*Two weeks later*

Lana's POV

"Lana, we are going to be late for class!"

I sigh to myself and shut off the water in the shower, then step out and wrap a towel around myself. El and I have a very similar schedule, so we always go to campus together. She absolutely hates being late for class. According to her if you're going to be late then you might as well just not go at all. Which would be fine with me.

I exit the bathroom and go back to my room so I can get ready. After I get dressed I put on some eyeliner and mascara, keeping my look pretty basic. I don't have time to do much with my hair, so when it's sort of dry I just throw it up in a ponytail. When I'm done Eleanor looks about ready to have a panic attack.

"Good grief, girl, could you take any longer?"

"El, class doesn't start for another 45 minutes. Calm yourself." I pour some coffee into a travel mug and decide against eating anything, since El is already waiting by the door, tapping her foot impatiently while she waits. "Alright, let's go."

She quickly swings the door open and practically runs to the stairs while I lock the door. Why is she in such a hurry! I follow her, almost jogging to catch up. She's already outside when I get downstairs, waiting at the bus stop. I hear a car honk and we both look around to see where it comes from.

"Lana! Eleanor!" I turn to see Niall sitting in his car on the other side of the road. He waves us over and we both hurry across the street. I don't mind taking the bus, but I love it when Niall offers to drive. At first I felt bad, but now I hope he'll be around to take us. We pay him for gas all the time, so he doesn't mind at all. I get in the front seat and El takes the back.

"I love you, Niall. Lana was making us late, as usual."

"Eleanor, relax! We would have been early either way."

Niall just laughs and pulls out into traffic, driving the familiar route to school. We weren't too far; it was close enough to walk, but it takes a while. And it's worse when it's cold.

"So, do you girls have any big plans for tonight?"

"It's Friday, Niall. We always do the same thing on Fridays," El says.

"No we don't," I argue, turning to give her a confused look in the mirror. Most weekends consisted of El going out with the girls or Louis and me staying in and studying or watching movies. We rarely spent Friday nights together.

"Well we were going to go to that bar by Tyler's house if you want to come with," Niall says, turning onto a side street so he can take his "short cut" to school. It's not short at all, he just doesn't have to wait at as many traffic lights. He's a tad impatient when it comes to driving.

"That place is cool, we should go Lan."

"Do you mean we as in..."

Niall nods a little. He knows what I'm asking.

Harry has been staying in the building with Louis and Niall for the last two weeks. How convenient that they have an extra room. Why did they have to get that damn three bedroom? They don't need three! I've been pathetically doing everything in my power not to see him. I've even gone to the extent of checking in with Lou to see what they're doing before I leave my apartment so I know I won't run into them. But to be honest I haven't left very much; only to go to class and work. Otherwise I've locked myself in my room. 'Studying'.

"I'll probably just do some homework," I tell them, trying to sound nonchalant. Obviously they don't buy it.

"Are you just going to avoid him forever?"

"I don't know Niall, but I'm not ready yet."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just get it over with and talk to him? He's going crazy."

"Can we not talk about this please?"

"I'm just saying you've obviously both been miserable being apart for so long. Now he's here and you're just prolonging the misery. It doesn't make sense."

He sighs when I don't respond and keeps his eyes fixed on the road. They've all been pretty easy on me the last two weeks. They know better than anyone that this is a sensitive issue, but by now they probably think the whole thing is getting rediculous. He's back. I should be happy. I should be talking to him. Right?

Well I have no clue. I honestly thought that if I ever saw him again I would just break down and beg for him to stay with me, to never leave me again. That's what a normal person would do. After thinking about someone nonstop and missing him so much my heart hurt, I should be ecstatic that he's finally back. But I don't feel happy. I'm just...confused. I don't know what to think or feel. That's why I've been avoiding him. I don't know what I'll do. I might explode with anger or throw my arms around him. Or maybe I'll just crumple to the ground and cry.

Who knows.

Seeing him again was so...surreal. He vanished so suddenly that it was like he was never there in the first place. Yes, there were reminders everywhere; the bracelet, the pictures on my phone, the box in my closet. But whenever I looked at them it was like I was holding pieces of someone else's life, someone I didn't know.

I loved him so completely. I still do. But I don't know where we go from here.

How do you let someone back in that hurt you so much? How do I know he won't do it again? But can I really stay away?

"Lana."

Niall pulls me out of my thoughts, shaking my shoulder gently. I look around and realize we're sitting in front of the school.

"Sorry. Thanks, Niall."

"See you later, Ni!" El says, slamming the door shut. Niall flinches a little and I laugh at him and shut my door gently. This car is his baby.

"He's right, Lan," El says quietly as we walk down the path and make our way through the campus.

"I know. I just don't know how to do this," I admit.

She hooks her arm through mine. "You have to at least try. I know you still love him. He still loves you, too. Otherwise he wouldn't have come back. He's going insane though, Lan. Knowing you're so close but he can't see you is killing him. I'm on your side 100%, but I feel bad for the guy. Leaving was obviously as hard for him as it was for you."

I feel a pain grow in my chest as she tells me how much he's hurting. Just like me. A part of me thinks that it's good, that he should feel what I've been feeling for the last two years. But the other part doesn't want to wish that on anyone, especially him. I still care about him. Does that make me pathetic? Probably.

"I will talk to him, El. I just need to figure out how I'm feeling first."

"I don't think you'll be able to until you talk to him, Lan."

I know she's right, but I just don't know if I can do it. "I'll think about it, alright? I'll see you for lunch later." I take my arm out of hers as we go our separate ways to class. I don't pay attention; my mind is focused on Harry. I've gone against all of my rules lately. I've even been sleeping in his clothes again. They still have a tiny hint of his scent on them. It's incredible. I wonder if he still smells the same.

El and I sit together at lunch, along with Shelby and Courtney, two of our other friends we met last year. I find myself constantly zoning out, my mind drifting aimlessly to thoughts of Harry.

"Lana, what is your deal?" Shelby asks, waving her hand in front of my face. I look at all three of them and find them all staring at me similarly, kind of confused.

"I'm so out of it, sorry. I think I'm just going to go to the library for the afternoon," I say, standing and putting my untouched apple and sandwich back in my bag.

"Are you sure you're okay?" El asks.

"Sure. I'll see you guys later." I wave and walk away, having no plan of going to the library. I need to go home and figure my shit out.

Harry's POV

"Mate, you've skipped most of your classes, don't you think you should go today?"

"I never have class of Fridays," Louis shrugs, not looking away from the TV screen. I sit beside him and pick up the second controller so I can join in on the video game. "So are you going to talk to her today?"

"We've been over this, Louis. I'm going to wait for her to talk to me. I don't want to push her. If she's not ready then I'll wait."

"Yeah, but how long are you really going to wait for? It's already been two weeks."

"As long as I have to."

I would be lying if I said I wasn't going absolutely insane. I've been careful to avoid Lana because I know that's what she would want. She obviously doesn't want to see me. After what I did to her, the least I can do is let her be the one to make the first move. When she's ready she'll let me know.

I think.

"What are you going to say to her?"

"I don't really know."

"Haven't you thought about it?"

"Of course I have, but it kind of depends on what she says to me."

He pauses the game, sighing and setting down his controller. "What do you mean?"

I shrug and fiddle with the drawstring on my sweatpants. "Obviously I'm going to apologize. I don't know if I'm going to try to explain anything. Unless she asks me to."

"Don't you think you should?"

"Does it really matter anymore? It won't change anything."

"I guess so. Are you going to tell her you still love her?"

"Louis."

"What?"

"Like I said before, I'm just going to wait and see how she reacts."

"That's a terrible plan."

"You're such a pain in the ass," I say, standing and going into the kitchen to get a drink. I've run through our first conversation in my head a thousand times, but there's just no way I can predict how she's going to react. What if she says she never wants to see me again? What do I do with myself? Wow, I'm kind of sad.

"I'm just saying, you need to have some sort of plan of attack," he says, following me and sitting at the table. I lean against the counter and open my bottle of water.

"Plan of attack?"

"Right."

"And what should that be?"

"I don't know, I'm not the one who disappeared."

I roll my eyes and take a sip of water. I really don't know how to do this. "Where are we going tonight?" I try to change the subject. Talking about Lana is making me anxious.

"This place. It's really fun. Niall said he invited the girls, so maybe Lana will be there."

"I doubt she'll be going if she know's I am."

"That's the spirit," he says sarcastically. "Do you want to go get some food?"

"Sure."

Eleanor's POV

I know I probably shouldn't, but I'm kind of trying to think of a way to get Lana and Harry in the same room without them knowing. Louis, Niall and I have been talking about it all the time when it's the three of us. Those two need to work something out because it's getting ridiculous. Neither of them have gotten over each other, it's so obvious. I was mad at Harry before, but I've talked to him now. I know his side. It all makes sense and he still loves her, so they just need to get back together already.

When I get back to the building I go straight up the the boys' apartment so I can talk to Louis. I walk right in and see Harry laying on the sofa watching TV.

"Hey, Harry. Is Lou around?"

"He's in his room I think."

"How are you?"

He rolls his eyes and sits up a little to look at me. "El, you need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Every time you see me you ask me that in that sympathetic tone and you make these sad eyes. I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

I take my turn rolling my eyes and head to Louis' bedroom. "You are not okay, Styles, don't lie to me."

He lays back down without responding and I shut the door of Lou's room behind me. "Hey, Louis."

He jumps off the bed and comes over to me, taking my face between his hands and planting a kiss on my lips. I push him away after a few minutes. "Why are you doing that?" he asks, pouting.

"We need to talk." I step around him and sit on the edge of the bed.

"Shit, whatever it is I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. I love you. I don't-"

"Louis!" I shout, laughing at his little panic attack. "Not about us. I'm not mad at you."

"Oh, okay," he says, sighing in relief and sitting next to me. "What's on your mind, beautiful?"

"Well, I have a plan." He instantly starts shaking his head. "What? You haven't even heard it!"

"Whatever it is, I'm not getting involved. Your plans always seem like a good idea, but they never go right."

"Pleeeeease, Louis," I beg, giving him my best puppy eyes. "For me?"

He stares at me for a minute, then lays back on the bed. "Fine."

"Yay! Okay, so we need to get Harry and Lana in the same room. I'm thinking we should-"

"Wait, you never said this was about Harry and Lana."

"What else would it be about?" Boys are so dumb sometimes.

"I don't want to get in the middle of that," he says, standing up and looking down at me. His voice is much quieter now, but I know he's very serious. "You know Lan will be pissed if she knows we trapped her into talking to him."

"It's not a trap. It's more of a....nudge. A push in the right direction."

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head again. "It's not a good idea, Eleanor."

"But you haven't even heard my idea yet!"

"Alright fine, let's hear it."

"Well you guys are going to meet at my apartment before we go out tonight. We'll tell Harry that Lana is studying at the library, and I'll make sure Lana doesn't know you guys are coming over. Then when they are in the same room we'll leave and let them talk."

"That's your brilliant idea?"

I smack his arm. "What is wrong with it?"

"Nothing, it's just so simple. It's not really a plan."

"Exactly, so nothing can go wrong."

"Except when we leave Lan alone with him and she murders us for it."

"Louis, stop being so dramatic."

"What are you guys arguing about in here?" Harry asks, opening the door. "I'm trying to watch Friends. You're being loud."

Aww. He used to watch that all the time with Lana. "You're coming out with us tonight, right?" I ask, probably sounding too eager.

"I was planning on it. Why?" He looks back and forth between Lou and I. "What's going on? Why do you guys look weird?"

"Don't be so rude, Harry, this is how we always look."

He looks at us both once more before closing the door again and leaving.

"You're such a horrible liar," Louis says, jumping onto the bed behind me. He's right, I am.

Lana's POV

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Eleanor asks for like the zillionth time since she got back. She's literally about to leave and I look like a homeless person.

"Yes, El. I'm sure." She looks oddly relieved by my answer. That's kind of mean, I thought she wanted me to come.

"Okay, well have fun studying!" She says, closing my bedroom door. She's been acting so weird since she got back earlier. Plus if she's leaving why is she shutting my door? I go back to my textbook and start reading again, but nothing is sinking in. Maybe I should just get this over with and talk to Harry. I won't be able to think about anything else until I do.

I get up and go out of my room. "El, I think I'm going to go upstairs. I want to-"

Oh goodness.

I stop dead in my tracks when I see El standing in the kitchen with three boys. Two of them being my best friends, the other being Harry.

"Shit," he mutters, looking at the floor.

"Oh, looks like she is here," El says, acting surprised and making her way to the door. I've been here the whole time, what is she talking about?

"Alright, we're leaving," she says, pulling Niall and Louis away by their hands. Harry moves to follow but she stops him, holding out her hand. "No, you stay here. You two need to talk."

My mouth drops open and I can see Harry's eyes widen a little. Apparently he didn't realize what was happening either. I glare at El, who raises her eyebrows at me expectantly before shutting the door.

Harry and I both awkwardly stand where we are, not looking at each other. They totally set us up. Awesome. I should have known Eleanor was up to something. As I'm thinking about what to yell at her when she gets back, Harry breaks the silence.

"I'm sorry, they said you weren't home. I can go if you want." He smiles weakly at me and heads to the door. I should probably speak.

"No!" I shout, probably a little too loud. His hand falls to his side and he turns to look at me. "I guess we should talk."

He nods once and stays where he is. I fidget with my hands. Damn, he looks so good right now. Why didn't I wear something nicer?

"You can come in," I say, smiling at how awkward he looks. He turns slightly red in the face and I walk to the living room and sit on the couch. He sits on the other end, as far away as possible.

Here we go.

Notes

so i didn't get ten votes, but i got 19 subscribers, so thats good enough for me.
HERE YOU GO.
im in the middle of exams so i will only be updating if my numbers go up for the next little while. otherwise i need to focus! if you want to get the next chapter, comment! vote! subscribe!

also i love the comments, im so glad you guys are liking the story :)
recommend it to others! but make sure they read the other story first :P

thank you so much for reading :) i love you all.
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