new kid / h.s

03

K A T

"Do you have a curfew?" Harry asked out of the blue while he drove.

"Excuse me?"

He looked at me for only a second and licked his lips, his concentration planted on the road once again. "Is there a time you have to be home by?"

"No." I said firmly and truthfully. "But I do have a job to get to by 6."

"Great." Harry beamed. I wondered what he had in store that he was so ecstatic about. But then he added, "Because we have to make a few stops."

He passed the expressway exit for Rosewood and got off for downtown Pennsylvania instead. My hands sat awkwardly in my lap, working up a sweat. Harry seemed to be relaxed as he drove.

"We're almost there, I'm sorry." he apologized.

I laughed. "You don't have to say sorry."

"I kind of do."

"No you don't."

"But I'm driving you."

"That's the point, silly." I jeered, causing Harry to laugh at his own mistake. "You're doing me a favor. I should say sorry for your mistakes."

He took a quick glance at me and smiled ahead. "We're here."

*

"Frozen yogurt, really?" I giggled as we walked inside the shop. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I didn't have the money on me to buy any, so I admired the place while Harry got his toppings.

When he was done, he looked at me expectantly.

"Aren't you going to get something?" he asked me. I felt my hands getting sweaty again and my heart beating. The reason I was called a nerd-- my chronic nervousness.

"N-no." I answered shakily. "I don't have money with me."

Harry looked at me like that was the dumbest excuse in the world. "Do you think I don't?" he smiled kindly at me. "Get all you want. I have money."

I was hesitant to do so, but there was no missing out on white chocolate covered strawberry flavored frozen yogurt. I poured myself a bit and added white chocolate chips for the perfect topping.

"The price is based on weight." Harry explained when we stood on the register. Both our yogurts were weighed and came out to about 20 dollars.

"That's a lot." I said, regretting my decision. But Harry just shook it off. He said, "Most of the weight is mine. Don't worry." And handed the cashier two twenty dollar bills.

"Um, Harry." I said when we sat down. "You gave him twenty extra."

He didn't seem to mind. "I'm sure he could use the tip, working on minimum wage in such a costly place-- yeah?"

"Yeah." I agreed, not sure if my heart were as full and kind as his. I didn't understand how people at his previous school could hate him, because I was finding it hard to not admire him.

He took a scoop of his yogurt and looked delighted.

"What flavor?" I asked curiously. It was brown and looked like some sort of paste.

"Peanut butter." Harry groaned. "It's so good Katrina, you have to try it."

I stopped him, "Call me Kat." And he nodded.

"And I don't think I want peanut butter froyo." I said humorously. "That sounds... bleh."

"Well it doesn't taste... bleh." He teased, and took another spoonful. It was hard to watch.

We are in a comforting silence for a while, but soon Harry broke it as I expected him to. He said, "I have an idea. Let's play never have I ever."

I giggled. "We don't have shots."

Harry lifted his spoon. "But we have really good frozen yogurt." I laughed at his remark and nodded, agreeing to his game. "You start." he said.

I thought of a good one. One that would get me some answers from him and sound playful at the same time. I didn't want to force it out of him. "Never have I ever...." I started. "Kissed a girl."

Harry took a scoop of his ice cream. He didn't look remorseful either, because he gave me a dimpled grin and thought of his next one.

"Never have I ever dated someone I didn't really like." he said, his eyes burning into mine. I could tell that he knew, but I didn't care. For some odd reason I could trust him with that. So I took a scoop, and so did he.

"Never have I ever been to a party."

"Never have I ever gotten drunk."

"Never have I ever watched a sappy sad movie." Harry took a scoop for this one and I laughed.

"The notebook." he said quickly. "Never have I ever.... killed a man." his words sounded so serious yet a bit playful. I didn't know what to think.

But he took a scoop of his own yogurt and my heart did somersaults. Was that why people hated him? I couldn't see him capable of murder at all.

My thoughts were interrupted by his playful giggle. "A just kidding, Kat!" he laughed. "You really believed it. How gullible can you get?"

I let out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

"I've had enough." I said with a small smile. I was just finishing off my yogurt. "Drive me home now, chauffeur?"

He grinned. "Only if you tip me."