times but you didn’t pick up,”

“What?! No! She didn’t call me, like at all. Like since the last day of our school,” I took out my phone and showed Niall my call logs.

“Wait. Are you telling me that you guys didn’t contact each other at all during the summer holidays?!” he was utterly shocked.

“Yes, Niall. That’s what I’m exactly telling you. And you just saw it for yourself. I only contacted you guys over the holidays. I didn’t really feel the need to contact her. I mean like even if I contacted her what I should say?” I continued walking but Niall stopped midtrack.

“Did you guys broke up or had a fight and none of us knew?”

“What? What? No! No. What made you think that?”

“I don’t know Harold. I think you should really need some serious relationship advice from the expert. Come on, let’s go,” and he started walking again.

“Umm, Niall… Who do you mean exactly?”

“What of course the only guy among us, who still has a girlfriend-Zayn! Come on. They’ll be waiting for us,”

“Fine, let’s go. But please do not embarass me,” knowing Niall, he never let go of a chance to tease someone.

“What, of course not. Don’t you know me at all, Harold?”

“Hey, come on. I’m sorry. I just thought-”

“Of course, I’m going to roast you alive today. And yes, you are very most welcome,”

Right. I should’ve known. Clearly it was going to be a great day. I tried to smack him but he managed to escape.

Notes