Mainstream

I wake to the sound of someone pounding on my front door. I sit up in my bed and look over at Lina who is still sleeping. Last night was definitely rough for her. Poor girl. The next time I see Louis I’m going to punch his fucking throat. Goodbye, career… Never mind, bad idea. Maybe I can’t kill his career because I’d be killing all the other guys’ careers but I can still hit him wherever else it hurts.

The pounding continues, but I don’t want to move. I glance at my clock, which reads 2:34 pm. Yikes. Sighing, I get out of bed and pad out to the door in my slippers. I unlock the deadbolt and open the door. I almost close it as soon as I see who is on the other side, but what he says makes me stop.

“Please don’t close the door,” Harry pleads, holding his hands out to stop the door in case I do.

I stare at him. “What do you want?”

“I want to talk. Please.”

I consider this for a moment, then open the door wider and step aside, deciding that it would be childish of me to do otherwise. A few minutes later, I have prepared tea and am sitting on the couch in awkward silence, just a coffee table away from Harry. This is how it should’ve always been, I think. I mentally shake myself. I am with Niall now; I have been for two months. I can’t live in the past. I clear my throat, preparing to speak.

“I tried to stop Louis,” Harry blurts out before I can open my mouth. “He was drunk and wouldn’t listen to me. He just kept telling me that he only ever wanted Eleanor. Which I think is complete bullshit because it seemed like he truly did love Lina.”

I sip my tea before replying, choosing my words carefully. “It did seem that way. She was always giddy to the point of loopy after she saw him. But that doesn't change what he did. I don't know if he's going to regret it when he realizes that he lost her. But if you're here to apologize to Lina on behalf of Louis, I'm afraid you're going to have quite a time with that. She finally fell asleep around eight this morning and she sleeps like the dead.”

“I know she does. Louis told me,” he clears his throat, shifting in his seat.

More awkward silence ensues, and I swallow the rest of my tea for an excuse to get up.

“So, uh, who opened the store this morning?” he asks, trying to make conversation.

“Damian. He's been begging for more hours so he can buy whatever product Beyoncé recently promoted or something. Lina recently decided that she's going to find him a boyfriend so he starts talking about something more interesting than obscure celebrity gossip.”

Harry chokes on his tea. “Damian’s gay?” he finally managed to get out.

I laugh. “Has been for his entire life,” I say, tossing him a dish towel. He wipes up the tea he had spilled on my coffee table. “You didn't know that? He's pretty open about it.” He hangs his head and mutters something. “What?”

“He's been hitting on me,” he says, just loud enough for me to hear it.

I chuckle. “Well, he certainly won’t be the last to do so,” I mutter back, sipping my tea.

Harry quirks an eyebrow. “Oh?”

I scoff. “You’re an globally famous pop sensation. You’ve got guys and girls alike who would die to just be in the same room as you. Of course people are hitting on you and will keep hitting on you.”

Harry sighs. “Yeah, well, none of them matter…”

I roll my eyes. “Of course they don’t. You’ve got T. Swift under your arm… supposedly.”

His eyebrows twitch together and he squints his eyes. “Supposedly? What’s that supposed to mean.”

I divert my attention to the floor. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”“No,” he counters firmly. “Tell me what you meant.”

“You want to know what I meant?” This time I look straight into his eyes and it’s like all of my bones have been lit aflame. There’s a high adrenaline running through my entire body and I just can’t contain it. “You’re using her! It’s quite pathetic, if I’m being honest.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not-”

I stand up again and push my chair in forcefully. “Save it. She knows, too.” I go into the kitchen to put my cup in the sink. I throw it in, just short of breaking it and place my hands on the counter to find some ground.

“Katy, I-”

“Why?”

“I beg your pardon?”

I breathe out low, trying to calm myself down. “Why are you here? I have a feeling that last night isn’t the topic you were focused on. The way you… the way you spat out the first sentence was too off. You have something else on your mind.”

He nods. “You’re right. I didn’t come here for chit-chat and a reflection of our mutual friends’ lives.” He pauses, taking in a deep breath as if he’s trying to gather up courage. My heart clenches and I feel like I know where this is going but want so badly to be wrong. “I’ve missed you, Katy. And I want you back because the truth is that I never should have left you and sure there have been other girls since we parted but I never loved any of them. I never got over lov-”

“Get out.”

“Katy-”

I finally look him in his pathetic teary eyes and I want nothing more than to hold him but I just can’t. “You can’t just waltz in here and expect me to leap into your arms and assure you that everything is okay because it’s not. It’s really not. Besides, I’m with Niall now-”

“But that’s not what you really want!”

“-and I think it would be best if you just left now. Please… go.”

“No! Katy, baby, listen to me.”

He reaches out for me but I pull back. “Don’t call me that.”

“You and I both know you’re just using Niall, too. Isn’t this what you really want? Us? I know you feel it to.”

His finger grazes my arm. Electricity shoots through all of my senses. I can’t do this right now.

So I sprint. Straight out the door. A voices yells.

I don’t look back.

Notes

The last bit of iceskatez's contribution is at the beginning of this chapter. Nothing bad happened to her; we just haven't talked in quite some time. She's doing great though! Just completed her freshman year of college I believe!

That being said, I'm in the process of writing Chapter 12 and have nothing better to do with my summer while I wait for plans with friends to play out so at this rate, y'all are getting a chapter a day until this story is over. No definite promises though.

Also, I totally realize this site is dead and that I'm basically talking to myself. Do I care? hahahahaha no. My heart just won't be satisfied leaving this story unfinished.

~A

posted 06.15.18