Until Next Time | HS

27.

This is a mess.

The minute all four of us stepped out of the flat, the rush of getting to college safely and quickly was overwhelming. Our first stop was at a gas station, then at Starbucks, and lastly, at the bakery. We needed something to fuel our stomachs or we would faint, especially Harry. He needed something to eat or his anxiousness plus the empty stomach would've gotten the worst of him the moment he'd stepped onto that stage.

When Joshua parks the car at the empty spot in the car parking, we all quickly jumped out and sprinted towards the entrance. We were five minutes later than we intended to reach, it was like the cherry on top for our already overwhelmed selves. So when we reached the hall, it was packed with students of every year and every faculty. The hall had a capacity of vastly 200 people and it was full. But before Josh, Syd, and I find each other any empty seats, we rushed Harry down to the first row where the participants sits.

"You're going to be fine," Sydney says as she holds his shoulders. "We're here, don't worry."

He nods eagerly and he was about to turn to me but Joshua stands in front of him. "You can do it, okay? Just trust yourself." Harry nods as Josh slightly shakes him and then gives him a quick hug.

Finally, he turns to me and immediately wraps me in a hug. "Just be confident. I know you can do this. I trust you." I pull away and hold his face. "I believe in you, H. And remember what I said earlier, do not get too stressed. You are doing this for yourself and not for us."

He nods with a vivid nervousness in his eyes. "I'll do it. I can do it." I smile and tap his face. "Just...be here when I go on that stage. Please."

"I will be." I nod.

He looks at me for a brief moment and then lets go of me. When he removes his hands, he shoves them into his pocket and takes out his phone. "Here," he hands me his phone. "I don't want distractions. Take it."

"You sure?" he nods. "Okay." I put the phone in my back pocket.

"H!" Joshua calls from two feet away from us and we turn to look at him. "Go! Don't be late! Go!"

Harry nods and looks at them for a brief moment and then tugs at my hand, turning me to face him I gasp softly when he gives me a quick hug. I shiver when his lips brush slightly against my ear before he softly, almost unnoticed, leaves a peck on my cheek. "Be here, don't go, I need you."

With that, he lets go and takes a step back while keeping eye contact. He does a single nod and turns away from me, rushing to the front. I blink, having a hard time comprehending what just happened.

"Luna!"

I blink a few times, getting out of my daze and I turn when Sydney's familiar voice comes from the left side. I furrow my brows when I see Noah sitting in the second last row, leaving the three seats to his right empty, and Syd and Josh waving me to come there. So with a glance at the front where Harry was now talking to the principal, I turn to my left and rush towards the three of them.

"C'mon," I step down a stair lower and look at Noah, sitting beside Brian, Claire, Shaya, Vanessa, and Celeste. "We've been reserving your seats for the last half an hour." He picks up their bags which he used to reserve the seats as Josh steps into the row and sits down beside him. Then Sydney steps inside and I closely follow her. "Where were you?! We thought you changed your mind or something."

"Ask these two," I sit down at the end seat and lean forward to look at Noah. "They woke up at 9, and took half an hour to get ready." in the midst, I see Joshua covering his yawn. "Look at that."

"We were chatting up to 12 last night!" he leans forward and scowls at me with an offended tone. "Then H did a little rehearsal and then we went to bed at 1:30, Lou!"