Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter Fifty Two

"And if I could swim, I'd swim out to you in the ocean,

Swim out to where you were floating in the dark.

And if I was blessed, I'd walk on the water you're breathing,

To lend you some air for that heaving, sunken chest."

Harry Styles sighed with defeat as he shut his Algebra II text book shut and ran his long, thin fingers through his chocolate brown curls.

He reached for his iPhone to text one of his friends to tutor him for their upcoming Maths exam seeing as how he was hopeless when it came to studying on his own.

His fingers tapped the touch screen as he quickly texted his friend out of pure desperation.

Just as he was about to get up to refill his coffee cup, he spotted Isabella and his heart just broke.

Her eyes were red rimmed and her cheeks tear stained. She tucked her light brown hair behind her ear and made her way to a desk by the window where she puled out her French textbook and notebook and began to study her notes on Imparfait.

Harry furrowed his brow as he watched her study and occaisonally dab the corners of her eyes with a rumpled tissue paper.

He started towards her and plopped down beside her, eyeing her carefully.

She looked up and visibly relaxed like she hadn't expected to see the curly haired Rugby star.

"Oh hey, Harry" she said casually, her voice barely over a whisper.

Harry shook his head at her.

"Don't you hey, Harry me. You've been crying again." he stated as he rested his hands on the thick wooden table.

She shrugged and continued to study her notes before Harry covered the sheets of paper with the span of his large hands.

Bella looked up and sighed before she nodded.

"Yes, I have. Satisfied? Can I get back to studying now?" she asked as she tried to pry Harry's hands off the papers. He ignored her attempts and narrowed his eyes.

"Bella, talk to me. What happened?" he asked softly. She played with the hem of her plaid skirt before she looked up at his dear face.

"I talked to Zayn..." she began as she bit the inside of her cheek. Harry scanned her face impatiently.

"And?" he asked.

Did they make up?

Surely, not because she was obviously upset.

He needed to tell her how he felt before she and Zayn got back together.

"I told him I needed time before I could trust him again" she finally confessed and Harry exhaled out of relief inwardly.

That meant he still had time to confess his feelings for her.

"Was he okay with that?" Harry asked as he slowly removed his hands from the papers. She nodded.

"Yes, he was very understanding" she said. Harry nodded as he pursed his lips.

Deep down he knew that eventually Zayn and Bella would get back together. They were meant to be and he would be completely blind if he thought otherwise.

"Okay well, why were you crying if things worked out?" Harry asked as he fiddled with the friendship bracelet on his wrist.

Isabella stopped reading her notes and contemplated the pencils in her case.

"Because," she began sadly.

"I love him and being apart from him is tearing me up inside" she said with a glassy look in her eyes. Harry sighed as he rubbed his temples, trying to soothe his sudden headache.

"But he hurt you" he said simply and she just shrugged her shoulders.

"He didn't do it on purpose. Bianca kissed him and he never kissed back. She wanted to break us apart..." Isabella said with sadness in her eyes. Harry exhaled before he nodded.

"You love him?" he asked for reassurance. Bella nodded and ran her fingers through her long wavy locks.

"Very much so" she said with a sad smile.

Harry bit his lower lip in frustration as he got up from his seat across from Bella.

"Okay well. I'll see you around. I have to cram for an Algebra exam" he said in monotone. She nodded before she flipped through some more papers.

"Bye, Harry"

_________________________________________

Niall Horan was busy playing Subway Surfers as he waited for Kathy to show up during Lunch.

His right thumb hovered over the screen as he heard someone drag the heavy wooden chair that belonged to the lunchroom tables.

"Hey babe" Niall greeted immediately, thinking it was his girlfriend but was surprised when he raised his head to find the familiar wild and tousled curles of one of his best friends.

"Oh Haz, it's you. I thought you were Kathy" Niall laughed sheepishly before he paused his game and locked his iPhone, stuffing it  into the pocket of his beige chinos.

Harry Styles was wearing a sour expression as he narrowed his eyes at his blonde friend.

"How does she still love him even after everything he put her through?" Harry demanded, cutting to the chase immeidatel, flingng his arms in the air in frustration.

Niall furrowed his brows and rested his head on his palm.

"Harry, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked as he eyed the curly haired boy.

Harry jaw clenched as he stared back at his oblivious friend.

"Bella, of course! She still loves Zayn even after he cheated on her!" Harry shouted, making Niall flinch. After regaining his composure, the blonde shook his head violently.

"First of all, he never cheated. That bitch Bianca set him up and kissed him right in front of Bella so that she could end their relationship. Second of all, where the hell is this all coming from, Haz? You're supposed to be defending Zayn not going against him? What the hell, Harry? He's your best friend!"

Niall said angrily as he slammed his palms on the thick wooden lunchroon table. Harry bit his lip and shook his head.

"Bella deserves better than Zayn" he said simply.

Niall's eyes widened in surprise. 

"You know damn right that isn't true! Zayn loves her and he would die for her! You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

Niall said as he shut his eyes in frustration trying to calm down. Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open in realization.

"Oh nonononono, Harry! You've fallen for her, haven't you?!" Niall demanded as he stopmed his foot on the ground. Harry pursed his lips as he impatiently tapped his Converse claded foot on the floor.

"Lower your voice, Niall" is all he said.

He didn't even try to deny it. Niall shook his head.

"You better fall out of love with her, Harry and don't even think about doing anything you'll regret once she rejects you" Niall hissed and Harry's eyes flared with anger.

"What makes you think she'll reject me?" he asked as he stuck out his chin defensively.

Niall sighed deeply before he shifted in his seat.

"Because," he began and he unlocked his iPhone and resumed the game.

"She loves Zayn and nothing you ever do will change that" he said simply. Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "

Promise me you won't tell Zayn about this" Harry  pleaded as he played with a thread on his blazer. Niall raised an eye brow at him before he shook his head.

"Of course I won't, but you shouldn't give me a reason to, Haz" Niall said before he tapped his finger on the touch screen and continued playing.