Better for You

"Izzy?" I heard Mike's distorted voice ask through the speaker of my laptop. I cut Harry a glare, warning him to shut his mouth as I turned and walked towards my laptop. "Izzy, what's going on?" Mike asked and I sighed looking up and noticing how Harry had stumbled into the room and made himself comfortable on Abby's bed.

"Um, a drunk dude just came into the dorm and so I've gotta get him back home. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to go; I'll Skype you tomorrow?" I checked and Mike nodded slowly, telling me goodbye before leaving the chat. I was angry that Harry had turned up at my door drunk and walked into our dorm. Does he not have any manners? Of course not, he's Harry my mind answered me.

"Love you too" I muttered under my breath before turning to Harry with a hostile glare. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice portraying my annoyance of his presence like a mirror.

"Nothing, I just wanted to chat with my good old friend..." He began, fading out as he had clearly forgotten my name. I was unsure as to why my heart stung knowing that he'd forgotten me. I mean, he's drunk, he probably can't even remember his own name, and it's not as if we're friends or anything; so why did it hurt so much?

"Izzy." I answered and he nodded his head, clicking his fingers as I rolled my eyes.

"Why do you always roll your eyes? It's rude." Harry asked, and I had to ball my hands into fists to with hold my anger. I'm rude? Does he not know himself? He walked into my dorm drunk, interrupting my Skype call with my boyfriend and suddenly I'm the rude one?

"Um, have you met you?" I quipped and Harry furrowed his eyebrows, I ignored how cute the genuine confusion on his face made him look; Harry is anything but cute I reminded myself.

"I'm not rude, I just..." He began, then started trailing off, "I'm just honest..." He answered and I had to hold back on rolling my eyes.

"What do you want Harry?" I asked, trying to figure out what he wanted here so that he could leave me in peace sooner.

"I want to live in a perfect world where there are hot chicks everywhere in bikinis and I can have all of them." He answered and this time I did roll my eyes. Classic player my sub-conscience reminded me.

"No, Harry, What do you want here? Why are you here?" I snapped and Harry looked taken aback by my tone, his eyes widening.

"Whoa, why are you so pissed?" He asked and I sighed, getting up and closing the door, seeing as Harry wasn't showing any signs of leaving soon. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I checked it to find a text from Abby stating that she was going to go back with home with Niall and would see me in the morning. I wished her a goodnight before putting my phone back into my pocket.

"I'm pissed because a boy who has been nothing but an arse since the moment I met him has turned up at my door at one o'clock in the morning, interrupting my Skype call with my boyfriend." I answered and Harry rolled his eyes before laying back on Abby's bed, resting the back of his head on his hands.

"How do you even have a long distance relationship at this age? I mean seriously, the odds are stacked against you you know." Harry commented and I narrowed my eyes at him, despite knowing that he couldn't see them.

"I love him, and he loves me. Simple as." I replied and Harry laughed. He laughed, why I have no idea but by the way he looked at me through the corner of his eyes told me that I was about to find out, and that I wouldn't like the answer either.

"You haven't even fucked yet; you really think that love is going to tie a man down?" He asked and he rolled onto his side to get a better look of my face. I frowned at him and the way that he thought that everything revolves around sex. Because one-night-stand sex is meaningless. I want to have my first time when I'm ready, with the right guy and for it to mean something.

"Yes, you wouldn't understand it, but when you love someone distance doesn't matter." I told him, getting up and beginning to brush my hair and tie it up into a ponytail "Are you gonna stay the night here?" I asked and Harry shrugged.

"Might as well." He answered and I bit my lip and his rudeness, as I then began taking off my mascara. My eyelashes looked short without mascara, due to them being blonde. I put on some cherry lip balm, like I always do before I go to bed, and then walked over to my bed.

"You're one of the only girls that I know who actually looks hot without wearing make-up." Harry told me and I blushed at his compliment, hoping that the faded light in the room disguised it well.

"Well, thank you... Would you mind turning around?" I asked and Harry laughed genuinely, while I furrowed my eyebrows at him... What so funny about me asking him to turn around? Have I got something on my face? Oh dear, is there something in my hair or something?

"You want me to-" Harry began, being cut off by his beautiful laughter that eventually died down as he raised his eyebrows, "oh, you were being serious..."

"Ur, yes. I just don't really want you to look at me..." I replied, feeling self-conscious. I had never really had real body confidence, I was incredibly insecure. My insecurity stemmed from my mother and her need to control everything about me (including my appearance), I was well aware of that and it had resulted in me feeling as though I wasn’t good enough. The thought of Harry seeing all of the flaws and imperfections on my body was enough to make a shiver roll down my spine, not even Mike had seen me naked. Never.

"Oh, well ok then..." Harry replied, placing his hands over his eyes. I checked that he couldn't see before moving to pick up my tfios pajama top and purple Aztec leggings that I always wore to bed. Once I was changed I turned around and told Harry that he could open his eyes which he did, with a large smirk plastered onto his face. "A Fault in Our Stars t-shirt? Really Izzy?" Harry asked and I blushed looking down.

"Yeah, I really like the book, and uh- I've used this as my pajama top since I bought it..." I trailed off, sinking down into my bed. Harry chuckled before getting up and removing his shirt and jeans, not caring on how I was watching him. I tried to remove my eyes from Harry's toned chest, scattered with tattoos, but I couldn't. He had muscles but they weren't too prominent, however the loose fitting shirts that he wore gave his body no justice. And his back muscles… I was a sucker for back muscles.

"You done staring?" Harry asked me, cutting me from my thoughts as I blushed and busied myself, checking the time which was now nearing 2 o’clock.

"Harry, why do you drink?" I blurted, not even thinking about my words as they came out.

I noticed Harry stiffen as he heard my question but he answered casually, "because it's fun." But by the way that he avoided my gaze, I knew that he was lying.

"Don't lie, what's the real reason?" I pushed and he rolled his eyes at me.

"What's it to you?" He quipped, with a bit of harshness behind his words.

"Nothing, I-I just wanted to know." I replied. I wanted to know both Harry’s reasons and just the reasons why in general. The concept of drinking was something that I could never get my head around - why did you need to drink to have fun or handle you problems? If you need to drink to have fun then isn’t that a bit sad? And if you drink to handle your problems then where does that get you, the problems are still there in the morning, just accompanied by a major headache.

"Well then, if it has nothing to do with you then don't ask!" Harry huffed angrily, before switching off the lamp, allowing the darkness to consume the room.

Within seconds I could hear Harry's light breaths coming out evenly and filling the room and I tried to concentrate on that sound as I eventually fell into a slumber myself.

I awoke with heavy breaths and my eyes wide open, trying to forget the image that was engraved in my memory. His face, his pale and lifeless face lying on the cold steel table. No matter how hard I tried to forget about that day, it would always catch up with me in the darkness. No-one mentioned it anymore, mum never spoke of what happened and instead took out her anger of what happened on me, I was something she could control so that I wouldn’t leave her. Not even Abby had brought up what had happened, she knew it wasn’t something that I liked to talk about.

Suddenly someone loudly barged into my dorm. I shot up in bed, only to be met by the foolish grin on Abby's face which slowly disappeared as she noticed a body lying in her bed. She walked up closer, inspecting the body as if it was some kind of object, and when she realized who it was she let out a high pitched squeal, causing Harry to wake up.

"What do you want?" He asked gruffly. His morning voice was even lower and huskier, only making it even more attractive, could this guy not have a morning voice of a grinch; would it not suit his character better?!

"Nothing." Abby squeaked, walking over to me with wide eyes which spoke of the ten million questions she was going to roast me with the second Harry walked out of the door. I rolled my eyes at her and checked the time on my phone, 9 o'clock. I groaned, knowing that I was never going to go back to sleep and so lazily removed the duvet from my legs.

"What time is it?" Harry groaned, copying my actions and getting out of bed. Abby and I's eyes both went wide at the sight of Harry in just his boxers, however he either didn't notice or was probably used to it. I mean, he is attractive, incredibly attractive, in-fact so attractive that it wouldn’t surprise me if he had some fan club at this college.

"9 o'clock" I responded and Harry huffed, muttering something under his breaths which sounded a lot like 'who the fuck gets up this early' but I simply chose to ignore his comment. He began getting changed, and within 5 minutes he was out the door, without so much of a goodbye. Yes, it may be pathetic, but after all the talking that we did last night I thought that he'd at least say goodbye, or maybe even a thank you for letting him stay the night. But no, of course this is Harry and I'm not worthy of those words from him.

"What the hell was he doing here?" Abby asked annoyed. To be honest, I don't even know why he was here. He never really answered when I asked, he just changed the topic, and so I had no idea what to tell Abby, I'm sure that she'd be disappointed if she knew that Harry had stayed the night for no reason.

"Um, he showed up at like 1 o'clock in the morning really drunk and we talked a little, then went to bed..." I answered, looking around my dresser for an outfit to wear. I bit my lip in thought, then went on my weather app on my phone, noting that it would be cold and would rain.

"So, you just let him sleep in here? Seriously? Did he make any moves on you?" She asked out of pure curiosity. When I thought about it, he actually wasn't that bad to be around, sure he could be rude at times, but it was nothing that I wasn't now used to. In-fact, I kind of liked how we argued, it wasn't mean, it was just banta, or was I completely wrong and he was rude because he actually doesn't like me? Maybe I'm just over thinking all of this?

"Ur, no he didn't make any moves on me. He's not too bad; once you get over his attitude that is." I replied, returning to picking out my outfit.

"What? Don't tell me that you actually like him? He's the worst, like the worst of the worst. Seriously, he's not the type of guy you wanna hang with Izzy!" Abby warned and I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn't see, as I picked out my outfit and placed it onto my bed.

"When did I ever say that I like him? I don't like him, I just don't think that he's as bad as everyone makes him out to be. And no, I'm not about to start hanging out with him and being best friends because we're not, I just don't think that it's fair that everyone judges him when they don't even know him." I replied, starting to get changed into my outfit.

I had picked out an ombre blue cashmere jumper with purple jeans and platform brogues. "Ok, it's just... I've seen what they do; his group and stuff. I've seen how they hurt everyone within a five mile radius, and I just don't want that to happen to you." Abby explained and I flicked my face around to look at her, as I had turned to get changed into my trousers, and I raised my eyebrows at her.

"I'm a big girl Abby, I think that I can look out for myself. I get that you're being sincere about this, but I can take care of myself; I'm a lot tougher than you think." I told Abby and she furrowed her brow, and I knew that she was deciding on whether she should to tell me something.

"Someone I know has a history with one Harry's friends. The guy was an ass who dumped her in a heartbeat when she turned him down for sex. I know that you're tough Izzy, but these guys will screw with you." Abby told me as I finished putting my jumper on.

"Well, thanks for the warning" I told her sincerely, and she smiled at me sadly, before beginning to brush out the knots in her hair. "I was just about to go to town-" I began, being cut off by Abby.

"The mall" She corrected and I furrowed my eyebrows. "You said 'town', but we call it the mall over here. Anyway, you were just about to go to the mall and?" She explained, urging for me to continue.

"Well, I was just about to go to the mall," I began, emphasizing the word 'mall' with a terrible british accent, "and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" I asked and Abby nodded her head up and down excitedly,

"Sure, what do you need to get?" She asked, re-doing her smudged make-up while I began taming my hair, and then clipping it to the side.

"Just some stuff for the dorm. I was thinking that I could buy some stuff to make it seem like it's actually lived in." I explained and Abby chuckled, rubbing foundation onto her already flawless face, while I began adding some concealer to my under eyes with mascara to my lashes and filling in my eyebrows , I was about to go out in town and so I needed to look good. It's something that I had always done when going out in very public places, it was something my mother had demanded I do whenever we went out - I had always look presentable if she met someone, she couldn’t stand the thought that people may figure out that we were noway near as put together as she liked to make out.

"Ok, well what kind of stuff?" Abby probed and I then stood up, putting on my shoes and grabbing my pink satchel, placing my purse and phone into it along with some other valuables, including my umbrella because in England you always come prepared knowing that it is likely that it will rain. I don't mind though, because I've always loved the rain ever since I was a little kid. The sound brings me some kind of comfort.

"Posters, a new bed spread, and I also need to find a job." I answered, suddenly remembering my need to get a job. I missed my job back in England, I could work alongside Mike at our local corner shop, but I needed to get a job if I wanted to survive.

"Ok, well then just let me change outfits and we can go." Abby told me and I smiled, sitting down on my bed and pulling out my twitter app. After scrolling through it for a while I decided to send a tweet.

@Izzy_Hartley96:

'Do I count as a classic Brit because I love the rain? Because I do love it; I really do.'

My twitter account is surely really boring, I really don't get why I've got all of these followers, but to be honest I don't care either. I actually love being able to write my honest, grumpy opinion about something and have people agree by favoriting it or re-tweeting it. Also, I kind of live for the adorable puppy videos that get posted on some of the accounts that I follow.

"Ok, I'm ready." Abby called, snapping me out of my twitter fest. I looked up at her, loving her outfit which consisted of black ripped up jeans, a blue and white striped jumper, black bovver boots and a navy blue beret.

"I love your outfit." I told her, as we walked out of her door.

"Really? I was just thinking about how much i loved yours! Like, you have the nicest clothes and figure, I'm just so jealous!" She told me and I just laughed, how could she possibly be jealous of my figure? I mean, has she not seen hers?

"Please, look at you! There's nothing of you!" I quipped and she raised her eyebrows.

"Exactly I'm too much skin and bone, whereas you have like loads of tone!" She exclaimed and I just laughed, shaking my head at her.

“Well thank you but you look stunning” I told her, my mum would kill to have me look like Abby, but I ignored that thought - now wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity.

After a good 2 hours of hard core shopping I had found some nice bed sheets for my bed and some picture frames and posters. I had also printed off some pictures of me with my friends and family from England and an old picture that I had of Abby and I when we were younger. It was a really adorable picture, I had my curly blonde hair frizzing everywhere, Abby had her long brunette locks falling into place naturally. Our heads were tilting next to each other and we wore the hugest grins, both of us having gaps where our front teeth should be.

I had also begun searching for jobs, but there was nothing that appealed to me and so I gave up, claiming that I would look for a job another time. It was now lunch time and we were both building up an appetite and so decided to go and get some Ice-cream from a parlour that Abby claimed did the best Ice-creams.

The walk to the parlour was quite dodgy and I felt quite worried that something was going to happen. The road was filled with people smoking and I was ninetynine percent sure some of them belonged to gangs. I let out a sigh of relief as we made it into the parlour untouched and walked up to order our Ice-creams. I ordered a raspberry ripple Ice-cream and Abby ordered a mint choc chip. I had to admit, the Ice-creams were much better than the ones from back in England. "Mmm, this is so good" I praised as we walked out of the parlour with our Ice-creams in hand.

"Didn't I tell you?" Abby asked and I nodded, talking another lick from my Ice-cream when I bumped into something hard and solid.

"Watch where you're going." The man grunted, and my head immediately snapped up, in recognition of the deep velvety voice. Harry.