Always There + Niall Horan

Thirty-Three

Harry and I were texting until midnight.

I'm not even sure what we talked about for so many hours. Most of that time, I was just under the covers with the lights off. He texted back pretty fast, so we were on a conversation to no end until my eyes felt too heavy to keep them open, and I told him I had to go.

He said goodbye, and if I might add, that message came with a winky face. Winky faces meant only one thing: flirting. Or maybe I'm just making too big a deal out of it, but it's a freaking winky face!

(It has to count for something.)

I'm almost surprised when he shows up at my locker again the next morning. Of course, this time, I put effort into my looks. I'd curled my brown hair and put on make up. Not too much, just enough to make me look not so boring and plain like I always looked.

I don't know if Harry notices or not. He looks great himself, though. It's crazy how he probably only takes a shower in the morning and then just throws on some clothes. He doesn't have to try to look good. Boys have it easy.

He walks me to my first hour, which is something he's never done before.

In computer class, he taps my shoulder every now and then to get my attention. And I won't forget how his green sensual eyes sparkled when he looked at me. I'm starting to get a feeling that he's truly starting to like me.

Before, I wasn't so sure, but now it's different. He even sat at my lunch table again, only to sit by me and talk to my friends. (Cady and Liam.)

It's crazy how only a week or two ago, we were pretty much strangers. Now we're talking all the time.

"What're you doing this weekend?" is the question he asks me after school that Thursday.

I happen to be walking past his classroom after the last bell had rung, and he comes out and joins me as I walk down the hallway. He pops that question right on me, without even greeting me first. Of course, it takes me a minute to react.

"Uh, nothing. I'm not doing anything, I don't think." I reply, and we're squeezing through people down the loud crowded hall. I make sure to watch the path in front of me so I won't crash into anybody as I still manage to look at Harry.

"Great." He says. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to this party with me tomorrow night. It's nothing big, just a small house party at a friend's house. Think you wanna go?" He asks, and we stop walking.

I'm glad we did, because I don't know if I was able to keep my legs going on a normal speed after he asks me something like that. He's basically asking me out... Right? He did say with me, and literally after those words, I hadn't heard anything else.

So I'm looking at him awkwardly and he cocks an eyebrow at me, his expression confused. I'm totally somewhere else. "Huh?" I stammer stupidly. God, I hate myself.

Harry chuckles and licks his lips. "Tomorrow, can you go?" He repeats.

"Yeah, of course. Sounds like fun." I say, and my voice is sounding really silly and squeaky.

I just can't gather myself at the moment. Harry is inviting me to go to a party! With him! I pinch my arm and I do it hard, but I stop myself because I know I'm not dreaming. I guess I'm trying to confirm that I'm not sleeping. I'm completely awake and I'm glad.

Harry smiles, flashing his rows of white teeth and of course, that doesn't help anything either. Oh, there's that dimple. It comes out of nowhere when I least expect it. It's a literal killer.

"Okay, well, I gotta go. I'll text you tonight... and stuff. Tell you about the party and all that." He says, and he looks nervous and his cheeks are turning rosy.

It makes me flutter inside, to think that he's actually blushing and acting all careful because of me.

"Okay." I reply, and he starts to walk off in another direction. I wave at him when he turns to smile at me, and I feel great as I walk out of the school.

...

I don't know anything about the party Harry invited me to, but after Cady comes over that night, she tells me all about it.

Apparently, Liam's also invited to that party (I'm not surprised) and he's going to take Cady. He doesn't usually go to parties that he gets invited to, but after he heard Harry was going to take me, he told Cady, and Cady begged him to go too.

I'm glad Cady and Liam are going. It makes me feel better that I would actually know a few people there.

So Cady's squealing at me as we sit in my bedroom. Something about Liam.

"Liam told Zayn about it, and Zayn, who was supposed to keep it a secret, didn't, so now I know. Well, I won't lie, I did kind of beg Zayn to tell me." Cady says, and her face is literally glowing from happiness.

"He's planning on asking me on Saturday." She finishes.

Which is two days from now. And homecoming is next weekend. She already has her dress. She's all set. Liam just needed to ask her.

Whereas, I am still set on staying home and staying under the covers with a tub of Ben & Jerry's.

When I think Cady's going to annoy me by going off with more of her Harry is going to ask you jabber, she doesn't. I can tell that she's planning to but she decides against it. Instead, her phone starts to go off and her mom is telling her to pick up her ten year old brother from his soccer practice.

She groans and apologizes to me because she had planned on staying until late. I tell her it's okay. She's gone in the next minute and I'm left alone in my quiet house again.

Usually I would watch TV and sleep to end the day. But my day doesn't feel complete for some reason.

A part of me is happy and excited because of the party tomorrow, but another teeny part is thinking about someone in particular. And I'm really perplexed by it because I have no reason to be even thinking about him.

I wonder if he's home. I haven't talked to him all day, let alone see him. 

I lie in bed and contemplate my thoughts. I have an urge of going outside to check if he's home. Probably not though. He might be working, and I don't want to go knock on his door.

Especially when he seemed bothered by me. It still frustrates me. I expected him to invite me into his house yesterday to hang out, since he did tell me the day before that, to come back over.

I don't know if I did something wrong or maybe he's just being his weird self again. Either way, I still feel like he wouldn't want to see me tonight. So that urge is rejected and I go to sleep with my brain racked with mixed thoughts.

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