The Middle | Hemmings + Styles AU

9. she looks so perfect

"What happened to your business and pleasure rule?" I yelled over the music. My body was doing that awkward sway that hovered between dancing and standing still. 

"You were right," he licked his bottom lip, drawing his mouth up into a smile. "It was a very boring rule."

He seemed to be able to speak so effortlessly over the music. Everything he did seemed so effortless on his part, with an inconveniently intense affect on the rest of us.

The music turned into background noise as I stared at him. He leaned in closer towards me, touching my waist with one of his hands. "I'm not actually working tonight."

"And you're spending your night off here?" I asked, mildly curious. I loved my job but there was no way I'd spend my day off hanging around the store buying CDs.

"I thought you'd be here," he said slowly into my ear. Every single word was annunciated by his slow drawl. "You seemed to really liked this band."

His words were flattering, exciting even. This beautiful stranger had captured my attention and even though I was playing it cool on the outside, inside I felt like he'd cast a spell of control over me - and I was determined to shrug it off and earn the upper-hand.

"I do really like this band, so if you don't mind..." I smiled, drawing my eyes away from his and back to the stage. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry frown and I was even more determined to pretend like I was immune to his worldly charm.

Instead of disappearing back into the crowd, he stayed close by just as he had done the night before. I'll admit that I snuck a few glances his way, admiring the confidence he possessed to just be himself but neither of us said another word.

Once my attention diverted back to the whole reason we were here, I realised that Ashton actually did some of the singing which was pretty impressive. He was like 5 Seconds of Summer's own version of Dave Grohl.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight, you've been amazing. This is our last song, it's called She Looks So Perfect. Sing along if you know it," Luke announced.

They seemed to put every ounce of energy they had left into that last catchy song. When their set ended about half of the crowd left the venue, and the rest either went to the bar or stood by the stage waiting to talk to the boys and take photos.

I was so focused on Luke that I barely even noticed that Harry had left. I hadn't spoken to Luke since the day I made that bad boyfriend joke and I still wanted to tease him for sending Michael to deliver the poster. And maybe a small part of me had missed the blue-eyed boy and the way his teeth so often sunk into his lip. Maybe.

The small-town rockstar was busy with a group of adoring fans so rather than standing alone like a weird-stalker, I went off to the bar to get myself another vodka soda. And that's where I found Harry. Even though he was dressed in all black, he stood out against the bar. It wasn't just that he stood taller than most, his presence shined brighter too.

"Using your seniors card for cheap drinks again?" I said, leaning against the bench of the bar.

"Just getting enough of a buzz before I head over to the club for bingo," he joked and I laughed. He licked his lips, still smiling, and added. "I'm not that old. If you must know. I'm 21."

I looked around the bar, pretending to be observing the crowd, "You're definitely the oldest person in this bar," I teased.

"And the most handsome," he laughed modestly, taking two drinks from the bartender. He handed one to me and I took a sip. It was a vodka soda.

"And one of the cockiest," I added, even though I knew he'd been joking. This conversation flowed easier than our previous ones which was somewhat of a relief. He leaned closer towards me and I noticed the delicate but firm way his hand held onto his drink.

"There's a difference between being cocky, and not being afraid to go after what I want, Stella."

The coarse tone of his words somehow constricted my breathing and Harry smiled. It was the first time I noticed his dimples and his entire face seemed instantly more youthful.

"And then what happened?" Olivia demanded the following day as I recalled the night before. Not willingly, I might add. She looked up from her toes which she were painting with red polish, waiting for an answer.

"And then we finished our drinks and he just left," I told her. "Maybe I did something to weird him out, I don't know."

I'd barely had time to internally question Harry's sudden departure because Luke and Calum arrived at the bar, finally escaping from the clutches of the fans who were so taken by them.

"Did you leave after that?"

"No," I admitted. "Then I spoke to Luke and Calum."

"Luke and who?" her face lit up, and I could see her mentally separating herself from Oliver to make room for a new love interest in her life. I didn't know Calum - or Luke - that well, but I already knew that they wouldn't be her type.

She might occasionally check-out boys with guitars, but she only played with boys that had country club memberships and sports cars. She once called it investing in her future. I had told her it was called being a gold-digger. Take it away, Kanye.

"They're both in the band that was playing," I explained. "Luke's been coming into the store sometimes. I thought he was going to be this conceited young musician but he's actually really cool."

"Really cool?" she mocked with a raised eyebrow, indicating that she thought there was more to the story than I was leading on. There wasn't. Eventually, Olivia got tired of interrogating me when she realised that I had no juicy details to offer her.

Later that night, to the soundtrack of Jimmy Eat World, I poured over this week's pictures from my parents. There were a few more in Paris but mostly in Verona. They looked so happy in all of the pictures, taking in the sweet sights of Italy. Dad even managed to keep his fingers away from the lenses in most of them.

After attaching my own photos (of my most nutritional meals from the week and a selfie I'd taken at the store one day), I added: Aunty Peg and I went out for breakfast yesterday morning - our vegetable fritters were delicious but nothing like all of that pasta you two have been eating! Miss you both so much xo