KIWI - {H.S.}

Chapter Six

It looks like a sports bar, but I can't exactly tell. It has vintage looking neon signs all over it, and the name of it reads, Bar H.

​Walking in, its way more than just a bar and much bigger on the inside than it looks like on the outside. There are tables and booths everywhere, surrounded by flat screen TV's, and a huge bar on the back wall of the room with more alcohol than I've ever seen in my life. It smells like wings and pizza. The rock music is so loud, and everyone in the restaurant has some type of drink. I see foamy beers, and fruity drinks with slices of pineapple or strawberries wedged onto the rims of the glasses.

"This is so amazing," Charli says, walking up next to me. She walks away with Zayn to the bar.

This place is packed with people and I study the area with my eyes as everyone that rode with Niall walks in and heads straight for the bar.

Nic walks up from behind to stand next to me. She throws her arm over my shoulder and says,

​"It's a nice place in here, right?"

​"Yeah, it's super cool. Is this the party?" I ask and she starts laughing.

​"Oh, no. The party is downstairs. Where all of us cool, college kids go to play." She winks.

​"Where did you guys find this place?" I ask her.

​"You notice how the name of it is Bar H?"
she asks, I nod before she continues.

​"Harry's parents own this place. There's a basement downstairs that has tons of space for us to party, and tons of rooms for Harry to live, and for his friends to rent out. Harry and Niall both live down there." She laughs when she looks over at me and notices that my jaw has almost dropped to the floor.

​"Harry's parents own this place? He and Niall both live here? How big is the downstairs?"
​My pure shock is causing both of us to crack up. If Harry's parents own the building they all party in, I let myself wonder where he is.

​"Yeah, we'll go downstairs in a bit. But first, let's get a drink." She says.

​We walk over to the bar where everyone is sitting. There are so many people here that it's hard to even see past the bar stools. Nic gets to the edge of the bar and catches the bartender's attention, and she orders. I have no idea what to order myself. I've drank a few times, but never in an atmosphere like this.

I'm lost in thought over my nerves about what to drink when I feel someone on the other side of the bar staring at me. I look over and notice the green eyes. Harry.

Ren is standing in front of him, and she's saying something, but he keeps his eyes locked on mine. He looks away when the bartender hands him a drink, and he takes a sip out of it, looking back at me, and I look away.

As soon as I do, I see Niall walking over to me. He has two, bright red drinks on ice that both have an umbrella sticking out of them. He says,

​"This one is for you." He says as he walks me to the small area of the bar that can fit the two of us.

​Charli and Zayn have frozen margaritas, and they call Harry and Ren to come over and sit with us. Ren looks over at the four of us and rolls her eyes a little before turning back to talk to Harry, who has already moved away from her and walking toward us, then she trails behind him.

"How about this," Harry begins when he gets to the group and calls one of the bartenders.

"Tray of shots, please. Patron." He says to the bartender before turning back to us.

"Shots, anyone?" Harry laughs.

The groups starts laughing, but my stomach drops. I've never taken a shot before.

"I've never taken a shot before." I try my best to whisper to Charli and Nic, but it's so loud in here that I had to speak up, and they all heard me.

​"Aw, how cute. She's never taken a shot." Ren says, and she interlocks her arm around Harry's. I'm annoyed with myself for wanting to know what's going on between them. I also have no idea why Ren has such an attitude towards me.

"Shut up, Ren." Harry spits and pulls his arm away from her. My pure shock that he just defended me is definitely showing on my face. Ren scoffs and walks away. Harry hands me the tiny glass of clear fire.

​Niall tells me to lick my hand before pouring salt on it. I make eye contact with Harry while he licks his hand to prepare for the salt. I feel my cheeks getting hot and I know I'm blushing. Shake that off. I think to myself.

​Nic starts to countdown from 3.
​"3....2....1!" Charli joins in, and they're yelling at this point.

​We all clink our glasses together, knock them on the bar top, lick the salt off our hands, and I close my eyes before dipping my head back and pouring the fiery liquid down my throat.

I crinkle my nose up and squeeze my eyes even tighter than before. I freeze. I've never felt something burn my throat so badly. Wrong pipe. You're fucking kidding me. I start to cough. I keep my eyes closed because somehow that's blocking out the embarrassment I feel right now. My mouth starts to water. Please don't vomit, Hollis. I plead to myself.

I hear Charli say something about a lime, but before I could try to grab it to suck the burn out of my throat, someone takes the shot glass out of my hand and hands me a glass of some type of soda. Their hand is on my back as a I take a sip, and the tingle I feel from their fingertips sends more shock through my body than the shot did. I finally open my eyes and realize Harry is the one who helped me wash down the burning venom. I just stand there and look up at him. Its the alcohol that's making me lost in his gaze. Yeah, it's the alcohol, I tell myself. I feel like his green eyes could pierce a hole in my forehead. He doesn't say anything as he just stands there looking into my eyes. I break the silence.

"You okay?" He asks. His hand still gripping my shoulder.

​"Yeah, thanks. I've never done one of those before." This is the nicest he's been to me before.

"So I heard." He chuckles enough for me to notice his dimples.

​Nic, Niall and Zayn are all surrounding us now, and Harry drops his hand back down into the pocket of his leather jacket. It looked like he was going to say something when Niall moves in front of him, between us.

"Are you okay?" Niall asks. I'm blushed and embarrassed.

​"Oh my goodness!" Charli laughs. Which makes me laugh along with her.

​"Yeah, I'm okay. It's not too bad now. I think the burn just startled me more than anything. It also went down the wrong pipe, so I felt like I was choking. No biggie." I move my eyes past him to look for Harry, he's walking away and going to the other side of the bar. He orders something else from one of the bartenders. Even with the long line of people, she walks away and makes his drink.

Ren walks up and grabs his hand to pull his arm around her shoulder, but he moves it away and rolls his eyes.

I let my thoughts go about his hand around my shoulder and his sweet grin, looking at me. I begin talking to Nic and Niall again.

"Where'd Charli and Zayn go?" I ask. Looking around and watching Harry walk through a wooden door.

"They walked downstairs. Let's go! We'll come back up occasionally for more drinks. Maybe I can get you used to taking shots so we can take one together." She laughs and we all head towards the same wooden door.