She's Not Afraid

"That was flat." I criticized Harry as we practiced his audition song in my room.

"We've been practicing for hours, can't we take a break?" He whined, falling face first into my pillow.

"Fine. I just thought you wanted to impress the judges."

"I do. But I need rest!"

I laid back on the pillow beside him, feeling his green eyed gaze fall onto me as I let out a breath. Ever since our close encounter things between us seemed different somehow; as if we both were extra careful not to ever let something like that happen again. To me it felt as if it were putting a tiny strain on our friendship.

Of course when we practiced his song, everything felt normal. Our in sync voices filling those awkward silences that seemed to come around more often. When we sang everything felt normal again. Everything felt right.

I turned my head to face him, a small smirk appearing onto his face.

"What?" I asked, placing a hand to my face to feel for any dirt or crumbs leftover from lunch.

"You have dimples. Right here." He pointed to my cheek, his fingertip poking me.

"You do too." Poking his dimple made him smile, resulting in the dimple deepening. "It's very deep." I admired.

"That's what she said."

We both shared a laugh before silence fell upon us, our fingers falling back to our sides. My mind desperately jumbled for topics, to fill in the empty void with anything I could think of.

"You're still coming to the wedding tomorrow, right?" He broke the silence.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath; I'd completely forgotten about their gig. "Of course I'll go. Hopefully I'll find something appropriate to wear though. I don't think jeans and a T-shirt will do."

"I think you'd still look nice." He shyly commented.

A blush crept onto my cheeks; my natural awkwardness beginning to make me feel out of place as I looked away from his face.

"So um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." I said after some time, getting up off the bed.

"Yeah, I guess. Be ready by noon, I'll come pick you up."

He hesitated before kissing my cheek, exiting out my room as I let out a breath.

***

"Mum, are you sure this will fit?" I asked as I held up the dress she gave me in the mirror.

"Yes, Charlotte now will you hurry up and get dressed? Harry will be here soon." She ushered me towards the door.

Quickly I locked myself in, throwing off my pajamas and slipping on the dress. Like she said, it fit perfectly. I walked out back to her, her smile telling me just how much she approved.

"Well don't you look stunning. Just look." Taking me by the hands, she spun me to face the mirror. I nearly gasped at how beautiful it looked on me; the dress clinging perfectly to my curves.

"I love it!" I gushed, twirling half way to look at the back.

"I knew you would. I have the perfect jewelry to go along with it, wait here."

I continued to look at myself in the mirror until she came back, holding a pair of her best pearl earrings and bracelet. "Mum, you do realise this isn't my wedding I'm attending."

She smacked my arm before attaching the earrings to my ears. "Well obviously, but it's not everyday I get to dress my daughter up. Now what about your hair?" She asked, clipping the bracelet onto my wrist.

I shrugged, looking at the disheveled mess upon my head.

She sighed out in annoyance, releasing the hair tie in my hair; brown waves falling to my shoulders. Taking a comb from my dressing table, she combed out the tangles I had, making me wince in pain. "Charlotte, don't you comb through your hair every day?"

"Who has the time?" I mumbled.

"Nonsense, you're a female. Start acting like one." I rolled my eyes at her lecturing, an everyday thing when it came down to how I presented myself.

It only took her a few minutes to tame my messy hair, making me look well presented for the wedding.

"Thanks mum." I smiled, hugging her even if she did bug me at times.

We began to head out down the stairs before I slipped into the shoes I'd left by the door, the heels providing a couple of inches to my short height. The doorbell rang, but before I could answer it, mum beat me to it.

"Well don't you look handsome, Harry." I could hear her gush. "She's over in the living room ."

I turned around in time to see Harry standing by the doorframe - wearing black trousers, a blazer and white button up. Definitely the most formal I'd ever seen him.

He gave me a shy smile as he neared me, his eyes scanning down the length of my body. "You look amazing."

***

I smiled as I watched everyone dancing to the beats and vocals of White Eskimo; the boys seeming to enjoy theirselves up on stage. Not even I could resist dancing when Summer of '69 began to play.

I shuffled my feet to the music, looking up in time to catch Harry's eyes as he watched me move. Already I could feel myself blushing as he dropped his right eye in a wink, a smirk appearing onto his pink lips as he continued to sing. I couldn't help but smile, looking down at my feet as a distraction from his emerald stare.

He was a natural performer, the energy he sang with rubbing off onto everyone here. To say he would do good on the X Factor would be an understatement - those curls could make all the hearts of the judges and voters melt.

By the time their set finished, my feet throbbed and my body was screaming for fresh air.

"You boys were great, thank you so much again." The bride thanked as I stood nearby.

I couldn't help but break into a smile as Harry walked over to me, the grin on his face telling me just how satisfied he was with his performance.

"Having fun? I seen you dancing out there."

"Guilty." I pleaded with a raised hand. "Dare I say I'm quite a fan of White Eskimo."

"Are you now? If you want an autograph, don't be shy to ask." He teased.

We watched the party go on, my gaze falling upon the three idiots I came with swiping all the food they could onto plates, making me laugh aloud at just how fortunate I was to meet them.

"It's getting a bit warm in here, do you want to head out?" Harry leaned into my ear, the heat from his breath hitting my neck.

I nodded in response, following him as he guided us through the crowd and onto the beach where a fire pit was placed in the center.

"This is a beautiful area to have a wedding reception." I gushed at the scenery, the sunset giving off a amber glow to the upcoming night sky.

We walked until we could feel the heat emitting from the fire, the breeze of the wind comforting our skins from becoming too warm.

“That. Was. Amazing.” Harry said in between pauses, placing himself on the log that was offered the best view of the water.

“You guys were wicked. Now imagine doing that in front of a bigger crowd! You’re going to kill your audition.”

“You think?” He asked, turning his head to look up at me.

“I know.” I reassured him as I sat myself down.

“You know what I’m scared of the most?” He voiced after a moment of silence.

“And what is that?”

“Leaving you." He shyly admitted, his gaze falling down to his shoes before he continued. "Let’s say I do make it through, I won’t be able to see you every day. No more hours at the bakery, no more dinners at your parent’s house. No more this.” He motioned between our bodies, a silence falling upon us once again.

After a moment I let out a sigh, letting his words sink in till I could give a proper response. "But that's okay. If leaving me alone means pursing the dream you've always had, then so be it. Harry, you have so much talent; I'd be damned if I allowed you to feel guilty for leaving me while you chased your dream. You go for it and don't you let anyone or anything stop you."

"You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it you muppet!" I teased, bumping his arm with my own.

He let out a laugh that came accompanied by one of his breath taking, dimpled smiles. "Thanks, Charlotte. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be stuck eating dinner at your mum's every night."

"Oi, where would I be without your mum's stir fry?"

We shared a laugh before Will, Haydn and Nick found us - bringing along the roar of noise they always seemed to make.

"You twits hiding from us?" Haydn shouted, his bleach blonde hair easily spotted in the darkening evening.

"That's no way to talk to a lady." Will defended in my honor, hitting Haydn's head with his drum stick.

I giggled at the two, always seeming to bicker whenever I'm around.

"She knows I'm only teasing, don't you Charlotte? I have lots of love for her." He blew an air kiss to me as they joined us on the surrounding logs of wood.

"Watch out, looks like Harry might be getting jealous over there." Nick nodded towards Harry who shot them a glare.

"Won't you piss off?"

"Hey, hey you boys play nice. Why'd you bring out your guitar?" I asked Nick as he strummed a couple of strings - the perfect distraction before they all could continue their pointless bickering like usual.

"Thought we could sing a tune." He said before strumming the familiar notes to The Girl of My Best Friend, one of my favourite Elvis Presley songs. "Charlotte, won't you start us off?"

I could already feel the red creep onto my cheeks; besides myself I only sang in front of Harry before...mainly because he had caught me and there was no use in trying to hide it any longer. Sure, he told me I had talent and though I did believe him, I never felt comfortable singing for anyone else.

"I think I'll just listen to you boys instead."

"Oh, go on you'll do amazing." Harry murmured for my ears only.

"Come now, sing." Nick encouraged, continuing to play the intro.

"Charlotte! Charlotte! Charlotte!" Haydn, soon joined by the rest, began to chant.

"Alright, alright! Bugger off, I'll do it." I gave in, clearing my throat before letting the words caress my tongue; the boys harmonising the ahh's and ooh's with the strumming of the guitar.

"Her lovely hair," Harry continued the second verse, twirling my hair around his finger. "Her skin so fair. I could go on and never end."

"Oh, I can't help I'm in love...With the girl of my best friend." We both sang, our voices colliding into the perfect mix throughout the song.

Harry continued solely, his green eyes darkening and becoming more serious. "I want to tell her, How I love her so. And hold her in my arms," He sang, an arm now placed on my shoulders.

I smirked before continuing the next lines. "But then....What if she got real mad and told him so, I could never face either one again"

"The way they kiss," He nuzzled my nose as I giggled. "Their happiness,"

"Will my aching heart ever end?"

"Or will I always be in love?"

"With the girl of my best friend? Never end, Will it ever end? Please let it end." We both continued to sing until the last notes of the guitar played out.

"Can I join this singing party?" The familiar voice called out.

Harry and I broke away from our growingly intense gaze to look back and see Riana walking towards us.

"Sorry I'm late, did I miss your set?" She asked, looking to the guys. And if they weren't so well attached, I could have sworn her eyes would pop right out by the way she looked at Harry's arm wrapped around me.

"Riana," I began to panic, getting up to pull her to the side. "It's not what it looks like, don't even give me that look." I pointed to her wide grin.

"Oh no, I seen it with my own two eyes. You and Harry are in love stop denying it!"

"Riana!" I whispered in a harsh tone, afraid the boys would overhear. "Please, I'm begging you not to say anything. It'll just make things awkward between us...I promise you we were only singing, it was nothing."

"Do you realise the look you get in your eyes whenever he's around? Or vice versa?" She asked, her expression shifting in seconds. "Christ, if you both can't accept it by now I can only hope you will soon because the both of you are driving me mad!"

"And how is that?! You're the one constantly pushing me to admit I have some sort of feelings for the boy!"

"Clearly you don't have any idea how much you talk about him. Whenever we're together he's your main subject...like right now! And whenever he and I are together, all he talks about is you!"

I stared wide eyed at her words, letting them sink in. But it couldn't be. Harry and I were strictly friends and nothing more. How could it possibly be that a boy as gorgeous as he, would ever be interested in me? The girl who's been an outcast her whole life?

With a vigorous shake of the head, I gave her a stoned stare. "We're just friends. Now will you stop torturing me? Harry and I will never, ever be together, okay?!" I couldn't help but shout, tears threatening to spill over.

I could hear Harry calling my name as I stormed back inside the party to collect my things, wanting nothing more than to be as distant from everyone as possible. To just hide under my covers and act like I never even met the curly haired boy who seemed to always be the center of my attention...Harry Styles.