Artwork [h.s]

forty-eight

"I'm sorry for leaving you yesterday" I said as we walked into the cafeteria, kind of regretting my decision of the day before. He didn't need to tell me explicitly to know that I'd inadvertently hurt him with my actions.

Harry shrugged. "It's fine" he replied, quickly silencing me. "Let's sit."

We walked towards the table that Zayn was sitting on and I sat down on a chair in front of him, putting my coat on my legs and looking up at Harry as he took his coat off and draped it on the back of the last free chair before sitting down as well.

Zayn looked up from his phone, a somewhat annoyed look on his face that I couldn't understand the reason of. I'd never seen him so upset before, he usually was almost as good as Harry at not letting his emotions show. "Surprised you haven't forgotten about me yet" he said, quietly but somewhat snappily, earning a confused look from Harry.

"What?" He asked, a hint confusion in his voice as he slowly leaned back against the chair, as if he could sense the storm that was about to come.

Zayn shook his head, locking the phone and almost throwing it on the table. "You know what, Harry? I knew how you were when we first met. Fuck, you were only fourteen, but I just knew you weren't the kind to get close to anyone." He snorted, glaring at him across the table. "I stood by your side year by year, watching you hang out with always different people, keeping them around for as long as you were entertained and then just throwing them away when you were done with them, as if they were nothing." He shook his head, as if he couldn't come to terms with the words that were leaving his mouth. "I hoped I wouldn't have been one of them" he said quietly, looking down. "I convinced myself that it was alright, that I could've taken your friendship for as long as you were willing to give it to me, but I was so fucking wrong."

Harry gave him an almost shocked look, clearly not believing the words that were leaving his friend's mouth as well. "What are you talking about?" He asked him, his voice low as if he was trying his best to keep a calm tone, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I tried my best to be the friend you needed, Harry, and I don't even fucking know why because you never cared enough to do the same!" He looked down at the table, suddenly realising that he'd raised his voice a bit too much, and that some people in the cafeteria were looking at us. Honestly, what was up with Harry's friends and addressing personal arguments in public places?

"Niall, Liam, they were all bitching about your behaviour, but I just went along with it, because I supposed you needed at least one of us by your side, but this just got too fucked" the raven-haired boy hissed, sending Harry a sharp glare before giving me a quick look, so penetrating that it urged me to look away.

Harry's defences crumbled down at the sound of his words, and he gave him a somewhat pained look. "I had no idea..." he said quietly, but let his voice fade away, as if he couldn't find something to say.

"Of course you didn't. When ever do you notice something that isn't in your line of interest?" The boy snapped harshly at him, quickly shutting him up. "The argument you had with Liam made me realise one thing. You have a new toy now" he said, glancing at me. "And I just know it's a matter of time before you push me to the side just like you've done with everybody else."

A frown took over Harry's face. "That isn't true-"

"It is Harry, and you fucking know it! How much have we seen each other since she came around?"