I always dreaded get togethers with the Styles. Rather, I should say I only dreaded get togethers with Harry Styles. Anne and Gemma were lovely but the third member of their family was something else.
"Tally, you better be ready! We're going next door in 15 minutes!" My mom bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.
Rolling my eyes in frustration I grabbed my blush, adding the final pink touches to my face. I stood up to look at my appearance on my large mirror in the corner of my room. Pushing the pleats down on my floral skirt I smiled in the mirror practicing what I was going to have to fake in the near future.
I turned around to close my window as the summer breeze brushed through. Opposite from me was the open window of the asshole named Harry. I could hear the pounding of Coldplay coming through his window and saw a shadow moving between the curtains. He must have been getting ready too.
Harry Styles used to be my best friend. It's quite funny what high school can do to someone. The sweet and funny Harry that I used to love seeing became the asshole that bullied and teased me. It was summer break now so having to see him on my time off was quite ridiculous in my books.
I walked down the stairs to see my mom waiting for me.
"You look really nice Tals, maybe Harry will take a liking to you." She said, letting a small laugh out as we put our shoes on. I picked out a pair of braided leather sandals and put them on my feet.
"Ha Ha, very funny mom. I would rather get hit by a car then have Harry Styles pay that sort of attention to me." My mother opened the door and I followed behind, dreading my fait next door.
"I wish you two never had a falling out. You we're such good friends…" My mom drifted off.
I think it hurt Mom and Anne in the sense that Harry and I always being together gave them a reason to gossip, bake, do things together that single moms do. They still were good friends, but the constant tension between Harry and I ruined things a bit.
I walked up the steps of Harry's house and did a quick prayer that he wouldn't try to ruin me infront of my mom like he did at school. It was summer break, maybe he would just leave me alone.
A quick knock on the door and seconds later a smiling Gemma answered.
"Laura, Tally, come in!" She greeted pulling me in for a hug. Gemma was so sweet, even when we were kids she was always acted like an older sister to me.
Anne walked in a smiled at us, taking the apple pie that my mom baked and placing it on the table to hug my mother.
"Harry! Get down here!" Anne called up the stairs much like my mother was doing to me minutes ago.
Anne gave me a hug, "Tally you look so beautiful! I almost never see you any more, where have you been?"
Before I could answer I could see the curls out of the corner of my eye and that tall figure that I knew all to well walked to the bottom of the stairs.
"She's too busy sitting in her room reading and singing along to that shit that she calls music." Harry smirked as he took his first attempt at a blow tonight. What he was saying was nothing compared to what he usually did at school. This was fine, I could deal with it.
"Harry Styles you apologize right now to Tally! You have no right to be so rude." Stated Anne, giving her son a death glare that had me turning away. Gemma looked upset with her brother and my mom just stood there.
Our parents always thought this was just the usual. That this was just the relationship that we now carried instead of the friendship that we used to have. Only if they knew…
Shaking his head and fixing the mop on his head Harry looked at me, "Tally, I'm sorry that I hate your music and that you're a lonely girl that just sits in her room and reads."
Shaking my head I said nothing. It was better to just leave him or else taunting him would lead to something bad.
"Oh well, kids will be kids! Let me help you with dinner!" My mom said way too excitedly trying to change the sullen mood that Harry had brought with him. My mom pulled Anne into the kitchen, Gemma followed.
I knew the Styles house like the back of my hand. I used to spend all my time here as a kid. Not wanting to bother anyone and just waiting for the night to be over, I started walking to the back of the house where I planned to sit on their back porch and wait to be called in for dinner. The sudden and hard grasp on my arm made me look up at who was standing beside me. Of course, Harry.
"And what do you think you're doing?" He asked looking down at me. He didn't scare me much, I didn't want any trouble with him tonight. His eyes bore holes into me.
"I-I-I was just going to the back porch. Just to sit outside." I stammered. Okay, maybe I was a bit scared.
Everyone saw Harry as a God. At school, all the girls loved him, and he got what he wanted when he wanted it. Harry really could do no wrong in people's eyes when we were at school, but I knew him. No one knew how he would always mentally traumatize me or the occasional push into a locker. No one noticed his hate for me.
When we were younger things were perfect with Harry. I could confide in him, he knew everything about me. I'm not really sure when everything changed between us. It was probably our first year of high school… when he realized he was too cool to hang out with Talula Carter anymore.
Harry let go and I felt his presence behind me as I walked to the back. Opening the back porch door, the familiar creek of the hinges echoed and shut a bit later than usual as Harry was too close for comfort.
It was almost silent as I went to go sit on the wicker chair in the backyard but then I was interrupted.
"Don't sit there, that's my chair. Sit somewhere else." Harry commanded me to move. I didn't want to sit on the ground, there were no more chairs.
I took a deep breath and leaned on the frame of the house looking out into the sun that swept Chesire. It was quite beautiful compared to the situation that I was in.
"Tally, why are you even wearing that skirt? Who are you trying to impress, it's hideous." Harry said from my left, I could feel his eyes burning into me and I just stood their, looking down as played with my long black hair.
I just bought this skirt at Topshop, at least I thought it was cute.
"Answer me." Again, with the demands I looked over at Harry.
"I just bought this. I thought it was nice. Sorry." I always apologized to Harry even though I knew he didn't deserve an apology. He deserved nothing from me but I gave him what he wanted in fear that he would start a fight, call me a name, anything.
It grew silent again and Harry this time looked out at the view. I finally noticed what he was wearing. The dark wash denim jeans fit his body perfectly along with the white v-neck that graced his torso. I noticed during our last week of school that he had started getting tattoos. With the way Harry crossed his arms, I could see the star that was inked under his left bicep. He was more then good looking, but I would never admit that.
Whipping his head around and looking at me his glare bore into my skin.
"I know you love me Tally but stop staring at me, It's creepy as fuck."
And with that he got up and left.
It surprised me how calm Harry had been tonight, but I suspect it was because of the presence of our families. Looking out into the sun again, I thought about how different things used to be, how simple and lovely my friendship with Harry had been... How I wished that he didn't hate me.