Mistreated
Floating
Tuesday January 28th Continued
Harry’s POV:
“How could you say that?” the hurt was evident in my voice.
“The bullheadedness, pushing people away, pretending to be okay, burying emotions, unintentionally hurting people,” she frowned. “Sound familiar? I didn’t just become you. I became Bitter Harry, the one who was in the wheelchair. The one I fought so hard to help.”
Fuck, she’s right. She is me…
“Maybe I was worse about it,” she let out a sigh. “Were you scared when you were that way?”
My shoulders slumped, “Mercy.” I really don’t know what to say. This is all so overwhelming.
“I scare me, Harry,” she said as she slid herself to the floor. “I did things I’m not proud of.”
“Tell me about them,” I sat myself onto the ground next to her.
“You’ll hate me,” she said softly.
I scooted closer to her and put my hand on her’s, “I could never hate you, Angel.”
She slightly smiled before flattening her pale pink lips again, “Okay. Well, it started on Wednesday. They bullied me again. They made these stupid fliers that said ‘Unwanted’ and Photoshopped my face onto a picture of some obese lady in a bikini.”
As I traced the blue veins that were visible on her hand, I start thinking about what she was going through. No one told me this. No one told me she was pushed around when I was gone. It’s no wonder she was acting this way.
“There’s more,” she bit her lip. “There was graffiti on my locker that said ‘STD Girl’. I had to look at that for the next few days. It sucked, knowing people viewed me as someone I'm not. I cried again and I ran to the bathroom because I was forcing myself not to leave the school. I didn’t want to run anymore, so I chose to hide instead. Of course, the group came and gave me a pep talk and fixed my makeup for me. I decided I wasn’t going to let people think they got to me anymore, even when they did. Later that day, I went to the DSF meeting.”
“Which we missed yesterday,” I face palmed. Forgot about that.
She giggled a little, “Oops.” I let out a light chuckle because that was pretty cute. “Anyways, I met three people there who get bullied like me: Kyle, Liz, and Dakota. You should meet them, they’re really cool. Awkward, but cool. You’d love them.”
“Any friends or your’s are friends of mine,” I grinned.
She nodded, “I'm glad. So they and I decided that we’d pull silly pranks on their bullies. The original plan was just their bullies and they were funny pranks, you’ve to admit that. It got the pests off their backs. Well, and then I also kind of let Scott grab my ass.” I swallowed hard as I tried to fathom what she just told me. I really hoped Niall was wrong about that.
“I swear I had no intentions of hurting you or cheating or anything,” she rushed her words. “Please don’t be angry at me for that. Actually, scratch that. You have every right to be angry. All I can do is say I’m really really sorry for that and for bouncing my boobs for the principal.”
If I widened my eyes any larger, they’d probably pop out. I watched as Iris gagged from her own words, obviously uncomfortable with the subject. She let out a low growl and buried her head into her arms and knees.
“I’m disgusting,” she muttered. She lifted her head up, but refused to look at me. “I wanted to get out of trouble and it seemed like flirting was the only option. Even Riley, Riley, didn’t like what I was doing. I hated what I did, and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. I’m appalled by all the things I did. Even worse, I fear he’ll do something to me because I was such an idiot. You should’ve seen the way he looked at me, it haunts me. I feel sick just thinking about it. I’m losing sleep because of it.”
“I uh,” I held out my hand. “I think we should just stop talking about it.”
“Harry I-“
I nodded and looked away from her, “I know you’re sorry. I just don’t want to listen to that anymore. Just tell me the other things you did.”
“Okay,” she said in a whisper. “Okay. Uh, well on Thursday, I was getting revenge on the school, which I’m sure you heard about those pranks.” I nodded. “I also got revenge on the people who decorated my locker. I thought it was Kyle, Dakota and Liz, so I did stupid pranks on them too. Today, I found out it wasn’t them and I apologized for being stupid about it. It was Quinn and Georgia: the girls I just had a screaming match with.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I chuckled. “Those were the two girls you told me about? They were your friends? But they’re so…”
“Badass looking and I’m so not?” she guessed what I was about to say.
I laughed, “Well, they’re nothing like you, that’s for sure.”
“No they aren’t,” she curved her lips into a smile. “I just wanted you to know that today I was trying to make amends with everyone, including you. I was going to apologize in the morning, but I decided to wait until you cooled down.”
“And instead you waited till I was screaming at you,” I pointed out.
She shook her head and let a slight giggle fall from her lips, “Probably should’ve just told you this morning.”
“Probably.”
Her smile turned upside down as she began running her fingers through her curls, “That person in there, ripping Georgia’s earring out, that was me. This whole day, I’ve been me. I’m done being bitter.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples, “And this is all my fault?”
“No Harry,” she shook her head and scooted so close to me that our arms were touching. She placed her head on my shoulder, “It’s my fault. Eleanor told me to just tell you how I was feeling about the whole protectiveness thing, but I decided, on my own, to try to prove to you that I can handle myself, when I clearly can’t.”
I kissed the top of her head and rested my head onto her’s. “Angel, you didn’t run today when you could’ve. You stood you ground when I snapped at you this morning, you stood up to Georgia rather than crying, and you stayed when I yelled in your face and hurt my hand slamming it against that damn locker,” I chuckled at the last part. “That right there tells me you are just fine on your own.”
“Really?”
I nodded against her head, “Really. I will stop cutting your food.” After a long pause I said, “Damn.”
“What?” she asked as she lifted her head from my shoulder.
“I just realized how bad that sounded,” I snickered. “Wow, I’m really sorry.”
She half-smiled, “You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just being a good boyfriend. I’m the only one who should ask for forgiveness. And I’m also sorry for, you know, teasing you.”
“And you are forgiven,” I said honestly as I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Just don’t ever mention the thing with the principal and Scott again, okay? Can you please do that for me? I won’t let them hurt you, I just can’t stand hearing that.”
“Okay,” she nodded. The thought of them laying a hand on her makes me sick to my stomach. It hurts knowing she intentionally allowed them to view her as someone to play with. I would stay mad at her, but I think she's going through enough already.
“And for the record, yes, I was scared when I was that way. I never want to be Bitter Harry again.”
“Me neither,” she sighed.
I took this time to examine the wounds on her face. She had two peeling, pink scratches under her left eye, and her lip was bleeding near the corner of her mouth, most likely scartched from her teeth meeting her lips as that girl's fist collided into her mouth. I saw the girl hit Iris in the stomach, so I found myself scanning the hall to make sure no one was around. I tugged on the bottom of her shirt, asking permission to pull it up and examine her skin. She was hesitant, but nodded for me to go ahead. When I pulled up her shirt, a black rounded rectangular bruise was revealed, sitting just to the right of her belly button.
“It’s not as bad as what Riley did,” she said with a light smile on her face.
I shook my head, “Not even close. Come on, let’s go to the nurse’s office and clean your lip. I’m sure she’s not in there again.”
She laughed and stood to her feet before helping me up. “We do more than that lady does.”
“In fact, we should get paid for cleaning each other up,” I joked as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“Of course, I had more to fix,” she played along.
“Not if I put a Band-Aid on your stomach wound,” I teased.
She laughed. “A Band-Aid on a bruise. How effective,” she said sarcastically. I love that once we finally sat down and talked about things, we were finally back to being us. She was finally back to being her. I have my girl back.
Wednesday January 29th
I was surprised that when I asked Iris if she wanted a ride this morning, she turned it down. She said she was actually already at school. It was like six o’clock. School doesn’t even start until seven forty-five, so I have no idea what she’s up to. All I can do is have faith that she’s not going to do anything stupid. Well, I had faith until I arrived at the school.
People were crowding the entrance with frustration written all over their faces. What did Iris do? I shoved my way through the crowd hearing people mutter things like, “She has officially lost her mind.” Here we go again.
Shock overtook me when I finally reached the door. A sea of blue-green balloons covered the entire hallway flooring. A scattered bunch of balloons were floating, touching their heads against the ceiling. Then, there was Iris. My beautiful girlfriend stood in the middle of the hallway, her boots partly covered by the balloons. She was dressed in a simple, yet pretty outfit: a striped cardigan, a peach t-shirt, white pants, and black Ugg boots. Thanks to Gemma, I know the type of boots when I see them. I really hate knowing things like that sometimes.
“Pop one,” Iris waved her hand in a circular motion, gesturing me to do as she says.
“What are you doing?” I chuckled.
She smiled, “Apologizing. Pop a balloon and read the note that’s inside.”
I shook my head and snickered as I bent over and grabbed a balloon. “Anyone got a pen?” I asked over my shoulder to the crowd that stood behind me.
“Me!” some random girl held her’s over my shoulder.
“Thanks,” I said as I took it from her. “COVER YOUR EARS!” I yelled at the top of my lungs as I clicked the pen to make the tip appear. I held my arm up high and forced it down to stab the balloon. BAM! The sound rang in my ears as every ripped piece of rubber fell to the floor along with a small rolled up piece of paper. I picked up the paper and turned to the crowd as I unrolled it. I cleared my throat before reading the note out loud, “Iris is sorry for pouring itching powder on the school’s toilet paper!”
I threw my head back and laughed at the words. She’s such a dork. I happily grabbed another balloon and handed it, along with the pen, to someone who was standing behind me. “Do what I just did,” I instructed him.
I shuffled my feet as I made my way over to Iris, trying not to pop any balloons on the way. BAM! The other kid had already popped the next balloon. Good. Once I reached Iris, I faced the crowded door to listen to what the boy had to say. Poor guy looks like a Freshmen since he’s so small. I probably should’ve had someone else do it. Oh well. (A/N: For those of you who don’t know, a Freshmen is someone who’s in their first year of high school)
“Iris is sorry for serving you her spit-covered peanuts!” the boy shouted with his high-pitched voice to the crowd who started murmuring, a few of them letting out chuckles.
“Liz! You do one!” Iris yelled to someone in the crowd. A green haired girl walked over to the Freshmen and grabbed the pen from him before picking up a balloon from the floor.
“What’s with you and being friends with people who have unique hairstyles?” I joked. She giggled as she shrugged her shoulders. BAM! The green haired girl had popped the balloon.
She turned to the crowd, “Iris is sorry for rubbing Habanero pepper onto Mr. Webber’s door handles!” More chuckles and mumbling erupted throw the crowd.
“Make Kyle do one!” Iris shouted.
As the girl did what Iris told her, I tangled my hands behind my back and leaned over Iris’s shoulder, “So how did you manage to do this?”
“I had a little help from my friends that happen to have the lungs of a singer,” she beamed.
“You had help from the group?” I raised my brows. “How did I not know about this?”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she said before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, “This was a brilliant idea. You’re definitely turning things around, Angel. I’m proud of you.”
BAM! A tall brunette guy popped another balloon. I straightened myself up, preparing to hear the next apology. “Iris is sorry for kicking Georgia White’s ass!” the boy shouted. The crowd roared with laughter as I turned to Iris with a smirk on my face.
“So I may have been a smidge sarcastic on that one,” Iris giggled, saying the word ‘smidge’ in a high-pitched voice.
I laughed, snaking my arms around her waist and I rested my chin on my dork’s shoulder as she held my arms in place. I’m so happy to have her in my life.
Iris’s POV:
After a few more people read my apologies, everyone eventually filled the hallways. A few people stomped on balloons and read the other things I had written. The hallway roared with squeals, laughter, and more popping of balloons. Some people gave me hugs and accepted my apologies while others shot me smiles and thumbs ups. I definitely earned people’s respect again.
At lunch, Kyle, Liz, Dakota and Riley sat with me and the group at our table. It was nice to finally enjoy time with all of my lovely friends again, as well as my new ones. Riley even seems to be hitting it off with Kyle, who is now more confident than he acted around Riley on Friday. They could be the cutest thing ever: Kiley! Oh my, I need stop it with the ship names.
“I’ll be right back, I have to use the restroom,” I whispered into Harry’s ear before placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth. He nodded and shot me a smile before I removed myself from the table.
Before I could even reach the cafeteria door, a tall figure slid himself in front of me. My eyes widened when I saw who it was.
“Hey Sweet Cheeks,” Scott spat. “Did you miss me? Where’s my apology, Bitch?”
“Right here,” Harry said from behind me. Before I knew it, Harry stepped in front of me and punched Scott square in the jaw. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again,” he demanded through gritted teeth.
Surprisingly, Scott scoffed and stormed off. Wow, he actually didn’t try to pick a fight. That’s a new one.
“That was weird,” I furrowed my brows.
Harry shook his head, “I don’t like this. He’s up to something.”
“Gee, that makes me feel incredibly safe,” I said sarcastically.
“Sorry,” he sighed. “I don’t mean to worry you. I just think something’s off.”
“Hm, whatever. I’m gonna go pee now,” I stated as I started to walk away.
“Have fun with that one,” he teased. I looked back at him and shot him a goofy smile before I continued my way to the bathroom.
Is it bad that I really wanted to tell Harry, ‘It’s no big deal since Scott walked away’? The only reason I didn’t say a word was because I promised myself to listen for any warnings I receive from anyone I trust. Maybe Harry’s right though. Scott walked away without trying to beat him to a pulp, or without trying to touch me. There’s something strange about that. I’ve got Harry and all the other boys in my corner if I need protection, so I don’t feel scared one bit. It’s his move, but he’ll only lose the game. Right?
Friday January 31st
“I’m really nervous,” I bit my lip as Harry and I walked up to his house. Harry and I had been talking since Wednesday night about me having dinner with his mom, sister, and him. His mom decided to have it as soon as possible, which happened to be today. Yay. At least my wounds have healed up enough that they're barely visible, meaning I don't have to explain myself about them.
He chuckled, “Why? You’ve met them before.”
“Yeah but we’ve never actually sat down and talked,” I twiddled my thumbs.
“Angel,” he sighed and grabbed my hands, intertwining all of our fingers together. “They will love you.”
I let out a sigh, “I already have a feeling I’ll make a fool of myself.”
“Probably,” he shrugged. “But we’re all dorks, so you’d fit in perfectly.”
“I still don’t feel better,” I admitted.
He leaned in and gave me a short but passionate kiss on the lips. “Better?” he asked after pulling away.
“Maybe,” I dragged the word, letting out a giggle at the end.
He shook his head with a smile plastered to his face before releasing one of my hands to open the door. He pulled me into his house, shutting the door behind him and shouted, “We’re here!”
“Really?” Gemma shook her head with disappointment as she walked into the room. “You don’t need to shout.”
“I was just making sure you weren’t spying,” Harry smirked.
“How do you put up with this?” Gemma asked me.
I shrugged and laughed, “I ask myself that sometimes.”
“Hey,” Harry said in fake disbelief.
“Please, you totally think the same thing about me,” I said smugly.
“Never,” his face was completely serious.
“Alright Lovebirds,” Gemma chuckled. “Dinner is ready so let’s go eat.” We obliged, following her into the kitchen. Anne had just placed the last plate of pasta onto the table just as we walked in.
She smiled at us and straightened out her dress, “Hello Iris.”
“Hey Miss Cox,” I smiled.
“What would you like to drink with your food? We’ve got iced tea, water, Dr. Pepper, and Coke,” she offered.
I sat down in the chair Harry had pulled out for me and grinned to her, “I’d like some wa-tuh.” As soon as the words slid out of my mouth, I buried my face into my hands in embarrassment. I knew I’d say something stupid.
Harry let out a clearly amused laugh, “You’ll have to excuse her dorkiness. She’s nervous.” I lifted my head from my hands to see Anne getting my water, laughing to herself a bit.
Gemma slid into the seat across from me, “Don’t be. You can’t be any worse than Harry is, so we like you already.”
Harry nodded, “It’s true.”
“Glad you admit it,” I smiled as I patted his cheek.
“You say things funny too, you know?” Anne stated as she handed me my water before sitting in the chair next to Gemma. “You guys say buttocks weird.”
“Oh my God,” my agape mouth formed a smile as I turned to Harry. “You are so your mother’s son.”
He let out a light laugh as he twirled his pasta onto his fork, “This is true. Iris and I talk about her foreign language a lot, so we’ve mentioned word differences like buttocks.”
I snickered, “My foreign language? I think you’re forgetting that you’re the foreigner. This is the United States.”
“He’s not the brightest,” Gemma held her hand against her cheek to hide her mouth from being seen by Harry as she whispered to me.
He pouted, “You’re all so mean to me.”
“You bring it on yourself,” I shrugged.
“She’s perfect, Harry,” Gemma pointed to me in amazement. “I like her.” Those words made my heart flutter. Their approval means the world to me.
“You know, Iris,” Anne paused to swallow her food. “You’re the first girl Harry has brought over for dinner.”
“Mum,” he whined.
I raised my brows, “Really?”
“I think that gives me every right to show you his baby pictures since that’s what mothers do,” she chuckled as she waved her fork.
“I’m really glad I came,” I smiled. “I love you guys already.”
Harry groaned and ran his hand down his face, “What have I done?”
After dinner was over, Anne showed me a few of Harry’s baby pictures, just as she said she would. When he was really young, he used to be blonde. She said out of nowhere, his hair just started getting darker and darker, but she was really happy to have a kid who looked more like her. She showed me a picture of him as a baby, covered in what looked like spaghetti sauce. In the photo, he looked like he was mesmerized by the camera that was taking the image; it was the cutest thing ever. She showed me another picture of him wearing a blue robe, sitting next to her on the couch and staring up at her with the biggest smile on his face. He adores her and is a momma’s boy, you could tell. It’s when she showed me a picture of him wearing one of her bras over his soccer jersey that Harry decided to cut the story telling off.
“Okay, we’re off to bed,” Harry curled his lips as he pulled me up from the couch.
“Aww, why?” I pouted. “I was having fun.”
“I think I’ve had enough humiliation for tonight,” he chuckled as he poked my lip.
Anne smiled and stood up to hug me, “Well goodnight, Sweetheart. I’ll show you more pictures in the morning,” she winked.
“Really?” Harry crossed his arms.
She nodded, “Yes really. It’s my job to embarrass you.”
Harry stuck his tongue out at her, “Rude.”
“Cheeky,” I corrected him.
He laughed and shook his head as Gemma hugged me. “Night, Iris,” she hummed. “Don’t let him bug you too much.”
“I’ll try,” I smiled.
“Night Fam,” Harry waved, and off to his room we went. He sat me down on his bed as he rummaged through his drawers for clothes. While he was doing that, I pulled out my phone and texted my mom:
To Mom:
Dakota asked if I could spend the night, is that okay?
I told my mom earlier that I was going to Dakota’s place since Harry and I had already planned on me sleeping over here. I wasn’t sure my father would approve since we’ve already been down that road. My mom and dad have been letting me do whatever I wanted still, but my dad has finally laid out some rules like curfews and other things. I think if I said I was sleeping over at Harry’s house, he’d flip. Just being cautious.
From Mom:
Sure Meadow, have fun.
I mentally rolled my eyes. Meadow. I just had to have nature freaks for parents.
“Here,” Harry handed me some flannel pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. “You can change in my bathroom.”
I smiled and took the clothes from him before strutting to the bathroom. As I slid out of my clothes, I noticed his razor was actually on the counter. He’s making improvements, finally trusting that I won’t cut myself. That thought alone makes me the happiest girl alive. I finally feel strong with him on my side and nothing pushing me down anymore. My life is finally looking up.
When I was done, I skipped into his room to find him already laying in his bed, underneath the covers. I slid under the covers, scooting myself so close to him that our chests were touching.
“Hey,” I smiled.
“Hey,” he grinned back as he played with the tips of my hair. “I told you they’d like you.”
I nodded, “I liked them too. They’re so sweet and adorable. Also, I finally see where you get your silly humor.”
He chuckled, “Yup, that’s my family for you.”
“Now you’ll have to have dinner with mine,” I smirked.
“Okay,” he shrugged.
“Just ‘okay’? You’re not nervous?”
He bit his lip, “Well, yeah I am. I just feel like it can’t be any worse than your father seeing me in my boxers.”
I giggled, “Very true.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love your laugh?” he gazed softly into my eyes as his thumb brushed my lips.
“Many times,” I smiled under his touch.
He ran his thumb to the corner of my mouth, “How about how much I love your smile?”
“Always,” I placed my arm around his torso.
“Your kisses?”
“I don’t know about that one,” I joked.
He smiled lightly as he inched forward, “I love your kisses.” His words sent butterflies through my stomach. He manages to make me feel special each moment we spend together. He never fails to remind me how he feels, leaving me with no doubts about him. I have to say, I picked myself an amazing boyfriend.
His strong hand gently grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him, my lips melting into his as they met. Even his kisses remind me how much I mean to him. He doesn’t care that I’m Hard of Hearing, he doesn’t care that I’ve cut before, he doesn’t care that I’ve tried killing myself, he doesn’t care that I’m a huge dork, etcetera. I’m his and that’s all that matters to him. My kisses, my smile, my laugh, my touch, my everything is all his.
Once we pulled away from the kiss, I found myself tracing his sharp jawline with my fingertips. “Have I told you how much I love everything about you?” I smiled.
“I don’t believe you have,” he shook his head.
I snuggled closer to him, “I’m on cloud nine with you, and I don’t ever want to come down.”
“Let’s just stay up here forever,” he hummed.
“Definitely,” I kissed his chest. “Night, Babe.”
“Night, Angel,” he replied as his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me as close to him as he could. I like that word: forever.
Harry’s POV:
“How could you say that?” the hurt was evident in my voice.
“The bullheadedness, pushing people away, pretending to be okay, burying emotions, unintentionally hurting people,” she frowned. “Sound familiar? I didn’t just become you. I became Bitter Harry, the one who was in the wheelchair. The one I fought so hard to help.”
Fuck, she’s right. She is me…
“Maybe I was worse about it,” she let out a sigh. “Were you scared when you were that way?”
My shoulders slumped, “Mercy.” I really don’t know what to say. This is all so overwhelming.
“I scare me, Harry,” she said as she slid herself to the floor. “I did things I’m not proud of.”
“Tell me about them,” I sat myself onto the ground next to her.
“You’ll hate me,” she said softly.
I scooted closer to her and put my hand on her’s, “I could never hate you, Angel.”
She slightly smiled before flattening her pale pink lips again, “Okay. Well, it started on Wednesday. They bullied me again. They made these stupid fliers that said ‘Unwanted’ and Photoshopped my face onto a picture of some obese lady in a bikini.”
As I traced the blue veins that were visible on her hand, I start thinking about what she was going through. No one told me this. No one told me she was pushed around when I was gone. It’s no wonder she was acting this way.
“There’s more,” she bit her lip. “There was graffiti on my locker that said ‘STD Girl’. I had to look at that for the next few days. It sucked, knowing people viewed me as someone I'm not. I cried again and I ran to the bathroom because I was forcing myself not to leave the school. I didn’t want to run anymore, so I chose to hide instead. Of course, the group came and gave me a pep talk and fixed my makeup for me. I decided I wasn’t going to let people think they got to me anymore, even when they did. Later that day, I went to the DSF meeting.”
“Which we missed yesterday,” I face palmed. Forgot about that.
She giggled a little, “Oops.” I let out a light chuckle because that was pretty cute. “Anyways, I met three people there who get bullied like me: Kyle, Liz, and Dakota. You should meet them, they’re really cool. Awkward, but cool. You’d love them.”
“Any friends or your’s are friends of mine,” I grinned.
She nodded, “I'm glad. So they and I decided that we’d pull silly pranks on their bullies. The original plan was just their bullies and they were funny pranks, you’ve to admit that. It got the pests off their backs. Well, and then I also kind of let Scott grab my ass.” I swallowed hard as I tried to fathom what she just told me. I really hoped Niall was wrong about that.
“I swear I had no intentions of hurting you or cheating or anything,” she rushed her words. “Please don’t be angry at me for that. Actually, scratch that. You have every right to be angry. All I can do is say I’m really really sorry for that and for bouncing my boobs for the principal.”
If I widened my eyes any larger, they’d probably pop out. I watched as Iris gagged from her own words, obviously uncomfortable with the subject. She let out a low growl and buried her head into her arms and knees.
“I’m disgusting,” she muttered. She lifted her head up, but refused to look at me. “I wanted to get out of trouble and it seemed like flirting was the only option. Even Riley, Riley, didn’t like what I was doing. I hated what I did, and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. I’m appalled by all the things I did. Even worse, I fear he’ll do something to me because I was such an idiot. You should’ve seen the way he looked at me, it haunts me. I feel sick just thinking about it. I’m losing sleep because of it.”
“I uh,” I held out my hand. “I think we should just stop talking about it.”
“Harry I-“
I nodded and looked away from her, “I know you’re sorry. I just don’t want to listen to that anymore. Just tell me the other things you did.”
“Okay,” she said in a whisper. “Okay. Uh, well on Thursday, I was getting revenge on the school, which I’m sure you heard about those pranks.” I nodded. “I also got revenge on the people who decorated my locker. I thought it was Kyle, Dakota and Liz, so I did stupid pranks on them too. Today, I found out it wasn’t them and I apologized for being stupid about it. It was Quinn and Georgia: the girls I just had a screaming match with.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I chuckled. “Those were the two girls you told me about? They were your friends? But they’re so…”
“Badass looking and I’m so not?” she guessed what I was about to say.
I laughed, “Well, they’re nothing like you, that’s for sure.”
“No they aren’t,” she curved her lips into a smile. “I just wanted you to know that today I was trying to make amends with everyone, including you. I was going to apologize in the morning, but I decided to wait until you cooled down.”
“And instead you waited till I was screaming at you,” I pointed out.
She shook her head and let a slight giggle fall from her lips, “Probably should’ve just told you this morning.”
“Probably.”
Her smile turned upside down as she began running her fingers through her curls, “That person in there, ripping Georgia’s earring out, that was me. This whole day, I’ve been me. I’m done being bitter.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples, “And this is all my fault?”
“No Harry,” she shook her head and scooted so close to me that our arms were touching. She placed her head on my shoulder, “It’s my fault. Eleanor told me to just tell you how I was feeling about the whole protectiveness thing, but I decided, on my own, to try to prove to you that I can handle myself, when I clearly can’t.”
I kissed the top of her head and rested my head onto her’s. “Angel, you didn’t run today when you could’ve. You stood you ground when I snapped at you this morning, you stood up to Georgia rather than crying, and you stayed when I yelled in your face and hurt my hand slamming it against that damn locker,” I chuckled at the last part. “That right there tells me you are just fine on your own.”
“Really?”
I nodded against her head, “Really. I will stop cutting your food.” After a long pause I said, “Damn.”
“What?” she asked as she lifted her head from my shoulder.
“I just realized how bad that sounded,” I snickered. “Wow, I’m really sorry.”
She half-smiled, “You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just being a good boyfriend. I’m the only one who should ask for forgiveness. And I’m also sorry for, you know, teasing you.”
“And you are forgiven,” I said honestly as I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Just don’t ever mention the thing with the principal and Scott again, okay? Can you please do that for me? I won’t let them hurt you, I just can’t stand hearing that.”
“Okay,” she nodded. The thought of them laying a hand on her makes me sick to my stomach. It hurts knowing she intentionally allowed them to view her as someone to play with. I would stay mad at her, but I think she's going through enough already.
“And for the record, yes, I was scared when I was that way. I never want to be Bitter Harry again.”
“Me neither,” she sighed.
I took this time to examine the wounds on her face. She had two peeling, pink scratches under her left eye, and her lip was bleeding near the corner of her mouth, most likely scartched from her teeth meeting her lips as that girl's fist collided into her mouth. I saw the girl hit Iris in the stomach, so I found myself scanning the hall to make sure no one was around. I tugged on the bottom of her shirt, asking permission to pull it up and examine her skin. She was hesitant, but nodded for me to go ahead. When I pulled up her shirt, a black rounded rectangular bruise was revealed, sitting just to the right of her belly button.
“It’s not as bad as what Riley did,” she said with a light smile on her face.
I shook my head, “Not even close. Come on, let’s go to the nurse’s office and clean your lip. I’m sure she’s not in there again.”
She laughed and stood to her feet before helping me up. “We do more than that lady does.”
“In fact, we should get paid for cleaning each other up,” I joked as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“Of course, I had more to fix,” she played along.
“Not if I put a Band-Aid on your stomach wound,” I teased.
She laughed. “A Band-Aid on a bruise. How effective,” she said sarcastically. I love that once we finally sat down and talked about things, we were finally back to being us. She was finally back to being her. I have my girl back.
Wednesday January 29th
I was surprised that when I asked Iris if she wanted a ride this morning, she turned it down. She said she was actually already at school. It was like six o’clock. School doesn’t even start until seven forty-five, so I have no idea what she’s up to. All I can do is have faith that she’s not going to do anything stupid. Well, I had faith until I arrived at the school.
People were crowding the entrance with frustration written all over their faces. What did Iris do? I shoved my way through the crowd hearing people mutter things like, “She has officially lost her mind.” Here we go again.
Shock overtook me when I finally reached the door. A sea of blue-green balloons covered the entire hallway flooring. A scattered bunch of balloons were floating, touching their heads against the ceiling. Then, there was Iris. My beautiful girlfriend stood in the middle of the hallway, her boots partly covered by the balloons. She was dressed in a simple, yet pretty outfit: a striped cardigan, a peach t-shirt, white pants, and black Ugg boots. Thanks to Gemma, I know the type of boots when I see them. I really hate knowing things like that sometimes.
“Pop one,” Iris waved her hand in a circular motion, gesturing me to do as she says.
“What are you doing?” I chuckled.
She smiled, “Apologizing. Pop a balloon and read the note that’s inside.”
I shook my head and snickered as I bent over and grabbed a balloon. “Anyone got a pen?” I asked over my shoulder to the crowd that stood behind me.
“Me!” some random girl held her’s over my shoulder.
“Thanks,” I said as I took it from her. “COVER YOUR EARS!” I yelled at the top of my lungs as I clicked the pen to make the tip appear. I held my arm up high and forced it down to stab the balloon. BAM! The sound rang in my ears as every ripped piece of rubber fell to the floor along with a small rolled up piece of paper. I picked up the paper and turned to the crowd as I unrolled it. I cleared my throat before reading the note out loud, “Iris is sorry for pouring itching powder on the school’s toilet paper!”
I threw my head back and laughed at the words. She’s such a dork. I happily grabbed another balloon and handed it, along with the pen, to someone who was standing behind me. “Do what I just did,” I instructed him.
I shuffled my feet as I made my way over to Iris, trying not to pop any balloons on the way. BAM! The other kid had already popped the next balloon. Good. Once I reached Iris, I faced the crowded door to listen to what the boy had to say. Poor guy looks like a Freshmen since he’s so small. I probably should’ve had someone else do it. Oh well. (A/N: For those of you who don’t know, a Freshmen is someone who’s in their first year of high school)
“Iris is sorry for serving you her spit-covered peanuts!” the boy shouted with his high-pitched voice to the crowd who started murmuring, a few of them letting out chuckles.
“Liz! You do one!” Iris yelled to someone in the crowd. A green haired girl walked over to the Freshmen and grabbed the pen from him before picking up a balloon from the floor.
“What’s with you and being friends with people who have unique hairstyles?” I joked. She giggled as she shrugged her shoulders. BAM! The green haired girl had popped the balloon.
She turned to the crowd, “Iris is sorry for rubbing Habanero pepper onto Mr. Webber’s door handles!” More chuckles and mumbling erupted throw the crowd.
“Make Kyle do one!” Iris shouted.
As the girl did what Iris told her, I tangled my hands behind my back and leaned over Iris’s shoulder, “So how did you manage to do this?”
“I had a little help from my friends that happen to have the lungs of a singer,” she beamed.
“You had help from the group?” I raised my brows. “How did I not know about this?”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she said before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, “This was a brilliant idea. You’re definitely turning things around, Angel. I’m proud of you.”
BAM! A tall brunette guy popped another balloon. I straightened myself up, preparing to hear the next apology. “Iris is sorry for kicking Georgia White’s ass!” the boy shouted. The crowd roared with laughter as I turned to Iris with a smirk on my face.
“So I may have been a smidge sarcastic on that one,” Iris giggled, saying the word ‘smidge’ in a high-pitched voice.
I laughed, snaking my arms around her waist and I rested my chin on my dork’s shoulder as she held my arms in place. I’m so happy to have her in my life.
Iris’s POV:
After a few more people read my apologies, everyone eventually filled the hallways. A few people stomped on balloons and read the other things I had written. The hallway roared with squeals, laughter, and more popping of balloons. Some people gave me hugs and accepted my apologies while others shot me smiles and thumbs ups. I definitely earned people’s respect again.
At lunch, Kyle, Liz, Dakota and Riley sat with me and the group at our table. It was nice to finally enjoy time with all of my lovely friends again, as well as my new ones. Riley even seems to be hitting it off with Kyle, who is now more confident than he acted around Riley on Friday. They could be the cutest thing ever: Kiley! Oh my, I need stop it with the ship names.
“I’ll be right back, I have to use the restroom,” I whispered into Harry’s ear before placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth. He nodded and shot me a smile before I removed myself from the table.
Before I could even reach the cafeteria door, a tall figure slid himself in front of me. My eyes widened when I saw who it was.
“Hey Sweet Cheeks,” Scott spat. “Did you miss me? Where’s my apology, Bitch?”
“Right here,” Harry said from behind me. Before I knew it, Harry stepped in front of me and punched Scott square in the jaw. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again,” he demanded through gritted teeth.
Surprisingly, Scott scoffed and stormed off. Wow, he actually didn’t try to pick a fight. That’s a new one.
“That was weird,” I furrowed my brows.
Harry shook his head, “I don’t like this. He’s up to something.”
“Gee, that makes me feel incredibly safe,” I said sarcastically.
“Sorry,” he sighed. “I don’t mean to worry you. I just think something’s off.”
“Hm, whatever. I’m gonna go pee now,” I stated as I started to walk away.
“Have fun with that one,” he teased. I looked back at him and shot him a goofy smile before I continued my way to the bathroom.
Is it bad that I really wanted to tell Harry, ‘It’s no big deal since Scott walked away’? The only reason I didn’t say a word was because I promised myself to listen for any warnings I receive from anyone I trust. Maybe Harry’s right though. Scott walked away without trying to beat him to a pulp, or without trying to touch me. There’s something strange about that. I’ve got Harry and all the other boys in my corner if I need protection, so I don’t feel scared one bit. It’s his move, but he’ll only lose the game. Right?
Friday January 31st
“I’m really nervous,” I bit my lip as Harry and I walked up to his house. Harry and I had been talking since Wednesday night about me having dinner with his mom, sister, and him. His mom decided to have it as soon as possible, which happened to be today. Yay. At least my wounds have healed up enough that they're barely visible, meaning I don't have to explain myself about them.
He chuckled, “Why? You’ve met them before.”
“Yeah but we’ve never actually sat down and talked,” I twiddled my thumbs.
“Angel,” he sighed and grabbed my hands, intertwining all of our fingers together. “They will love you.”
I let out a sigh, “I already have a feeling I’ll make a fool of myself.”
“Probably,” he shrugged. “But we’re all dorks, so you’d fit in perfectly.”
“I still don’t feel better,” I admitted.
He leaned in and gave me a short but passionate kiss on the lips. “Better?” he asked after pulling away.
“Maybe,” I dragged the word, letting out a giggle at the end.
He shook his head with a smile plastered to his face before releasing one of my hands to open the door. He pulled me into his house, shutting the door behind him and shouted, “We’re here!”
“Really?” Gemma shook her head with disappointment as she walked into the room. “You don’t need to shout.”
“I was just making sure you weren’t spying,” Harry smirked.
“How do you put up with this?” Gemma asked me.
I shrugged and laughed, “I ask myself that sometimes.”
“Hey,” Harry said in fake disbelief.
“Please, you totally think the same thing about me,” I said smugly.
“Never,” his face was completely serious.
“Alright Lovebirds,” Gemma chuckled. “Dinner is ready so let’s go eat.” We obliged, following her into the kitchen. Anne had just placed the last plate of pasta onto the table just as we walked in.
She smiled at us and straightened out her dress, “Hello Iris.”
“Hey Miss Cox,” I smiled.
“What would you like to drink with your food? We’ve got iced tea, water, Dr. Pepper, and Coke,” she offered.
I sat down in the chair Harry had pulled out for me and grinned to her, “I’d like some wa-tuh.” As soon as the words slid out of my mouth, I buried my face into my hands in embarrassment. I knew I’d say something stupid.
Harry let out a clearly amused laugh, “You’ll have to excuse her dorkiness. She’s nervous.” I lifted my head from my hands to see Anne getting my water, laughing to herself a bit.
Gemma slid into the seat across from me, “Don’t be. You can’t be any worse than Harry is, so we like you already.”
Harry nodded, “It’s true.”
“Glad you admit it,” I smiled as I patted his cheek.
“You say things funny too, you know?” Anne stated as she handed me my water before sitting in the chair next to Gemma. “You guys say buttocks weird.”
“Oh my God,” my agape mouth formed a smile as I turned to Harry. “You are so your mother’s son.”
He let out a light laugh as he twirled his pasta onto his fork, “This is true. Iris and I talk about her foreign language a lot, so we’ve mentioned word differences like buttocks.”
I snickered, “My foreign language? I think you’re forgetting that you’re the foreigner. This is the United States.”
“He’s not the brightest,” Gemma held her hand against her cheek to hide her mouth from being seen by Harry as she whispered to me.
He pouted, “You’re all so mean to me.”
“You bring it on yourself,” I shrugged.
“She’s perfect, Harry,” Gemma pointed to me in amazement. “I like her.” Those words made my heart flutter. Their approval means the world to me.
“You know, Iris,” Anne paused to swallow her food. “You’re the first girl Harry has brought over for dinner.”
“Mum,” he whined.
I raised my brows, “Really?”
“I think that gives me every right to show you his baby pictures since that’s what mothers do,” she chuckled as she waved her fork.
“I’m really glad I came,” I smiled. “I love you guys already.”
Harry groaned and ran his hand down his face, “What have I done?”
After dinner was over, Anne showed me a few of Harry’s baby pictures, just as she said she would. When he was really young, he used to be blonde. She said out of nowhere, his hair just started getting darker and darker, but she was really happy to have a kid who looked more like her. She showed me a picture of him as a baby, covered in what looked like spaghetti sauce. In the photo, he looked like he was mesmerized by the camera that was taking the image; it was the cutest thing ever. She showed me another picture of him wearing a blue robe, sitting next to her on the couch and staring up at her with the biggest smile on his face. He adores her and is a momma’s boy, you could tell. It’s when she showed me a picture of him wearing one of her bras over his soccer jersey that Harry decided to cut the story telling off.
“Okay, we’re off to bed,” Harry curled his lips as he pulled me up from the couch.
“Aww, why?” I pouted. “I was having fun.”
“I think I’ve had enough humiliation for tonight,” he chuckled as he poked my lip.
Anne smiled and stood up to hug me, “Well goodnight, Sweetheart. I’ll show you more pictures in the morning,” she winked.
“Really?” Harry crossed his arms.
She nodded, “Yes really. It’s my job to embarrass you.”
Harry stuck his tongue out at her, “Rude.”
“Cheeky,” I corrected him.
He laughed and shook his head as Gemma hugged me. “Night, Iris,” she hummed. “Don’t let him bug you too much.”
“I’ll try,” I smiled.
“Night Fam,” Harry waved, and off to his room we went. He sat me down on his bed as he rummaged through his drawers for clothes. While he was doing that, I pulled out my phone and texted my mom:
To Mom:
Dakota asked if I could spend the night, is that okay?
I told my mom earlier that I was going to Dakota’s place since Harry and I had already planned on me sleeping over here. I wasn’t sure my father would approve since we’ve already been down that road. My mom and dad have been letting me do whatever I wanted still, but my dad has finally laid out some rules like curfews and other things. I think if I said I was sleeping over at Harry’s house, he’d flip. Just being cautious.
From Mom:
Sure Meadow, have fun.
I mentally rolled my eyes. Meadow. I just had to have nature freaks for parents.
“Here,” Harry handed me some flannel pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. “You can change in my bathroom.”
I smiled and took the clothes from him before strutting to the bathroom. As I slid out of my clothes, I noticed his razor was actually on the counter. He’s making improvements, finally trusting that I won’t cut myself. That thought alone makes me the happiest girl alive. I finally feel strong with him on my side and nothing pushing me down anymore. My life is finally looking up.
When I was done, I skipped into his room to find him already laying in his bed, underneath the covers. I slid under the covers, scooting myself so close to him that our chests were touching.
“Hey,” I smiled.
“Hey,” he grinned back as he played with the tips of my hair. “I told you they’d like you.”
I nodded, “I liked them too. They’re so sweet and adorable. Also, I finally see where you get your silly humor.”
He chuckled, “Yup, that’s my family for you.”
“Now you’ll have to have dinner with mine,” I smirked.
“Okay,” he shrugged.
“Just ‘okay’? You’re not nervous?”
He bit his lip, “Well, yeah I am. I just feel like it can’t be any worse than your father seeing me in my boxers.”
I giggled, “Very true.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love your laugh?” he gazed softly into my eyes as his thumb brushed my lips.
“Many times,” I smiled under his touch.
He ran his thumb to the corner of my mouth, “How about how much I love your smile?”
“Always,” I placed my arm around his torso.
“Your kisses?”
“I don’t know about that one,” I joked.
He smiled lightly as he inched forward, “I love your kisses.” His words sent butterflies through my stomach. He manages to make me feel special each moment we spend together. He never fails to remind me how he feels, leaving me with no doubts about him. I have to say, I picked myself an amazing boyfriend.
His strong hand gently grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him, my lips melting into his as they met. Even his kisses remind me how much I mean to him. He doesn’t care that I’m Hard of Hearing, he doesn’t care that I’ve cut before, he doesn’t care that I’ve tried killing myself, he doesn’t care that I’m a huge dork, etcetera. I’m his and that’s all that matters to him. My kisses, my smile, my laugh, my touch, my everything is all his.
Once we pulled away from the kiss, I found myself tracing his sharp jawline with my fingertips. “Have I told you how much I love everything about you?” I smiled.
“I don’t believe you have,” he shook his head.
I snuggled closer to him, “I’m on cloud nine with you, and I don’t ever want to come down.”
“Let’s just stay up here forever,” he hummed.
“Definitely,” I kissed his chest. “Night, Babe.”
“Night, Angel,” he replied as his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me as close to him as he could. I like that word: forever.
Notes
I was planning on posting this last night, but I didn't finish it till very late and I still needed to edit it. Today, I'm hoping to do a double update though. I've got the next chapter all planned out already.
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11/18/17