Status: active.
Ruled by Fate
four
The Monday Harry came back, he was greeted at his locker by his three friends from school. Harry was a bit surprised; they had gotten a little angry at Harry for not spending lunch together with them and was spending it with the new girl, and Harry was shocked his friends had been so possessive of him. He didn't think the four of them were that close.
But they greeted him happily nonetheless, asking him why he was gone Friday, and expressing their expressions of 'Shit luck, mate. Being sick blows' when Harry told them the reason. Harry found himself joking and goofing around with Terry, Patrick, and Derek a few minutes later, just like old times before Nahla had come around. And he found that he had missed them, too. Though they were quite assholes at times, and liked people to stay with their cliques, they were still Harry's funny friends.
----
It was lunchtime when Harry found himself sitting on Cloud Nine.
It all started when he was walking outside like he normally did. His lunch bag was clutched in his hand, and he was walking towards Terry and them like he used to all the time. But then he made the mistake (though it was no mistake in Harry's mind) of looking in the direction of Nahla's usual spot. Call it habit, call it the gods tampering with fate, but whatever it was, it caused Harry to start walking in her direction and sit down. Harry didn't even look at his friends to see their reactions because frankly, he didn't care about them at that moment. All he cared about was the mysterious girl in front of him who was nibbling on her ham sandwich.
"Hullo, Nahla," he spoke, and Nahla looked up at him through her lashes, her hazel eyes big and wide and open. Harry expected her to just nod once and look away like she usually did, but she surprised him this day.
"Oh, you're back I see. Where were you Friday?" Her voice didn't sound like she really cared where he was the day he was ill, like she was just making polite conversation. But Harry didn't care. She was talking to him. She was initiating the conversation.
Harry cleared his throat so he could talk smoothly, so he wouldn't stumble over his words. But that didn't exactly help when he stuttered out a wavering, "I-I. I was, uh. I had the f-flu."
Nahla wrinkled her nose then, and Harry thought that was the cutest thing he had ever seen a girl do. "Ah, that sucks. I hate getting sick."
"Aw, I don't know. Vomiting my insides out was pretty fun," Harry smiled, hoping she'd laugh at his joke. Or even smile. God, he'd love to see her smile.
The gods must have really been pleased with him that day because not only did Harry see Nahla Sparrow smile for the first time since he had seen her, he got to hear her laugh as well. And honestly, if Harry had the choice of hearing and seeing her laugh again or going directly to heaven, he'd choose Nahla in a second.
Harry was on Cloud Nine from then on. He had gotten to see Nahla smile and hear her wonderful laugh. What made it better was that he was the one who caused it. And that had made him feel all the more amazing.
"Yeah, puking is so my favorite activity," Nahla smirked, rolling her eyes playfully.
Harry laughed softly and quickly thought of ways to make her smile again, or laugh, but he couldn't come up with anything. But he didn't want to lose this moment; he wanted to keep the conversation going any way possible, so he blurted out, "So what other activities do you do?" before he could stop himself. Harry cursed himself for sounding like such a survey.
Nahla looked at him, her smile gone now, but her eyes didn't hold any disgust or annoyance like they usually did. This time, they held curiosity. Finally, she shrugged indifferently. "I like to read and play instruments."
Harry smiled widely, feeling a connection forming between them. "Yeah? What can you play?" Maybe if she played for him, he could sing, and then maybe she'd like him a lot more if she found out he had a decent voice. And then they'd get together and fall involve and get married and have kids together and-. Harry shook his head. He was getting way too ahead of himself.
Another shrug, and she started bunching her paper lunch bag in a ball. Harry hadn't even noticed she had finished her lunch already; he had been too wrapped up in obsessing over Nahla's laugh. "Just instruments."
"Yeah, but what kind? Guitar? Piano? The triangle?" Harry was getting desperate now. He'd say anything to keep the conversation going. But it seemed like Nahla would say anything to stop it, and Harry wondered why she was closing herself off again at such a time like this. All he wanted to know was what instruments she played.
Nahla laughing softly then, and Harry felt like he was floating. Twice in the same day. He was practically a professional now! "Nothing you need to worry your curly head about. I'll tell you later, maybe." She started to get up, and Harry knew where she was headed to. He had followed her once (no, Harry isn't a stalker; he was just curious, honest!) and saw her go to the library. He wondered why she went there everyday for the last ten minutes of lunch when she could still be eating or just sitting outside.
"I'll be holding you to that!" Harry courageously called after her when she walked away, and she merely laughed again without turning around. But Harry meant it; he wanted to know everything about this girl, and if it meant finding out one fact a day for the rest of his life, then Harry was prepared to do just that.
But they greeted him happily nonetheless, asking him why he was gone Friday, and expressing their expressions of 'Shit luck, mate. Being sick blows' when Harry told them the reason. Harry found himself joking and goofing around with Terry, Patrick, and Derek a few minutes later, just like old times before Nahla had come around. And he found that he had missed them, too. Though they were quite assholes at times, and liked people to stay with their cliques, they were still Harry's funny friends.
----
It was lunchtime when Harry found himself sitting on Cloud Nine.
It all started when he was walking outside like he normally did. His lunch bag was clutched in his hand, and he was walking towards Terry and them like he used to all the time. But then he made the mistake (though it was no mistake in Harry's mind) of looking in the direction of Nahla's usual spot. Call it habit, call it the gods tampering with fate, but whatever it was, it caused Harry to start walking in her direction and sit down. Harry didn't even look at his friends to see their reactions because frankly, he didn't care about them at that moment. All he cared about was the mysterious girl in front of him who was nibbling on her ham sandwich.
"Hullo, Nahla," he spoke, and Nahla looked up at him through her lashes, her hazel eyes big and wide and open. Harry expected her to just nod once and look away like she usually did, but she surprised him this day.
"Oh, you're back I see. Where were you Friday?" Her voice didn't sound like she really cared where he was the day he was ill, like she was just making polite conversation. But Harry didn't care. She was talking to him. She was initiating the conversation.
Harry cleared his throat so he could talk smoothly, so he wouldn't stumble over his words. But that didn't exactly help when he stuttered out a wavering, "I-I. I was, uh. I had the f-flu."
Nahla wrinkled her nose then, and Harry thought that was the cutest thing he had ever seen a girl do. "Ah, that sucks. I hate getting sick."
"Aw, I don't know. Vomiting my insides out was pretty fun," Harry smiled, hoping she'd laugh at his joke. Or even smile. God, he'd love to see her smile.
The gods must have really been pleased with him that day because not only did Harry see Nahla Sparrow smile for the first time since he had seen her, he got to hear her laugh as well. And honestly, if Harry had the choice of hearing and seeing her laugh again or going directly to heaven, he'd choose Nahla in a second.
Harry was on Cloud Nine from then on. He had gotten to see Nahla smile and hear her wonderful laugh. What made it better was that he was the one who caused it. And that had made him feel all the more amazing.
"Yeah, puking is so my favorite activity," Nahla smirked, rolling her eyes playfully.
Harry laughed softly and quickly thought of ways to make her smile again, or laugh, but he couldn't come up with anything. But he didn't want to lose this moment; he wanted to keep the conversation going any way possible, so he blurted out, "So what other activities do you do?" before he could stop himself. Harry cursed himself for sounding like such a survey.
Nahla looked at him, her smile gone now, but her eyes didn't hold any disgust or annoyance like they usually did. This time, they held curiosity. Finally, she shrugged indifferently. "I like to read and play instruments."
Harry smiled widely, feeling a connection forming between them. "Yeah? What can you play?" Maybe if she played for him, he could sing, and then maybe she'd like him a lot more if she found out he had a decent voice. And then they'd get together and fall involve and get married and have kids together and-. Harry shook his head. He was getting way too ahead of himself.
Another shrug, and she started bunching her paper lunch bag in a ball. Harry hadn't even noticed she had finished her lunch already; he had been too wrapped up in obsessing over Nahla's laugh. "Just instruments."
"Yeah, but what kind? Guitar? Piano? The triangle?" Harry was getting desperate now. He'd say anything to keep the conversation going. But it seemed like Nahla would say anything to stop it, and Harry wondered why she was closing herself off again at such a time like this. All he wanted to know was what instruments she played.
Nahla laughing softly then, and Harry felt like he was floating. Twice in the same day. He was practically a professional now! "Nothing you need to worry your curly head about. I'll tell you later, maybe." She started to get up, and Harry knew where she was headed to. He had followed her once (no, Harry isn't a stalker; he was just curious, honest!) and saw her go to the library. He wondered why she went there everyday for the last ten minutes of lunch when she could still be eating or just sitting outside.
"I'll be holding you to that!" Harry courageously called after her when she walked away, and she merely laughed again without turning around. But Harry meant it; he wanted to know everything about this girl, and if it meant finding out one fact a day for the rest of his life, then Harry was prepared to do just that.
♠ ♠ ♠
sorry, i know it's a bit slow. but it picks up in the next chapter and continues to from then on, so, please be patient.Sorry this is so late today, omfg. I haven't been home for more than an hour until now, and it's 9:18 pm where I am. I went ~apple picking with the fam, and then a family party, so that took up my whole day. I'm so exhausted. My homecoming last night was great! I'm a senior, so it was my last one, and I'm really glad I went. Everyone loved my dress, and all my friends were there, and my date was such a gentleman, and he was adorable and ahw, I'm smiling just thinking about it c:
Anyways, what'd you think? What do you think her secret is? Guarantee you'll never guess it, hah. But it can't hurt to try!
Here's a gif for you, I just love looking back when they're so young, they were so adorable and cuddly c:
he just looks like he's twelve here or something, omg, i love it
BONUS ZAYN FOR ME BEING SO LATE:
Ahw, okay, I'm done.
-marley