Neighbors

39

Quinn POV

Monday rolls around quicker than what I thought.

I spoke to Harry for a while last night, but I haven't seen him since Saturday, which is fine.

I'm putting my binders in my bag and I'm humming to myself to pass by boring time. My eyes glance up when I hear a sound near my locker.

Harry looks down at me and smiles gently. "Hey," He says.

"Hello," I greet while closing my locker and standing back up. I flatten down my dress and fix my hair. "How are you?" I ask.

"Eh," He responds with a gentle huff. "You?"

"I'm good. Why are you eh?" I ask curiously.

"My back, like usual." He shrugs his shoulders and leans against the lockers next to mine.

"Should you be on some medicine for that? Or why don't you get a massage? Sometimes those help." I offer.

His eyebrow raises at me and his eyes look away from our contact. "I'll be fine. It's just sore right now," He brushes off. I nod, and allow him to dismiss the conversation. "Anyways, I should get to my homeroom before the bell. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," I say with a gentle smile. I think I said something to upset him, but I don't know what.

Harry leans down and kisses my cheek before walking away. I pick at my lower lip with my two fingers and sigh.

***

It's lunch now and I'm sitting at my usual table with my friends. Joy is talking about a sleepover she's hosting this weekend and our other friends are chiming in saying how they're excited.

I take my eyes away from Joy whom is speaking and look to the people who walked into the cafeteria. I see it's Harry and a boy with darkish brown hair and slim body. A girl is beside Harry's friend and they're holding hands. I think that might be Zayn and his girlfriend. I know Harry's spoken about him a few times.

My eyes look to the girl who's walking over to them and I see it's Kay. My jaw already tightens and my eyes just stare.

Harry looks calm, like he always does. His fingers run through his curls and his friends walk away to their usual table, which leaves them alone.

Kay is smiling while Harry talks. She steps closer towards him, but he steps back. I see her head tilt by his action which makes me slightly feel good.

After a while they go their own ways and he walks to his table. I look back to Joy who's staring at me with raised eyebrow and a confused look. 

"Quinn, come up with me to throw out my trash." Joy says while standing.

"Uh, okay," I say with semi knotted eyebrows.

We walk away from our round table that has our friends, and we stop at the trashcan across the room. "What are you doing?" My best friend asks.

"What?" I ask with a confused voice and look. My eyebrows are knotted by her words.

"Why are you staring at Harry? He's with Kay, and I thought you guys were done." I widen my eyes and slightly scoff.

"He's not with Kay," I say quickly. "And we made up." I add.

Her filled in eyebrow raises at me and she takes her phone from her pocket and types away. She shows me a photo of Kay's head on some guy's chest. The text that follows is a heart and the name Harry.

"That was last week," Joy tells me.

"That's not Harry," I say quickly.

"He's wearing the same shirt today, Quinn." My friend tells me in a lowered voice.

I look to Harry who's laughing with his friends. His shirt catches my eye and makes my heart sting. I remain silent and let my nails seep into the palm of my hand.  My eyes are still on Harry who glances towards the opposite side of the room. I look to what he's looking at and see Kay who is smiling widely at whoever she is speaking to. 

I shake my head and leave the lunch room with stinging eyes. I'm turning into a headcase and I just need to be alone now. 

I find myself down the hallway away from the lunch room. I lean against the white, concrete wall behind me and close my eyes. My heart is pounding against my chest roughly and I feel like crying, and I don't know why. I don't know why Harry has this stupid power over me, and I hate it. I hate it so much it drives me insane. 

"You okay?" I hear a familiar voice say to me. My eyes slowly open and I see Harry standing in front of me with soft eyes. "I saw you leave the-" As he speaks I walk away and keep my mouth shut.

"Quinn, what's wrong?" He asks as he follows me. I don't respond which makes his hand tug mine back to stop walking. 

"Don't touch me." I say with scowling eyes. I take my hand out of his hold and place it besides my body.

"What did I do?" Harry asks with a confused look. I don't respond. I just stare at him with the same look I was before. He steps closer towards me and rests his hand on my lower back. I move away from his touch and keep the same look on my face. "Quinn, talk to me." 

"Leave me alone." I repeat.

"Tell me what's the matter. You can't tell me to leave you alone and not tell me why." He says.

"Fine," I find myself still holding Joy's phone. I put in her pass code which is 3,2,1,0 and show him the photo that Joy showed me. 

"Okay? It's Kay cuddling with someone." Harry brushes off.

"The boy in the photo is wearing the same shirt you are today," I state. "And this was sent to Joy a week ago. Not to mention you keep speaking to Kay and staring at her," I add. "Also the text that follows that photo is your name with a stupid heart." 

"That's not me in that photo." He says with a slight scoff and wide eyes. "And yeah, she was talking to me earlier today but that was it since the last time I talked to her."

"Why are you talking to her at all?" I ask. "Who else would own that shirt?" I ask. It's a Fleetwood Mac shirt that only I've seen him wear. 

"I don't know Quinn, but it's not me." His voice lowers. 

"You're a liar." I say.

"I'm not lying." Harry says while looking into my eyes. "Why would I tell you that I slept with Kay but keep a secret the fact that I'm with her?" He asks. "She's nothing to me." 

"That's why you stare at her?" I ask the boy standing across from me.

"Why are you so jealous over her?" Harry asks me. "And I was never staring at her."

"I'm not jealous over her," I snap quickly. "I saw you in the lunch room looking at her." 

"I was looking for you." He says with narrowed eyes. 

"Yeah, okay." I say with rolling eyes. 

"Stop acting like this," Harry says while moving closer towards me. His voice turns softer and his eyes turn delicate.

I stand still and keep my eyes tense. "That's not me in the photo, I swear to god. Don't believe Kay and whatever she told Joy," I take my eyes out of his deep stare that is picking away at my skin. His hands cup my cheeks and keep my head still so our eyes can still look into each others. "Please believe me." 

I remain silent and find myself softening my eyes. I close my eyes and feel his lips kiss my forehead. His arms slip around my body and Harry hugs me tightly. "I have to go to," I say while moving out of his hold a few moments later. 

"Quinn-" I cut Harry off. 

"I'll talk to you later." I say in a mumble before walking away. My voice is low and timid.

A://N

hello

comment goal: 50?

i'll try to update again tonightt

i'm sorry if this book is going hella slow

~lauren