Mistreated
Cure
Friday June 13th (Five weeks later)
Iris’s POV:
It’s finally here: Graduation Day. The day I never imagined I’d reach. I always thought I’d be dead before today, or at least a runaway. Yet, here I am, wearing my white cap and gown, and standing next to my peers as the ceremony is beginning. Every graduate eagerly takes their seats, ready to be done with this school, as Mrs. Clark makes her way to the podium.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Clark didn’t get the principal position like she had hoped for, but she assured us all that it was only because the year was already coming to an end. In private, she told me and Harry that she will be the next year’s principal, and she thanked us for helping her see the true horrors of Principal Gibson’s ways. For now, Mrs. Clark is in charge of the graduation event since it appeared Principal Gibson had nothing special planned for us. He never cared at all. It would’ve been a crappy celebration with him anyways. I’m especially thankful it’s Mrs. Clark and Mr. Sanchez who are handing out our diplomas.
“Phew,” Mrs. Clark squeaked as she wiped her forehead. “It is hot outside today, so I’ll try and make this quick so our graduates don’t bake in the sun. I want to start by thanking the staff…”
College is so close I can taste it. I’ve never been so excited to go to school. What’s even better is that there aren’t cliques in college, just friends forming into groups. People will always judge each other and bring others down, but that’s something we all have to learn to adapt to. I guess high school is only a rough version of teaching yourself to deal with situations like that. Most people probably don’t go through the same shit Harry and I have been through, so the obstacles of the real world may be tougher for them. There’s nothing left that could possibly push me and Harry down.
But college. I’m so excited. Unfortunately, Harry, El, and I all don’t have great enough grades to get into a four-year college, but we have acceptable grades for community college. The three of us chose a college that’s near home, and we plan to choose similar time frames for classes so we can carpool there. The others plan to go to four-year colleges nearby. Of course, not all of them could agree on one, so we’re going to have to take turns visiting each other. We’ve all made a pact that’d we’d always stay in touch, and I’m confident that pact will stay intact.
“With that being said, there are a special group of students that I would like to give an honorary medal to,” Mrs. Clark beamed. “These students are the heart and inspiration here at our school. Normally the class hero is one person…” she laughed. “…but this year, its forty-three students.”
My eyes widened as I scanned the crowd for Kyle who should be seated somewhere near me. We’re all sat in alphabetical order, which I find annoying but understandable; it’s just easier to hand out the diplomas that way. After turning my whole body around in the chair and scanning the crowd a bit more, I finally spotted Kyle a few rows behind me, and exchanged an astonished look with him. Are they giving the awards to who I think they are?
I turned back around in my seat so I was facing towards the stage and watched Mrs. Clark and Mr. Sanchez grab armfuls of medals from other staff. “When we call your name, please approach the stage and get your medal from us,” Mrs. Clark instructed us. “Once you get your medal, please line up behind us for a picture.”
“Dakota Winters,” Mr. Sanchez started off. Yup, I know exactly who they are giving the awards to.
“WHOO DAKOTA!” I screamed. Well, this is awkward, seeming as everyone is dead silent.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm Miss Mercer, but we asked that everyone hold all of the cheers and applause till the end,” Mrs. Clark chuckled into the mic.
I sunk down in my seat and covered my face to hide my heated cheeks as the students and audience busted into laughter. I didn’t realize they wanted us to be quiet. Oops. The worst part is that even though there’s six hundred graduates, she still managed to figure out it was me who was screaming.
“Eleanor Calder.”
“Kyle O’Brien.”
“Elizabeth Foster.”
“Iris Mercer.” I stood up as soon as my name slid from Mr. Sanchez’s lips. I squeezed my way through all the legs and out to the aisle, making my way to the stage. They were still calling names as Mr. Sanchez placed a medal around my neck and gestured me to stand with the other DSF members. I giddily made my way over to my friends and hugged each of them before jumping in excitement with Eleanor. We’re weirdos.
It’s funny how in September, I would think that the way I’m acting right now is nothing but pure foolishness. I’d only scoff at myself, thinking about how others will perceive me as a freak. I’d be scared of being judged and laughed at or even pushed around after the ceremony. Well, not anymore, and never again. I’ve learned throughout my high school experience that I shouldn’t care what people think at all. It’s only my opinion that matters.
“Harry Styles,” Mrs. Clark announced, and I felt my heart flutter just from the sound of his name.
Harry. Things with him are better than ever. We’re still just friends, but there has been constant flirting, friendly cuddles, and occasional handholding. We’ve only been on two dates, but that’s because there was so much going on between finals and Harry’s move.
He finally moved, and the house is indeed around the corner from Perrie’s. I certainly didn’t mind that since his new house is closer to mine than the last one was. I went over there and helped his family unpack, and to my surprise, Robin and Harry were joking around and laughing with each other a lot. Not only has he made major improvements with me, but he’s making it work with his family as well. He’s changed for the good, and seeing that with my own eyes has helped me believe in him again.
My father, on the other hand, is determined to make Harry work hard for his trust. He’s enforced strict rules on Harry taking me out: he makes Harry tell him about all of our plans when we do go out, and he has given us a curfew. That curfew stresses Harry out, causing him to be extra speedy about getting me home in time. He definitely does not want to screw things up this time around, I’ll tell you that.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw the green eyed boy climbing up the steps to the stage, showing off his pearly whites. I giggled lightly when I noticed his cap sitting on his head, his curls peeking out from the bottom of it. He had texted me before the ceremony and complained his mom and sister had to use bobby pins to keep his cap on his head. I, of course, teased him and told him I had to do the same thing.
Butterflies erupted in my stomach when his orbs met mine, and his smile instantly widened. He strolled right over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders as he positioned himself behind me.
I raised my brow and looked over my shoulder at him, “Why are you back there? Enjoying the view?” I teased with a small chuckle falling from my lips.
“Very much,” he smirked. “And I was being polite, seeming as we’re going to be taking a picture.”
“Oh right,” I playfully tapped my forehead. “I forgot you’re a jolly green giant.”
He snickered, “Then you must’ve forgotten you’re a midget.”
“No,” I held the word and shot him a small glare. “I am average height. Just because you’re a tree doesn’t mean you need to pick on my height.”
He raised his hands up in surrender, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to go there.”
“You’re secret’s out,” I joked and raised my hand up to run my fingers through his peeking curls. “You’ve even got a little shrubbery.”
“Hey,” he swatted my hand away. “Only nice people get to touch my hair.”
Before I could make a smartass remark back, the crowd began roaring with applause. I turned my head back towards them and saw people were giving us a standing ovation. What did I miss?
As the audience cheered, Mr. Sanchez stood in front of our whole club with a bulky camera. Posing for the camera, I threw my arm around Eleanor’s shoulders and placed my free hand on my hip. I felt Harry’s arms snake around my waist, so I removed my hand from my hip and placed it onto his stacked hands. Once Mr. Sanchez was done, the crowd had finally settled down.
“Thank you for being great examples for us all,” Mrs. Clark flashed all of us a sweet grin.
I felt my body heating up more and more, and that’s when I noticed Harry’s arms were still wrapped around me. “Harry, it’s hot,” I half whispered/half whined, but he kept his arms around me. I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my scalp, underneath my cap. “Harry…” I warned.
“Fine,” his warm breath hit my neck before he pulled away from me. Geez, how close was he standing behind me? My back and waist felt less heated now that he has stepped back, thank God. As much as I’d love to be that close to him, it’s hot as hell outside.
“Please take your seats again,” Mr. Sanchez pointed his hand towards the seated graduates.
I turned towards Harry to tell him I’d catch him later, but instead, I found him holding his hand out to me. I intertwined my sweaty palm with his, and he pretended to be disgusted by it, making me slap his arm. He just chuckled, knowing his hand is slimy too.
He walked me to my row and placed one hand on my back while his other hand gestured me to go take my seat. I gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, thanking him for being so kind, and squeezed passed all of the legs to get back to my seat.
“That was very cute, you two,” Mrs. Clark teased us, and of course, she was using the microphone when she said it. Scattered laughs played throughout the audience and students. I glanced over at Harry to see him bowing in the middle of the aisle, earning more laughs and a few claps. Oh my, he’s such a dork.
“Finally,” I muttered as I walked over to my car. I unzipped the front of my gown and threw it in the back seat. I used one of the side mirrors to fix my hair after removing the cap and bobby pins. I found myself smiling at my reflection. I’m now a high school graduate, and I couldn’t be any prouder of myself.
“Congratulations,” I heard an all too familiar voice from behind me.
I turned to face my mother who was accompanied by my father, Skye, Derek, and Brielle. “Thank you.” I received hugs from each of them and a few more congratulatory words. “So I’ll see you at Harry’s?”
My father furrowed his brows and looked at my mother for answers, “Uhhh.” My mom just shrugged as Skye elbowed my dad’s arm. “Oh, yeah!” It was like a light bulb went off in his head. “Right, Harry’s. Yup, see you there.”
“Okay,” I held the word as I eyed my family suspiciously. Each of them shot me nervous smiles, except Derek who I can imagine has no idea what’s happening.
“Well bye,” Skye’s words were rushed as she pushed my parents away. They all quickly made their way towards their cars, avoiding my quizzical looks.
I just shrugged it off and got into my car to head to Harry’s. You see, right now the graduates that are going to Grad Night are supposed to be getting on a bus which means the boys should be there. Well, they should, but they gave their Grad Night tickets away so we could throw a huge graduation party together. Isn’t that the nicest thing you’ve ever heard? They fucking gave away one hundred dollar tickets just to have one last party.
Of course, this won’t be like our usual parties with booze and weed. Nope. Instead, our families and friends will be there. Perrie’s parents are doing all of the cooking, Louis’s family is bringing the sodas and chips, Harry’s mom is allowing us to use her house, and my parents are providing the paper plates, plastic cups, napkins, and plastic eating utensils. Perrie said her mom and Harry’s mom were planning to go all out with decorations too. This will be interesting to say the least.
Except…
Where is everyone? I pulled up in front of Harry’s house to find that his car was the only one parked in front of it. Am I just here for setting up the party or something? Thanks for the heads up, Harold.
I sighed and pulled myself out of the car, closing the door and locking it afterwards. I made my way up to Harry’s front door and knocked on it, staring down at my feet as I waited for him to answer. I’m so glad I wore my white flats rather than heels, considering my feet would be killing me right now. I’m also very thankful that the field at my school had fake grass, so there aren’t any grass stains on my flats either.
When the door flew open, I scanned my eyes up Harry’s outfit. He’s wearing brown ankle boots, black skinny jeans, and pale blue/grey button up shirt. The top two buttons on his shirt were undone, showing off his perfectly toned chest and golden tan skin. I was going to make fun of his hat head, but it appears he has restyled his hair so that it was no longer visible.
“It’s not fair you know,” I crossed my arms.
“What isn’t?”
I pointed at his bare chest, “Men can show off their chests no problem, but if I were to unbutton my top like that, I’d be a whore.”
He chuckled and shook his head, “I’d have no problem with you unbuttoning your shirt.” If looks could kill, he’d be dead right now. Pig. “What?” he laughed. “I’m joking, Mercy. You look stunning, by the way.”
I looked down at my dress and blushed. I’m wearing a simple short strapless dress. The top part of it hugs my torso and ends in a little angle in front of my dress that reminds me of the bottom half of a heart. The rest of my dress is chiffon material that flows down, ending about five inches above my knees. The top is colored white, and it matches the baby blue fabric on the lower part of my dress.
“It’s not fair you know,” he mocked my earlier statement. “Ladies get to wear dresses, but if we wore a dress, we’d be called gay.”
I face palmed and muffled my giggles behind my puffed out cheeks. I glanced back up at him again with a smug look, “If you want to wear a dress, Harry, be my guest.”
“No thanks,” he shrugged and reentered his house. I started to follow him, but he suddenly turned back around and bumped into me. “Well hello there,” he said, the amusement clearly evident in his voice.
“Well, aren’t you gonna let me in?”
He snorted, “And why would I do that?” Is he serious? “Angel, the party isn’t here.”
I scrunched up my face in confusion, “It’s not?”
“I thought it was quite obvious,” he turned himself in a circle as if he were looking for people.
“So why am I here?” I asked slowly.
“Because you and I are going somewhere,” he smiled cheekily, as he would call it.
“Uh, well where-“
He made an obnoxious buzzer noise with his throat, bugging his eyes out as he did so, “You are all out of questions.”
“Was that really necessary?” I tried not laughing at the ridiculous noise he had just made, but I completely failed.
“Let’s go,” he grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, gently pushing me out of the doorway. Once he removed his hands, I turned around to watch him lock the door. When he finished with that, he picked up a black fan that I hadn’t noticed was sitting by his feet.
I laughed as he tucked it under his arm, “What do you need a fan for?”
“I thought I told you no more questions,” he smirked, and I stuck my tongue out at him. Rude.
“The track?” I rolled my eyes. “You brought me to the track?”
“Shhh,” he hushed me and waved his hand down, signaling that I need to be quiet. I tucked my lips in between my teeth and giggled at his behavior. What is this boy up to? “Wait here,” he instructed me.
He pulled the fan out from the back seat and hopped out of the car. He walked over to my side and opened the door for me before holding his hand out to help me step out of the car. Such a gentleman. Once I was out, he closed the door for me and locked his car before tangling his free hand with mine.
On our way to the track, I kept finding myself smiling down at our hands. As we grew closer and closer these past weeks, we couldn’t help but keep some sort of touching involved. Whether he were to simply rest his hand on my thigh, or I were to lay my head on his shoulder, we always had to have some sort of physical contact.
“And we’re here,” Harry said. I looked up from our hands to find a big square gazebo standing tall in the grass with thick black velvet curtains hanging from every angle of it. “Well, come on,” he tugged at my hand before leading me over to the large tent-like thing. He tugged a curtain to the side, allowing me to step in before he joined me and closed the curtain back up.
Sitting on the grass in three of the corners in the gazebo were lanterns, helping Harry and I to see each other. In one of the corners was a projector that was facing up at the ceiling. I looked up to find it’s projecting a picture of the galaxy, just like at prom, but a different picture was shown. This galaxy had blue-green stars and colored clouds that were orange, coral, and pink. It’s really beautiful.
I suddenly felt a cool breeze hit my feet, and I looked down to find Harry had turned on the battery operated fan. “It’s hot outside, and even though the shade we’re in is cooler, I figured I’d bring the fan,” he explained.
“What even is this?” I asked, referring to the setup as I scanned my eyes around it once more.
“Does it remind you of something?”
I nodded and landed my gaze back onto him, “Prom.”
He gently grabbed my hands and wrapped them around his neck before snaking his arms around my waist and swaying us back and forth. “I believe I owe you a dance,” he smiled, flashing off his beautiful dimples.
“There’s no music,” I said nervously. Why do I have to be so awkward about this?
“Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered, Love,” he rasped. The return of my old nickname caused a shiver to run down my spine. Oh, I’ve missed that word.
He cleared his throat and surprised me by singing to me as we swayed to his voice:
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I'm gonna give you my heart
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
'Cause you light up the path
I don't care, go on and tear me apart
I don't care if you do, ooh
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars
I think I saw you
He paused his singing and dancing before unwrapping our arms from each other and jumping in his place, pumping his fist in the air.
“What are you doing?” I laughed.
“This is the instrumental part,” he said like it was obvious. “You’ve gotta live in the moment.”
“It’s too hot for that,” I said, making a ‘tsk’ noise at the end.
He placed our hands back in their original spots, “Solid point.” I giggled again, shaking my head at the silly boy before he began singing again:
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I wanna die in your arms, oh
'Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark
I'm gonna give you my heart
I rested my head onto the bare part of his chest, taking in his angelic voice as it rumbled in his upper body.
I don't care, go on and tear me apart
I don't care if you do, ooh
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars
I think I see you
I think I see you
You're a sky, you're a sky full of stars
Such a heavenly view
You're such a heavenly view
When the song finished, he took my hands from the back of his neck and held them in his. I pulled back a little so I could gaze into his eyes. I noticed he was deep in thought, like he was struggling to come up with words.
“You know, this was easier last time,” he chuckled nervously.
I raised my brows at him, “Last time?”
He bit his lip and nodded his head once. I watched as he exhaled deeply and shook his head free of his nerves. “Iris Meadow Mercer, will you be my dorky girlfriend again?” he asked, his expression fully serious.
I giggled, “You just had to add the dorky part, huh?”
“Just like last time,” he waved his eyebrows up and down, making me giggle more.
I stifled my laughter and nodded my head, “Yes.”
“PHEW!” he pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead, or at least I think he did. “I was afraid you’d say no. I wasn’t sure if you needed more time or not. I just can’t stand another second of not being with you and-“
I cut off his rambling by grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss: our first kiss in what feels like forever but in reality, it’s only been a month. A long month. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him as he kissed me with more force. I slipped my tongue inside of his mouth and tangled it with his, causing him to moan.
After what felt like minutes of making out, I finally pulled away to allow us to catch our breaths. Large pants came out of his parted smile before he planted another peck on my lips. “I’ve missed that,” he admitted, leaning his forehead on mine.
“Me too,” I grinned widely. “Was it worth the wait?”
“Fuck yeah,” he said like my question was stupid, making me giggle for what feels like the thousandth time today.
“So how’d you pull all of this off?” I asked, lifting my head from his to look up at the starry ceiling of the gazebo.
“Well,” he chuckled. “The gazebo was a pain in the ass to set up by myself, but I couldn’t risk someone finding out about our special place.”
I shook my head obnoxiously, “Oh no, we can’t have that.”
“No way,” he joked with me. “The projector is actually from our school. I got one of the USB members who have a crush on me to let me borrow it.” I rolled my eyes. Of course he’d flirt to get what he wants. “I could tell you liked the projection on the ceiling at Prom, and you have a thing for stars and colors, so I figured the song and picture were fitting."
“Well, I think you did an amazing job. Thank you,” I stepped on my tiptoes and kissed his jawline.
“Anything for my girl.”
“FINALLY!” Louis shouted as we entered at Perrie’s place. “Are you guys all coupled up now!?” Harry lifted up our intertwined hands above my head, making me blush. So it appears everyone knew about Harry’s plan, and I’m guessing my family did too since they were acting weird earlier. That makes sense though because my dad has made it perfectly clear that Harry has to tell him any time he’s taking me somewhere.
“Come on,” Zayn waved us to walk with him out to the backyard. “Perrie and I have an announcement.”
A huge smile appeared on my face, and my eyes widened in surprise as I looked up at Harry who seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. Are they about to tell us what I think they are?
Zayn led us over to our group who was joined with my group of friends: Riley, Kyle, Dakota, and Liz. Harry and I took our seats in between Niall and Liz, Liz being on my side. I noticed she had a plate full of food in front of her, so I stole one of her chips and popped it in my mouth, earning a whimsical glare from her.
“Okay Guys,” Perrie jumped out of her seat and clapped. Zayn was at her hip, wrapping one of his arms loosely around her torso. “So I have some exciting news.” She didn’t even say a word, only holding out her left hand to show off the beautiful diamond ring Zayn had chosen for her sitting on her ring finger.
“About time, Zayn!” I stood up and wrapped my arms around both of their necks.
“About time?” Perrie laughed and shot a puzzled look at Zayn and me as she pulled out of the hug.
“He’s been holding onto that thing since December,” Liam walked over to us and patted Zayn’s back.
“Did you all know about this?” she raised her brows at us. I raised my hand, earning a few chuckles before Kyle, Harry, Louis, Liam, and Niall raised their hands as well.
Eleanor gasped, “Why weren’t Sophia and I informed?”
I laughed, “Well, I was the only one who knew originally. Then Zayn became a nervous wreck and decided to tell the boys.”
“Sorry,” Zayn shrugged. “You guys should’ve seen Iris when we were at the ring store though. She got a ring stuck on her finger, and it took me and another employee to get it off of her,” he laughed, holding his chest as he did so.
I buried my face in my hands as soon as everyone started laughing. I felt an arm sling around my neck and automatically knew it was Harry, so I buried my head into the bare part of his chest.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Love,” he chuckled, running his fingers through my hair.
“Too late,” I mumbled against his peck.
“Well congratulations,” I heard Dakota say from behind me.
I turned around and watched all of the girls give Perrie hugs and squeal in excitement with her. I ran over and joined them while all of the guys started talking about sports, already done with the topic. Perrie began telling us about her dream wedding and comparing it to what she and Zayn could actually afford. We all had giggles about how Louis is gonna act like a wedding crasher while Niall eats everything in the buffet. We also joked about who would catch the bouquet when Perrie throws it to us.
“Hey, so while we’re on the romance subject…” Riley paused to make sure she had all of our attention. “Kyle and I are dating.”
I snorted, “No shocker there.”
“What do you mean?”
Sophia and I exchanged looks and busted into laughter. “You two obviously liked each other,” Sophia said in between laughs.
Liz rolled her eyes, “Yeah, and he blushes like a girl around you.”
Riley shrugged, “I think it’s cute.”
“It’s adorable, really,” Perrie placed her hand on Riley’s shoulder. “I think he’s the most innocent guy you’ve ever dated.”
A hand was suddenly placed onto my shoulder, making me jump a little. “Sorry,” Harry chuckled. “I think you should see this.” I told the girls I'd be right back before Harry entwined our fingers together and led me into the house. Once he came to a halt, he pointed into Perrie’s living room. I followed his finger with my eyes to find his family talking to mine.
“Oh.” I really don’t know what to say to that or how to react.
“It was bound to happen eventually,” he stepped in front of me and ran his fingers down my arm, leaving a trail of forming goosebumps.
“And why do you say that?” I bit my lip, anticipating his answer.
“Because you are the only person I can picture in my future, and I your’s,” he stated with such confidence. He’s right though, I can’t imagine being with anyone else but him. “It was only a matter of time before they’d meet.”
I grinned, “Very true.”
“MRS. CLARK!” Dakota ran passed us, screaming. I whipped my head around to find Mrs. Clark at the front door with a huge smile plastered to her face. She wrapped her arms happily around Dakota and gave her a gentle squeeze. I walked over and wrapped my arms around both of them, soon joined by Harry’s arms as well.
“Thank you for everything,” I mumbled as the group hug became heavier. I turned my head a bit to find Kyle, Liz, and Eleanor had joined the hug as well. I'm glad the air conditioning is on in here, otherwise I'd be dying right now.
“You guys are so sweet,” our former teacher cooed.
Once we all pulled away, Harry’s mom walked over to Mrs. Clark with a bouquet of roses. “Thank you for taking such great care of our children,” she smiled and handed Mrs. Clark the flowers.
“Wow,” our teacher gasped at the sight of the flowers before inhaling their scent. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“Straight from my garden,” Anne stated proudly. “Come on, let’s go outside. I want to get a photo with you and all of the kids.”
“Kids?” Harry scoffed, making me giggle and shake my head at him.
We all walked outside where Mrs. Clark was showered with more thank yous and hugs. All of us even applauded her, bringing her to happy tears. She deserves all of this treatment for all of her hard work and dedication to keep us safe and help us graduate. None of us would be here without her.
We took a few photos of just the students in DSF with Mrs. Clark at first. Then, we added the other graduates. Lastly, Mr. Edwards set up a camera on a tripod, set a timer on it, and all of our families and friends squeezed themselves into the picture. Mr. Edwards even promised to print all of the photos and mail them to Mrs. Clark.
I wondered why she was even at the party, but Harry said his mom had invited her because she was so happy that someone was on our side the whole time. Nevertheless, I was glad to have her here sharing this big moment with all of us.
After hours of partying, it became dark and the night air became cooler than the air inside the house, allowing Harry and I to lay out here, cuddled on a hammock under a blanket. He’s lying on his back while I lay on my side, snuggled into his. His arm is wrapped around my waist while his free hand plays with my fingers on his stomach.
Everyone has left, and soon, we should be leaving too. For now, we’re just basking in each other’s presence, just happy to finally be together.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Harry asked. Before I could answer, he added, “One that’ll be kept only between us?”
“Yes,” I nodded my head against his shoulder.
“Remember my ‘HI’ tattoo?” I nodded again. “Well, I kind of didn’t tell you the real reason I got it.”
I lifted my head up so I could look at his face with a puzzled expression, “What do you mean?”
A nervous smile played on his lips, “I was embarrassed to tell you why.” I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. “It’s um, it’s our uh, it’s our initials,” he stumbled over his words. My eyes widened in realization. H for Harry and I for Iris equals HI. Wow.
“Why would you get that?” I asked curiously.
“Gemma and I kind of had a little drinking party by ourselves, and it got a little out of hand,” he chuckled.
I giggled and slid my hand down my face, “Well it worked out, didn’t it?”
He shrugged, “Even if it didn’t, I would’ve continued saying it's just ‘hi’.”
“Oh gosh,” I laughed. “And people would’ve believed you too.”
“Will,” he corrected me. “I’m not telling anyone this.”
“I am.”
“No you aren’t.”
“And how do you plan on stopping me?” I raised a brow at him.
He pulled me up so I was laying fully on top of him, “Like this.” He lifted his head up to meet me halfway for a passionate kiss.
“Hmm,” I hummed after our lips separated. “That’s nice, but I’m still telling.”
He shook his head and chuckled, “Shut up and kiss me.” That was a command I happily obliged to.
It's hard to believe that just a little over ten months ago, I was miserable and treated like I was nothing. Now, here I am kissing my cure. Harry makes me feel happy, wanted, appreciated, and loved. He's shown me how to let loose and have fun. He's there for me whenever I need him. He's my medicine when I'm down.
I'm happy to say he's part of the next chapter in my life, and who knows, maybe he's part of the ending too.
Iris’s POV:
It’s finally here: Graduation Day. The day I never imagined I’d reach. I always thought I’d be dead before today, or at least a runaway. Yet, here I am, wearing my white cap and gown, and standing next to my peers as the ceremony is beginning. Every graduate eagerly takes their seats, ready to be done with this school, as Mrs. Clark makes her way to the podium.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Clark didn’t get the principal position like she had hoped for, but she assured us all that it was only because the year was already coming to an end. In private, she told me and Harry that she will be the next year’s principal, and she thanked us for helping her see the true horrors of Principal Gibson’s ways. For now, Mrs. Clark is in charge of the graduation event since it appeared Principal Gibson had nothing special planned for us. He never cared at all. It would’ve been a crappy celebration with him anyways. I’m especially thankful it’s Mrs. Clark and Mr. Sanchez who are handing out our diplomas.
“Phew,” Mrs. Clark squeaked as she wiped her forehead. “It is hot outside today, so I’ll try and make this quick so our graduates don’t bake in the sun. I want to start by thanking the staff…”
College is so close I can taste it. I’ve never been so excited to go to school. What’s even better is that there aren’t cliques in college, just friends forming into groups. People will always judge each other and bring others down, but that’s something we all have to learn to adapt to. I guess high school is only a rough version of teaching yourself to deal with situations like that. Most people probably don’t go through the same shit Harry and I have been through, so the obstacles of the real world may be tougher for them. There’s nothing left that could possibly push me and Harry down.
But college. I’m so excited. Unfortunately, Harry, El, and I all don’t have great enough grades to get into a four-year college, but we have acceptable grades for community college. The three of us chose a college that’s near home, and we plan to choose similar time frames for classes so we can carpool there. The others plan to go to four-year colleges nearby. Of course, not all of them could agree on one, so we’re going to have to take turns visiting each other. We’ve all made a pact that’d we’d always stay in touch, and I’m confident that pact will stay intact.
“With that being said, there are a special group of students that I would like to give an honorary medal to,” Mrs. Clark beamed. “These students are the heart and inspiration here at our school. Normally the class hero is one person…” she laughed. “…but this year, its forty-three students.”
My eyes widened as I scanned the crowd for Kyle who should be seated somewhere near me. We’re all sat in alphabetical order, which I find annoying but understandable; it’s just easier to hand out the diplomas that way. After turning my whole body around in the chair and scanning the crowd a bit more, I finally spotted Kyle a few rows behind me, and exchanged an astonished look with him. Are they giving the awards to who I think they are?
I turned back around in my seat so I was facing towards the stage and watched Mrs. Clark and Mr. Sanchez grab armfuls of medals from other staff. “When we call your name, please approach the stage and get your medal from us,” Mrs. Clark instructed us. “Once you get your medal, please line up behind us for a picture.”
“Dakota Winters,” Mr. Sanchez started off. Yup, I know exactly who they are giving the awards to.
“WHOO DAKOTA!” I screamed. Well, this is awkward, seeming as everyone is dead silent.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm Miss Mercer, but we asked that everyone hold all of the cheers and applause till the end,” Mrs. Clark chuckled into the mic.
I sunk down in my seat and covered my face to hide my heated cheeks as the students and audience busted into laughter. I didn’t realize they wanted us to be quiet. Oops. The worst part is that even though there’s six hundred graduates, she still managed to figure out it was me who was screaming.
“Eleanor Calder.”
“Kyle O’Brien.”
“Elizabeth Foster.”
“Iris Mercer.” I stood up as soon as my name slid from Mr. Sanchez’s lips. I squeezed my way through all the legs and out to the aisle, making my way to the stage. They were still calling names as Mr. Sanchez placed a medal around my neck and gestured me to stand with the other DSF members. I giddily made my way over to my friends and hugged each of them before jumping in excitement with Eleanor. We’re weirdos.
It’s funny how in September, I would think that the way I’m acting right now is nothing but pure foolishness. I’d only scoff at myself, thinking about how others will perceive me as a freak. I’d be scared of being judged and laughed at or even pushed around after the ceremony. Well, not anymore, and never again. I’ve learned throughout my high school experience that I shouldn’t care what people think at all. It’s only my opinion that matters.
“Harry Styles,” Mrs. Clark announced, and I felt my heart flutter just from the sound of his name.
Harry. Things with him are better than ever. We’re still just friends, but there has been constant flirting, friendly cuddles, and occasional handholding. We’ve only been on two dates, but that’s because there was so much going on between finals and Harry’s move.
He finally moved, and the house is indeed around the corner from Perrie’s. I certainly didn’t mind that since his new house is closer to mine than the last one was. I went over there and helped his family unpack, and to my surprise, Robin and Harry were joking around and laughing with each other a lot. Not only has he made major improvements with me, but he’s making it work with his family as well. He’s changed for the good, and seeing that with my own eyes has helped me believe in him again.
My father, on the other hand, is determined to make Harry work hard for his trust. He’s enforced strict rules on Harry taking me out: he makes Harry tell him about all of our plans when we do go out, and he has given us a curfew. That curfew stresses Harry out, causing him to be extra speedy about getting me home in time. He definitely does not want to screw things up this time around, I’ll tell you that.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw the green eyed boy climbing up the steps to the stage, showing off his pearly whites. I giggled lightly when I noticed his cap sitting on his head, his curls peeking out from the bottom of it. He had texted me before the ceremony and complained his mom and sister had to use bobby pins to keep his cap on his head. I, of course, teased him and told him I had to do the same thing.
Butterflies erupted in my stomach when his orbs met mine, and his smile instantly widened. He strolled right over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders as he positioned himself behind me.
I raised my brow and looked over my shoulder at him, “Why are you back there? Enjoying the view?” I teased with a small chuckle falling from my lips.
“Very much,” he smirked. “And I was being polite, seeming as we’re going to be taking a picture.”
“Oh right,” I playfully tapped my forehead. “I forgot you’re a jolly green giant.”
He snickered, “Then you must’ve forgotten you’re a midget.”
“No,” I held the word and shot him a small glare. “I am average height. Just because you’re a tree doesn’t mean you need to pick on my height.”
He raised his hands up in surrender, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to go there.”
“You’re secret’s out,” I joked and raised my hand up to run my fingers through his peeking curls. “You’ve even got a little shrubbery.”
“Hey,” he swatted my hand away. “Only nice people get to touch my hair.”
Before I could make a smartass remark back, the crowd began roaring with applause. I turned my head back towards them and saw people were giving us a standing ovation. What did I miss?
As the audience cheered, Mr. Sanchez stood in front of our whole club with a bulky camera. Posing for the camera, I threw my arm around Eleanor’s shoulders and placed my free hand on my hip. I felt Harry’s arms snake around my waist, so I removed my hand from my hip and placed it onto his stacked hands. Once Mr. Sanchez was done, the crowd had finally settled down.
“Thank you for being great examples for us all,” Mrs. Clark flashed all of us a sweet grin.
I felt my body heating up more and more, and that’s when I noticed Harry’s arms were still wrapped around me. “Harry, it’s hot,” I half whispered/half whined, but he kept his arms around me. I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my scalp, underneath my cap. “Harry…” I warned.
“Fine,” his warm breath hit my neck before he pulled away from me. Geez, how close was he standing behind me? My back and waist felt less heated now that he has stepped back, thank God. As much as I’d love to be that close to him, it’s hot as hell outside.
“Please take your seats again,” Mr. Sanchez pointed his hand towards the seated graduates.
I turned towards Harry to tell him I’d catch him later, but instead, I found him holding his hand out to me. I intertwined my sweaty palm with his, and he pretended to be disgusted by it, making me slap his arm. He just chuckled, knowing his hand is slimy too.
He walked me to my row and placed one hand on my back while his other hand gestured me to go take my seat. I gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, thanking him for being so kind, and squeezed passed all of the legs to get back to my seat.
“That was very cute, you two,” Mrs. Clark teased us, and of course, she was using the microphone when she said it. Scattered laughs played throughout the audience and students. I glanced over at Harry to see him bowing in the middle of the aisle, earning more laughs and a few claps. Oh my, he’s such a dork.
“Finally,” I muttered as I walked over to my car. I unzipped the front of my gown and threw it in the back seat. I used one of the side mirrors to fix my hair after removing the cap and bobby pins. I found myself smiling at my reflection. I’m now a high school graduate, and I couldn’t be any prouder of myself.
“Congratulations,” I heard an all too familiar voice from behind me.
I turned to face my mother who was accompanied by my father, Skye, Derek, and Brielle. “Thank you.” I received hugs from each of them and a few more congratulatory words. “So I’ll see you at Harry’s?”
My father furrowed his brows and looked at my mother for answers, “Uhhh.” My mom just shrugged as Skye elbowed my dad’s arm. “Oh, yeah!” It was like a light bulb went off in his head. “Right, Harry’s. Yup, see you there.”
“Okay,” I held the word as I eyed my family suspiciously. Each of them shot me nervous smiles, except Derek who I can imagine has no idea what’s happening.
“Well bye,” Skye’s words were rushed as she pushed my parents away. They all quickly made their way towards their cars, avoiding my quizzical looks.
I just shrugged it off and got into my car to head to Harry’s. You see, right now the graduates that are going to Grad Night are supposed to be getting on a bus which means the boys should be there. Well, they should, but they gave their Grad Night tickets away so we could throw a huge graduation party together. Isn’t that the nicest thing you’ve ever heard? They fucking gave away one hundred dollar tickets just to have one last party.
Of course, this won’t be like our usual parties with booze and weed. Nope. Instead, our families and friends will be there. Perrie’s parents are doing all of the cooking, Louis’s family is bringing the sodas and chips, Harry’s mom is allowing us to use her house, and my parents are providing the paper plates, plastic cups, napkins, and plastic eating utensils. Perrie said her mom and Harry’s mom were planning to go all out with decorations too. This will be interesting to say the least.
Except…
Where is everyone? I pulled up in front of Harry’s house to find that his car was the only one parked in front of it. Am I just here for setting up the party or something? Thanks for the heads up, Harold.
I sighed and pulled myself out of the car, closing the door and locking it afterwards. I made my way up to Harry’s front door and knocked on it, staring down at my feet as I waited for him to answer. I’m so glad I wore my white flats rather than heels, considering my feet would be killing me right now. I’m also very thankful that the field at my school had fake grass, so there aren’t any grass stains on my flats either.
When the door flew open, I scanned my eyes up Harry’s outfit. He’s wearing brown ankle boots, black skinny jeans, and pale blue/grey button up shirt. The top two buttons on his shirt were undone, showing off his perfectly toned chest and golden tan skin. I was going to make fun of his hat head, but it appears he has restyled his hair so that it was no longer visible.
“It’s not fair you know,” I crossed my arms.
“What isn’t?”
I pointed at his bare chest, “Men can show off their chests no problem, but if I were to unbutton my top like that, I’d be a whore.”
He chuckled and shook his head, “I’d have no problem with you unbuttoning your shirt.” If looks could kill, he’d be dead right now. Pig. “What?” he laughed. “I’m joking, Mercy. You look stunning, by the way.”
I looked down at my dress and blushed. I’m wearing a simple short strapless dress. The top part of it hugs my torso and ends in a little angle in front of my dress that reminds me of the bottom half of a heart. The rest of my dress is chiffon material that flows down, ending about five inches above my knees. The top is colored white, and it matches the baby blue fabric on the lower part of my dress.
“It’s not fair you know,” he mocked my earlier statement. “Ladies get to wear dresses, but if we wore a dress, we’d be called gay.”
I face palmed and muffled my giggles behind my puffed out cheeks. I glanced back up at him again with a smug look, “If you want to wear a dress, Harry, be my guest.”
“No thanks,” he shrugged and reentered his house. I started to follow him, but he suddenly turned back around and bumped into me. “Well hello there,” he said, the amusement clearly evident in his voice.
“Well, aren’t you gonna let me in?”
He snorted, “And why would I do that?” Is he serious? “Angel, the party isn’t here.”
I scrunched up my face in confusion, “It’s not?”
“I thought it was quite obvious,” he turned himself in a circle as if he were looking for people.
“So why am I here?” I asked slowly.
“Because you and I are going somewhere,” he smiled cheekily, as he would call it.
“Uh, well where-“
He made an obnoxious buzzer noise with his throat, bugging his eyes out as he did so, “You are all out of questions.”
“Was that really necessary?” I tried not laughing at the ridiculous noise he had just made, but I completely failed.
“Let’s go,” he grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, gently pushing me out of the doorway. Once he removed his hands, I turned around to watch him lock the door. When he finished with that, he picked up a black fan that I hadn’t noticed was sitting by his feet.
I laughed as he tucked it under his arm, “What do you need a fan for?”
“I thought I told you no more questions,” he smirked, and I stuck my tongue out at him. Rude.
“The track?” I rolled my eyes. “You brought me to the track?”
“Shhh,” he hushed me and waved his hand down, signaling that I need to be quiet. I tucked my lips in between my teeth and giggled at his behavior. What is this boy up to? “Wait here,” he instructed me.
He pulled the fan out from the back seat and hopped out of the car. He walked over to my side and opened the door for me before holding his hand out to help me step out of the car. Such a gentleman. Once I was out, he closed the door for me and locked his car before tangling his free hand with mine.
On our way to the track, I kept finding myself smiling down at our hands. As we grew closer and closer these past weeks, we couldn’t help but keep some sort of touching involved. Whether he were to simply rest his hand on my thigh, or I were to lay my head on his shoulder, we always had to have some sort of physical contact.
“And we’re here,” Harry said. I looked up from our hands to find a big square gazebo standing tall in the grass with thick black velvet curtains hanging from every angle of it. “Well, come on,” he tugged at my hand before leading me over to the large tent-like thing. He tugged a curtain to the side, allowing me to step in before he joined me and closed the curtain back up.
Sitting on the grass in three of the corners in the gazebo were lanterns, helping Harry and I to see each other. In one of the corners was a projector that was facing up at the ceiling. I looked up to find it’s projecting a picture of the galaxy, just like at prom, but a different picture was shown. This galaxy had blue-green stars and colored clouds that were orange, coral, and pink. It’s really beautiful.
I suddenly felt a cool breeze hit my feet, and I looked down to find Harry had turned on the battery operated fan. “It’s hot outside, and even though the shade we’re in is cooler, I figured I’d bring the fan,” he explained.
“What even is this?” I asked, referring to the setup as I scanned my eyes around it once more.
“Does it remind you of something?”
I nodded and landed my gaze back onto him, “Prom.”
He gently grabbed my hands and wrapped them around his neck before snaking his arms around my waist and swaying us back and forth. “I believe I owe you a dance,” he smiled, flashing off his beautiful dimples.
“There’s no music,” I said nervously. Why do I have to be so awkward about this?
“Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered, Love,” he rasped. The return of my old nickname caused a shiver to run down my spine. Oh, I’ve missed that word.
He cleared his throat and surprised me by singing to me as we swayed to his voice:
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I'm gonna give you my heart
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
'Cause you light up the path
I don't care, go on and tear me apart
I don't care if you do, ooh
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars
I think I saw you
He paused his singing and dancing before unwrapping our arms from each other and jumping in his place, pumping his fist in the air.
“What are you doing?” I laughed.
“This is the instrumental part,” he said like it was obvious. “You’ve gotta live in the moment.”
“It’s too hot for that,” I said, making a ‘tsk’ noise at the end.
He placed our hands back in their original spots, “Solid point.” I giggled again, shaking my head at the silly boy before he began singing again:
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I wanna die in your arms, oh
'Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark
I'm gonna give you my heart
I rested my head onto the bare part of his chest, taking in his angelic voice as it rumbled in his upper body.
I don't care, go on and tear me apart
I don't care if you do, ooh
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars
I think I see you
I think I see you
You're a sky, you're a sky full of stars
Such a heavenly view
You're such a heavenly view
When the song finished, he took my hands from the back of his neck and held them in his. I pulled back a little so I could gaze into his eyes. I noticed he was deep in thought, like he was struggling to come up with words.
“You know, this was easier last time,” he chuckled nervously.
I raised my brows at him, “Last time?”
He bit his lip and nodded his head once. I watched as he exhaled deeply and shook his head free of his nerves. “Iris Meadow Mercer, will you be my dorky girlfriend again?” he asked, his expression fully serious.
I giggled, “You just had to add the dorky part, huh?”
“Just like last time,” he waved his eyebrows up and down, making me giggle more.
I stifled my laughter and nodded my head, “Yes.”
“PHEW!” he pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead, or at least I think he did. “I was afraid you’d say no. I wasn’t sure if you needed more time or not. I just can’t stand another second of not being with you and-“
I cut off his rambling by grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss: our first kiss in what feels like forever but in reality, it’s only been a month. A long month. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him as he kissed me with more force. I slipped my tongue inside of his mouth and tangled it with his, causing him to moan.
After what felt like minutes of making out, I finally pulled away to allow us to catch our breaths. Large pants came out of his parted smile before he planted another peck on my lips. “I’ve missed that,” he admitted, leaning his forehead on mine.
“Me too,” I grinned widely. “Was it worth the wait?”
“Fuck yeah,” he said like my question was stupid, making me giggle for what feels like the thousandth time today.
“So how’d you pull all of this off?” I asked, lifting my head from his to look up at the starry ceiling of the gazebo.
“Well,” he chuckled. “The gazebo was a pain in the ass to set up by myself, but I couldn’t risk someone finding out about our special place.”
I shook my head obnoxiously, “Oh no, we can’t have that.”
“No way,” he joked with me. “The projector is actually from our school. I got one of the USB members who have a crush on me to let me borrow it.” I rolled my eyes. Of course he’d flirt to get what he wants. “I could tell you liked the projection on the ceiling at Prom, and you have a thing for stars and colors, so I figured the song and picture were fitting."
“Well, I think you did an amazing job. Thank you,” I stepped on my tiptoes and kissed his jawline.
“Anything for my girl.”
“FINALLY!” Louis shouted as we entered at Perrie’s place. “Are you guys all coupled up now!?” Harry lifted up our intertwined hands above my head, making me blush. So it appears everyone knew about Harry’s plan, and I’m guessing my family did too since they were acting weird earlier. That makes sense though because my dad has made it perfectly clear that Harry has to tell him any time he’s taking me somewhere.
“Come on,” Zayn waved us to walk with him out to the backyard. “Perrie and I have an announcement.”
A huge smile appeared on my face, and my eyes widened in surprise as I looked up at Harry who seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. Are they about to tell us what I think they are?
Zayn led us over to our group who was joined with my group of friends: Riley, Kyle, Dakota, and Liz. Harry and I took our seats in between Niall and Liz, Liz being on my side. I noticed she had a plate full of food in front of her, so I stole one of her chips and popped it in my mouth, earning a whimsical glare from her.
“Okay Guys,” Perrie jumped out of her seat and clapped. Zayn was at her hip, wrapping one of his arms loosely around her torso. “So I have some exciting news.” She didn’t even say a word, only holding out her left hand to show off the beautiful diamond ring Zayn had chosen for her sitting on her ring finger.
“About time, Zayn!” I stood up and wrapped my arms around both of their necks.
“About time?” Perrie laughed and shot a puzzled look at Zayn and me as she pulled out of the hug.
“He’s been holding onto that thing since December,” Liam walked over to us and patted Zayn’s back.
“Did you all know about this?” she raised her brows at us. I raised my hand, earning a few chuckles before Kyle, Harry, Louis, Liam, and Niall raised their hands as well.
Eleanor gasped, “Why weren’t Sophia and I informed?”
I laughed, “Well, I was the only one who knew originally. Then Zayn became a nervous wreck and decided to tell the boys.”
“Sorry,” Zayn shrugged. “You guys should’ve seen Iris when we were at the ring store though. She got a ring stuck on her finger, and it took me and another employee to get it off of her,” he laughed, holding his chest as he did so.
I buried my face in my hands as soon as everyone started laughing. I felt an arm sling around my neck and automatically knew it was Harry, so I buried my head into the bare part of his chest.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Love,” he chuckled, running his fingers through my hair.
“Too late,” I mumbled against his peck.
“Well congratulations,” I heard Dakota say from behind me.
I turned around and watched all of the girls give Perrie hugs and squeal in excitement with her. I ran over and joined them while all of the guys started talking about sports, already done with the topic. Perrie began telling us about her dream wedding and comparing it to what she and Zayn could actually afford. We all had giggles about how Louis is gonna act like a wedding crasher while Niall eats everything in the buffet. We also joked about who would catch the bouquet when Perrie throws it to us.
“Hey, so while we’re on the romance subject…” Riley paused to make sure she had all of our attention. “Kyle and I are dating.”
I snorted, “No shocker there.”
“What do you mean?”
Sophia and I exchanged looks and busted into laughter. “You two obviously liked each other,” Sophia said in between laughs.
Liz rolled her eyes, “Yeah, and he blushes like a girl around you.”
Riley shrugged, “I think it’s cute.”
“It’s adorable, really,” Perrie placed her hand on Riley’s shoulder. “I think he’s the most innocent guy you’ve ever dated.”
A hand was suddenly placed onto my shoulder, making me jump a little. “Sorry,” Harry chuckled. “I think you should see this.” I told the girls I'd be right back before Harry entwined our fingers together and led me into the house. Once he came to a halt, he pointed into Perrie’s living room. I followed his finger with my eyes to find his family talking to mine.
“Oh.” I really don’t know what to say to that or how to react.
“It was bound to happen eventually,” he stepped in front of me and ran his fingers down my arm, leaving a trail of forming goosebumps.
“And why do you say that?” I bit my lip, anticipating his answer.
“Because you are the only person I can picture in my future, and I your’s,” he stated with such confidence. He’s right though, I can’t imagine being with anyone else but him. “It was only a matter of time before they’d meet.”
I grinned, “Very true.”
“MRS. CLARK!” Dakota ran passed us, screaming. I whipped my head around to find Mrs. Clark at the front door with a huge smile plastered to her face. She wrapped her arms happily around Dakota and gave her a gentle squeeze. I walked over and wrapped my arms around both of them, soon joined by Harry’s arms as well.
“Thank you for everything,” I mumbled as the group hug became heavier. I turned my head a bit to find Kyle, Liz, and Eleanor had joined the hug as well. I'm glad the air conditioning is on in here, otherwise I'd be dying right now.
“You guys are so sweet,” our former teacher cooed.
Once we all pulled away, Harry’s mom walked over to Mrs. Clark with a bouquet of roses. “Thank you for taking such great care of our children,” she smiled and handed Mrs. Clark the flowers.
“Wow,” our teacher gasped at the sight of the flowers before inhaling their scent. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“Straight from my garden,” Anne stated proudly. “Come on, let’s go outside. I want to get a photo with you and all of the kids.”
“Kids?” Harry scoffed, making me giggle and shake my head at him.
We all walked outside where Mrs. Clark was showered with more thank yous and hugs. All of us even applauded her, bringing her to happy tears. She deserves all of this treatment for all of her hard work and dedication to keep us safe and help us graduate. None of us would be here without her.
We took a few photos of just the students in DSF with Mrs. Clark at first. Then, we added the other graduates. Lastly, Mr. Edwards set up a camera on a tripod, set a timer on it, and all of our families and friends squeezed themselves into the picture. Mr. Edwards even promised to print all of the photos and mail them to Mrs. Clark.
I wondered why she was even at the party, but Harry said his mom had invited her because she was so happy that someone was on our side the whole time. Nevertheless, I was glad to have her here sharing this big moment with all of us.
After hours of partying, it became dark and the night air became cooler than the air inside the house, allowing Harry and I to lay out here, cuddled on a hammock under a blanket. He’s lying on his back while I lay on my side, snuggled into his. His arm is wrapped around my waist while his free hand plays with my fingers on his stomach.
Everyone has left, and soon, we should be leaving too. For now, we’re just basking in each other’s presence, just happy to finally be together.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Harry asked. Before I could answer, he added, “One that’ll be kept only between us?”
“Yes,” I nodded my head against his shoulder.
“Remember my ‘HI’ tattoo?” I nodded again. “Well, I kind of didn’t tell you the real reason I got it.”
I lifted my head up so I could look at his face with a puzzled expression, “What do you mean?”
A nervous smile played on his lips, “I was embarrassed to tell you why.” I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. “It’s um, it’s our uh, it’s our initials,” he stumbled over his words. My eyes widened in realization. H for Harry and I for Iris equals HI. Wow.
“Why would you get that?” I asked curiously.
“Gemma and I kind of had a little drinking party by ourselves, and it got a little out of hand,” he chuckled.
I giggled and slid my hand down my face, “Well it worked out, didn’t it?”
He shrugged, “Even if it didn’t, I would’ve continued saying it's just ‘hi’.”
“Oh gosh,” I laughed. “And people would’ve believed you too.”
“Will,” he corrected me. “I’m not telling anyone this.”
“I am.”
“No you aren’t.”
“And how do you plan on stopping me?” I raised a brow at him.
He pulled me up so I was laying fully on top of him, “Like this.” He lifted his head up to meet me halfway for a passionate kiss.
“Hmm,” I hummed after our lips separated. “That’s nice, but I’m still telling.”
He shook his head and chuckled, “Shut up and kiss me.” That was a command I happily obliged to.
It's hard to believe that just a little over ten months ago, I was miserable and treated like I was nothing. Now, here I am kissing my cure. Harry makes me feel happy, wanted, appreciated, and loved. He's shown me how to let loose and have fun. He's there for me whenever I need him. He's my medicine when I'm down.
I'm happy to say he's part of the next chapter in my life, and who knows, maybe he's part of the ending too.
Notes
The song I used in this chapter is called "Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay.
IT'S OVER :(
THE END
I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT <3
I'M STILL DOING AN EPILOGUE, SO PLEASE DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE YET!
I NEED YOUR HELP WITH THE EPILOGUE! I want to write about something YOU want to see. So please answer the following questions, and help me out:
1. What is an event you want to read about in the Epilogue?
(Don't give me any names because I've already planned out everyone's futures)
A few examples of answers would be:
·Wedding
·Engagement
·Pregnancy
If you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment them.
2. Who’s POV do you want the Epilogue to be in?
Ignore that stupid bullet point that's below, if it is there...
My computer hates me...
I love this story so much!!!
11/18/17