boys don't cry. [h.s]

fourteen

April

"I'm so thirsty!" Harry announced loudly, yanking open the fridge and getting out the orange juice, downing it straight from the carton. "I'm so hot, are you hot?"

"Well we ran quite a way."

"I know, and I run all the time. You know I've run twenty-four miles since last Sunday."

"That's a lot," Isabel nodded seriously.

"I've done more," Harry said with a proud smile. "Two weeks ago I ran thirty-eight in a week."

Isabel's jaw fell open. "Thirty-eight?!" Harry nodded, and before she could say anything further he was shoving the empty orange juice back in the fridge and withdrawing a half empty plastic litre bottle of cider.

"Are we allowed this?"

Isabel screwed up her face. "It's not mine."

Harry grinned mischievously, opening the cap and taking a swig. "Blame it on me. Stupid Harry." And before she could protest he was running out into the hall.

He bounded up the stairs three at a time, and by the time Isabel caught up with him he had already taken his shirt and jeans off and burrowed under her duvet, smiling at her with the covers pulled up to his chin.

"Let's watch a film, Isabel!" he said excitedly. "I wanna watch a film with you!"

"No, you'll talk all over it," she protested, shutting the door and leaning against it, staring at Harry like he was a wild animal.

"No I won't, I promise. Come get into bed with me." He pulled back the covers and patted the space next to him eagerly. She didn't move and he pouted. "Please?"

"What film do you want to watch?" she asked, avoiding the way her heart sped up at his request. "Any more fun films from the nineties? Is that your favourite movie era?" She stumbled across the room to kneel by the bed, lifting up the duvet to rifle through her film boxes underneath.

"I don't think I've seen any other '90s chick flicks," Harry confessed, and Isabel poked her head up from the side of the bed, outraged.

"You've never seen Clueless?!"

"Noooooooo," Harry grinned. Isabel found the appropriate box and yanked it out.

"You haven't lived, Styles."

"I'm all for losing my Clueless virginity with you, Is," he said with grin, and she forced a choked sort of laugh, trying to ignore the way the swallows on his chest were rising and falling with every breath.

"I hope you're ashamed because that was super cheesy, Harry, I'm cringing."

"You flatter me."

Isabel got under the covers fully clothed in her Alice in Wonderland dress and snuggled down into her pillow, placing the laptop in Harry's lap.

"What's it about?" he asked.

"A girl called Cher, and you can forget Sloane because she's the best person ever. You'll see."

"Is she looking for love?"

"Of course," Isabel said with a raised eyebrow. "It's a chick flick."

"Sorry, how stupid of me," Harry apologised, and she rolled her eyes. "I'll shut up."

They watched silently for a while, passing the bottle of cider between them, and though Isabel watched the screen intently Harry kept fidgeting, squirming about under the covers like a restless child and sighing loudly. When she glanced over at him, checking to see his reaction to when Mr Hall and Ms Geist got together, she found that he was staring at her and not the film, his eyes warm and relaxed, his eyelids heavy.