new kid / h.s

29

K A T

Zayn came in a few minutes later, and ordered a frappe. He sat down with us in the booth, opposite to us.

"Well, you decided to bring Kat." he said smartly, his voice a lot more light and friendly this time. "Nice to see you, Harry's girl."

I smiled, even though I didn't quite know what those words were supposed to mean. "Hey, Zayn."

Zayn glanced over to Harry and stared him down, but not in the threatening way at all. "So are we ready to talk about what the current plan is and what we can do to make it better?"

Harry and I nodded simultaneously. Though, it wasn't in my place to make those decisions.

"Yes." Harry said, and took a sip of the latte. "This is nice. This should be our drink."

Zayn rolled his eyes. "Not more romantic soppy shit." he chuckled. "Last time I saw you like this, you were with Julia. Except this girl looks a bit more.. serious."

Something twinged inside of me.

Harry glanced to see if I was okay, and it was clear that I wasn't. He cleared his throat. "Zayn, Julia and I were never serious."

He scoffed. "You were in love with her, lad!"

"Back on subject." I frowned, glaring at Zayn and then not even bothering to look at Harry. I couldn't be upset with him. I wouldn't dare to be. I just didn't know how to feel.

"Right." Zayn said, but his tone suggested that he realized he was off topic the whole time. "What's your current plan, lovebirds?"

Harry ignored his remark. "Well, at first I was pretending to date Kat but then it got serious. Louis, Niall, and Liam are going to believe that we've fallen in love, and they want me to get her cornered in a spot where we can 'kill' her." he made air quotations at the word.

Zayn nodded. "Pretty solid for the base."

Harry smiled like he was proud of himself. "Niall said he would meet me somewhere at prom so me and him can kill her, but really we'll both be armed and we'll wipe Niall out right away. Then there's Liam and Louis, who shouldn't be too hard with the help of you."

"Right." Zayn agreed. "I can get those two to believe that we're watching your every move from a remote location, and lock them in a closet-- tied up and gagged."

My eyes bulged. "That sounds pretty hardcore. Why can't you just kill them, put them out of their misery and whatnot?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what Harry has told you about them yet, but these three are malicious. They won't stop till everyone in your ex's gang is dead. And everyone affiliated with them."

I mumbled under my breath, "I wish I knew what I was getting myself into when I said I wanted to be popular."

Harry must've heard me, because he extended out the latte and I took a sip. Somewhat, that made me feel better.

"That's actually a great plan." Zayn smirked to himself. "I don't see any changes that need to be made, it doesn't really seem faulty. Those lads will believe anything you tell them."

Harry nodded in agreement. "You're right about that one, Z." he laughed, and the two exchanged a high five. Still, something seemed a bit off about this private meeting.

"What a reunion this is!" Zayn exclaimed, pulling out his phone. I was surprised to see that it was the newest iPhone. "We need a picture."

Harry looked at me at the same time that I turned to face him. We were both lost and uncomfortable.

"Yes." he agreed dully, his eyes still fixed on me as if he were concerned for my well being. But he didn't say a thing.

Zayn opened his camera and took a selfie with Harry, where he held up two fingers for a peace sign and gave a half smile. He looked so precious like that, and it made me realize that Harry and I had never taken a picture together.

Next it was me, which I was not expecting at all. I made the best duck face I could, and Zayn mirrored the expression. I had to admit, I liked the way the picture came out.

"I'll send you two the picture." he said, scrolling through and smiling with approval when he saw them. "But Kat, I'll need your number first."

Before I could even say the first digit, Harry jumped in (as I expected him to). "Send them to me and I'll send the one of you two to her." he said quickly and Zayn just nodded as if it didn't matter.

"See you two around." he said nonchalantly, before standing up from the table and taking his unfinished drink with him. "Stay cute together."

Harry just sat there, wordless as Zayn walked out of the shop.

"That was nothing like I expected it to be." I said as soon as he was gone out of view. By now the shop was becoming less crowded, as the midday rush of people getting off from work came to an end.

Harry seemed to easily agree with me, which didn't surprise me in the least. "He was nice to you..." he reminisced. "...Too nice."

I nudged him in the shoulder. "Come on, Harry! Loosen up. All he wanted to do was send the pictures."

He shook his head. "I know Zayn. At first it's sending cute selfies and then it's deep and meaningful conversations in the middle of the night."

I fought the urge to laugh. "Do you know this from experience?"

"Sadly, yes." Harry actually chuckled and took another drink of the latte. "We were talking about how the things we love most in life come back to hurt us. And it lasted about three hours."

I shrugged sheepishly. "Not too weird."

He pouted at me before finishing the drink. "There." he said proudly. "All done, and I didn't throw up. It tasted quite nice."

I stood up and grabbed the drink from the table and threw it away. "It must have, considering you barely gave me enough to drink!"

He looked guilty all of a sudden. "In my defense, who payed for it?"

"Harry, you know this is my favorite coffee shop!" I whined. "You even said it earlier!"

He sighed playfully in defeat. "Fine, Kit Kat, you win." he sulked. I smiled in victory as he led me out into the crisp spring air.

We were standing on the pavement now; the average downtown hustle and bustle passing us by with every second. It was beautiful, and if I could live in Philly I certainly would without blinking.

"It's beautiful out here." I said, admiring the streets. I was too captivated to notice that when I turned to Harry, he was staring at me in admiration.

"You're beautiful." he whispered, and I felt a million fireworks going off inside me at once. Like I had just received a compliment from the ultimate prince. Harry.

"Harry..." I started to say, but he stopped me by pressing a firm kiss against my lips. When he pulled away, I had nothing to say.

"You're so beautiful, Kat." he whispered to me, people passing by like this was not a scene at all. "And I've thought that ever since I've laid eyes on you in first period English. So beautiful."

He hummed a few notes to a song I couldn't recognize, and I fell under his trance like a snake when it hears a flute.

"I'm so glad I have you, Kat. Or I would surely be lost."

*

yes I know that snakes can't hear :( but this is so cute I want to :((((