Life On The Flip Side [Harry Styles AU]

s e v e n

"Hello everyone, my name is Mr. Stephens, and I am the athletic coordinator/gym teacher here at Nore High School."

"Hello Mr. Stephens." The class greets him in unison. The tone of it is almost similar to that of an Alcoholics Anonymous group meeting.

He smiles and claps his hands together, oblivious to the fact that no one wants to be here. His eyes roam over the semicircle we have formed around him before letting his gaze fixate on Harry.

"You - " He says while pointing at him. "Come here."

Surprised, Harry points at himself for clarification. "Me? You - " He looks around at the people surrounding him before turning back towards the gym teacher. "You're talking to me?"

Mr. Stephens rolls his eyes. "Obviously, I'm speaking to you. Now, come over here." Harry hesitantly steps forward, his stride quick as he approaches the gym teacher.

He winces as Mr. Stephens harshly claps him on the shoulder. "Today, we're going to be playing volleyball." A collective groan erupts from everyone in the class.

"And, " he continues, "I'm going to need two captains. Preferably a boy and a girl. Now that we have a boy, we just need a girl. Any takers?" The gym is silent as all the girls look over at one another. The thought of getting sweaty in the middle of the day is unsettling, and I step away from the group to get out of the teacher's line of view.

My movement catches Mr. Stephen's eye, and he snaps his head in my direction. "You! Come here." I sigh and walk towards him and Harry.

"You know," he says loudly. "You guys would make a pretty cute couple." Snickers erupt from everyone else, and I fight the urge to blush.

Harry and I look over at each other. A stoic expression is on his face, and I feel the guilt from this morning arise. Regina should have never spoken to him that way in the auditorium, and I somehow feel responsible for her actions.

'Meet me in the library during lunch.' I mouth at him. He nods, and I turn away once Mr. Stephens announces that it's time to pick out our teams.

I just hope he actually shows up.

----

I chew at the eraser on my pencil as my eyes nervously scan across everyone in the library. My cellphone vibrates in the pocket of my hoodie. I quickly pull it out, expecting it to be Harry.

Instead, it's Sarah.

Message from: Sarah :P:P

Meet me & Regina at the quad in ten. We need to talk.

Talk about what, exactly? I push the thought away of it possibly being important, and continue my search. I sigh and set my pencil down on the table. It's only the first day of school, yet I have a pile of French homework sitting in front of me, incomplete.

My phone vibrates again.

Message from: Unknown Number

I need to explain some things to you. Where are you?

I lift an eyebrow. It seems as if today is just full of surprise text messages, one of which comes from an unknown number. I look back up and sigh. Of course he isn't coming. Why would he want to talk to me after the way Regina treated him? I honestly don't even blame him.

In the library. Who r u?

The reply doesn't come a second late.