redemption: harry styles

Chapter Forty Three

My body was still completely frozen, the small, panicked gasps I emitted making me look immobilized. What the hell.

Harry blinked and turned his attention to Holly when she tugged at his shirt's sleeve. I looked back and forth between the two of them as both figures slowly moved. Holly one way, and Harry another--my way. She looked at him in surprise and jogged up towards him, asking him something. He jerked his chin to me.

Of course, I snickered in my head. No don't come here. Go away.

"Hey, Tyler.." Finn rose from his seat, leaning over the lunch table to shake Harry's hand. I didn't look behind me but I felt the tension between Holly and I, and I felt the warmth radiating off of Harry's body when he stood next to me to shake Finn's hand. At one point, his stomach touched my shoulder and I cringed away. He noticed. "Are you up for basketball later? We're all gonna be playing a round after training."

"Um," Harry's deep voice said tightly, and I turned to see him catch a glimpse of my sister, "yeah. Why not?"

"Evelyn's gonna be with us today. Have you two met?" Finn pointed between the two of us, waiting for one of us to clarify. When I didn't answer, Harry had gotten the idea. The people sitting behind us strained to hear our conversation.

He cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes we have." I gave him a weird look but when I found him staring back at me as weird, I turned away. I felt Holly shift behind me.

"Great! Hi," Finn turned to my sister who straightened immediately, "Holly, right?" She nodded stiffly but didn't say anything. "You're Evelyn's sister?" Finn spoke.

"Yeah," Holly breathed and lowered her gaze.

I cleared my throat just for the hell of it but I caused everyone to look at me.

"We should...we should get going, now," Harry whispered to Holly. Her head snapped up to meet his and she nodded vigorously. I wondered why they were so nervous but said nothing.

"Right. I'll see you in the gym." Harry pushed his jaw to the side and Finn nodded him away.

Holly didn't look at me as she followed Harry to a front table.

"You two okay?" Finn asked me once they left.

I rolled my eyes. "How can I be? He's dating my sister and he's a prick. I don't like him."

Finn gave me an odd stare. "I meant you and your sister," he clarified.

"Oh," I frowned. "We're okay. Just had a small argument."

"...You have anyone to go with for the September Dance?" Finn blurted out. He wasn't looking at me, but instead fiddling and drawing patterns on the edge of his lunch tray. I was already abashed with the Harry and Holly thing earlier and I honestly didn't want to talk about another party but I didn't want to be rude.

"No, I don't think I'll go." I told him, tapping my fingers on the table.

Finn bit his lip and bounced his right leg.

"What is it?" I pushed, leaning forward. He looked up at me, dazed, and cleared his throat.

"Will you go with me?" he asked.

I paused and thought this through. The last time I went to a party involving Finn Harries I got kidnapped by a homicidal psychopath who's feelings are annoyingly unpredictable.

"Finn," I asked awkwardly, rubbing my arm, "don't you have a girlfriend?"

Finn cocked his head to the side. "No?" He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. "No. There are a lot of gossiping nowadays, eh? No."