Better for You

“What is she doing here?” I whispered harshly, emphasizing the ‘she’ to show my annoyance at her presence as I glared ahead at her.

“I know that you two don’t get along well but she’s –“Harry began before I interrupted him.

“She’s a bitch is what she is.” I mumbled. A bitch with a sharp knife.

“I know, but she’s part of our friendship group so you’re going to have to accept that.” Harry replied calmly while I glared holes into the back of Lucy’s head.

“Let’s just get this over with.” I grumbled, walking ahead towards the group with my arms folded tightly in-front of my chest. I didn’t care how much of a grumpy nine year old I looked, I despised Lucy and I wasn’t too fond of Zayn either.

Unfortunately, Zayn had suggested that everyone went bowling and insisted that I came. Little did I know that the devil’s side-kick would be joining us as well, and if I had then I certainly wouldn’t have showed.

“So, who’s on which team? I reckon that Chris and I should be captains.” Zayn began and everyone nodded as they picked their teams. “I pick Harry.” Zayn said first, as Harry hesitantly left my side to walk over to Zayn.

“Um, Laura.” Chris then said as Laura walked over to him with a smug expression. I hadn’t met Laura before, or most of the other girls, unless you count seeing them hovering over Zayn at a party.

“Izzy.” Zayn then picked as I sighed in relief and stood next to Harry, leaning my head on his shoulder in comfort and I felt Harry’s muscles tense beneath me as I did so causing a small frown to appear on my face.

“Luke.” Chris picked, and I recognised Luke from when he began drunkenly hitting on me at a frat party before Harry dragged him away. However, Chris picking Luke meant that there were only two people left; Miley and Lucy and I prayed to God that Zayn picked Miley, however the prominent smirk on his face made me feel like the odd weren’t in my favour today.

Zayn clicked his tongue as he paused, his eyes flickering between Lucy and Miley. “I pick…” Zayn trailed off and I was sure that he was taking this long just to torture me. “Lucy.” He decided and I sucked in a deep breath in annoyance as Lucy walked over to us and Miley walked over to Chris, whining about how she was picked last.

Yep, the odds were certainly not in my favour as I found myself questioning what I had done to cause karma to backlash at me.

“This should be interesting.” Harry muttered into my hair as he pressed a kiss there, drawing my out of my thoughts.

“Yea… This is going to be such fun.” I mumbled dryly in reply as Zayn typed in our names.
Zayn bowled first, knocking down seven balls in his first hit and then two in the second. Harry’s turn was next as he got up and picked a ball. Lucy then sat down where he was sitting and turned to face me as my hands clenched into fists at my side.

“Harry’s really good at bowling, did you know that?” Lucy began with her voice sounding so genuine that I almost glanced around the room to check that I wasn’t hearing someone else talking.

“Uhm, no. No I did not.” I replied.

“Oh; he used to do it quite a bit as a child. He told us so many stories about the money that used to win in bets when bowling when he was younger; I’m surprised he hasn’t told you. He’s said the stories to me so many times that I could probably recite them to you.” Lucy told me and, as if to prove her point, Harry bowled the ball and effortlessly scored a strike. I looked over to Lucy who gave me a fake smile as I got up to bowl.

I picked up a lime green ball and walked up towards the ally where I raised the ball back and then swung my arm forward and then twisted my hand on the release (to ensure that I got a spin on the ball). To my surprise I knocked down all 10 pins, causing a smug smile to cover my face as I walked back towards the bench and flicked my hair over my shoulder as I reached Harry.

“Well done babe, I didn’t know that you could bowl.” Harry told me as I sat next to him.

“I can’t usually; you however can bowl as I’ve heard from Lucy.” I replied trying to keep my tone light despite the small amount of jealousy that I could feel prickling me. I wasn’t mad about the fact that Harry could bowl, just the way that he’s told Lucy so many times that she could, apparently, recite them.

“Mmm, that was a long time ago. Back when I was quite the ass if I’m honest.” Harry replied and I forced a smile as Harry got up to bowl.

The game ended after a few strikes from Harry and a few menacing comments from Lucy. Our team thrashed Chris’s which Chris wasn’t too happy about as apparently ‘it was unfair that Zayn got to pick first’ he had moaned.

“How about we go back to my place, I’ve got a shit load of beer and the big match is on as well.” Zayn said which was met by a few agreements.

“Do you wanna go?” Harry whispered in my ear and I shook my head. I had had enough of Lucy’s condescending words for the day and it would only take a couple more and I would snap.

“No, I’m gonna go back to the dorm and study.” I replied and Harry nodded.

“Ok, I’ll study with you.” He stated but I frowned and shook my head.

“No, you go back with Zayn, I’ll be fine.” I assured him.

“You sure?” He checked, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes, now go.” I told him and he chuckled.

“Ok, I’ll swing by your dorm after then.” He told me and I smiled and nodded in reply, as Harry quickly pecked my lips before leaving.

It didn’t take me long to get back to the dorm and when I did I opened the door to an empty dorm; no doubt that Abby was hanging out with Niall. I sighed and dropped my bag on the floor before walking over to my bed and flopping down on it as it bounced up and down a few times in return before stilling. I inhaled a deep breath before getting out my folder and a pen and beginning to write more on my story for my language lesson.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to write much as my mind was too clouded by something that I couldn’t decipher, but whatever it was that was causing this writers block certainly had no plans of leaving. So, with a loud sigh I put my folder and pen away and began aimlessly scrolling through twitter.

‘@Izzy_Hartley96:
So bored that I almost checked Facebook.’

After a few minutes of stalking random celebrities I decided to watch a movie on Netflix. After a while of searching I began watching ‘GBF’. As the movie began I thought back to how I had watched Clueless with Harry and the way his arms wrapped around me and his warm breath hit my neck, and found myself missing his arms.

But the feeling didn’t last very long as shortly after Harry entered the dorm. “Hey.” I said as I paused the movie and put the laptop away. Harry smiled and walked over to me, lying down on my bed and wrapping his arms around me naturally, and I couldn’t hold back the sign of content that escaped my lips.

“I missed you.” Harry whispered into the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine that I’m sure Harry noticed, however he chose not to comment on it. “What were you watching?” He asked after a moment of serene silence.

“Gay Best Friend.” I admitted and felt Harry shaking his head against the back of my neck.

“Seriously Izzy, isn’t that movie really shit?” Harry asked with humorous disappointment flowing through his words.

“Yeah, but it was either that or Mean Girls 2 which is, to be quite honest, even worse.” I defended and Harry chuckled from behind me, his deep laugh vibrating through my body.

“The first one was bad enough, I still don’t know how they managed to create a second one that was even worse that the original.” Harry commented and I froze turning around to face him while straddling his waist.

“You don’t mean that.” I told him with raised eyebrows and an almost robotic voice.

“Oh, I think that I do.” He replied with a teasing voice and I turned my fact so that I was looking at the wall on the left.

“No. Not only did you just insult my favourite film, but you also stuck to your opinion, Harry.” I replied, refusing to look at him.

Harry then feigned a gasp, removing one arm from my waist to cover his mouth, “How awful of me, it’s a wonder you haven’t stormed out of the room.”

“Please, I wouldn’t storm out of my own dorm room to prove a point. I’m dramatic but not that dramatic.” I replied, rolling my eyes at Harry as I faced him.

“Oh I wouldn’t put it past you.” Harry quipped and I narrowed my eyes at him as a large smile graced his face causing his adorable dimples to show. My mouth quivered as I tried to maintain my stone glare but as laughter erupted from Harry’s lips nothing could have been done to stop the corners of my mouth from curling upwards as a smile eventually covered my face. “Did Izzy smile?” Harry mocked and I playfully swatted his chest, however Harry caught my hand while I did so and bought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand.

“I love you.” I blurted, without even thinking about it, the words just tumbled out.

“And I love you too.” Harry replied grinning as I leaned forward to kiss him. The kiss started out slow and steady but suddenly the lust for each other magnified as I tangled my fingers in his hair, pressing my lips onto his with such a force that I was sure that there would be bruises.

I pulled back shortly after as we both caught our breath while pressing our foreheads together. “What are you doing to me Izzy?” He whispered quietly as I furrowed my eyebrows and looked up at him. “You make me insane, literally insane. I had to leave half way through the match because I kept thinking about you being alone in your dorm while studying and I just missed you so much that I just had to leave.” Harry told me, the words showering me with feelings of such deep love that I knew at that precise moment that I was in too deep to walk away now.

“You make me pretty insane too.” I replied, leaning forward to peck his lips. “I’ve never felt this way before, even with Mike,” I began and Harry’s eyes hardened as I bought up my ex, “with Mike I felt like I was at home with him and I know that sounds like a good thing but it’s not. It’s like, with you it’s new and exciting, and instead you take me to places that I had never dreamed of. With you I, I feel a way that I had no idea I was even capable of.” I explained and Harry’s eyes visibly lightened as he leaned forward to kiss me.

“I love you.” He mumbled against my lips as my hands returned to his hair and his hands ran up and down my sides before moving to my back where he gently pushed me closer to him so that I was flush against him. “What do you want to do?” He asked as he pulled back from me.

“I-I want to, you know. I-I’m ready.” I stammered as Harry’s eyes widened in realisation of what that meant.

“Oh, um are you sure about that? I mean, that like it’s a big step and you can’t reverse it or anything.” Harry told me and I flinched back, disheartened by his answer.

“You don’t want to sleep with me?” I asked, ashamed about the embarrassment that seeped into my voice.

“No, fuck-that’s not what I want. I want you Izzy, believe me I want you but I just don’t want you to regret doing this. It’s a huge step and I don’t want you to regret it because I know how seriously you take you virginity.” Harry told me and I felt relief at his words as I leaned in to kiss him again.

“I’m ready.” I told him against his lips.

“You sure?” He checked and I playfully bit his bottom lip.

“100 percent.” I breathed back.