Mistreated
Irresistible
Wednesday April 16th
Harry’s POV:
“Can you do that for me?” I asked Eleanor. We’re both at Albertson’s right now, and I’m restocking cereals as she sits on the floor near me so we can chat.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. She’s gonna hate me,” she whined with her lips in an obvious pout.
I stopped what I was doing and rolled my eyes, a small chuckle falling from my lips, “El, Iris doesn’t hate anybody, she’s too nice for that. Besides, I’m sure she’ll figure out it was my idea. I can promise you she won’t be mad at you for long if she even is at all.”
“Fine, I’ll do it, but only because I love you guys, and I really want to help out,” she stated proudly.
“Thank you,” I smiled, starting to place boxes of Lucky Charms on a shelve.
“Can I ask you something?”
“So serious,” I teased. As I glanced over at her, I could tell she’s nervous since she is twisting the ends of her hair like she always does when she’s anxious. “Uh, sure.”
“The reason you’re doing therapy, is it the same reason as why you’re in DSF?” I nodded. “And this thing, do the boys know about it?”
I thought about it as I placed more cereal on the shelves, “Well, Liam, Lou, and Niall only really know bits and pieces. It’s Zayn who knows everything.”
“And Iris knows?” I nodded again. “I’m just glad you’ve spoken to people about it before,” her lips curved into a small smile.
My shoulders slouched, understanding what she’s implying. “I’ll tell you eventually, you know? I’m just not ready yet.”
“I get it,” she smiled wider and placed her hand on my knee. “It’s okay, Haz. I’m just a curious person, I couldn’t help but ask.”
“You’re definitely curious,” I nodded vigorously with wide eyes. She laughed, the sound echoing in the aisle we’re in which only caused her to giggle more. Her laugh is so infectious, so I couldn’t help but chuckle with her.
Once she managed to stifle her laughter, she patted my shoulder and stood to her feet, “I have to go prepare for another photo-shoot.”
“You’re still modeling?” I raised a brow at her.
She exhaled deeply and nodded her head once, “Yeah, unfortunately. I’ll be fine though. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” I smiled, waving to her as she began to walk away. “Oh, and Harry…” She stopped in her place and looked over her shoulder at me, “I’m loving getting to know the real you. I’m glad you’re doing better.”
“Me too,” I smiled appreciatively at her. She returned the gesture before leaving me to do my work.
Saturday April 19th
Iris’s POV:
“Hey El, what’s up?” I answered my phone, placing it on speaker and throwing it on my bed before I continued folding my laundry.
“Are you doing anything right now?”
“You mean besides folding my underwear?” I giggled. “Not really.”
I heard multiple laughs on her side of the line, making me blush. I didn’t realize I was on speaker on her side of the line too. “Well, would you like to hang out with Pez, Soph, and I?”
“Sure.”
“That’s good since we’re already outside,” I could practically hear the smile in her voice. Why am I not surprised?
I picked up my phone and walked over to my window seat to confirm that they are in fact parked in my driveway. I rolled my eyes and wiggled my wingers in a silly wave at them, “Alright. I’ll be down in a second.”
Before I could hear her response, I hung up my phone and shoved it in my jean pocket. I quickly shoved any folded laundry in my dresser and just left the unfinished basket of other clothes on my bed. I pulled a cardigan out of my closet and threw it on before grabbing my purse and running down the stairs.
“I’m going out with the girls!” I shouted as I ran through the house.
“Okay, have fun, Baby Girl,” I heard my father say before I closed the front door.
I skipped towards the car and climbed in the backseat next to Sophia. “So I’m really glad none of the boys were with you when I mentioned I was folding my panties,” I chuckled as I shut the door.
“That would’ve been funnier,” Perrie snickered.
“I think you mispronounced awkward,” I joked, receiving a few laughs from the girls.
Sophia twisted her body in her seat so that she was facing me, “So, Iris, are you going to prom?”
I bit my lip and looked down at my lap, “I don’t think so.”
“Why?” all of the girls asked at once.
I threw my hands up with a wide smile spreading on my face, “Whoa girls, calm down.” Perrie peered at me through the review mirror and rolled her eyes before focusing her eyes back on the road. “I just don’t think it’d be fun for me.”
“I don’t see why,” Eleanor glanced over her seat at me. “The theme is Starry Night, and I heard the United Student Body is going all out on the planning this year.”
“So?” I shrugged. “I’ll be sitting on the sides watching couples dance and singles having fun. I’m just not in the party mood.”
“Come on,” Perrie whined, bouncing in her seat a little. “We won’t let that happen.”
“Yeah,” Sophia chimed in. “You’ll be hanging out with our group, and all of us, including the boys, would be more than willing to accompany you in dancing.”
“I don’t know,” I mumble.
“He’s not gonna be there,” Eleanor frowned, referring to Harry. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”
I creased my brows together, “He’s not?”
“Why would he?” Sophia smiled sympathetically. “He’s a guy without a date. Going to prom would be last on his list.”
“Besides, prom is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Perrie added. “It’s every girl’s dream to go. You have to go, or you’ll regret it in the future.”
It’s not every girl’s dream, and definitely not mine. “Fine,” is what I said instead. The girls all squealed and clapped; well, Perrie didn’t clap because she’s driving. “Where are we going?” I asked once I noticed we were driving out of town, and onto the freeway.
“Prom dress shopping,” Eleanor laughed. I shot her a look of dismay. “What?” she asked innocently. “If you decided not to go, we were gonna have you come and try on dresses anyways. Once you put a dress on, you’ll fall in love and have to wear it.”
“Of course,” I face palmed, making them all laugh again. I’m glad they find this funny, because I’m not thrilled at all.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been incredibly happy lately. I have a great job, a license, a car, supportive friends, and my family and I have been going out together a lot lately. It’s just, I’m still sad about Harry. I miss him, but at the same time, I’m still so hurt.
Going to prom isn’t going to help my situation. The girls may stick with me, but their boyfriends will be with them too. Couples will be surrounding me, kissing and grinding each other. Everyone will be having a blast but me as I sit there thinking about how lucky they all are.
On top of that, Zayn still hasn’t proposed to Perrie. He was supposed to do it on Valentine’s Day, but he never did. When I asked him why he hadn’t proposed yet, he said it just “wasn’t the right time.” I know that he’s lying because he was so anxious from being entirely ready to put a ring on her finger before. Then it became clear to me, Harry and I were starting to argue around then. Zayn must’ve sensed the tension and knew something was bound to happen which meant Perrie would want to involve herself, and she did. Perrie was so stressed out about my relationship, she couldn’t even focus on her’s. It’s Harry and I’s fault they aren’t engaged yet, and that kills me.
Then there’s Harry’s words that are stuck in my head, replaying like a broken record:
“I know that it’s not going to be easy to earn your trust back, but I can promise you that I won’t give up. I owe you the world, and I intend to give you everything. Nothing is holding me back anymore.”
Tuesday, the day after he said that, I found a bouquet of irises in my locker. He obviously still remembers my combination from the time I had him open my locker for me because my hands were shaking. Wednesday, I found a note in my locker that had a quote written on it:
“True love has a habit of coming back.” ― Turcois Ominek
Thursday, there were three balloons taped up to my locker. He stole my apology trick by placing notes inside of each blue-green balloon:
I’m sorry I hurt you.
I’m sorry I failed you.
I’m sorry I gave up.
Last but not least was yesterday. He placed a folded sheet of paper containing a song he wrote for me in my locker. Each word was so beautiful and so meaningful, but I still feel like all of this is not enough. I know he’s sincere with every apology and every word, but the problem goes beyond what he seems to think. Believe me, I want him to fight for me, but I might take longer than he expects for me to come around.
I’ve gone through so much in my life, and he knows about every single thing, yet he still broke me. He has to understand it’ll be a while before I allow myself to try being in a relationship again. It’s hard for me to just jump right into trust again. These things take time.
Saturday May 3rd (Two Weeks Later)
“Smile!” Perrie’s mom yelled enthusiastically as she snapped photos of all of us. We all met up at a town waterfall to take pictures before heading to dinner and prom. Everyone looks amazing.
First, there’s Eleanor and Louis. Eleanor got a beautiful strapless navy blue dress that has silver sparkles all over it. It’s a floor-length dress that has a slit in the side beginning from her mid-thigh and going all the way down. Louis is wearing a blue dress shirt that matches the color of El’s dress with sparkly silver suspenders. Along with those, he’s wearing black dress pants and black dress shoes. They look freaking adorable together.
Then, there’s Perrie and Zayn. Perrie found an amazing black mermaid tail dress. A fancy silver pattern, complimented with colored jewels, covered the dress from her one-inch straps all the way down to her knees. The rest of the dress is a solid black chiffon fabric that flows to the floor. Zayn decided to be somewhat on the boring side by wearing a regular black tux, black dress pants, white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and a skinny black tie. The only thing that stands out on his outfit is the colorful folded handkerchief that sits in his tux pocket, matching the jewels on Perrie’s dress. Although they may not exactly fit the prom theme, they’re careless and looking flawless. So who cares?
Next is Sophia and Liam. Sophia’s dress is my all-time favorite one out of all of our’s. She bought a one-shoulder black floor-length dress that fades into a purplish/pink color at the bottom, the colors reminding me of the galaxy. Like Eleanor, there is a split in her dress that begins mid-thigh and goes all the way down the dress. The left side of her dress, just under the armpit and ending about six inches down, is a sun shaped pattern of purple and silver jewels. The same jewels cover the shoulder on the opposite side of the dress. Liam is wearing a black tux with a shiny purplish/pink vest underneath. Along with those he is wearing black dress pants and black dress shoes. They also look really cute.
Poor Nialler had no date, but he was ecstatic that he got to choose the outfit and color scheme he wanted. He decided on a grey suit, white button up shirt, and black dress shoes. He left the top two buttons on his shirt undone and didn’t wear a tie, a bowtie, a handkerchief, or a vest with his outfit. He looks amazing.
Lastly, there’s me. Eleanor was right: as soon as I found my dress, I instantly fell in love and couldn’t wait to wear it. It’s a strapless black floor-length dress. From the top of my dress to the bottom of my hips, gold jewels cover it, still leaving enough space between them to show the black fabric that sits underneath them. From the top of my thighs down to my knees, a few more gold jewels are scattered, but they are spaced out a lot more. The golden jewels on my dark dress remind me of a midnight sky filled with stars: the sky I find myself staying up to stare at. A quarter of the way down my stomach is a built-in black belt, the center consisting of silver jewels forming a rounded rectangle shape. I also have my hair up in a messy but fancy hairdo that Perrie did for me since my sisters were busy.
All of our parents were crowding around taking as many pictures as they could of us. Niall’s mom felt bad that I didn’t have a date and insisted that Niall and I should take a few pictures together. I don’t want to take pictures with anyone. I don’t even want to go to prom. Sensing my discomfort, Niall politely asked her to back off. He’s so good to me, and I’m such a Bitch. Note to self: talk to Niall about everything tomorrow or another day since today’s not a good day for that.
After our parents got an exceptional amount of photos, the group and I climbed into the party bus we rented and headed to the restaurant we’re gonna eat at. On the way there, we turned on the disco ball that was hanging from the ceiling of the bus and jammed out to some songs. At the restaurant, we had tons of laughs talking about our expectations of prom and guessing who’s going to make a fool of themselves tonight. I won’t deny that I’ve been having a blast with everyone.
The giddiness inside of me faded when we got back into the bus to head to prom. We passed around glasses and a bottle of sparkling cider to drink as everyone sung to more songs. The funny thing is there’s a pole in the center of the bus, closer to the driver’s area which was blocked by a wall, so Niall and Louis were taking turns pretending to be pole dancers. I got a few laughs from that, but I couldn’t stop the frown that was forming on my face. I’m dreading this dance…
After an hour and a half of riding in the bus, we arrived at the science museum our prom’s being held at. At this point, the nerves had me shaking as I watched people enter the tall building. I wish I would’ve just driven here myself, but I didn’t since I’ve only had my license for so long. There’s no going back now, I have to go in.
“Iris? Are you okay?” Eleanor wrapped her arms around me while everyone else climbed out of the bus. I forced a smile and nodded to her, not really trusting my voice at this point. She didn’t question me any further, taking my hand in her’s instead, and leading me out of the bus. We continued our friendly hand holding as we entered the museum along with the rest of the group.
The long tan colored hallway we walked through had two white columns sitting on either side of the tons of closed doors that were scattered throughout the room. Several crystal chandeliers hung on the ceiling above us. Artwork was evenly placed on the solid tan walls, definitely not being artwork of any importance if they trust us enough around them. At the end of the hallway, through the opened fancy maroon double doors, is where our prom was being held.
This room was two stories tall, the second story only being a boarder that’s wide enough for two people to stand next to each other on it. The second floor was outlined by a white columned railing, and was connected to the first floor by wider and larger columns. The boarded ceiling on the first floor had lights disguised as planets hanging from it. Similar lights hung from the tall ceiling that sat above the second floor, the same ceiling that a slowly rotating image of the galaxy was being projected onto. I’m guessing the projector is sitting on the second floor so nobody will walk in front of it and block the image from being shown.
The dance floor was in the center of the room and had tons of spotlights hanging over it, slowly fading to different colors: yellow, red, white, pink, blue, and purple. All of the spotlights colors mixed with the galaxy projection, making it seem like stars were shining on people as well. A DJ played at his station to the side of the stage that was resting against the far wall of the room. The stage had a drum set, a guitar, and quite a few microphone stands. Is there supposed to be a live band? I didn’t know that.
Behind the columns on the first floor are tables of treats: cupcakes, fruit, cookies, brownies, and bowls of candy. There was also drinks like soda, lemonade, water, and punch. That’s definitely going to be Niall’s go-to section in the room. Tables decorated with black tablecloths and fake star shaped candles scattered around the area. There is a few photo booths around the room with small lines of people standing outside of them. Also, there’s a voting box to choose who we wanted as Prom King and Queen.
There is a room open where Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Green are observing students, being sure they don’t steal or touch anything from the exhibits inside of it. Mrs. Clark was supposed to chaperone as well, but had a last minute meeting with the school board which she mentioned to us yesterday. They’re going to be talking about whether or not she’s suitable for the Principal position. Anyways, this place is amazing. I could stare at the galaxy projection on the ceiling all night: it’s my favorite thing in this room.
I noticed I’m the only one in the group still standing by the double doors. Niall went to the food table, Liam and Sophia went to check out the open exhibit, and the rest of the group was already on the dance floor. I found myself planting my butt in a seat at one of the tables, staring up at the beautiful galaxy on the ceiling. It’s literally just a picture slowly spinning in circles, yet it’s the most fascinating thing here. I guess it’s just something to look at other than glancing at the many couples.
“Would you like to dance?” a hand was extended out to me. I looked up to find Niall lightly smiling at me, probably already guessing my answer.
I shook my head, “No thank you.” He dropped his hand to his side and hung his head. I frowned and reached out for his hand, gently squeezing it. “I don’t want to do this anymore: The avoiding you, I mean.” He looked up at me with a puzzled expression. “This has nothing to do with that, okay? Tonight, I’m just not really in the mood to deal with anyone.”
“Why’d you come then?” he squatted down in front of me and placed my hand on my lap.
“Peer pressure,” I rolled my eyes, earning a chuckle out of him. “Go have fun, don’t let me ruin your night.”
“No,” the sass was clearly evident in his tone. “You are going to have fun with us tonight. Come dance with me.”
“Niall,” I sighed. There’s no point in arguing since he won’t back down, but I have other plans. “Fine, but I’m gonna eat and drink something first.”
“Okay,” he sang as he stood upright again. “I’ll be on the dance floor when you’re ready.”
I shot him a smile as I stood up as well, trying to make my lie look believable. I walked over to the food table and browsed the treats until I knew he was no longer staring at me. I knew once he’d start dancing, he’d be so distracted by all the entertainment that he’d temporarily forget he even asked me to meet him over there. That’s exactly what happened.
My eyes finally scanned the crowd of people that are on the dance floor. Perrie was grinding her ass into Zayn’s front, Eleanor and Louis were jumping around like fools and fist pumping the air, Niall was doing an Irish dance to impress the few girls that surrounded him, and I noticed one specific couple slow dancing even though this song was techno and upbeat. The couple took their time dancing in a small circle, their eyes locked on each other’s. Their smiles were wide, and their hands were in respectable positions on each other. Its couples like these ones that I was afraid to see. They’re lucky they have each other, and with one look, you can tell they’d never intentionally hurt each other. That’s the same way I felt about Harry and I, but look how that turned out.
I need air. I turned my body towards the double doors, my hands holding up the bottom of my dress so my heels don’t step on the fabric as I walked. I stared at the floor as I continued walking towards the hallway, but my walking came to a sudden halt when I bumped into someone.
“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, dropping my dress and looking up at the person I walked into. Fuck me. “Um…” I shifted my weight to one leg, feeling completely awkward. “Hi Harry.”
“Hey,” he smiled faintly at me. “Were you trying to leave?” he furrowed his brows, pointing his thumb behind him. I nodded even though that was a lie, I just wanted some fresh air and I’d come back afterwards. It was just easier to nod than speak to him. “Oh,” is all he could say, placing his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants. I took this opportunity to see what he was wearing even though I knew his good looks would only torture me. I can’t help my curiosity though.
He’s wearing a black tux, a gold vest, a black button up shirt, black dress shoes, and a folded gold handkerchief is sitting in his tux pocket. His hair was nicely placed in a quiff, but his curls were still evident. I must say, he looks quite handsome. Wait a second. I looked down at my dress and back to his outfit. I took a step backwards and furrowed my brows at him.
He sighed, reaching one of his hands out to me, “Iris-“
I shook my head at him, taking another step backwards. I can’t believe this, we match. That tells me one thing. “You planned this.”
He dropped his head and hand before giving me a slight nod, “Yes.”
“Changing your mind and coming here is one thing, but you made the girls lie to me about you coming,” I scoffed. “Why did you want me to come here? So I was trapped and had to talk to you? Did you think that once I saw you, I’d suddenly wrap my arms around you and pretend like you never hurt me?”
He scratched the back of his neck, continuing to stare down at the ground between us, “I don’t really know what my plan was. I just had to see you.” He lifted his head, just missing my eye roll, and met my gaze, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was going to be hard on you. I can leave if you want.”
Why does he have to be so incredibly sweet and make this even worse for me? Harry has become more himself since he started taking therapy which was something Perrie told me he was doing. I always saw glimpses of this side of him, but no one else really has experienced him in this way. Now, he’s doing way better and has shown to be the most kindhearted guy you’ll ever meet. He’s no longer the angry, bitter, and scared Harry he used to be. He’s better, but I’m still…not.
“No,” I frowned, shaking my head a little. “Stay. I don’t want to ruin your fun either.”
“Iris-“
I interrupted him, forcing my lips to tug into a smile, “It’s okay, Harry. Have fun.”
With that, I walked away from him. I sat down at another table in the room, deciding not to get fresh air after all. There’s no recovering now that he’s here, so it’d be pointless to walk outside for air. I can’t be mad at him, he’s still trying to win me over like he had promised. I didn’t think I’d have fun even if he wasn’t here. No matter what, I was pretty much screwed. I wish I had never agreed to this. I’d much rather be at home in my bed right now.
“I’m sorry, Iris,” I looked up to find Eleanor pouting. I peaked behind her to find Louis and Harry chatting, Harry looking bummed. “He asked me to convince you to come, and I shouldn’t have.”
“It’s okay,” I half smiled at her. “I’m not mad. You were just trying to help. I get it.”
“I still feel awful,” she admitted.
I shook my head, “Don’t. Just go dance with your man.”
“But-“
“Please?” I begged, trying to fight my sadness. She dropped her shoulders and nodded, caving in to my request and making her way over to the boys.
I let out a huge sigh and buried my face in my hands. I heard someone mumble something beside me, but I didn’t hear what they said. I removed my hands from my face and noticed Andrew sitting in the chair next to me, staring at me.
“What?” I raised my brows at him.
“I asked you if there was trouble in paradise,” he said bluntly.
I didn’t respond, instead questioning to myself how he’s able to be at this dance. He got arrested for the possession of cocaine at that party, so I’m sure his parents are furious. I would say the principal shouldn’t even allow Andrew to be here, but let’s face it, that guy doesn’t give a shit. I mean, we only have like three teachers chaperoning right now. A few poor museum employees have to watch us like hawks since our principal is an idiot.
“So how was jail?” I teased, dramatically resting my chin in the palms of my hands.
He chuckled, “Great, I’m a badass now. People fear me.”
I giggled, “For snorting cocaine? Oh yeah, you’re a real monster.”
“Hey,” he pointed at me, his hand unable to stay steady. “Don’t get sarcastic with me.”
“Andrew, are you drunk?” I snickered, pointing to his cup of soda.
He held his cup out to me, “It’s Ginger Ale with Vanilla Vodka. It tastes like Cream Soda.”
I rolled my eyes and giggled before taking the drink from him and taking a sip. “Mm,” I hummed and handed him the drink back. “It does taste like Cream Soda.”
“Told you,” he smirked.
“And how did you sneak Vodka in here?” I asked curiously.
“The real question is: How would it be possible to be caught with alcohol by a school like our’s?” he countered, making me laugh.
“Touché,” I gave him a small nod.
Suddenly, the music in the room came to a halt. I looked over at the DJ who was holding a microphone to his lips, “Tonight we have two special performances from a band that goes to your very own school. Give a warm welcome to One Direction!” Is he fucking serious? I should’ve known what five microphone stands being on the stage meant. Idiot.
The crowd erupted in cheers as the five handsome men walked onto the stage, along with their guitarist and their drummer. “Thanks everyone,” Liam said into a microphone. “First we’re going to perform the same song we did at the Talent Show, ‘Up All Night’.”
Harry’s gaze caught mine as the song began, but I quickly looked away. At least I can talk to drunk Andrew as my entertainment while they’re up there.
“Where’s your date?” I asked him.
He tried stifling back his laughter, failing majorly, “What date? Who’d want to go on a date with me?”
“I did at one point,” I reminded him.
“And I screwed that up,” his voice slurred. He could barely sit up straight, his body wobbling in his seat. That’s just sad. “After everything I did to you and Harold over there…” he paused and tried pointing at Harry, really only pointing at the crowd of dancing students. “No one will even think twice about liking me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I smiled sympathetically at him. “I mean, look at Riley. What she did was worse than you, and she’s still managed to get a guy to like her.” My eyes began scanning the crowd for her and, once I found her, I wasn’t surprised to find her dancing with Kyle.
“That’s because she has a secret weapon,” he stated before bringing his cup to his lips.
“And what’s that?”
He looked at me as if I had just asked the stupidest question in the world. When he realized I was still confused, he rolled his eyes and said, “Boobs and a vagina. Those are every guy’s weakness.”
I busted into laughter, holding my hands to my stomach, “You’re such a guy.”
“Well duh,” he said slowly and crossed his eyes, making me laugh harder. Who knew it’d be Andrew that’d distract me and make me feel better? Well, drunk Andrew. I’m sure sober Andrew would just be making things worse.
I heard the crowd cheer, indicating that the first song was over. “Thank you, thank you,” Niall said into his mic. “Up next is a song we all wrote recently. It’s called ‘Irresistible’.”
Don't try to make me stay
Or ask if I'm okay
I don't have the answer
Don't make me stay the night
Or ask if I'm alright
I don't have the answer
Harry started off the first part of the song, softly looking into my eyes as his angelic voice filled the room. The lyrics so far sound just like how I feel, and I think he knows that.
Heartache doesn't last forever
I'll say I'm fine
Midnight ain't no time for laughing
When you say goodbye
Liam sang the next part, giving Harry a break. I watched Harry turn around to recompose himself before turning back towards the crowd and shooting me a somber expression. I couldn’t stand to look anymore, turning my attention back to Andrew. Unfortunately, Mr. Drunk-Off-My-Ass passed out with his face buried in his arms on the table.
It makes your lips so kissable
And your kiss unmissable
Your fingertips so touchable
And your eyes irresistible
Zayn sung what I assume to be the chorus since the other boys were harmonizing in the background. I let out a deep sigh and forced myself not to steal another glance at Harry while I stood up from my seat. I need to find a distraction. The dance floor with couples slow dancing and singles slowly waving their hands in the air wasn’t exactly helping.
I walked over to the big double doors that lead to the hallway, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk out of the room. Instead, I stood there staring up at the stars on the ceiling, trying to block out the lyrics being sung in the room.
I've tried to ask myself
Should I see someone else?
I wish I knew the answer
Niall sung the next verse. I debated whether or not I should turn off my hearing aids so I didn’t have to hear them, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t do that either.
But I know, if I go now
If I leave and I'm on my own tonight
I'll never know the answer
“Iris!” a voice squealed right as Harry began singing. I spin around to find Scott and Miracle walking hand-in-hand into the room. She squealed more before releasing Scott’s hand and throwing her arms around my neck. I hugged her back, burying my head in her neck and wrapping my arms tightly around her waist.
“Hey,” I breathed against her neck. I didn’t want to let go of her, enjoying the comfort I’m receiving.
Midnight doesn't last forever
Dark turns to light
Heartache flips my world around
I'm falling down, down, down,
That's why
Even the hug wasn’t distracting me from Liam’s voice. Furthering my disappointment, Miracle pulled away, but she kept her hands on my shoulders to rub them. “What’s wrong?” she furrowed her brows. I glanced over at the boys, and looked back at Miracle with sad eyes. She remained puzzled, but Scott gave me an understanding smile.
“So, are you ready to graduate?” Scott changed the subject. Scott and I never talk, but when we’re forced in a group project or something, he’s proven to have changed. He’s the same sweet Scott I met Freshman Year, but I still will never trust him again.
I find your lips so kissable
And your kiss unmissable
Your fingertips so touchable
And your eyes irresistible
Zayn’s voice filled my ears as I nodded appreciatively at Scott, “Definitely. It’s about time to get out of that hellhole.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Miracle waved her head dismissively, making Scott and I both rolled our eyes since Miracle obviously doesn’t understand. “You forgot the wedding invitation I gave you.”
I didn’t forget because I don’t want to go. “I did? Sorry,” I frowned.
“It’s okay,” she shrugged and smiled widely. “I’ll bring one over to you if you’d like.”
I sighed, not wanting to accept the offer, but both she and Scott were shooting me pleading eyes for different reasons. “Okay,” I faintly nodded to her. “You still have the same number right? Just text me when your want to head over, and I’ll let you know if I’m home.”
“Yay!” she threw her arms around me again and jumped a little.
It's in your lips and in your kiss
It's in your touch and your fingertips
And it's in all the things and other things
That make you who you are and your eyes irresistible
Harry sung the next part, and I found myself staring over at him again. I could tell he was confused I was speaking with Scott, but he was hiding it for the crowd.
Miracle released me and before I knew it, she and Scott had disappeared to the food table. I kept my eyes on Harry this time, not even bothering to try and look away anymore.
It makes your lips so kissable
And your kiss unmissable
All five boys sung in sync, their powerful voices sending chills down my spine.
Your fingertips so touchable
Louis sung the one line, smiling down to Eleanor who blew a kiss to him.
And your eyes, your eyes, your eyes,
Your eyes, your eyes, your eyes
Harry sung this part with so much passion in his voice, his eyes closing to pour his heart into the words. I felt tears pricking in my eyes, but I blinked repeatedly to fight them back. There’s no way I’m allowing myself to cry right now.
Irresistible
Liam finished as all of the boys hung their heads, and the guitarist finished the last notes of the song. The crowd roared with screams and applause, and the boys all took a bow.
“One Direction!” the DJ shouted into his mic. I was just about to turn and walk out of the room before the DJ said, “Alright everyone, now is the time to announce this year's Prom King and Queen.” I stepped backwards until my back was against a wall next to the maroon double doors, so I could listen to this. I have a feeling it’ll be someone in the group since everyone loves them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry was King since every girl in our grade most likely voted for him.
“This year’s Prom King is…” he paused for dramatic affect. Shocker. “Zayn Malik!” I found myself smiling and lightly clapping at the sound of his name. I’m genuinely happy for him. He deserves it. “And now, this year’s Prom Queen is…” Another pause. “Perrie Edwards!”
All of the students went crazy with cheers as Perrie made her way onto the stage with her jaw dropped to the floor. She definitely was not expecting to win. I watched as a few students from the United Student Body club placed crowns on their heads and handed Perrie a bouquet of roses.
“Now if everyone could clear the dance floor for the King and Queen’s dance,” the DJ gestured everyone to give them room.
I watched as Zayn guided Perrie to the dance floor. He placed her hand on his shoulder and held her other hand in his as he placed his free hand on her back. The way they looked at each other just screams, “We’re in love!” As they rotated slowly in a small circle, Zayn said something to her, and her cheeks turned a shade of red that was so obviously evident from where I was standing. I smiled warmly at the sight, but my smile faded to frown once I realized a tear was rolling down my cheek.
I wiped it away and slowly turned to walk out the doors. I walked down the beautiful hallway trying to regain my composure. Stop crying. You’re okay…
I’m not okay. The one guy I trusted with my everything, he crushed me. Twice. He’s trying to make it okay, but it’s not. I miss him, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to, but my heart tells me otherwise.
“Mercy!” a raspy voice shouted after me. I heard the sound of running feet before a hand was wrapped around my wrist. With my wrist, he turned my body to face his, but I didn’t dare meet his eyes. “What’s wrong?” his voice was filled with concern. He took my chin between his index finger and thumb to tilt my head up, but my eyes remained on the floor. “Mercy?”
My heart won the internal battle with my head, causing my eyes to meet his. There they are, my piercing green weakness. His gaze is soft and comforting, his touch sent electricity through my body, and I suddenly forgot about all of my worries.
Even in my heels, I still wasn’t tall enough, so I stood on my toes to crash my lips into his. He was surprised at first, but once I wrapped my arms around his neck, he kissed me back with equal force. My heart feels like it could explode at any minute as it beats faster and faster. His hands gripped my waist, so he could pull me closer to him. I traced his bottom lip with my tongue, and he opened his mouth to allow it to slide in.
He starts stumbling backwards, bringing me with him and his mouth never leaving mine. I hear a doorknob jiggle before we stumble back again. After another doorknob jiggling, he pulls away and drags me into a room. As he closes the door behind us, I look around to see a room filled with exhibits of cars, airplanes, a train, and other modes of transportation. I wonder if there are cameras in here. We should be getting busted for this.
I bit my lip as I waited for him to make a move, intertwining my hands behind my back.
“Iris,” he breathed as he stepped closer to me. I didn’t let him talk, only pressing my lips into his again. He hesitantly kissed me back, walking us over to a wall to pin me against it. My fingers began fumbling with the buttons on his jacket as his lips found my neck. I let out a moan once he found my sweet spot and began gently sucking and nibbling on it. Once I unbuttoned his jacket, my hands slid up his torso and to his shoulders, underneath his jacket.
He pulled away and panted heavily, stroking the pad of his thumb against my cheek, “You sure?” His words echoed in my head, and I suddenly realized what I was doing. I tried not questioning my actions, furrowing my brows and nodding at him instead. I reconnected our lips as my hands slipped his jacket off his shoulders. He shrugged the jacket completely off and brought his hands to cup my cheeks, deepening our heated kiss.
Why am I doing this? I didn’t want to even see him five minutes ago, and now I’m trying to sleep with him. Here I am, as confused as ever, and he’s being so sweet and gentle with me. I can’t do this.
Tears spilled out of my eyes, and I felt him pull away from me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. “I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
Why does he do that? I was the one who forced myself on him, yet he’s the one apologizing. I’m not even upset because of Scott or anything, and he’s still keeping that in mind. His kindheartedness only makes me feel worse.
“You didn’t,” I sniffled, flashing him a faint smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This was just a mistake. I’m sorry.” A look of hurt and confusion spread across his face, probably matching mine. I gently pushed him away and snuck out of the room. My feet were killing me, so I took my heels off and took off, running out of the building as I finally released the tears and sobs I was holding in.
Harry’s POV:
What just happened? One minute I had her and the next, she was gone. She’s been sending me so many mixed signals tonight: checking me out when she first saw me, the gazes, the kiss, and now this. I don’t know what she wants from me, but I honestly don’t think she knows either.
I know by now I probably ruined prom from her. I never should’ve came, nor should I have made the girls convince her to come. Perrie said Iris didn’t even want to come at all which only makes me feel worse. This was the worst plan ever, but it wasn’t even a well thought out one.
I have to find her. I picked up my jacket and threw it onto my shoulder before I left the room, earning a few stares and raised eyebrows from people in the hall. I ignored them, not really caring what they think, and headed out of the museum. I found Iris knelt on the ground just outside of the doors, crying into her hands. The lights in front of the building shined brightly, reflecting off of the gold jewels on her dress and causing them to glisten. She looks so beautiful, even when she’s crying.
I placed my jacket over her shivering body, startling her at first. I scooped her off the ground, walked to the parking lot, and over to my car. I gently placed her on the ground for a second to open the passenger door for her and helped her slide in. I quickly sent Lou a text saying I was taking Iris home and then hopped into my side of the car. This is going to be a long drive.
I pulled into her driveway and put the car in park before putting on the emergency brake and turning off the car. I looked over at her to see she’s in the same position as she has been the whole ride: her forehead is against the window, her eyes are staring straight ahead, and her hands fiddled with the edge of my jacket. We didn’t speak a word to each other during the full hour and a half drive.
I have so many questions, but I’m scared to ask. I don’t want to upset her any further. I should ask though. I just need to know that me fighting for her is not a lost cause. I need to know that I still have a chance.
“Do you still love me?” I broke the silence.
“What?” she furrowed her brows and twisted her head towards me. “Of course I do.” I stayed silent, feeling myself become speechless again. Why is it so hard to talk to her now?
“I still love you even after you hurt me so much,” she continued, facing her whole body towards mine. “I probably shouldn’t love you, but I do. It’s hard to imagine the person who lifted me up only pushed me back down again. I thought you were the only person in the world who wouldn’t toss me to the side, but that’s exactly what you did. You were the last person I ever expected to crush me so badly.”
“I didn’t realize you felt this way all this time,” I admitted.
She shook her head, “Well, not all this time. When you dumped me, I thought maybe it wasn’t set in stone, and you’d come back to me. I think the real eye-opener was when you purposely drove into a pole right before my eyes.” I looked down sadly at my lap. I have so many regrets about that day, and I wish I could take it all back.
“All my life, Harry,” her voice broke. “All my life people have been hurting me. I thought you were different, and I never imagined that you’d cause me pain.”
Her dainty hand came into my view as she wrapped it around one of mine. I looked up at her to see her lightly smiling as a new batch of tears flowed down her cheeks. “You are different, Harry. I’m just scared of being broken again.”
I held her hand tightly, using my other hand to wipe away her tears with my fingertips, “I know. It’s my fault you feel that way, Angel, and I’m sorry. Like I said before, it’s going to take time to gain your trust again, and I understand that completely. I’ll fight for as long as it takes because in the end, you’re worth it all. I love you.”
She smiled, the corners of her lips smiling against her cheeks. God, I missed that smile. “I should probably head in,” she pointed to her house after we spent a few minutes basking in each other’s presence. I nodded and allowed her to take her hand from mine, holding in the frown from the lack of contact. She removed my jacket from her shoulders and placed it in the backseat. “Thank you for bringing me home. Goodnight, Harry.”
“Sweet dreams, Angel.” I watched her climb out of my car and close the door. Then it hit me, I forgot to do something. Just as she reached her front door, I swung my car door open and shouted, “Iris!”
She looked at me over her shoulder and took a step back, “Yeah?”
“You look beautiful,” I smiled, being sure to flash her my dimples that she loves.
She chuckled and tried hiding her blush with her hands, “No I don’t. I look like a mess.”
“Like I said, you look beautiful,” I grinned as I gave her a small nod.
Her cheeks flushed again, but this time she didn’t even try to hide it. “And you look dapper,” she pointed out.
My smile only grew as I watched this beautiful girl step into her house and close the door behind her. Guess my plan wasn't a flop after all.
Harry’s POV:
“Can you do that for me?” I asked Eleanor. We’re both at Albertson’s right now, and I’m restocking cereals as she sits on the floor near me so we can chat.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. She’s gonna hate me,” she whined with her lips in an obvious pout.
I stopped what I was doing and rolled my eyes, a small chuckle falling from my lips, “El, Iris doesn’t hate anybody, she’s too nice for that. Besides, I’m sure she’ll figure out it was my idea. I can promise you she won’t be mad at you for long if she even is at all.”
“Fine, I’ll do it, but only because I love you guys, and I really want to help out,” she stated proudly.
“Thank you,” I smiled, starting to place boxes of Lucky Charms on a shelve.
“Can I ask you something?”
“So serious,” I teased. As I glanced over at her, I could tell she’s nervous since she is twisting the ends of her hair like she always does when she’s anxious. “Uh, sure.”
“The reason you’re doing therapy, is it the same reason as why you’re in DSF?” I nodded. “And this thing, do the boys know about it?”
I thought about it as I placed more cereal on the shelves, “Well, Liam, Lou, and Niall only really know bits and pieces. It’s Zayn who knows everything.”
“And Iris knows?” I nodded again. “I’m just glad you’ve spoken to people about it before,” her lips curved into a small smile.
My shoulders slouched, understanding what she’s implying. “I’ll tell you eventually, you know? I’m just not ready yet.”
“I get it,” she smiled wider and placed her hand on my knee. “It’s okay, Haz. I’m just a curious person, I couldn’t help but ask.”
“You’re definitely curious,” I nodded vigorously with wide eyes. She laughed, the sound echoing in the aisle we’re in which only caused her to giggle more. Her laugh is so infectious, so I couldn’t help but chuckle with her.
Once she managed to stifle her laughter, she patted my shoulder and stood to her feet, “I have to go prepare for another photo-shoot.”
“You’re still modeling?” I raised a brow at her.
She exhaled deeply and nodded her head once, “Yeah, unfortunately. I’ll be fine though. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” I smiled, waving to her as she began to walk away. “Oh, and Harry…” She stopped in her place and looked over her shoulder at me, “I’m loving getting to know the real you. I’m glad you’re doing better.”
“Me too,” I smiled appreciatively at her. She returned the gesture before leaving me to do my work.
Saturday April 19th
Iris’s POV:
“Hey El, what’s up?” I answered my phone, placing it on speaker and throwing it on my bed before I continued folding my laundry.
“Are you doing anything right now?”
“You mean besides folding my underwear?” I giggled. “Not really.”
I heard multiple laughs on her side of the line, making me blush. I didn’t realize I was on speaker on her side of the line too. “Well, would you like to hang out with Pez, Soph, and I?”
“Sure.”
“That’s good since we’re already outside,” I could practically hear the smile in her voice. Why am I not surprised?
I picked up my phone and walked over to my window seat to confirm that they are in fact parked in my driveway. I rolled my eyes and wiggled my wingers in a silly wave at them, “Alright. I’ll be down in a second.”
Before I could hear her response, I hung up my phone and shoved it in my jean pocket. I quickly shoved any folded laundry in my dresser and just left the unfinished basket of other clothes on my bed. I pulled a cardigan out of my closet and threw it on before grabbing my purse and running down the stairs.
“I’m going out with the girls!” I shouted as I ran through the house.
“Okay, have fun, Baby Girl,” I heard my father say before I closed the front door.
I skipped towards the car and climbed in the backseat next to Sophia. “So I’m really glad none of the boys were with you when I mentioned I was folding my panties,” I chuckled as I shut the door.
“That would’ve been funnier,” Perrie snickered.
“I think you mispronounced awkward,” I joked, receiving a few laughs from the girls.
Sophia twisted her body in her seat so that she was facing me, “So, Iris, are you going to prom?”
I bit my lip and looked down at my lap, “I don’t think so.”
“Why?” all of the girls asked at once.
I threw my hands up with a wide smile spreading on my face, “Whoa girls, calm down.” Perrie peered at me through the review mirror and rolled her eyes before focusing her eyes back on the road. “I just don’t think it’d be fun for me.”
“I don’t see why,” Eleanor glanced over her seat at me. “The theme is Starry Night, and I heard the United Student Body is going all out on the planning this year.”
“So?” I shrugged. “I’ll be sitting on the sides watching couples dance and singles having fun. I’m just not in the party mood.”
“Come on,” Perrie whined, bouncing in her seat a little. “We won’t let that happen.”
“Yeah,” Sophia chimed in. “You’ll be hanging out with our group, and all of us, including the boys, would be more than willing to accompany you in dancing.”
“I don’t know,” I mumble.
“He’s not gonna be there,” Eleanor frowned, referring to Harry. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”
I creased my brows together, “He’s not?”
“Why would he?” Sophia smiled sympathetically. “He’s a guy without a date. Going to prom would be last on his list.”
“Besides, prom is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Perrie added. “It’s every girl’s dream to go. You have to go, or you’ll regret it in the future.”
It’s not every girl’s dream, and definitely not mine. “Fine,” is what I said instead. The girls all squealed and clapped; well, Perrie didn’t clap because she’s driving. “Where are we going?” I asked once I noticed we were driving out of town, and onto the freeway.
“Prom dress shopping,” Eleanor laughed. I shot her a look of dismay. “What?” she asked innocently. “If you decided not to go, we were gonna have you come and try on dresses anyways. Once you put a dress on, you’ll fall in love and have to wear it.”
“Of course,” I face palmed, making them all laugh again. I’m glad they find this funny, because I’m not thrilled at all.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been incredibly happy lately. I have a great job, a license, a car, supportive friends, and my family and I have been going out together a lot lately. It’s just, I’m still sad about Harry. I miss him, but at the same time, I’m still so hurt.
Going to prom isn’t going to help my situation. The girls may stick with me, but their boyfriends will be with them too. Couples will be surrounding me, kissing and grinding each other. Everyone will be having a blast but me as I sit there thinking about how lucky they all are.
On top of that, Zayn still hasn’t proposed to Perrie. He was supposed to do it on Valentine’s Day, but he never did. When I asked him why he hadn’t proposed yet, he said it just “wasn’t the right time.” I know that he’s lying because he was so anxious from being entirely ready to put a ring on her finger before. Then it became clear to me, Harry and I were starting to argue around then. Zayn must’ve sensed the tension and knew something was bound to happen which meant Perrie would want to involve herself, and she did. Perrie was so stressed out about my relationship, she couldn’t even focus on her’s. It’s Harry and I’s fault they aren’t engaged yet, and that kills me.
Then there’s Harry’s words that are stuck in my head, replaying like a broken record:
“I know that it’s not going to be easy to earn your trust back, but I can promise you that I won’t give up. I owe you the world, and I intend to give you everything. Nothing is holding me back anymore.”
Tuesday, the day after he said that, I found a bouquet of irises in my locker. He obviously still remembers my combination from the time I had him open my locker for me because my hands were shaking. Wednesday, I found a note in my locker that had a quote written on it:
“True love has a habit of coming back.” ― Turcois Ominek
Thursday, there were three balloons taped up to my locker. He stole my apology trick by placing notes inside of each blue-green balloon:
I’m sorry I hurt you.
I’m sorry I failed you.
I’m sorry I gave up.
Last but not least was yesterday. He placed a folded sheet of paper containing a song he wrote for me in my locker. Each word was so beautiful and so meaningful, but I still feel like all of this is not enough. I know he’s sincere with every apology and every word, but the problem goes beyond what he seems to think. Believe me, I want him to fight for me, but I might take longer than he expects for me to come around.
I’ve gone through so much in my life, and he knows about every single thing, yet he still broke me. He has to understand it’ll be a while before I allow myself to try being in a relationship again. It’s hard for me to just jump right into trust again. These things take time.
Saturday May 3rd (Two Weeks Later)
“Smile!” Perrie’s mom yelled enthusiastically as she snapped photos of all of us. We all met up at a town waterfall to take pictures before heading to dinner and prom. Everyone looks amazing.
First, there’s Eleanor and Louis. Eleanor got a beautiful strapless navy blue dress that has silver sparkles all over it. It’s a floor-length dress that has a slit in the side beginning from her mid-thigh and going all the way down. Louis is wearing a blue dress shirt that matches the color of El’s dress with sparkly silver suspenders. Along with those, he’s wearing black dress pants and black dress shoes. They look freaking adorable together.
Then, there’s Perrie and Zayn. Perrie found an amazing black mermaid tail dress. A fancy silver pattern, complimented with colored jewels, covered the dress from her one-inch straps all the way down to her knees. The rest of the dress is a solid black chiffon fabric that flows to the floor. Zayn decided to be somewhat on the boring side by wearing a regular black tux, black dress pants, white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and a skinny black tie. The only thing that stands out on his outfit is the colorful folded handkerchief that sits in his tux pocket, matching the jewels on Perrie’s dress. Although they may not exactly fit the prom theme, they’re careless and looking flawless. So who cares?
Next is Sophia and Liam. Sophia’s dress is my all-time favorite one out of all of our’s. She bought a one-shoulder black floor-length dress that fades into a purplish/pink color at the bottom, the colors reminding me of the galaxy. Like Eleanor, there is a split in her dress that begins mid-thigh and goes all the way down the dress. The left side of her dress, just under the armpit and ending about six inches down, is a sun shaped pattern of purple and silver jewels. The same jewels cover the shoulder on the opposite side of the dress. Liam is wearing a black tux with a shiny purplish/pink vest underneath. Along with those he is wearing black dress pants and black dress shoes. They also look really cute.
Poor Nialler had no date, but he was ecstatic that he got to choose the outfit and color scheme he wanted. He decided on a grey suit, white button up shirt, and black dress shoes. He left the top two buttons on his shirt undone and didn’t wear a tie, a bowtie, a handkerchief, or a vest with his outfit. He looks amazing.
Lastly, there’s me. Eleanor was right: as soon as I found my dress, I instantly fell in love and couldn’t wait to wear it. It’s a strapless black floor-length dress. From the top of my dress to the bottom of my hips, gold jewels cover it, still leaving enough space between them to show the black fabric that sits underneath them. From the top of my thighs down to my knees, a few more gold jewels are scattered, but they are spaced out a lot more. The golden jewels on my dark dress remind me of a midnight sky filled with stars: the sky I find myself staying up to stare at. A quarter of the way down my stomach is a built-in black belt, the center consisting of silver jewels forming a rounded rectangle shape. I also have my hair up in a messy but fancy hairdo that Perrie did for me since my sisters were busy.
All of our parents were crowding around taking as many pictures as they could of us. Niall’s mom felt bad that I didn’t have a date and insisted that Niall and I should take a few pictures together. I don’t want to take pictures with anyone. I don’t even want to go to prom. Sensing my discomfort, Niall politely asked her to back off. He’s so good to me, and I’m such a Bitch. Note to self: talk to Niall about everything tomorrow or another day since today’s not a good day for that.
After our parents got an exceptional amount of photos, the group and I climbed into the party bus we rented and headed to the restaurant we’re gonna eat at. On the way there, we turned on the disco ball that was hanging from the ceiling of the bus and jammed out to some songs. At the restaurant, we had tons of laughs talking about our expectations of prom and guessing who’s going to make a fool of themselves tonight. I won’t deny that I’ve been having a blast with everyone.
The giddiness inside of me faded when we got back into the bus to head to prom. We passed around glasses and a bottle of sparkling cider to drink as everyone sung to more songs. The funny thing is there’s a pole in the center of the bus, closer to the driver’s area which was blocked by a wall, so Niall and Louis were taking turns pretending to be pole dancers. I got a few laughs from that, but I couldn’t stop the frown that was forming on my face. I’m dreading this dance…
After an hour and a half of riding in the bus, we arrived at the science museum our prom’s being held at. At this point, the nerves had me shaking as I watched people enter the tall building. I wish I would’ve just driven here myself, but I didn’t since I’ve only had my license for so long. There’s no going back now, I have to go in.
“Iris? Are you okay?” Eleanor wrapped her arms around me while everyone else climbed out of the bus. I forced a smile and nodded to her, not really trusting my voice at this point. She didn’t question me any further, taking my hand in her’s instead, and leading me out of the bus. We continued our friendly hand holding as we entered the museum along with the rest of the group.
The long tan colored hallway we walked through had two white columns sitting on either side of the tons of closed doors that were scattered throughout the room. Several crystal chandeliers hung on the ceiling above us. Artwork was evenly placed on the solid tan walls, definitely not being artwork of any importance if they trust us enough around them. At the end of the hallway, through the opened fancy maroon double doors, is where our prom was being held.
This room was two stories tall, the second story only being a boarder that’s wide enough for two people to stand next to each other on it. The second floor was outlined by a white columned railing, and was connected to the first floor by wider and larger columns. The boarded ceiling on the first floor had lights disguised as planets hanging from it. Similar lights hung from the tall ceiling that sat above the second floor, the same ceiling that a slowly rotating image of the galaxy was being projected onto. I’m guessing the projector is sitting on the second floor so nobody will walk in front of it and block the image from being shown.
The dance floor was in the center of the room and had tons of spotlights hanging over it, slowly fading to different colors: yellow, red, white, pink, blue, and purple. All of the spotlights colors mixed with the galaxy projection, making it seem like stars were shining on people as well. A DJ played at his station to the side of the stage that was resting against the far wall of the room. The stage had a drum set, a guitar, and quite a few microphone stands. Is there supposed to be a live band? I didn’t know that.
Behind the columns on the first floor are tables of treats: cupcakes, fruit, cookies, brownies, and bowls of candy. There was also drinks like soda, lemonade, water, and punch. That’s definitely going to be Niall’s go-to section in the room. Tables decorated with black tablecloths and fake star shaped candles scattered around the area. There is a few photo booths around the room with small lines of people standing outside of them. Also, there’s a voting box to choose who we wanted as Prom King and Queen.
There is a room open where Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Green are observing students, being sure they don’t steal or touch anything from the exhibits inside of it. Mrs. Clark was supposed to chaperone as well, but had a last minute meeting with the school board which she mentioned to us yesterday. They’re going to be talking about whether or not she’s suitable for the Principal position. Anyways, this place is amazing. I could stare at the galaxy projection on the ceiling all night: it’s my favorite thing in this room.
I noticed I’m the only one in the group still standing by the double doors. Niall went to the food table, Liam and Sophia went to check out the open exhibit, and the rest of the group was already on the dance floor. I found myself planting my butt in a seat at one of the tables, staring up at the beautiful galaxy on the ceiling. It’s literally just a picture slowly spinning in circles, yet it’s the most fascinating thing here. I guess it’s just something to look at other than glancing at the many couples.
“Would you like to dance?” a hand was extended out to me. I looked up to find Niall lightly smiling at me, probably already guessing my answer.
I shook my head, “No thank you.” He dropped his hand to his side and hung his head. I frowned and reached out for his hand, gently squeezing it. “I don’t want to do this anymore: The avoiding you, I mean.” He looked up at me with a puzzled expression. “This has nothing to do with that, okay? Tonight, I’m just not really in the mood to deal with anyone.”
“Why’d you come then?” he squatted down in front of me and placed my hand on my lap.
“Peer pressure,” I rolled my eyes, earning a chuckle out of him. “Go have fun, don’t let me ruin your night.”
“No,” the sass was clearly evident in his tone. “You are going to have fun with us tonight. Come dance with me.”
“Niall,” I sighed. There’s no point in arguing since he won’t back down, but I have other plans. “Fine, but I’m gonna eat and drink something first.”
“Okay,” he sang as he stood upright again. “I’ll be on the dance floor when you’re ready.”
I shot him a smile as I stood up as well, trying to make my lie look believable. I walked over to the food table and browsed the treats until I knew he was no longer staring at me. I knew once he’d start dancing, he’d be so distracted by all the entertainment that he’d temporarily forget he even asked me to meet him over there. That’s exactly what happened.
My eyes finally scanned the crowd of people that are on the dance floor. Perrie was grinding her ass into Zayn’s front, Eleanor and Louis were jumping around like fools and fist pumping the air, Niall was doing an Irish dance to impress the few girls that surrounded him, and I noticed one specific couple slow dancing even though this song was techno and upbeat. The couple took their time dancing in a small circle, their eyes locked on each other’s. Their smiles were wide, and their hands were in respectable positions on each other. Its couples like these ones that I was afraid to see. They’re lucky they have each other, and with one look, you can tell they’d never intentionally hurt each other. That’s the same way I felt about Harry and I, but look how that turned out.
I need air. I turned my body towards the double doors, my hands holding up the bottom of my dress so my heels don’t step on the fabric as I walked. I stared at the floor as I continued walking towards the hallway, but my walking came to a sudden halt when I bumped into someone.
“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, dropping my dress and looking up at the person I walked into. Fuck me. “Um…” I shifted my weight to one leg, feeling completely awkward. “Hi Harry.”
“Hey,” he smiled faintly at me. “Were you trying to leave?” he furrowed his brows, pointing his thumb behind him. I nodded even though that was a lie, I just wanted some fresh air and I’d come back afterwards. It was just easier to nod than speak to him. “Oh,” is all he could say, placing his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants. I took this opportunity to see what he was wearing even though I knew his good looks would only torture me. I can’t help my curiosity though.
He’s wearing a black tux, a gold vest, a black button up shirt, black dress shoes, and a folded gold handkerchief is sitting in his tux pocket. His hair was nicely placed in a quiff, but his curls were still evident. I must say, he looks quite handsome. Wait a second. I looked down at my dress and back to his outfit. I took a step backwards and furrowed my brows at him.
He sighed, reaching one of his hands out to me, “Iris-“
I shook my head at him, taking another step backwards. I can’t believe this, we match. That tells me one thing. “You planned this.”
He dropped his head and hand before giving me a slight nod, “Yes.”
“Changing your mind and coming here is one thing, but you made the girls lie to me about you coming,” I scoffed. “Why did you want me to come here? So I was trapped and had to talk to you? Did you think that once I saw you, I’d suddenly wrap my arms around you and pretend like you never hurt me?”
He scratched the back of his neck, continuing to stare down at the ground between us, “I don’t really know what my plan was. I just had to see you.” He lifted his head, just missing my eye roll, and met my gaze, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was going to be hard on you. I can leave if you want.”
Why does he have to be so incredibly sweet and make this even worse for me? Harry has become more himself since he started taking therapy which was something Perrie told me he was doing. I always saw glimpses of this side of him, but no one else really has experienced him in this way. Now, he’s doing way better and has shown to be the most kindhearted guy you’ll ever meet. He’s no longer the angry, bitter, and scared Harry he used to be. He’s better, but I’m still…not.
“No,” I frowned, shaking my head a little. “Stay. I don’t want to ruin your fun either.”
“Iris-“
I interrupted him, forcing my lips to tug into a smile, “It’s okay, Harry. Have fun.”
With that, I walked away from him. I sat down at another table in the room, deciding not to get fresh air after all. There’s no recovering now that he’s here, so it’d be pointless to walk outside for air. I can’t be mad at him, he’s still trying to win me over like he had promised. I didn’t think I’d have fun even if he wasn’t here. No matter what, I was pretty much screwed. I wish I had never agreed to this. I’d much rather be at home in my bed right now.
“I’m sorry, Iris,” I looked up to find Eleanor pouting. I peaked behind her to find Louis and Harry chatting, Harry looking bummed. “He asked me to convince you to come, and I shouldn’t have.”
“It’s okay,” I half smiled at her. “I’m not mad. You were just trying to help. I get it.”
“I still feel awful,” she admitted.
I shook my head, “Don’t. Just go dance with your man.”
“But-“
“Please?” I begged, trying to fight my sadness. She dropped her shoulders and nodded, caving in to my request and making her way over to the boys.
I let out a huge sigh and buried my face in my hands. I heard someone mumble something beside me, but I didn’t hear what they said. I removed my hands from my face and noticed Andrew sitting in the chair next to me, staring at me.
“What?” I raised my brows at him.
“I asked you if there was trouble in paradise,” he said bluntly.
I didn’t respond, instead questioning to myself how he’s able to be at this dance. He got arrested for the possession of cocaine at that party, so I’m sure his parents are furious. I would say the principal shouldn’t even allow Andrew to be here, but let’s face it, that guy doesn’t give a shit. I mean, we only have like three teachers chaperoning right now. A few poor museum employees have to watch us like hawks since our principal is an idiot.
“So how was jail?” I teased, dramatically resting my chin in the palms of my hands.
He chuckled, “Great, I’m a badass now. People fear me.”
I giggled, “For snorting cocaine? Oh yeah, you’re a real monster.”
“Hey,” he pointed at me, his hand unable to stay steady. “Don’t get sarcastic with me.”
“Andrew, are you drunk?” I snickered, pointing to his cup of soda.
He held his cup out to me, “It’s Ginger Ale with Vanilla Vodka. It tastes like Cream Soda.”
I rolled my eyes and giggled before taking the drink from him and taking a sip. “Mm,” I hummed and handed him the drink back. “It does taste like Cream Soda.”
“Told you,” he smirked.
“And how did you sneak Vodka in here?” I asked curiously.
“The real question is: How would it be possible to be caught with alcohol by a school like our’s?” he countered, making me laugh.
“Touché,” I gave him a small nod.
Suddenly, the music in the room came to a halt. I looked over at the DJ who was holding a microphone to his lips, “Tonight we have two special performances from a band that goes to your very own school. Give a warm welcome to One Direction!” Is he fucking serious? I should’ve known what five microphone stands being on the stage meant. Idiot.
The crowd erupted in cheers as the five handsome men walked onto the stage, along with their guitarist and their drummer. “Thanks everyone,” Liam said into a microphone. “First we’re going to perform the same song we did at the Talent Show, ‘Up All Night’.”
Harry’s gaze caught mine as the song began, but I quickly looked away. At least I can talk to drunk Andrew as my entertainment while they’re up there.
“Where’s your date?” I asked him.
He tried stifling back his laughter, failing majorly, “What date? Who’d want to go on a date with me?”
“I did at one point,” I reminded him.
“And I screwed that up,” his voice slurred. He could barely sit up straight, his body wobbling in his seat. That’s just sad. “After everything I did to you and Harold over there…” he paused and tried pointing at Harry, really only pointing at the crowd of dancing students. “No one will even think twice about liking me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I smiled sympathetically at him. “I mean, look at Riley. What she did was worse than you, and she’s still managed to get a guy to like her.” My eyes began scanning the crowd for her and, once I found her, I wasn’t surprised to find her dancing with Kyle.
“That’s because she has a secret weapon,” he stated before bringing his cup to his lips.
“And what’s that?”
He looked at me as if I had just asked the stupidest question in the world. When he realized I was still confused, he rolled his eyes and said, “Boobs and a vagina. Those are every guy’s weakness.”
I busted into laughter, holding my hands to my stomach, “You’re such a guy.”
“Well duh,” he said slowly and crossed his eyes, making me laugh harder. Who knew it’d be Andrew that’d distract me and make me feel better? Well, drunk Andrew. I’m sure sober Andrew would just be making things worse.
I heard the crowd cheer, indicating that the first song was over. “Thank you, thank you,” Niall said into his mic. “Up next is a song we all wrote recently. It’s called ‘Irresistible’.”
Don't try to make me stay
Or ask if I'm okay
I don't have the answer
Don't make me stay the night
Or ask if I'm alright
I don't have the answer
Harry started off the first part of the song, softly looking into my eyes as his angelic voice filled the room. The lyrics so far sound just like how I feel, and I think he knows that.
Heartache doesn't last forever
I'll say I'm fine
Midnight ain't no time for laughing
When you say goodbye
Liam sang the next part, giving Harry a break. I watched Harry turn around to recompose himself before turning back towards the crowd and shooting me a somber expression. I couldn’t stand to look anymore, turning my attention back to Andrew. Unfortunately, Mr. Drunk-Off-My-Ass passed out with his face buried in his arms on the table.
It makes your lips so kissable
And your kiss unmissable
Your fingertips so touchable
And your eyes irresistible
Zayn sung what I assume to be the chorus since the other boys were harmonizing in the background. I let out a deep sigh and forced myself not to steal another glance at Harry while I stood up from my seat. I need to find a distraction. The dance floor with couples slow dancing and singles slowly waving their hands in the air wasn’t exactly helping.
I walked over to the big double doors that lead to the hallway, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk out of the room. Instead, I stood there staring up at the stars on the ceiling, trying to block out the lyrics being sung in the room.
I've tried to ask myself
Should I see someone else?
I wish I knew the answer
Niall sung the next verse. I debated whether or not I should turn off my hearing aids so I didn’t have to hear them, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t do that either.
But I know, if I go now
If I leave and I'm on my own tonight
I'll never know the answer
“Iris!” a voice squealed right as Harry began singing. I spin around to find Scott and Miracle walking hand-in-hand into the room. She squealed more before releasing Scott’s hand and throwing her arms around my neck. I hugged her back, burying my head in her neck and wrapping my arms tightly around her waist.
“Hey,” I breathed against her neck. I didn’t want to let go of her, enjoying the comfort I’m receiving.
Midnight doesn't last forever
Dark turns to light
Heartache flips my world around
I'm falling down, down, down,
That's why
Even the hug wasn’t distracting me from Liam’s voice. Furthering my disappointment, Miracle pulled away, but she kept her hands on my shoulders to rub them. “What’s wrong?” she furrowed her brows. I glanced over at the boys, and looked back at Miracle with sad eyes. She remained puzzled, but Scott gave me an understanding smile.
“So, are you ready to graduate?” Scott changed the subject. Scott and I never talk, but when we’re forced in a group project or something, he’s proven to have changed. He’s the same sweet Scott I met Freshman Year, but I still will never trust him again.
I find your lips so kissable
And your kiss unmissable
Your fingertips so touchable
And your eyes irresistible
Zayn’s voice filled my ears as I nodded appreciatively at Scott, “Definitely. It’s about time to get out of that hellhole.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Miracle waved her head dismissively, making Scott and I both rolled our eyes since Miracle obviously doesn’t understand. “You forgot the wedding invitation I gave you.”
I didn’t forget because I don’t want to go. “I did? Sorry,” I frowned.
“It’s okay,” she shrugged and smiled widely. “I’ll bring one over to you if you’d like.”
I sighed, not wanting to accept the offer, but both she and Scott were shooting me pleading eyes for different reasons. “Okay,” I faintly nodded to her. “You still have the same number right? Just text me when your want to head over, and I’ll let you know if I’m home.”
“Yay!” she threw her arms around me again and jumped a little.
It's in your lips and in your kiss
It's in your touch and your fingertips
And it's in all the things and other things
That make you who you are and your eyes irresistible
Harry sung the next part, and I found myself staring over at him again. I could tell he was confused I was speaking with Scott, but he was hiding it for the crowd.
Miracle released me and before I knew it, she and Scott had disappeared to the food table. I kept my eyes on Harry this time, not even bothering to try and look away anymore.
It makes your lips so kissable
And your kiss unmissable
All five boys sung in sync, their powerful voices sending chills down my spine.
Your fingertips so touchable
Louis sung the one line, smiling down to Eleanor who blew a kiss to him.
And your eyes, your eyes, your eyes,
Your eyes, your eyes, your eyes
Harry sung this part with so much passion in his voice, his eyes closing to pour his heart into the words. I felt tears pricking in my eyes, but I blinked repeatedly to fight them back. There’s no way I’m allowing myself to cry right now.
Irresistible
Liam finished as all of the boys hung their heads, and the guitarist finished the last notes of the song. The crowd roared with screams and applause, and the boys all took a bow.
“One Direction!” the DJ shouted into his mic. I was just about to turn and walk out of the room before the DJ said, “Alright everyone, now is the time to announce this year's Prom King and Queen.” I stepped backwards until my back was against a wall next to the maroon double doors, so I could listen to this. I have a feeling it’ll be someone in the group since everyone loves them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry was King since every girl in our grade most likely voted for him.
“This year’s Prom King is…” he paused for dramatic affect. Shocker. “Zayn Malik!” I found myself smiling and lightly clapping at the sound of his name. I’m genuinely happy for him. He deserves it. “And now, this year’s Prom Queen is…” Another pause. “Perrie Edwards!”
All of the students went crazy with cheers as Perrie made her way onto the stage with her jaw dropped to the floor. She definitely was not expecting to win. I watched as a few students from the United Student Body club placed crowns on their heads and handed Perrie a bouquet of roses.
“Now if everyone could clear the dance floor for the King and Queen’s dance,” the DJ gestured everyone to give them room.
I watched as Zayn guided Perrie to the dance floor. He placed her hand on his shoulder and held her other hand in his as he placed his free hand on her back. The way they looked at each other just screams, “We’re in love!” As they rotated slowly in a small circle, Zayn said something to her, and her cheeks turned a shade of red that was so obviously evident from where I was standing. I smiled warmly at the sight, but my smile faded to frown once I realized a tear was rolling down my cheek.
I wiped it away and slowly turned to walk out the doors. I walked down the beautiful hallway trying to regain my composure. Stop crying. You’re okay…
I’m not okay. The one guy I trusted with my everything, he crushed me. Twice. He’s trying to make it okay, but it’s not. I miss him, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to, but my heart tells me otherwise.
“Mercy!” a raspy voice shouted after me. I heard the sound of running feet before a hand was wrapped around my wrist. With my wrist, he turned my body to face his, but I didn’t dare meet his eyes. “What’s wrong?” his voice was filled with concern. He took my chin between his index finger and thumb to tilt my head up, but my eyes remained on the floor. “Mercy?”
My heart won the internal battle with my head, causing my eyes to meet his. There they are, my piercing green weakness. His gaze is soft and comforting, his touch sent electricity through my body, and I suddenly forgot about all of my worries.
Even in my heels, I still wasn’t tall enough, so I stood on my toes to crash my lips into his. He was surprised at first, but once I wrapped my arms around his neck, he kissed me back with equal force. My heart feels like it could explode at any minute as it beats faster and faster. His hands gripped my waist, so he could pull me closer to him. I traced his bottom lip with my tongue, and he opened his mouth to allow it to slide in.
He starts stumbling backwards, bringing me with him and his mouth never leaving mine. I hear a doorknob jiggle before we stumble back again. After another doorknob jiggling, he pulls away and drags me into a room. As he closes the door behind us, I look around to see a room filled with exhibits of cars, airplanes, a train, and other modes of transportation. I wonder if there are cameras in here. We should be getting busted for this.
I bit my lip as I waited for him to make a move, intertwining my hands behind my back.
“Iris,” he breathed as he stepped closer to me. I didn’t let him talk, only pressing my lips into his again. He hesitantly kissed me back, walking us over to a wall to pin me against it. My fingers began fumbling with the buttons on his jacket as his lips found my neck. I let out a moan once he found my sweet spot and began gently sucking and nibbling on it. Once I unbuttoned his jacket, my hands slid up his torso and to his shoulders, underneath his jacket.
He pulled away and panted heavily, stroking the pad of his thumb against my cheek, “You sure?” His words echoed in my head, and I suddenly realized what I was doing. I tried not questioning my actions, furrowing my brows and nodding at him instead. I reconnected our lips as my hands slipped his jacket off his shoulders. He shrugged the jacket completely off and brought his hands to cup my cheeks, deepening our heated kiss.
Why am I doing this? I didn’t want to even see him five minutes ago, and now I’m trying to sleep with him. Here I am, as confused as ever, and he’s being so sweet and gentle with me. I can’t do this.
Tears spilled out of my eyes, and I felt him pull away from me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. “I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
Why does he do that? I was the one who forced myself on him, yet he’s the one apologizing. I’m not even upset because of Scott or anything, and he’s still keeping that in mind. His kindheartedness only makes me feel worse.
“You didn’t,” I sniffled, flashing him a faint smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This was just a mistake. I’m sorry.” A look of hurt and confusion spread across his face, probably matching mine. I gently pushed him away and snuck out of the room. My feet were killing me, so I took my heels off and took off, running out of the building as I finally released the tears and sobs I was holding in.
Harry’s POV:
What just happened? One minute I had her and the next, she was gone. She’s been sending me so many mixed signals tonight: checking me out when she first saw me, the gazes, the kiss, and now this. I don’t know what she wants from me, but I honestly don’t think she knows either.
I know by now I probably ruined prom from her. I never should’ve came, nor should I have made the girls convince her to come. Perrie said Iris didn’t even want to come at all which only makes me feel worse. This was the worst plan ever, but it wasn’t even a well thought out one.
I have to find her. I picked up my jacket and threw it onto my shoulder before I left the room, earning a few stares and raised eyebrows from people in the hall. I ignored them, not really caring what they think, and headed out of the museum. I found Iris knelt on the ground just outside of the doors, crying into her hands. The lights in front of the building shined brightly, reflecting off of the gold jewels on her dress and causing them to glisten. She looks so beautiful, even when she’s crying.
I placed my jacket over her shivering body, startling her at first. I scooped her off the ground, walked to the parking lot, and over to my car. I gently placed her on the ground for a second to open the passenger door for her and helped her slide in. I quickly sent Lou a text saying I was taking Iris home and then hopped into my side of the car. This is going to be a long drive.
I pulled into her driveway and put the car in park before putting on the emergency brake and turning off the car. I looked over at her to see she’s in the same position as she has been the whole ride: her forehead is against the window, her eyes are staring straight ahead, and her hands fiddled with the edge of my jacket. We didn’t speak a word to each other during the full hour and a half drive.
I have so many questions, but I’m scared to ask. I don’t want to upset her any further. I should ask though. I just need to know that me fighting for her is not a lost cause. I need to know that I still have a chance.
“Do you still love me?” I broke the silence.
“What?” she furrowed her brows and twisted her head towards me. “Of course I do.” I stayed silent, feeling myself become speechless again. Why is it so hard to talk to her now?
“I still love you even after you hurt me so much,” she continued, facing her whole body towards mine. “I probably shouldn’t love you, but I do. It’s hard to imagine the person who lifted me up only pushed me back down again. I thought you were the only person in the world who wouldn’t toss me to the side, but that’s exactly what you did. You were the last person I ever expected to crush me so badly.”
“I didn’t realize you felt this way all this time,” I admitted.
She shook her head, “Well, not all this time. When you dumped me, I thought maybe it wasn’t set in stone, and you’d come back to me. I think the real eye-opener was when you purposely drove into a pole right before my eyes.” I looked down sadly at my lap. I have so many regrets about that day, and I wish I could take it all back.
“All my life, Harry,” her voice broke. “All my life people have been hurting me. I thought you were different, and I never imagined that you’d cause me pain.”
Her dainty hand came into my view as she wrapped it around one of mine. I looked up at her to see her lightly smiling as a new batch of tears flowed down her cheeks. “You are different, Harry. I’m just scared of being broken again.”
I held her hand tightly, using my other hand to wipe away her tears with my fingertips, “I know. It’s my fault you feel that way, Angel, and I’m sorry. Like I said before, it’s going to take time to gain your trust again, and I understand that completely. I’ll fight for as long as it takes because in the end, you’re worth it all. I love you.”
She smiled, the corners of her lips smiling against her cheeks. God, I missed that smile. “I should probably head in,” she pointed to her house after we spent a few minutes basking in each other’s presence. I nodded and allowed her to take her hand from mine, holding in the frown from the lack of contact. She removed my jacket from her shoulders and placed it in the backseat. “Thank you for bringing me home. Goodnight, Harry.”
“Sweet dreams, Angel.” I watched her climb out of my car and close the door. Then it hit me, I forgot to do something. Just as she reached her front door, I swung my car door open and shouted, “Iris!”
She looked at me over her shoulder and took a step back, “Yeah?”
“You look beautiful,” I smiled, being sure to flash her my dimples that she loves.
She chuckled and tried hiding her blush with her hands, “No I don’t. I look like a mess.”
“Like I said, you look beautiful,” I grinned as I gave her a small nod.
Her cheeks flushed again, but this time she didn’t even try to hide it. “And you look dapper,” she pointed out.
My smile only grew as I watched this beautiful girl step into her house and close the door behind her. Guess my plan wasn't a flop after all.
Notes
Iris’s dress was chosen by:- @1D____rules
- @gemstwin
- @FaydraW
- @marieevebelair
Prom King and Queen chosen by:
- @Celeste_1914
Song “Irresistible” chosen by:
- @marieevebelair
Thanks to those who participated in the creation of this chapter <3
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Random Fact: This chapter is about 24 pages long, so that's why it took me forever to write it.
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I love this story so much!!!
11/18/17