𝐙𝐔𝐌𝐀! | harry styles

𝐗𝐗𝐕

AS we roll into Mac's parking lot, everyone is lined up on either side of the lane I'm driving through. I'm high-fiving kids through the window, and Harry is super-cool with his shades on and foot perched on the dash.

Van Halen shouts through the loudspeakers and even the employees have stopped waiting on people to watch us crawl by. I see one little girl with ice cream dripping down her arm staring at me agape as we cruise by, and in the background, I hear her say, "Mommy, can I be as cool as that one day?" To which the mother replies, "No, honey. No one will ever be as cool as they are."

I sigh, lost in daydreams and nerves as I approach Mac's and pull in. In reality, no one seems to look up from what they're doing and I'm a little annoyed my debut with Harry AND my car is going unnoticed and uncelebrated.

I park next to Aimee's station wagon and at least she seems to be excited. She runs over and throws her arms around me. "Happy birthday, bitch!"

Laughing, I hug her back excitedly. "Thanks, I think."

"So, your dad really gave you his car? That's awesome!" She looks into the interior like she's never seen it before. "So much cooler than mine." That mollifies me. "What kind of birthday milkshake do you want? Chocolate?"

"Is there any other kind?" Aimee orders Chris to go fetch us our drinks while Harry makes his way beside me.

This is the moment I've been excited for and dreading, but when he rests his perfect butt on the hood and slings his arm over my shoulders so that I'm leaning against him, it's the best feeling in the world. I want to pump my fists in the air and run up a lot of stairs in victory like Rocky Balboa.

I covertly scan the group, smug to see a group of the bimbo girls tittering and whispering, and looking our way. I'm sure they're expressing their distaste that Harry Styles is off the market. All their hopes and dreams since the moment they heard he and Rosalie were splitsville are now dashed.

I eat it up and want to yell 'kiss my grits' across the lot.

Some of his surf crew come by and say hello, comment politely about the car and wish me a happy birthday. None of them seem particularly shocked or bothered by our closeness, so I relax, knowing in the dramatic world of teenage relationship dynamics that we are accepted as a couple.

Aimee and I lean on the car, drinking our milkshakes and bopping our heads to Foreigner. I fill her in quickly about Rosalie, knowing we'll have a more in-depth round table about it in my room tomorrow because the new issue of Cosmopolitan just came in the mail. Someone passes a joint around but because I'm driving, I decline and Harry follows my lead. I'd love to smoke up with him sometime, but today is just too perfect to ruin with a head full of weed. He kisses me on the cheek and goes back to talking to some guy he knows from the surf shop.

"So, did Harry give you a present?" Aimee winks while biting her straw and leaning into me.

"Oh my god, Harry is the sweetest boyfriend ever." I tell her about my day and all the gifts, ending my story by showing her my necklace, which immediately earns Chris an elbow to the stomach.

"I'm the what?" Harry pulls me towards him and takes a sip of my drink which even though sharing dairy products grosses me out, is nothing but wonderful 'cause it's him.

"Sweetest boyfriend ever, apparently," Chris says, rubbing his side. "Thanks."

"I can't help it if I'm great at gift-giving." He smirks at Chris and it makes me so happy to see my best friend's boyfriend and mine getting along. That's a huge thing.

"Best ever." I boldly wrap my arms around his waist and snuggle in, hoping those still-gawking girls are jealous beyond belief.

"It's not over yet," Harry whispers in my ear right before he gives me a kiss on the soft sensitive skin there, giving me goosebumps.