Just A Classmate [H.S]

29

L A N A

I walked downstairs after spraying myself and fixing my hair in an attempt not to make it obvious as to what we were doing or rather what we were about to do less than five minutes ago. Immediately I locked eyes with Eli who quickly looked away from me, a tinge of pink finding its way across her cheeks. I sat down next to Gemma who had an eyebrow rose at me. She either saw us go upstairs together or was just curious where Harry was. Hopefully the second because I wasn't ready to get bombarded with questions anytime soon.

"Where's Harry?" Mum asked just before he walked down the stairs with wet hair and very red lips. My eyes quickly widened as I remembered he that he had left a hickey before. I slapped my hand over my neck, looking to the side to see Gemma smirking at me and trying to hold her laughter in. I tightened the string of the hoodie I was wearing in a sad attempt to hide it from my parents. 

Harry came and sat down next to me, his hand not hesitating to entwine with mine under the desk. "Sorry, I was having a shower." He lied, looking at me briefly with mischief in his eyes. "It was really wet." He commented, making me choke on my saliva and all heads turning to face me. I cleared my throat, quietly apologising before slightly kicking Harry under the table who obviously was finding this so amusing.

"Well let's eat, shall we?" Mum beamed and it wasn't long before everyone's plate was full of food. I had a few forkfuls of the pasta bake, discovering I didn't have much of an appetite and putting my fork down. I was glad everything was over and I didn't have to keep having panic attacks in the middle of my sleep. But this was an experience I couldn't shake and I couldn't help constantly see Callum's sinister smirk as he had his hands wrapped around my neck whilst I struggled to breath. I could see Harry staring at me from the corner of my eye as I fell deeper into a trance. It was when he squeezed my hand that I finally brought my eyes to meet his.

"Why aren't you eating?" He asked just after swallowing. I shrugged my shoulders, wiping my mouth with the serviette and releasing our entwined hands, suddenly feeling claustrophobic from the action. It was crazy how controlling fear and trauma could be.

"I don't really feel hungry in all honesty." I admitted. I noticed his face change into a frown with evident worry on his face.

"You haven't eaten anything all day and I can believe you didn't eat yesterday either." He said seriously, making me realise that it was true. I was under so much stress about taking care of everyone else that I kind of forgot to take care of myself too.

"I don't know why I don't feel like eating...I should be hungry." I mumbled, looking down at the plate that normally would be very appealing but did nothing to me right now. If anything, it made me feel a little nauseas. He put his fork down and stood up, re-entwining his hand with mine.

"Excuse us," he said before pulling me up with him and leading me into the farthest room from the dining.

"Why are we in the guest bedroom?" I asked as he motioned me to sit down on the neatly made bed that had been untouched for quite a while now. He crouched down to my level, taking my hands in his and looking at them.

"It's all just a façade, isn't it?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what he meant by that. What was the facade? "What do you mean?"

"I mean everything that has just happened. You're playing it cool now but I know this really bothers you and you don't know what to do about it." He explained as if he took a step inside my brain and read every single emotion I was feeling. He was right, so right, but I didn't want him to know that. Harry had always worried about me, ever since we were small. He kind of made it his responsibility to take care of me and I could only imagine he would get even more protective after everything that had happened lately.