Manic [h.s]

03

we'll be alright.

Skye

It seems like this is the beginning of the end. The last day of high school and the last bell just rang. I begin walking out of the door of my last class and I see those perfect, green eyes staring back at me. He gives a sultry smile. "Happy last day, Angel." he says between his teeth.

Between the yelling and excitement in the air, I begin to feel a warmth in my cheeks. I roll up onto the balls of my feet and wrap my arms around him. He puts his forehead onto mine. "I love you, baby, you know that?" I whisper quietly. He begins to wrap his arms around my waist and I put my hands on his shoulders draped in his soft black t-shirt.

He nods me off quietly. I know he doesn't feel that love anymore after choosing UCLA over him and it puts a pit into my stomach every time he reacts like this. I look into his eyes again.

"I mean it. We'll be alright."

///

Today cannot get any worse. My throat is dry, my stomach is in knots and I feel as though I can't even breathe. Never did I think I would see him again after that one night.

I see his hands in fists as he leans on the table and the boys are all seated looking up at me, ready for the next thing I am about to say. Instead, I sit down across from Harry, Liam, Niall, and Louis and open up my laptop. He follows me lead and sits down.

"Okay so let's talk numbers, our baseline is 15% in royalties and the rest is yours..." CeCe begins.

I burry my eyes into my laptop and pretend like this isn't happening. I hear Harry clear his throat and what looks like to be their manager looks over at him. There is no way he is here because he knew I worked here, he seemed just as surprised as I was when I came prancing through that door. I can't even hear what CeCe was saying. I finally look up from my laptop to see those beating green eyes staring at me. I take in a deep breath and adjust my posture in my seat sit up straighter. I put my hands in my lap and begin to fidget with my fingernails as I turn my attention to CeCe.

"Skylar here is going to do your preliminary interviews before we can officially close the deal," Harry stands up and walks out, slamming the door behind him. I sink quietly in my seat but it is taking everything in my entire body not to stand up and follow him out. CeCe gives the manager a look.

"I'm sorry he just gets a little claustrophobic, he just needs a breather," Louis says. There is something really gentle about the way he says it. I still remember shotgunning twisted teas with him after graduation and watching him pick up his first girlfriend. He was always my favorite of the boys. Niall becomes visibly nervous when Harry left and runs his fingers through his blonde hair. Liam taps his foot and looks around the room at the art on the walls, taking in a big breath and letting out an audible sigh.

CeCe looks at me to take it away. "Alright so, each of you will have separate interviews and one as a group, it's up to you guys who goes first, I can e-mail you guys the questions if you want more time to answer them, but we'll set up a time for us to sit down today," I say with a slight smile on my face. The boys nod, not really knowing what to say.

"Send the questions to me." The manager says. He's wide-set but not heavy and is wearing a button-up shirt and khakis. He seems young, in his early 30's with dark hair and a little bit of scruff around his beard. I notice him look down at his rolex watch and back up at CeCe. "We're running late for another meeting we need to get to, email me anything else with royalties, I'll have my personal attorney look them over and make sure the deal is sound. We're in." I could tell she was barely holding in her excitement when she shoots up and offers out her hand for a handshake. He stands up and offers his hand forward across the table and we all just watched a very loose deal go down.