The Girl Next Door
Chapter 49
"If we're lucky enough, he might be passed out." Harry said as we walked towards his front door. I grabbed his hand, making him momentarily freeze. I'm not that big on PDA. I'm not that big on anything too mushy, in fact. But I needed him to stop for a moment, and I needed him to know I was there for him, too.
"We don't have to-"
"I know." He interrupted. "I just...it's okay." He said. We both took a deep breathe before he opened the door.
The house was nice, nice enough for a nice, average family. But the tension could be cut with a knife.
Harry led me to the kitchen where her mother was, had her back facing us. As we got closer, I noticed she was chopping vegetables and her hands seemed to shake.
"Mom?" Harry called out softly. She jumped and turned around.
"Harry?" She asked in a small voice as she looked at him, like se hadn't seen him in years. "I didn't know you'd bring company." She said, looking at me with what seemed like pure horror. Oh.
"It's okay, mom." He tried to reassure her.
"Yeah, mom. I heard Kaleigh here knows all about dad's little tantrums." I heard a voice call out and when I turned around, I recognized Gemma. I only saw her in school once in a while, before she graduated and went to college.
"Gemma." Harry's mom gently scolded. I guess she didn't really know what else to say. She looked so overwhelmed. Why did he think it would be a good idea to bring me here? "Harry, why don't you take your friend up to your room?" She asked. Harry nodded and took my hand, bringing me up to his room.
It was exactly like I thought it would be. Empty except for a bed, a desk a few clothes laying around and a bookshelf.
"TV's are too mainstream?" I asked as I walked around, looking at everything with pure curiosity. Harry shrugged.
"Reading is better." He simply said.
"Why'd you bring me here?" I asked, finally looking at him.
"Few reasons." He said quietly.
"I'm waiting."
"First I wanted to make my mom realize that our life isn't as normal as she claims. And second of all, I figured since you've shared some secrets with me tonight, I wanted to do the same." He explained as he walked over to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a little book. I immediately recognized it. His journal.
"We don't have to-"
"I know." He interrupted. "I just...it's okay." He said. We both took a deep breathe before he opened the door.
The house was nice, nice enough for a nice, average family. But the tension could be cut with a knife.
Harry led me to the kitchen where her mother was, had her back facing us. As we got closer, I noticed she was chopping vegetables and her hands seemed to shake.
"Mom?" Harry called out softly. She jumped and turned around.
"Harry?" She asked in a small voice as she looked at him, like se hadn't seen him in years. "I didn't know you'd bring company." She said, looking at me with what seemed like pure horror. Oh.
"It's okay, mom." He tried to reassure her.
"Yeah, mom. I heard Kaleigh here knows all about dad's little tantrums." I heard a voice call out and when I turned around, I recognized Gemma. I only saw her in school once in a while, before she graduated and went to college.
"Gemma." Harry's mom gently scolded. I guess she didn't really know what else to say. She looked so overwhelmed. Why did he think it would be a good idea to bring me here? "Harry, why don't you take your friend up to your room?" She asked. Harry nodded and took my hand, bringing me up to his room.
It was exactly like I thought it would be. Empty except for a bed, a desk a few clothes laying around and a bookshelf.
"TV's are too mainstream?" I asked as I walked around, looking at everything with pure curiosity. Harry shrugged.
"Reading is better." He simply said.
"Why'd you bring me here?" I asked, finally looking at him.
"Few reasons." He said quietly.
"I'm waiting."
"First I wanted to make my mom realize that our life isn't as normal as she claims. And second of all, I figured since you've shared some secrets with me tonight, I wanted to do the same." He explained as he walked over to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a little book. I immediately recognized it. His journal.