Behind Closed Doors (A Harry Styles FanFiction)

Chapter 3

There’s only one more week until we get out of school for winter break and Harry and I are nowhere near finishing this project.

Every time we start working on it, something distracts us and we end up having food fights or debating  random things like whether fish can really be called pets or not.

We both know all the research but when it comes to actually putting it on paper, we struggle.

On the bright side, my dad hasn’t really been drinking that much this week. I was able to sit down and talk to him like we always used to.

But I know it will never be the same.

I know he’ll never be the same father, no matter how hard he or I try. I can tell he’s struggling with everything, his job, raising me, and he’s still trying to cope with the death of my mother.

But when I tried to tell him that he needs to push past it like I did, he didn’t want to hear it. He kept saying that I didn’t get it, that I didn’t love her as much as he did.

But he couldn’t have been more wrong.

No child should have to bear with the death of their mother.

And it’s becoming harder for me to keep holding in this huge secret, I almost spilled it to Harry and he’s becoming increasingly suspicious.

I was at my locker at the end of the day on Friday, eager to get home, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Niall standing there with his kind smile and rosy cheeks.

“Hey Niall!” I said cheerily, zipping up my bag and closing the locker door, twisting the lock until it clicked.

“Hey Jesse, I was just wondering if you wanted to hangout later. Ya know just watch some films or something?” He rubbed the back of his neck as we made our way through the hallway.

“Yeah that sounds fine, you could come over to my house if you want?” I said, remembering my dad wasn’t going to be back until Sunday night because of some business trip.

“Sure that sounds good, I’ll text you later then?”

“Will do, see you later!” I waved to him before pushing open the front doors of the school, shivering from the freezing air. He waved goodbye as I tightened my coat around me, walking towards Harry’s car eager to get out of the winter cold.

“So you’re the girl he likes?” Zayn suddenly appeared next to me. Goodness gracious no more surprise attacks!

I looked at him confused “What?” he laughed, his hot breath contrasting with cold air.

“Well isn’t it obvious? Niall’s got a crush on you!”

I shook my head at his crazy suggestion; I had known Niall just as long as I had known Harry and the other boys. He never seemed like the type who really cared about girls, he kind of did his own thing and I always respected that.

“Zayn, are you crazy? Just because he asked me to watch some films with him doesn’t mean he lik-“ he laughed at my cluelessness as I came to the realization.

“Oh my god, Niall just asked me on a date!”

“Took you long enough…he’s been telling me all about this girl he wanted to ask out but he wouldn’t tell me who it was, I had no idea it was you.”

“I had no idea it was me either.” He laughed.

“Well good luck on your date tonight! And don’t forget to use protection!” He winked at me.

“You are all perverts.” I muttered, rolling my eyes before going to Harry’s car.

As soon as I got in, I was bombarded with questions from Harry.

“What were you and Niall talking about?”

“What were you and Zayn talking about?”

“You looked pretty surprised; does he have cancer or something?”

“Oh god, YOU don’t have cancer do you?”

I put my hand up to silence him. “Harry, I do not have cancer. Zayn does not have cancer. Niall does not have cancer. We are all completely fine.”

“Okay good, but what were you and Zayn talking about?”

“Harry it’s not a big deal, can you drive please?”

“Jesse, this car isn’t moving an inch until you tell me what’s going on.”

I sighed loudly, knowing that Harry really wasn’t going to leave until I told him. What a cheeky, stubborn lad.

 I took a deep breath, “Niall kind of, sort of, basically, asked me out.”

 The longer I knew that Niall maybe fancied me, the more I started to maybe like him back. I always kind of had a thing for him, but I never really looked into it more.

Meanwhile, Harry’s looks like he’s seen a ghost.

 “Oh, really? That’s um, great.” He looked away from me and turned the car on. I couldn’t read his facial expression, it was just blank.

“Are you mad?” at this point I was just confused about Harry’s reaction.

He chuckled lightly. “Of course I’m not mad, Jesse. It just caught me by surprise.”

His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

____________________________________________________

Harry wasn’t acting like himself on the way home, we talked and joked but there was something off about him. I don’t get it, he was his usual happy, cheeky self all day and now his emotions are completely unreadable.

When he dropped me off at my house, I awkwardly got out muttering “See you tomorrow.” But all I got back was a nod.

He’s probably just on his man period, and I can completely understand that.

I had just finished tidying up the house when I got a text from Niall:

“Hey is it okay if I come in about 20 minutes?”

Jesse:

“Yeah that’s fine, what film would you like to watch?”

Niall:

“Whatever you’d like (:”

 Jesse:

“Okay, see you soon!”

To be honest, I was pretty excited.

I was just praying I didn’t embarrass myself.