One more week. All I have to do is survive one more week of classes and then Spring Break is here and my life will be so much better. Not that I have a lot to complain about at the moment, but Spring Break is definitely something to look forward to.

The group of us tried to play something, some kind of trip or excursion we could go on with all of us to have some fun outside Columbia. It didn't work out, but at this point it doesn't feel like anything could bring down my mood. I even spoke to my father last night and that's always a good omen for me.

I told him about my mother. He wasn't as surprised as I thought he would be and he was exactly as supportive as I knew he'd be. My Dad is the last person to hold a grudge and he gave up on being angry with Gale a long time ago, pretty soon after she left. He knew the life he pulled her into would be hard and he understood that it's not for everyone. She thought it was for her and then changed her mind. It's allowed, it happens. I, on the other hand, was not so easy going about the whole situation. Clearly.

"Do you realize how weird swings are?"

My gaze is pulled back into focus and I turn my head towards Harry. "What?"

"Swings," he repeats. "Like..what's the point, exactly?"

"Fun."

"Right, but why is it fun?"

"Gosh, Harry. You ask such terrific questions." He shrugs and places his arms on the chains on either side of him. The subject of his inquiry happen to be the very playground equipment we're using right now, so I guess being on the swings makes your mind wander.

"Where'd you wander off to?" he asks. I push myself off the ground and start pumping my legs back and forth for momentum.

"When?"

"Just now. You were thinking about something."

"Oh." He meant figuratively. "I was just thinking about what my Dad said last night."

"About your...about Gale?"

Harry has been informed of my distaste for referring to my mother as my mother. Because despite the fact that we share some genes, she definitely is not that. My hair blows back and forth, in front of and away from my face as the wind pushes through it with each movement.

"Yeah. It's annoying because he's right. And now I don't know how to feel."

For a while it's quiet again and Harry sits motionless in his swing while I get higher and higher. There's something freeing about this feeling and it makes me feel like I'm trying to wipe the thoughts from my mind. That would be much easier.

Harry passed along the information about where she lives and I stared at that little piece of paper for two hours before I finally opened my laptop and typed in the address. Previous real estate listings for the house came up and the pictures made my jaw hit the floor. Whoever my mother ended up with was not a soldier because the house is basically a castle. The backyard has a giant water fountain and built-in water slide for the pool. It's like living in a vacation.

"I'm going to jump!"

"No!" Harry shouts immediately. "Seriously, don't. You're too high."

"I don't do drugs."

"Ha. Ha. You're not funny, Carmen. Don't do it."

"Now I have to." My giggles are frequent and Harry stands from his swing, directly in the path of my informed jump. "I'll jump on you."

"You're going to get hurt."

"You're being annoying."

"Carmen."

"Move."

"No."

"Fine." Without hesitation I let go of the chains and fly through the air directly towards Harry. He manages to step to the side at the last second but I still catch myself. But he's mean for not catching me, so he gets to be punished. After the initial impact I roll to the grass with my hand clutching my ankle.

"Ow!" I cry.

"Shit." Harry kneels next to me and tries to remove my hand. "Twist? Sprain? Fuck, is your ankle broken? Carmen, you know I hate hospitals! Now you're all broken and we have to-"

"You completely ruined that!" I let go of my ankle and sit up. "Overreact, much?"

"Excuse me for being concerned!" He looks at my leg and then back at me. "You faked that?"

"Yeah." I giggly squeal leaves my mouth when he lunges at me, falling on top of me and rolling us over the grass a few times until he's on top of me with my wrists pinned to the ground. Lately everything feels lighter. It's much easier to enjoy my life when I'm not trying so hard to hold onto all these negative feelings. Especially here with this crazy British boy.

---

"Harry, I know your Philosophy notes aren't this funny. You're supposed to be studying."

He laughs and turns his computer screen towards me. "Look at this video."

"No! The park was our little break, but now we need to study. Midterms, Harry. Remember those?"

"Babe, just watch it." He stares at the screen and clinks the button, but while he's giggling at whatever it is my eyes stay on his face. Harry and I aren't together...technically. I guess you could say we're unofficially officially exclusive. There's always a bubbly feeling in my chest when he uses those little names with me.

"You didn't laugh," he says, turning back to me.

"I didn't watch, either," I inform him. He winks and leans back against my wall again. His expression becomes noticeably more dull and that's when I know he's opened his notes again. Harry doesn't worry about school and he normally doesn't study. But since I have to he decided so that he had an excuse to stay; I told him that if he was here he needed to study so that I wouldn't be distracted by him. As much, anyway.

"Harry?" He looks up at me. "Are you going home for break?"

He shakes his head. "I only go home for Christmas and for the summer. It's not worth it just for one week. Why?"

I shrug and look down at my paper, scribbling nonsense in the top corner. Since our little breakthrough after the Travis thing Harry has been different with me. Suddenly he knows exactly how I need him to act...and he seems to understand me a little better. He can tell when I do or don't want to talk about something. He knows when to ask questions and when I want to bring something up on my own. And he knows that if he waits long enough I'll spit out whatever is swimming through my thoughts.

"Okay. I'm sorry, I know you have rules about this but if I have to read one for fuckin' word about Aristotle and his pompous ass I'm going to kill myself." He slams his computer shut and folds his arms while I laugh at his dramatics. "So don't make me."

"No one's making you do anything."

"Good. Come cuddle with me."

"I need to study. I have my sociology midterm tomorrow." The professor that puts their exams on a Monday hates everyone. And everyone hates him.

"You've been studying every waking minute. You can spare a few."

"I did. We went to the park."

"Bring your books over here then," he reasons. "You're too far away."

And he looks too comfortable. He re-situates himself while I gather my notes in my hand, placing myself on my front and between his legs, my notebook resting on his chest so I can read it. Harry's fingers sift through the tangled mess of blonde hair falling around my shoulders and he sits quietly while I read and highlight and occasionally talk to myself.

The vibration of Harry's phone in his pocket travels through his chest until he pulls it out to answer. My eyes are drawn to his as he speaks to the other person.

"Hello? Yeah, I'm with Carmen." I raise my eyebrows and Harry runs the pad of his thumb along my jawline. "No, she's studying. She does, apparently. No. No, Niall." He rolls his eyes and smiles a little. "Fine. But if that stupid thing on your face isn't gone by then I'll skin you myself."Harry laughs and hangs up the phone, dropping it onto the mattress.

"What did Niall want?"

"Everyone's going to the restaurant tonight and they want us to go."

"I can't, I have to study."

"You have to eat dinner, Carmen."

"What is the stupid thing Niall has on his face?"

Harry takes the opportunity to remove the notebook from his chest, dropping it onto the floor and out of my reach. "The idiot thinks he can grow a beard. It looks like gross pubic hair."

"Ew," I laugh. I lift my fingers to his own jaw. "Could you grow a beard?"

"Definitely not."

"Have you tried?"

"No. But think about it: my long hair and a scruffy beard? I'd look more homeless than I already do."

When he mentions his hair that's where my fingers go next. Deep down I'm quite envious of Harry's hair because I've always wanted curls. My hair is impossibly boring and straight. Harry's is better. His hands go to my hips and he pulls me up his body closer to his face. Truth be told I wish he would just kiss me, but we have rules about that now. Well...I have rules about that. Harry does anything and everything to get me to change my mind.

"Harry." He smiles and slowly slides his hands up to my waist. "This isn't very friendly."

"No, but it's nice. And technically I'm not breaking any rules."

"Technically you're annoying." He just chuckles to himself and after a minute of debate inside my head I roll off of him. "I need to study."

---

I convinced Harry to go to dinner without me. Midterms make me nervous and I don't want him to feel like he has to leave quickly because I need to come back here. Besides, we're together a lot these days and I needed a few minutes to myself.

To look up flights to Montecito.

Realistically Harry's presence shouldn't matter since he's the one that thinks it would be a good idea, but this needs to be something that I decide on my own. Now that I've talked to my Dad I feel a lot better about doing that. Dad even said he would pay for the flight if I decided to go. I'm sure Gale would, too, but either way.

She deserves to be hurting. She left me, why should I go running back the first chance that I get? She had fifteen years to come and find me and she waited this long. I should make her wait just as long. But curiosity is an annoying thing. Really annoying.

Gale has a family down there. She has a new husband and kids of her own. What could she possible want from me? Maybe she's as curious as I am. It couldn't have been hard to find me, though, so why did she wait until now?

"What are you looking at?"

"Fuck!" I slam my computer shut and whip around at Harry's voice. His face is surprisingly close to mine, hovering over my shoulder. "You scared me!"

"I can see that."

"I didn't hear you come in."

"What was that?" He reaches for my laptop but I put my hand on top of his to keep him from opening it. His eyebrows pipe up. "Secretive."

"It's....my diary."

"You don't have a diary."

I roll my eyes at him and push the computer out from under his hand. It's annoying how well he knows me sometimes. And I also have a feeling he's not going to let this go because that's just the way he is. His palm spreads across the would of my desk and he stays where he is while he waits for an explanation.

"How was dinner?"

"It was good. I brought you some french fries. Now, what was that?" he asks, nodding towards the laptop. "Were you watching porn?"

"Harry!" He laughs and I swat at his chest. "You're so strange sometimes."

"What was it then?"

"Umm..." The necklace dangling between us catches my eye and I pull at the chain, the arrow pendant in my fingers. "Flights."

"Okay. Where are you going?"

"Well I...after I talked to my Dad...I thought maybe I would go. To see her." Who wouldn't want to see Oprah's house, right?

"Montecito." I nod. "When are you leaving?"

"I didn't buy the ticket." My hand falls back to my lap and I look back up at him. "I was just looking."

"If you don't just buy one then you never will." He takes the computer and goes to sit on the edge of my bed, fingers typing at the keys. "And let's make it non-refundable."

Notes

so i just realized that this was supposed to be a harry chapter....and im rattled because i dont want the next one to be a harry chapter. so i guess im skipping one for him :( or ill do half and half. i dont know yet. but im upset about it. i was just going to change this one but i like it so like....wah.

anyway would anyone else be upset about skipping a harry pov?

let me know what you think :)
what will happen in california?
will harry go with her?