wild [h.s./hariana]

three

[0.3]

I place my cigarette back into my mouth and lean my head back to blow out the smoke, inhaling the fumes.

"Um, what are you doing?" Harry asks, snapping his head to me. "Why the hell are you smoking in my car?"

"Relax, it's fine." I scoff at him.

"No, I'm not going to relax." Harry replies. "I told you that smoking is bad for you, you ignore me, obviously. Then I offer you a ride and then you think you can smoke in my car? Who do you think you are?"

"Well who do you think you are?" I ask snappily in reply. "Do you really think a little miss innocent girl that studies hard, never smokes or drinks would be let into a gang such as the Wolfpack? Be real."

"No, you be real." Harry says. "Be real and admit that what you're doing is going to kill you."

"Listen, I have been dodging both the most feared men in this city and bullets for the past year or so. A lot of things could have killed me already." I snap back.

"Just because you're in this gang doesn't mean you should let them pressure you into do things you're not comfortable with." Harry tells me "Peer pressure is a serious thing, you know."

"Oh, don't go all teacher teacher on me now." I tease.

"But I am your teacher, Ariana." Harry reminds me and I roll my eyes.

"Then why am I in this car with you?" I ask him as silence fills the car. "You're my teacher, right? Shouldn't we only interact in a classroom?"

Harry sighs. "Yes, you are right. It's just when you were in class today, I thought you were just one of those loud mouthed girls that likes to just dress up in leather jackets to be tough and intimidating, trying to wind up the teacher and messing around in lessons, that's why I kept you behind. Then you told me about Wolfpack. And I'm afraid for you. The reason why I offered to drive you back was because I know you'd probably hitch any lift back with anyone. I don't think you should be throwing your life away doing things like that."

"You don't know anything about me." I say carelessly, brushing off his concern.

"I know exactly what you were going to spend that money on if I gave it to you." Harry tells me. "I was a kid in college once too."

"Really? I'm shocked. I can't imagine you doing anything even close to badass in college." I say. "You're so perfect, apparently."

"Far from it. I did try things and that's why I know what I'm talking about." Harry tells me, not making eye contact.

"What, you were in a gang?" I ask and Harry shakes his head.

"No, but I was in a frat." Harry admits and my eyes widen. "And I spent so long trying to get into it, doing all sorts of things to persuade them to let me in and now I realise what a waste of time that all was. It may be fun at the time but it's not a few years down the line when you look back."

I sit in silence for a while, staring out of the window, thinking about what he just said. I notice Harry glance over at me and I cover my face with my hand.

"Are you crying?" Harry asks and I quickly move my hand away.

"No, you idiot!" I say. "I was laughing."

"Why?"

"Because I can't imagine you, sensible Mr Styles, being in a frat." I tell him. "I'll be laughing about that all night."

"I'm glad I amuse you." Harry says as he pulls up outside the gates of the school. "Do you need me to come in and explain to your dorm advisor why you're so late?"