new kid / h.s

09

if you see a typo, speak up please! and comment if you can it motivates me to publish more chapters because I do have more typed.
-Amira

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K A T

When I woke up, it would've been an understatement to say that I was startled to feel arms wrapped around me. I stayed frozen, trying to process the situation, and when memories of last night came flooding back I almost slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Harry." I whispered cautiously. I wondered if he was aware that he had me in an embrace, or if my parents came in to find him like that as well.

Or even Caitlyn. What would she think?

"Harry." I said, my voice a bit louder this time. Finally, I felt his hold around my waist loosen, and a groan came from the body besides me.

"Sorry." he said in a deep morning voice. "I didn't realize I was holding you."

And with that, he let go and sat up in bed. I did the same.

"Um, it's okay." I ran my hand through my hair. I didn't want anyone to know about this, not even Caitlyn. She didn't trust him, so I didn't expect her to take the news of this too well. "What do you want for breakfast?" I asked him.

"Um.. I'll take pancakes or waffles." he gave me a lazy smile. "And could I get some aspirin and water like I asked? My head is hurting me something crazy."

"Okay." I hopped out of bed and slipped into my house shoes before walking out the room and down the stairs. There, Caitlyn was waiting for me-- holding aspirin and water.

"Did he sleep on the floor?"

I picked at my hair. "Um, no." I answered truthfully, but my next words were not the complete truth. "We slept separate, though."

"Good news." she flashed a grin and tossed me the water bottle, before handing me the container of aspirin. "Make sure he doesn't get too much, yeah?"

I eyed her suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm pretty sure Harry is familiar with the side affects of having more medicine than he needs to." she chuckled. "Just ask anyone at his old school."

Was it just me, or was Caitlyn trying to get Harry out of the picture completely? Okay first, she accused him of killing someone if I recall correctly. Then she accused him of taking drugs! It's like she's trying to come up with ten different stories, all where he's the main antagonist.

"Okay, Caitlyn." I frowned. "I'm going to give this to him now."

"Sure." she half grinned. "Remember what I said."

*

After Harry got his water and aspirin to at least give him a start to feeling better, he fell asleep in my bed and I shut the door. By that time, Caitlyn was gone, so I stayed downstairs with my phone by my side and the television on.

My mom came strolling into the room eventually. "How was the party?" her nosy self couldn't help but ask. I just paused the television and stared ahead.

"Fun." I lied. "Harry had a ball. Noah and I were together most of it, though."

"Really." my mom said in that stagnant tone, almost as if she wasn't buying into what I was saying.

"Yeah." I said, uncertain, and turned around. "Why?"

"Because Caitlyn just told me that you two called it quits." she pursed her lips. My heart dropped into my stomach. Leave it to Caitlyn to tell things that she has no absolute business with. "So why would you lie about it?" mom asked.

This time I had no valid excuse. "I just didn't want you to go under the impression that I was with Harry."

"Oh, honey." she sat down next to me-- exactly what I didn't want her to do. "Harry is a nice boy. If we want anyone else to be with you, it would be him."

I shook my head. "But I'm not, mom."

"Then why is he asleep in your bedroom?" she pressed. "Your bed, to be more exact. And why do you keep lying to me?"

I sighed and wiped my hand on my forehead. Lying was hard work. "He was tired, that's all."

She gave me a hardened look before standing up. "I'm going to make us some lemonade." she said, her mouth still curved into that usual downward shape. "And when I come back you can tell me the absolute truth."

Great, I thought, now I'm screwed.

Mom got up and started for the kitchen. Meanwhile, I was mentally bracing myself for telling her and how she was going to handle it. That was the worst part of how knowing my mother wanted to be. It was like she wanted to be some sort of omnipresent being, knowing everything and seeing everything. And she could tell when I was lying before I even opened my mouth.

My phone chimed from next to me and the only thing that came to mind was to answer it. I peeked over the counter to see that mom was only mixing the lemonade, so I turned the television back on and checked my phone.

The text was from a blocked number.

from: blocked
want to know what harry did back at his old school? meet me in the ally tonight at 9 pm.

I looked around the house, outside the windows, checking to see if anyone was watching me. But there was no one there. I rushed upstairs to check on Harry. But he was fast asleep.

And by the time I got downstairs to have lemonade with my mother and tell her the truth, she was gone.

And the ladle was on the kitchen floor, along with a spot of red.