A Tale of Two (H.S)

Chapter 7

Allies POV

"No, I came up with the first verse!" Kris argued with Rick.

We had been sitting around the table in the empty bakery for so long I'd lost track of what time it actually was. The guys from the band were so care free that Becks and I completely forgot about running the shop and instead had sat in their company for hours. They each told their story about how they'd come to be in the band and what they were doing before. Quinn had been working long hours at a night club in California as a shot girl. As much as she despised it, sometimes they'd let her play guitar live and she loved getting hyped up by all the drunken clubbers. Kris was at college studying music when he'd met Rick on a night out. Rick was already living with Harry in his house in LA at this point and so took it upon himself to let Harry hear him play. Rick was my favourite out of the group. He was witty and had a similar sense of humour to myself. He did however seem like someone who was hiding a lot behind his humour, something I could relate to. I'd mastered the skill of masking my emotions a few years back when things with Mum got really bad. She would make me feel guilty for showing any kind of emotion and convince me I had no reason to be upset. So I just decided to shut it off. I stopped showing emotion. No one could tell me how I felt was wrong if they didn't know.

"Mate, Harry and I had the first verse written before you even got into the studio last week. You just tweaked it," Rick bites back.

"Yes but due to my tweaking, it's so much better now," Kris said lifting his head high. Rick throws a used napkin at his head which throws the rest of us into a fit of giggles.

"I'll fire you both if you don't pack it in," Harry sniggers.

He had barely spoken for the last few hours, laughing lightly at the banter between the rest of his bandmates and complimenting Becks on her sensational coffee making skills. She'd blushed and shrugged off the compliment by saying 'it's just black coffee, you can't go far wrong'. That was until the rest of the group joined in and assured us both that between the coffee and the cupcakes, it was the best lunch hour they'd had. A lunch hour that seemed to have lasted way more than an hour. I hadn't complained. I enjoyed the company. It would get really quiet just Becks and I when the shop wasn't busy and it was nice to have some time off to sit down and enjoy a conversation.

The only time I'd wish they'd leave was when I'd catch Harry's eye every now and then from the other side of the table. Although I hadn't contributed much to the conversation, he'd been eyeing me as if I was the only person talking. I tried to keep my focus on the napkin in front of me, picking away at it until it was in pieces. Every now and then I'd look up and instantly regret it when I'd see him already looking back. I tried ignoring the fluttering in my stomach that would arise when I met his gaze but when it wouldn't disappear, I wished he would disappear instead.

"Who's the song about?" Becks' question brought me from my thoughts and back into the conversation. Everyone turned to look at Harry and waited for his response.

"Who said it was about anyone?" he said taking over my habit and fiddling away with his own napkin.

"Oh come on! You've given yourself away with the lyrics man!" Kris laughed. Harry only smirked and shook his head, still looking down at the napkin in between his fingers.

"The lyrics can be interpreted to mean anything you want it to mean..."

"Yeah right! What about the girl from last week?" Rick heckled. "It wouldn't have anything to do with her, would it?"

I looked back at Harry who immediately looked like he'd been caught in the act of some heinous crime. His body noticeably froze and he shot Rick a glare from across the table. Rick however was blissfully unaware he'd just thrown Harry under a metaphorical bus.