Magnolia in May [H.S]

Part thirty-seven

Magnolia

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The room rumbles with thunderous applause, chatter obscured by the pure intensity of it. I adjust to the clamor, smiling brightly at the crowd, their eyes burning into my skin. If I'm honest the speeches didn't warrant such a reaction, they were practically the same speeches from last year- just with bigger words, more exaggerated statics. I suppose the resort had been picking up, with it my recognition. Even then people acted as though we were A-listers.

A wave of relief washes over me when I register they're over, I'd have known by now if I didn't completely zone out when I got on the stage. But right as my feet hit those platforms I blacked out, and now that hour and a half felt like a fever dream. A long gregarious one that only happened when you were sicker than a dog.

My feet shake as I creep back down the steps, getting out of the view. Rushing over to take a seat at the table with Indie, Niall and Rory. Settling myself after the emotion strain I had to endure.

I only notice now Harry isn't sitting with them, in fact he's nowhere to be seen. A ghost in the wind. And clearly it had been enough time for him to come back, so where did he go? He- like me had unreputable wanderlust though it occurred odd he'd just left. Notably after what ensued between us. It's not like I expected him to drive me home or say something sweet but the least he could do is say bye to me.

Here I go making expectations again, I can't- above all else when it comes to Harry, it's not fair for either of us.

"That was magnificent," Niall slurs his words, shooting finger guns at me. I shake my head with heed. "Was it? I was not paying attention.."

He makes a face, piercing his lips. "Me either but he sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Though the use of 'industrious' was kind of repetitive." I raise my brows, sighing with disaster. I glance around the dimmed room, taking time on each overpacked part to see if he was anywhere. But nothing, no sign of that dimpled devil.

"I doubt my father even knows what that word means, he probably just opened a thesaurus and wrote down the spiffy words he saw." Indie chortles at my words, nodding her head in agreeance.

"Hey, you guys seen Harry?" I bring it up nonchalantly, disregarding the fact I was dying inside to talk to him. Niall breaks into a confused state, furrowing his brows with thought. As if he just realized something, he looks around the room ponderously.

"Yeah, where is Harry?" He turns to Indie and Rory who looked just as puzzled. She shrugs her shoulders, all three of them on the same level of discombobulation.

"I haven't seen him in like two hours... Whenever he left the table, I just thought maybe he was going to get some air but I guess he left?" Rory speculates, searching. I nod as if I hadn't seen him an hour ago, I didn't want them questioning what happened between us- because if i'm honest I have no clue what it meant.

I play my disappointment off, putting on a fake smile. Indie pierced her eyes at me, "Are you okay Meg?" She'd seen right through me- completely and without much effort. My eyes shot down to the table cover, as I bit my lip- mustering words to form on my tongue. "Yeah, I'm just.. Really fucking tired... I just have to get through another hour of this.." Diverting the eyes off of me, I poke mindlessly at the decor. I'd seemed my sloppy attempt to get her off my case worked.

My mind zones out, even with the pitter of voices my thoughts were louder. More chaotic than the surrounding itself. I found it easy drowning in them, especially in sensory overloaded places like this one- when there's more than enough things to fixate on.

"Hazza!" Niall shouts, I dart my head up, meeting with Harry who's walking over to the table. "We thought you left, where'd you go?" He seemed out of it, looking at me once and then avoiding all contact with my eyes. Acting as if I had poofed after one unfulfilling glance. I felt my heart swell at his subtle dodging- wondering what the hell I did wrong- if he's acting this way because he regrets it. Or if i'm just reading between the lines and he's high.