boys don't cry. [h.s]

twenty nine

September/October

"Shove over Liv, you dick, I'm falling off the seat."

The six of them were squashed into a booth in one of those American diner style restaurants, and Isabel had strategically placed herself on the outside just in case she needed to run off and cry, which was probably likely given she was in Harry's presence. Because Harry hadn't even looked at her since she'd got there.

She was sat on the end of the table, Niall on her left and Caitlin on the other side of him. Directly opposite Isabel was Zayn, Harry was on his right, and Liv was at the far end, apparently hogging all the room and leaving Zayn with nothing.

Everyone was excitedly chattering about their summers, but Isabel was just staring at the table, feeling more and more miserable by the second. He hadn't even acknowledged she was there, and she had no idea why. She hadn't seen him since that shift at work and she wasn't sure what she'd done, but her only thought now was the quicker they could get to the party and she could down some alcohol, the better.

Eventually the waitress came over, her heels actually clacking on the purposely chipped wooden floor, and she flashed a full watt beam at them all, her top so low cut that it was difficult to look anywhere else.

"What would y'all like to eat?" she asked in a fake American accent, and Zayn's eyes widened in poorly concealed excitement.

"I'd like to eat her right up," Niall whispered in Isabel's ear, and she elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"I'll have the, uh –" Zayn scanned the menu, having completely forgotten what he had chosen, and he picked something at random. "Spicy chicken burger?"

"Sure thing," she beamed, and Isabel was sure she was trying not to laugh at him. Her hair was thick and blonde, falling past her large chest and brushing her waist, and when Isabel glanced at Harry and caught him staring she wanted to cry.

"I'll have the double cheeseburger burger," Niall said, eyeing her with no subtlety whatsoever.

"Of course, cutie!" she chimed, and Niall went red. "And what about for you?"

She was asking Harry, smiling over at him and completely bypassing the three girls. Harry licked his lips and frowned, for a moment confused by her interest, and when she didn't look away he raised his eyebrows, the corners of his lips pulling up as his eyes shined deviously and he shut his menu.

"I'll have whatever you think's best," Harry said, smirking arrogantly as her eyes widened at his challenge, and Isabel dug her nails into her leg.

"Well, I would most definitely recommend the hot dog," she said, and Caitlin snorted loudly. "It's delicious."

"I'll have that then, please," Harry said with a little nod, and her smile widened.

"Nice manners," she commented as she wrote his order down, her eyes flickering up to him as she did so, but he wasn't looking at her anymore, just playing with some sugar on the table and pushing it around with his fingertips.

The girls' attempts at ordering were uneventful, except for the waitress expressing unnecessary surprise when Isabel said she wanted tea rather than a fizzy drink or milkshake.

"Tea?" she repeated with a simper.

"Yes please."

"Uh, we only do one very boring kind of tea, sweetheart –"

"That's okay," Isabel said, snapping the menu shut. "I would just like some tea, I don't care what type it is."

"Are ya sure I can't tempt you with a milkshake or a – "