Introspective Strangers [h.s.]

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

The rest of our drive was good, despite the fact that Harry and I didn't talk much. I was glad that he didn't try to push me to either, considering I wasn't really in the mood to do any talking the closer we got to our destination.

"Nervous?" was his first word after a few hours. He ran his thumb down the inside of my thigh and I shivered.

Sighing, I leaned forward to turn down the music. "Yeah. Dunno. I'm excited to see my sister but just not looking forward to all of the stress to do with the wedding."

We pulled off the highway and onto the street leading into my town, making me shift uncomfortably in my seat. The familiar scenery that flew by outside the window was causing my stomach to turn.

"This is where you lived, huh?" Harry marvelled, ducking his head down to peer out to the passing buildings and people. The town rolled by in an influx of dreary colours and structures.

"For almost 18 years," I said with a small laugh, "It's awful. Would not recommend."

"I like to picture a young May walking these streets," he teased and glanced over at me, "What were you like as a teenager?" I opened my mouth to respond, but he piped up again before I got the chance, "Wait! Let me guess. I'm thinking... pink hair and lots of friends. I see you being the popular, partying type."

I nearly choked at his words. "Okay, you are way off." I said with a laugh, "No pink hair, unfortunately. Dyed the ends blue at one point, but that was the extent of it. And I was definitely not popular. Nor did I go to a lot of parties... kind of kept to myself a lot."

"So you were shy?"

"I wouldn't say that I was shy, more so that I just hated everyone and everything," I responded with a dry laugh, "I didn't do anything unless I had to – actually, that was my highschool right there," I pointed to a building on the corner of the street that we were approaching. The grass out front was dry and dead and the entire property itself looked almost abandoned.

"That's..."

"Bad," I finished with another laugh, "but it's the only school in town. The classes were always overflowing, and I'm sure the teachers wanted to string every one of us up the flagpole. They were just as done with this shithole as we were. Except they're stuck here. At least I got out."

Harry grinned at my words and then gestured with his chin up ahead. "It's left up here, yeah?"

"Yes," I breathed, wiping my palms on my pant legs and trying to calm my nerves. "Turn left and then it's house number 57 on the right-hand side."

"Hey," Harry murmured as he turned down the street. He slowed the car down to look at me. "It's okay. You're okay."

"I know," I mumbled. "I know it's stupid to be so nervous about this but–"

"It isn't stupid. At all." Harry moved his hand down to cup my knee. "We'll get through this weekend together, okay? Side by side."

"Side by side," I confirmed under my breath and gave a nod. Harry let go of my leg, the absence something that I wish I didn't automatically notice, as he turned the wheel to pull into the approaching driveway.

The first thing that we were greeted with as we parked the car was my sister who happened to be crying and smoking a cigarette on the front porch.

"Oh fuck," I muttered and quickly undid my seatbelt, throwing the door open and hopping out of the car without even bothering to give Harry a second glance.

The outside air hit me right away and I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my arms a few times to try and warm up.

"Eve!" I ran around the front of the car and over to my dejected sister, who looked up at me and only let out a choked sob as we made eye contact. "Eve, babe. What the hell? What's going on?"