The Boy Next Door

Ella had been texting Eleanor all day, who kept asking if she was still going. They also discussed outfits and if Ella would tell her about Harry. She promised her friend to fill her in.

Zayn was true to his word when he text and arrived half an hour earlier to speak. He had made it clear that he would be there earlier and get it out of her whether she liked it or not. When she let him in, she had stalled by asking him what he wanted to drink and asking him about his favourite topic- Perrie, his girlfriend.

“None of that stalling, sit down and tell me what’s been happening.” Zayn settled on the sofa, sipping the water she had just poured him. Ella fell onto the sofa next to him and grumbled.

“It’s ridiculous and stupid, I would be wasting your time.” Ella whined, pouting as she sipped her wine. She had wanted alcohol, knowing she needed some extra confidence if she were to face Harry.

With more encouragement, Ella opened up to Zayn and told him everything. The boy listened and nodded here and there but never once interrupted. When she finished, he didn’t speak, but instead drew her into his arms and hugged her close. She knew from others that Zayn wasn’t the most open person, so the fact he had let her in and so close, felt like an honour. His sweetness reminded her of Kye and in that moment, she wished her brother was here. She would take him with her to the party as her bodyguard. Harry would never approach her because she would have made him think her overprotective brother knew he had hurt her. She would never tell Kye, but Harry didn’t need to know that.

“I think we better go. I understand now if you have changed your mind, but I think holding your head high and showing you don’t care will be best for now.” Zayn stood to his feet and smiled when Ella grabbed her phone and followed him.

“I’m a big girl, I can handle him.” She knew she sounded more confident than she felt, but if she could fool others, maybe eventually she could fool herself.

The party wasn’t huge, though there was a good twenty or so people at Niall’s. He had a BBQ going and plenty of alcohol in buckets. Eleanor had snatched Ella to the side straight away and Ella had informed her of everything that happened. Ella pretty much said the same as Zayn as well as the promise to castrate him if he shows up with this girl. None of the guys had seen or heard of a new girl, so it was a waiting game whether or not he would bring her, or maybe someone completely different.

Ella knew when Harry arrived because without purposely doing so, he just commanded a room. His presence was always known and everyone wanted to greet him. Ella didn’t want to look and definitely didn’t want to look when Eleanor looked pissed at him, confirming her thoughts that he had in fact brought the new girl.

“He doesn’t know you’re here, apparently,” Zayn reassured her. She knew that, but she wondered if he did, would he still have brought this girl?

“Hey Harry,” Louis boomed over the music and others, catching the attention of his friend and her. Harry smiled for a moment before he noticed Ella standing there.

Harry lets out a sigh, not realising that there was even a possibility she could have been here. But then again, all his friends adored Ella and probably had invited her themselves. He had assumed if he didn’t invite her, she wouldn’t be invited full stop.

“Hey man,” Harry greeted Louis and then his friends in turn. When getting near to Ella he wasn’t sure how to play it, but she made the decision clear by moving behind Zayn and Eleanor and appearing to look interested at the alcohol on the table.

“Hi Harry,” Eleanor said in a clipped tone and he realised somehow, she knew what had happened.

“Not here, El.” He whispered to his friend’s girlfriend.

“And whose this?” She spoke clearly, ignoring his last comment.

“Uhmm, this is Lisa.” He mumbled, allowing his friends to introduce themselves.

“Where did you two meet?” El was really firing these questions his way.

“I went to university with his sister Gemma.” Lisa said in a cracked Northern accent.

Eleanor looked the girl over before turning her back on both and focusing on Ella.

“I don’t think we’ve been introduced?” Lisa seemed to have noticed Ella in the background and was now moving closer, hoping for an introduction. Eleanor looked at Ella through the corner of her eyes, but Ella wasn’t intimidated by Lisa.

“Hi I’m Ella.” She spoke, holding her hand out for Lisa to shake. She did shake it weakly.

“I recognise you from the other day. Do you live next door to Harry?” She asked, tilting her head to the side and a small smirk beginning to play on her pretty face. Any chance that Ella thought this girl would be nice and innocent was long gone.

“Yeah, he moved next door to me a few months back now.” Ella said, holding herself together.

“Is that how you got involved with One Direction?” Lisa said it like it was a pathetic way of being acquainted with a famous band. She had earned her spot in this friendship group- they all liked Ella and she adored them.

“Yep, just like you are here because of Gemma.” Ella bit back with a fake smile. Lisa squinted her eyes before stepping back and linking her arm through Harry’s.

“Get me a drink, babe.” She drawled, standing on tiptoes and placing a kiss on his lips in front of everyone. Ella looked away, holding herself together until they finally moved on. When they had moved outside, Ella slumped forward and Eleanor excused them both, dragging her to the bathroom.

In there, Ella let the familiar tears fall again and Ella held her close and told her what a jerk he was and how stuck up Lisa was.

“I don’t know how he could kiss me, tell me he had wanted me for ages and then drop me for her.” Ella sobbed, realising now that Harry probably had always intended to be with Lisa, but didn’t know how to let Ella down gently.

“He’s a confused boy, Ella.” Eleanor used Ella’s words to describe Harry.

“The worst part is, he told me the reason was because he couldn’t be in a relationship because his career is to unpredictable.” The lying had hurt her the most.

“Let’s redo your make-up, head back out and show that guy exactly what he is missing.” Eleanor scoped in her back and produced her make-up. Ella nodded and agreed, knowing she couldn’t be so helpless and weak by sobbing in the toilet.

When they emerged from the toilet, Niall was on them quickly and was greeting Ella since they hadn’t probably greeted each other earlier. Niall rarely left her side and was always cracking jokes and helping her keep that smile on her face. When Ella realised Niall was basically flirting with her, she flipped her hair back, stood up straight and flirted back.

Harry often looked their way and she noticed his confused and hurt expression, but he knew he had no right to step in when he had made her feel this way too.

“You are one cool gal, Miss Ella.” Niall smiled as they walked away from the group and too a more quieter spot at the end of the garden.

“Why thank you, I do try.” Ella giggled, feeling the effects of all the alcohol she had been consuming. At first it was to steady her nerves and then it became a reason to forget Harry was there and eventually it carried on because how much fun she was having.

“We should do something one weekend, just us two. I know some pretty fun things to do and it would be awesome to get to know you more.” Niall was so sweet and Ella wished she could see anything there with him, but for now, it would only be Harry in her mind. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t turn down a chance of some good fun with him.

“Just let me know a time and place and I’ll be there.” Ella smiled stumbling slightly into Niall, who just about held her up.

Just when Ella thinks she can relax with the blonde, she notices a silhouette move towards them. With the darkness and her clouded vision, it takes until he is in front of her for Ella to realise it is Harry.

“Hey mate, can I have a moment to speak to Ella please?” Harry asks Niall who looks torn. He can see it in her eyes that she doesn’t want him to go, but Harry looks desperate.

“I’ll be over there if you need me,” Niall directs his comment at Ella, who leans up and kisses his cheek and mumbles a thank you. Even in the dark, she can see he is blushing.

Ella watches as Niall leaves, wasting time before she knows she has to look at him. She waits for him to speak, but for the moment she knows he is watching her, trying to gauge her feelings.

“Get to it, Harry.” She impatiently groans, moving to sit on the grass. Harry sits opposite, closer to her than she wanted, but the fence behind and beside her stops from Ella moving away.

“Why are you with Niall and kissing his cheek?” Harry asks and it sends an annoyed surge through her.

“Are you seriously having a go at me for being with someone when you’ve happily paraded your new girlfriend around here, just after telling me you couldn’t be with me because you couldn’t have a girlfriend.” Ella bit back, forcing back the tears she had held in since her outburst in the toilet.

“I’m sorry, I’ve gone about this the completely wrong way, but I don’t want to lose you!” Harry’s voice sounded strained and sad, but he had brought this upon himself.

“Harry, I can’t be your friend any more. I thought I could, but it’s impossible for me.” Ella looked at him, his features slightly illuminated by the moon and patio lights.

“Nothing is impossible. We can make this work, we can go back to normal…” Harry’s desperation reaches high.

Ella stands to her feet and tugs at her hair.

“Don’t you understand, we can’t go back to normal because it isn’t some crush I’m getting over you. I bloody have fallen in love with you, Harry- tell me how I can move on from that!?” Ella doesn’t stick around to hear his answer and did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.