Magic
Harry.
Her hair smelled like strawberries. At least, he thinks it did. To be quite honest, his sense of smell was a bit clouded by her lips against his, so it probably smelled like coconuts or flowers or something. He distinctively remembers strawberry though. In the search for her, the way her hair smelled isn’t exactly the most important detail. But it is a detail, nonetheless, which is how he found himself cross-legged in the shampoo aisle of the local Tesco, numerous brands of strawberry scented shampoo spread around him.
“Find what you’re looking for?” Liam probed, standing over him, a small basket cradled in the crook of his arm. Harry shook his head before standing up and arranging the shampoo back on the shelf. “I’m sure any type of shampoo would do.”
“It’s not…” Harry trailed before shaking his head and lifting his eyebrows at Liam. “Can we just get out of here? I need vodka and a burger. More vodka than a burger, actually.” Liam nodded and together the pair to the front of the store, waiting patiently in line behind a little old lady and her trolley of groceries.
“So, are you going to tell me why you were sorting through the shampoos or can I just assume you’re mental and tell you about the bird I met earlier?” Harry chuckled and looked over at his best friend. “Bird, it is. Her name’s Elise and she was quite fit. I got her number and I’m going to give her a ring later.”
“Li, it’s proper procedure to wait at least 24 hours before ringing someone.” Liam shrugged and put his basket down on the belt. “Don’t want to seem too eager, now do you?”
“If you saw her, you would understand why I need to call her as soon as we leave this shop. Wait too long and someone else is gonna snatch her up.”
Harry smiled; the last time he was this excited to ring someone was Danielle and that didn’t end too well. Liam deserved happiness, he deserved the excitement of a new relationship, he deserved the kisses and cuddles.
“Well, then what are you waiting for? Call her.” As the cashier scanned the items, Liam pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Elise’s number, Harry watching from the corner of his eye.
“Hey, Elise? It’s Liam, from the market.” A pause and a chuckle left Liam’s mouth before he continued on, “Well, I would’ve called sooner but it seems my mate was having an episode in the shampoo aisle.” Harry dropped his mouth and flicked the bird over to Liam, who just smirked in reply. Shaking his head, Harry handed the money over to the cashier, who dropped it into the register and handed back his change.
-----
Harry groaned in annoyance, throwing the bags onto the counter and glaring over at Liam. Sure, Harry had told him to call her but the least Liam could do was get off the phone while in the car in the car with someone.
“Crisps!” Louis cheered, jumping into the kitchen, bouncing like child on the balls of his feet. Unpacking the bags, Harry grabbed the crisps and tossed them to Lou.
“Interception!” Niall screamed as he bounded in front of Louis and stole the crisps for himself, dashing into the next room.
“Hey asswipe, those were mine.” Louis voiced before chasing after him. Five seconds later, a loud ‘oomph’ followed by an outcry of ‘Lou!’ echoed through the room. Harry shrugged, walking through the shared flat, his laptop tucked beneath his arm and a bottle of water in his hand.
“Taking a nap, no one bother me.” He called over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs and into his room. As he settled himself on his bed, he flipped open the computer and clicked on Skype, checking for Tara’s username and smiling slightly when he saw that she was online. Clicking on video chat, he waited for her to answer and when she did, he waved.
“You look sleepy.” She stated, her fingers pulling down through her wet hair. “Long day?” Harry nodded, leaning his head back against his head board and closing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Liam met a girl today.” He shrugged, “I mean, I’m happy for him and all that jazz, I’m just a bit--“
“Jealous?” Tara laughed, cutting him off.
“I guess.”
“Hey, perk up, Curls. I’ve got this whole ‘Operation: Find Harry’s girl so they can get married and have billions of kids’ thing under control. In fact,” Tara held up a finger before disappearing off screen, rumbling around noisily in the background. When she reappeared, she held a notepad and a pen, cap between her teeth. “What did she look like?” Tara watched Harry through the screen as he chewed his bottom lip, the stress lines in his forehead more prominent. “Oh, no.” Tara breathed, “Please, Harry, please tell me you remember what she looks like.”
“It’s been a year, Tarface.”
“Harry please, just the other day you were telling me what her hair smelled like and how her lips tasted and jesus, you even described what she was wearing.” Distressed black jeans, a nude colored loose blouse, white converse. Easy. “So you’re telling me you can’t even remember the color of her hair? How did you expect to find her?”
Good question. He groaned and shook his head, running his face over his hands. “I don’t know.” He whined.
“You know what, you go to sleep. I’ll figure this out, somehow.” Waving goodbye, Tara signed off and Harry watched as the screen darkened. He closed his laptop and tossed it to the end of his bed, pulling the blanket over his head and closing his eyes.
“Find what you’re looking for?” Liam probed, standing over him, a small basket cradled in the crook of his arm. Harry shook his head before standing up and arranging the shampoo back on the shelf. “I’m sure any type of shampoo would do.”
“It’s not…” Harry trailed before shaking his head and lifting his eyebrows at Liam. “Can we just get out of here? I need vodka and a burger. More vodka than a burger, actually.” Liam nodded and together the pair to the front of the store, waiting patiently in line behind a little old lady and her trolley of groceries.
“So, are you going to tell me why you were sorting through the shampoos or can I just assume you’re mental and tell you about the bird I met earlier?” Harry chuckled and looked over at his best friend. “Bird, it is. Her name’s Elise and she was quite fit. I got her number and I’m going to give her a ring later.”
“Li, it’s proper procedure to wait at least 24 hours before ringing someone.” Liam shrugged and put his basket down on the belt. “Don’t want to seem too eager, now do you?”
“If you saw her, you would understand why I need to call her as soon as we leave this shop. Wait too long and someone else is gonna snatch her up.”
Harry smiled; the last time he was this excited to ring someone was Danielle and that didn’t end too well. Liam deserved happiness, he deserved the excitement of a new relationship, he deserved the kisses and cuddles.
“Well, then what are you waiting for? Call her.” As the cashier scanned the items, Liam pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Elise’s number, Harry watching from the corner of his eye.
“Hey, Elise? It’s Liam, from the market.” A pause and a chuckle left Liam’s mouth before he continued on, “Well, I would’ve called sooner but it seems my mate was having an episode in the shampoo aisle.” Harry dropped his mouth and flicked the bird over to Liam, who just smirked in reply. Shaking his head, Harry handed the money over to the cashier, who dropped it into the register and handed back his change.
-----
Harry groaned in annoyance, throwing the bags onto the counter and glaring over at Liam. Sure, Harry had told him to call her but the least Liam could do was get off the phone while in the car in the car with someone.
“Crisps!” Louis cheered, jumping into the kitchen, bouncing like child on the balls of his feet. Unpacking the bags, Harry grabbed the crisps and tossed them to Lou.
“Interception!” Niall screamed as he bounded in front of Louis and stole the crisps for himself, dashing into the next room.
“Hey asswipe, those were mine.” Louis voiced before chasing after him. Five seconds later, a loud ‘oomph’ followed by an outcry of ‘Lou!’ echoed through the room. Harry shrugged, walking through the shared flat, his laptop tucked beneath his arm and a bottle of water in his hand.
“Taking a nap, no one bother me.” He called over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs and into his room. As he settled himself on his bed, he flipped open the computer and clicked on Skype, checking for Tara’s username and smiling slightly when he saw that she was online. Clicking on video chat, he waited for her to answer and when she did, he waved.
“You look sleepy.” She stated, her fingers pulling down through her wet hair. “Long day?” Harry nodded, leaning his head back against his head board and closing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Liam met a girl today.” He shrugged, “I mean, I’m happy for him and all that jazz, I’m just a bit--“
“Jealous?” Tara laughed, cutting him off.
“I guess.”
“Hey, perk up, Curls. I’ve got this whole ‘Operation: Find Harry’s girl so they can get married and have billions of kids’ thing under control. In fact,” Tara held up a finger before disappearing off screen, rumbling around noisily in the background. When she reappeared, she held a notepad and a pen, cap between her teeth. “What did she look like?” Tara watched Harry through the screen as he chewed his bottom lip, the stress lines in his forehead more prominent. “Oh, no.” Tara breathed, “Please, Harry, please tell me you remember what she looks like.”
“It’s been a year, Tarface.”
“Harry please, just the other day you were telling me what her hair smelled like and how her lips tasted and jesus, you even described what she was wearing.” Distressed black jeans, a nude colored loose blouse, white converse. Easy. “So you’re telling me you can’t even remember the color of her hair? How did you expect to find her?”
Good question. He groaned and shook his head, running his face over his hands. “I don’t know.” He whined.
“You know what, you go to sleep. I’ll figure this out, somehow.” Waving goodbye, Tara signed off and Harry watched as the screen darkened. He closed his laptop and tossed it to the end of his bed, pulling the blanket over his head and closing his eyes.