Nightmare {h.s | au}

1.17

I'd shown up to the middle school early, arriving at the same time as Harry. His black car pulled into the parking space beside mine. He hopped out quickly, sporting his usual all black attire. I watched as he came to my door and opened it for me.

"You shouldn't come to school today," Harry grumbled, offering me his hand. I took it and got out of the car after taking my keys from the ignition. He slammed the door shut behind me and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You should be resting, Eden."

"There ain't no rest for the wicked," I joked casually, hoping he'd calm down. If anything, he looked a little more upset than before I'd opened my mouth.

Harry let out a sigh before throwing his arm around my shoulder and leading me towards the school. I won't lie by saying I didn't enjoy being this chummy with someone. It was honestly nice, but I didn't enjoy how I was getting friendly with Harry. There was something off about becoming more than enemies with him when he was still holding that threat above my head.

Was he still doing that? After what happened yesterday and how he's acting now, it seems as though he wouldn't dare think about it.

But this is Harry Styles.

I didn't know him or how he worked. The curly haired fiend could be plotting my death right this second and just measuring the width of my shoulders to shove me in a safe or something.

Part of me wanted to believe otherwise. He'd been so caring yesterday after I'd finally come to my senses and actually before then. Harry didn't have to care that Angelina was worried about me or even come to get me on his own. Angelina and he could have joined forces, found Reece, and then come to find me. So maybe he didn't want me to die per se.

"I like the sweatshirt," Miss Vent greeted us, gesturing to my fitted jumper with her thermos.

Mr. Lockwood, Harry, and I both looked at my sweatshirt. I didn't even realize that I had put on a jumper this morning. Looking down at it, I smiled all the same.

It was gray and fuzzy on the inside. On the front, it said "I prefer the drummer" in black, blocked letters. It was a Christmas present from Lottie last year after we went and seen 5 Seconds of Summer. They had gone on tour with Fall Out Boy, getting bigger in their popularity. And it had worked well because I'd fallen head over heels in love with Ashton Irwin, the band's drummer.

"Thanks. It was a gift," I said, looking back up at her.

"Actually, I like the whole outfit but definitely the sweatshirt," Miss Vent noted as we got closer.

Harry dropped his arm from my shoulder, and I pulled my hair out of my face as I stopped and looked down at the acid wash jeans and black booties. I remember putting both of those items on, but I thought that I had changed my shirt.

I nodded my appreciation and pulled the sleeves up my forearms halfway to get ready to work. Thus, began Harry and I's silence. Miss Vent and Mr. Lockwood snuck off sometime and left us alone. No one seemed to mind either. Everyone was comfortable and the mosaic mural was making progress.

"You got here early," Harry pointed out, not looking away from what his hands were doing.

"I didn't want to listen to Sam argue anymore," I shrugged, looking away from my work.

"Good morning besides that?" He was tip-toeing around me, scared to step on eggshells. Didn't people understand that doing that made it worse? It only made me feel more outcast and wrong.

"Yeah..." I trailed off.

Harry looked over at me quickly before putting his full attention back into his work. Then he stopped, dropped his hands, and turned to me. "Eden, are you okay?"