Harry Styles, I'm Not Your Puppet (Harry Styles Fan Fiction) (On Hold for Now)

Ch. 4 "Questions"

―Kim―

I waited for Niall to come backstage in silence, playing angry birds on my iPhone. Why couldn’t I just get a perfect score?! I sighed as I restarted the level again. And then again. And again.

The boys usually go on at nine and end an hour and a half later, but I think backstage, me playing this stupid game, I ended up killing about 25 minutes. It was exhausting, but I finally got hold of myself and ended up watching Degrassi. Something I never did unless in a dire situation of boredom.

“NO, DECLAN!” I shouted at the television. He just kissed a girl that was not the girl he had meant to.

And, on cue, the boys all came in sweaty and smiling like idiots. I clicked off the show to avoid embarrassment. First one to come in was Louis, with his customary “Kim-meh!” greeting to me. He took a coke from the refreshments table and plopped down in an armchair opposite me. Then, it was Liam who came in with Niall on his side. Then Harry, who gave a swift glance toward me, I could see the anger on his face at the sight of me, and he should see the mirrored expression upon mine. Then Zayn, who was messing with his hair and took in everybody waiting for him.

“God, I love California…” Niall sighed. “Hey, Harry, toss me a coke will you?”

Harry was standing over by the table. I couldn’t help but notice that it was the farthest spot away from me in the room and I kind of enjoyed the fact that he didn’t feel obligated to socialize with me. He tossed Niall a can and leaned back on the wall opening a bottle of water for himself.

All the boys now drinking either water or coke, I became thirsty. Fast. I looked around the room for another place for drinks, but all that was there was the table Harry was at. I was about to get up when Zayn sat beside me and Niall jumped upon both me and him. I was trapped.

“Niall!” I screamed. He spilled his coke on me as he went down. Zayn’s water bottle at least was screwed on. “You never think. White skirt, white couch.”

Niall started chuckling, “Sorry, Kim.”

“I told him that he needs to be more careful with drinks…” Liam sighed. He was standing next to Harry. “He just doesn’t think he needs to listen.”

“Why listen? He’s Niall.” Zayn said.

“Great explanation, Zayn,” Louis commented.

Zayn smiled, “Thanks,”

Dying of thirst―the boys’ drinks were making me so thirsty, I just don’t know why―I took Niall’s drink from his fist. Siblings can share drinks, it’s allowed. I took a long drink savoring the bubbles running over my tongue and down my throat.

“Hey!” Niall, like me, doesn’t like to share. “That’s mine.” 

“And it’s delicious,” I gave it back to him after he rolled off me and Zayn’s laps. He made a small plop sound.

"Well, thank you for that." Zayn said rubbing his hand up and down his pant leg. "You're like a sack of bricks."

Niall rolled his eyes and looked at the boy next to the icebox. He was leaning on the wall next to the refreshments table. “Harry can you hand her a coke?” Niall asked on the floor. “I don’t wanna share mine anymore.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

Harry looked at me, grabbed a coke, and was about to toss it to me until Niall stopped him. “I said HAND it to her. Hand!”

Harry smirked at him, and walked over to hand it to me. “Hand,” He said as I took it, and then he sat next to me. Harry laughed at himself and crossed his legs, leaning away from me.

Surprised, I felt my cheeks go hot with fury. How dare he act as though nothing’s wrong between us? I tried hard to ignore him and looked at Niall dozing on the floor.

“Hey, Nialler, Aria came over today…”

“So?”

“Soooo, she gave me this great idea. I already called mom and she said okay―”

“No.” Niall sat up straight. “If you asked mom about it, you’ll know I won’t like it. So, whatever it is, no.”

I shut up, and stared at him. He still had sweat on his forehead and his face was set in a scowl.

“Fine, I’m not asking anymore.” I said. All the boys now had all their attention directed towards us. “I’m leaving the tour for the weekend. I’m―”

All around me there was a whole chorus of objections. “Are you kidding?” “I’m with Niall, no.” “I can’t, just, what?” “You can’t be serious.” Everyone seemed to have an opinion, all except Harry, who sat silently next to me. Niall waited for everybody to shut up, then waved me on to continue. 

“We’re going to the beach house for the weekend. I’m just getting away from everything for a while…”

“You? Kim, without me you wouldn’t even have any money to go to a beach house! You want to get away? Where’s my getaway? Not that I want to get away... but even if I did I can’t. Mom said the only way for you to come on tour with me is for me to watch you. And do you even remember all those plans we had when we said we were going to Texas? We have five days, and you and I were gonna spend two of them together. Now, you’re telling me you want to go to a beach house?”

Niall’s speech stopped me. “I―I forgot.”

“Yeah, and I’m the forgetful person apparently.”

“If I may interrupt, and I am, you are a forgetful person, but why don’t we all just go to the beach house?” Liam said. “I mean, we don’t really have a concert for five days…”

“But all those interviews.” Harry suddenly became aware of everything that’s been said. He was trying to use a sorry expression, but he was a horrible actor, I could tell he was trying to avoid going to a beach house with me.

It's times like these where I wished he told his bandmates what happened, all except Niall. Niall would freak.

“So what, Haz? Can’t Paul reschedule?” Zayn said. “Niall, we all can go to the beach house, we all can get away. Just for a little while.”

“I second that suggestion!” Louis said, raising his coke can in a make-believe toast.

Niall looked at his three friends and band mates, why is it that my own flesh and blood won't listen to me, but he’ll listen to them?

“Honestly, I thought you would've ask me before mom...but seriously is everyone in agreement here then?” Niall asked, he looked at me, but Harry felt the need to answer.

“Yeah,” he said half-heartedly, obviously not knowing who the recipient of the question was.

Niall pretended not heard him and was still staring at me. I don’t know if I did agree with it. Aria and I planned on it being just us... and if I were to bring the boys along, I don’t know if she’d be okay with that.

But she did say she thought Harry was cute, maybe she wouldn’t mind, even if that whole thought was disgusting.

"Um, yeah..." I said. I looked over at Harry, who suddently found his drink interesting and was staring at it intently.

And then all I could think about was the fact that he made us like this. We used to be able to talk to each other freely, and now, we were reduced to this. Two people who can't stand the other person's prescence. It made me angry. If anything it made me hate him more.

And yet every time I see him, I think of what we were, what friends we were, and what he did to ruin it. It's his fault. And I can't be held accountable for what I did after, I was angry, I was stupid.

And then I remembered I couldn't think about that right now, and came back to the room. Was Harry thinking the same as me? 

“Excellent.” Louis said. “We're gonna be able to party!” He was now dancing on the armchair.