(ATLANTIS) - haylor au

chapter thirtynine

(taylor)

Selena and I are the first ones to lunch again. There's an unusual pout and frown in place of her usual cheeky smile. Before I can ask, she looks up at me from her tray.

"Taylor, I need your help." The hesitance in her voice causes me to cock an eyebrow at her. "I really want to study but," She pauses as her face twists into a pained expression. "my home's a mess. My parents are constantly fighting when they're there and having a little sister doesn't help."

I'm nodding as she finishes. "You can come over to my place, obviously." I smile at her but it's just dawned on me that Selena never talks about her family unless it's a quirky anecdote.

I can see the moment relief washes over her face as she smiles at me. "Thank you, Taylor. I've been applying for every single scholarship right there. I just need my grades to be good." She explains but I wave my hand dismissively.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Sel. We're all in this together."

///

I'd forgotten that Harry and I had study plans after school but I decide to bring Sel to Harry's anyway. She'd been suspicious as to why Harry and I had plans in the first place but I shrug it off; saying that I'm helping him with some of his missed classes. At this point, I'm worried at how good of a liar I've become.

Harry's not pleased as he opens the door to see Sel and I. I can see his eyebrows slight furrowed together but composes himself and closes the door behind him as he tells us where to go. There the three of us are —— our materials (textbooks, notes, sticky notes, markers) spread all over the carpeted floor around us and the coffee table.

Once in a while, Harry throws me a dirty look when he knows that Selena won't be looking. He does so whenever he knows he'll get away with it and I'm good at acting like I don't see his nasty looks.

At some point of silent study session, with the occasional questions one of us asks out loud to the other two, Sel gets up and asks if either one of want coffee — only because she knows Harry's just that much of a boy to not realise and offer us anything in his own home. When we both decline, she leaves us, alone, in the living room; still sitting on the floor.

Harry crawls up closer to me and scowls; making me shift further away from him, without showing the smile I suppress.

"You said study. And Selena wanted to study too." I roll my eyes as he inches up to me.

"I think I said you and me." Now he pouts; in an attempt to make me feel guilty. Of course, it only half works because I know what his intentions are but he just looks so damn cute; I could eat him up.

"Harry, c'mon." I look away from him; unable to withstand how good he looks.

When I look back at him, he rolls his eyes and nods; though an unwilling pout is still present. He acts like a child but he's not selfish.

"Good." I smile and reach over to kiss his cheek.

But Harry's quick and turns his head; my lips land right on his. I feel him pulling me in and suddenly a quick kiss turns into something deeper as his tongue enter my mouth.

//

"Oh my god." We hear. I don't know how much time's passed but Harry's hands are tangled in my hair; mine to his. We try to untangle ourselves from the other. "What the fuck." I turn to see Selena; with my head throbbing; out of adrenaline from the kiss and the horror of her seeing us.

Sel stands in the doorway with a cup of coffee in one hand and a big bowl in the other as her mouth's open; gaping at us. Her face changes from disgust to confusion to even more confusion; with eyes bouncing back and forth from Harry to me.

"Oh. My. God." She repeats, widening her eyes and looking away from us.

My heart's racing as I stare back at her; I don't even glance back at Harry who still has his hands reaching for mine. My mind's coming up with a thousand possibilities/ excuses to tell Selena but my mouth doesn't move; I can still feel Harry's lips on mine and the ghost of Harry's hand on my waist but I can feel him reaching for them again; even at this panicked state.

"Are you guys going to explain this?!" She shouts now with bewilderment clear.

Harry and I both turn to each other. It's like that boy can read me. We decide, without having to speak, that we don't need this facade anymore. Not in front of Selena anyway.

When we explain the situation to Selena —— she's more than excited at discovering our secret/ relationship the first.

"I'm never the first!" She beams at the two of us. A part of me wonder if it's because we'd all been friends since we were kids (Harry, Gigi, Karlie and I) so she does actually feel left out to an extent.

Harry has his face buried into his hands, groaning at Selena's giggles and teasing. Somehow, I feel like this secret will not be for very long.