𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑰𝒔 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 // 𝑳𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝑨𝑼

-a stranger-

The dinner came around sooner than I thought. I was about to eat toast for breakfast, when mom told me about our appointment at school today. "It's Friday already?" "Yes, some of us have to work in three days." "As a servant myself -" "Would you stop with that servant talking, I can't deal with that", she interrupted me, as she flung the dish cloth at me.

"Now I feel like a slave, I don't think you can hit ser -" "Harry, shut it." I looked at her grinning, but when she noticed it, she tried to make a grim expression. Which didn't work. I was quite afraid of the dinner. Meeting all of them would be scary. And that Lewis? Louis? I didn't know how I could keep up with him.

People my age usually scared me and I avoided talking to them, which -looking back - may be the reason I didn't have friends. Well, at least true friends. Would he be nice? Could we be friends? Did he even want to meet me?

"Harry? Did you even listen to me? "No, I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about Sunday." "Oh darling, you need to stop stressing yourself out so much about this. It's just dinner."

She didn't convince me and noticed. Mom ran her hand through my hair. "It'll be alright." "Thank you." She smiled at me. "But please, stop that." I freed myself from her. "Your hair is lovely." "I don't like it when people touch my hair." "I know, sorry, I'm just jealous because it's so pretty."

"You only say that because I'm your son." "Surely not, what am I supposed to say? That you look hot?" "MOM!" She only cackled in response. I picked up my plate, put the rest of my toast in the bin and the plate in the dishwasher. I finally hung up my fairy lights and decided to play with my wii for a bit.

I got bored of it after a while, since it's boring when you play on your own and began to draw. I tried to replicate van goghs sunflowers, but it kind of sucked, especially after colouring it. "Harry, we need to go!"
Oh, OH. "Coming." I still needed an outfit. I rushed to my dresser, looked into several drawers but still couldn't for the life of me decide what I was going to wear.

Contemplating whether I should run away, pretend to be deaf or just pick something without looking, I chose a plain navy tee, put a white shirt underneath and paired it with some regular trousers. "I'm ready, mom." "Hold on, I'm searching for something." Typical. Somewhat typical. I needed to hurry, but when I actually did, I had to wait. "I'll wait at the curb."

I left our house and wanted to look around for a bit. I hadn't properly looked at our garden yet. Just when I was about to enter it, I saw Daisy and Phoebe drawing something on their drive or rather all over it and also the pavement. "Harry!", Daisy squeaked. I slowly walked over to them.

"Can you help?" "What?" "We wanted to draw us with our family, but I", Phoebe threw a glance at her," messed up the heart and we don't know what to do." "How am I supposed to help you with that?" "Mom told us family is everyone we like and we would like for you to be in the heart aswell."

"You've known me for less than a week." They looked at me confused. "Why are you talking about something different?" "Well I mean, you don't really know-" "Oh, but we know you." "Harry you're confusing. Can't you draw yourself ?" "Please do it", Daisy added.
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"These girls really like you, don't they?" "I suppose." Mom smiled at me. "I've heard good things from that school." "Good." "They have a nice art room. I bet you'll like it." "I hope so." I was fairly nervous.

My mother looked at me and squeezed my hand before she knocked on the principal's office. We talked about which class I would be in, when I would get my school books and my timetable. They asked me whether I wanted to have a locker, but I didn't feel like I'd need it.

He stood up and shook our hands. "If you want to join any extracurricular activities or need help finding your classroom next week, just come to the secretary next door."

We sat down in the car. "That didn't go half bad, don't you think?" "It was alright, yeah." "You still need to buy your new school supplies. Binders and everything." "Ugh yeah, I know." "There's a store nearby, want to go right now? I promise its real nearby this time", she said, grinning.

Nice stationary, new pencils and folders always made me feel really good, so I decided to give it a go. Gemma was going to pick me up later. I got some money and the list I just received from the principal and went into the store.

It was really overwhelming and noisy, so I put on my headphones. I went and looked at the CDs before walking downstairs again. I got new flash cards and a black notebook before I went to go to the folders section.

But then suddenly, I was knocked over and so was the person responsible. "Fuck", he cursed, but caught himself quite quick. Meanwhile I just stood up again, still moving and thinking quite slowly, because of the sheer force with which I was just knocked on the stores ground with.

I was growing really tense and hot and slowly started walking away, in order to leave the store as quick as possible, but I was held back at my shoulder. "Oi I'm sorry, I didn't plan on doing that", he said.

"Would've been weird if you planned that sort of thing", I answered before turning around. I looked at someone who had to be approximately my age. I looked at him starstruck, feeling really dizzy and weird still. "Sorry I didn't mean to be rud-" "Are you alright?" "W- What?"

"I knocked you down quite hard, are you hurt?" "No I don't think so." "I mean I-" "Sorry I have to go, I'm getting picked up." I awkwardly made my way out of the store. My face felt really hot and I let out a gasp of air when I finally left that store, making it seem like I held it for the whole time since this stranger knocked me down.

Gemma had just turned up in front of the store, I jumped into her car immediately, making her wonder. "Harry what's the matter with you?, she asked me a minute into the ride. "Nothing, I'm just tired." This always worked. If someone asked me about feelings and I answered with tired, they always stopped asking.

"Can you ring the Tomlinson's really quick? Mom wants to ask if we can meet at seven pm." "She could do that herself, couldn't she?" "She asked me to ask you." I was ready to start rambling on about all the different reasons I shouldn't be going there, but I didn't. I just went up to the door and rang the bell, my fingers were markable still.

"Harry?" "Yes, sorry to bother you, but we wanted to ask if seven is alright? I mean for the dinner on sunday." "Wait I'll ask mom." Just like that she was gone. I didn't even know who I talked to. How many children did they have?? The door opened and I looked in the face of the unknown girl.

She had to be around ten or such, with long brown hair. "She says seven is good." "I'm sorry but who are you?" "Fizzy, sorry, Daisy told me all about you already."
_____

We tried playing monopoly that evening, but stopped, before out family broke apart. I bought something Gemma wanted and in addition to that, she had to pay rent cause she landed on my most expensive property three times in a row.

I woke up on Sunday morning and while I wasn't usually superstitious, but I put my right foot on the ground before my left one. It couldn't hurt right? Gemma went shopping with me, by reminding me of some ominous bet I apparently lost, but already had forgotten about. I acted annoyed, but really I enjoyed it.

We got home a quarter past six. I quickly hopped under the shower and put on some black jeans and a sweatshirt, I got at a thrift store a while back. I was still thinking about this thing, that happend at the store the other day. "Grandpa is ready mom", Gemma belted out. "Shut up, its called having a taste."

We closed the door behind us and walked up to their porch. My stress level was quite high, but I calmed myself down a bit, by breathing slowly. We looked at each other, but Gemma seemed to grow tired of us just mingling about, with nothing to do, since the weather wasn't necessarily good this day and just proceeded to ring the bell.

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13.04.24

I'm sorry, it took me quite a while to change and translate this one,  but I hope you enjoyed it, especially as it's a little longer than the previous ones :)