Chapter Three – Penelo-pop

Harry's POV

"Remember that time when we were ten and you got attacked by the goat?" Penelope laughed, taking a sip of her water.

"It was your entire fault," I replied as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"How do you conclude to that?" She raised an eyebrow.

I raised an eyebrow back, "You were the one who wanted to go to the petting zoo."

"And you thought it was a good idea to try and ride it!"

At this I had no rebuttal and we both burst into laughter at the memory. The way she laughed sent shivers up my spine. I hadn't heard it in an eternity and I convinced myself a long time ago that I would never hear it again. Her smile showed every single one of her perfectly white teeth and her dimples were profound on her face.

Penelope looked down at her phone and looked back up at me, "We should probably get home; it's nearly ten."

I nodded and stood up, leaving some cash on the table for a tip. Penelope and I walked out of the restaurant and I was careful to keep my distance from her, as there were still paparazzi taking photos of me. She got back into my car and shut the door as I walked around to the other side.

When I sat down, I pressed my foot on the break and started the car. I looked over to Penelope in time to see her rub her hands against her face.

"What's the matter?" I asked as I began to pull onto the street.

"Nothing, I'm just going to get so much hate on Twitter tomorrow," she replied, slapping her hands against her legs.

"No you won't. It's different when I'm home, people expect me to know people here. Besides, they don't know your name."

"I guess I'm just paranoid. Every day our family has tons of girls outside of our house, asking me where you are and everything, it's really annoying."

"I'm sorry."

I'm sorry? That was all I could say? I had no idea why I was so unlike myself today. When I looked at my reflection in Penelope's eyes I saw someone I didn't recognize, someone awful. I saw Harry Styles, One Direction heartthrob. I longed for the days when I saw Harry Styles, teenage boy from Cheshire.

It took only five minutes to drive us home, the only sound made was from the radio. I pulled up in front of her house noticed girls that were camping outside of my house.

"You better go and say hello, or else they'll never leave," Penelope said, her face covered in disgust.

"I should. Thank you for tonight, I had a lovely time. I'll call you tomorrow." I replied, turning to her.

All of a sudden she tensed up, avoiding any eye contact with me. "Don't." She then got out of the car in a flash, nearly smacking her head against the roof. I watched as she ran into her house, her eyes filling up with tears.

I held my own back as I pulled into my driveway, awakening the girls on the sidewalk. I put a smile on my face and signed some autographs, only wishing I could be inside at the moment. I looked up to see the light in her room turn on, I had to fix this.

Penelope's POV

I ran up the stairs of my home, my necklace swaying between my chin and my chest. I threw off my jacket, shoes, dress, and undergarments as I practically fell into my shower. I turned the water on and let it run down my spine, washing away the memories of tonight. I couldn't believe I was so thick as to let Harry entrance me like that again.

I closed my eyes as I washed my hair, letting it fall down my back and tickle my hips. When the water became cold, I turned it off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my body. After I was dry I rubbed the towel over my hair and French plaited it before walking to my room and placing some soft pajamas on my body.

It was nice to be alone, not having to worry about anyone bothering me as I went about my business making a cup of tea and cozying myself into the sofa with my cat and Doctor Who on the tele.

I was nearly asleep when I heard a noise coming from behind me, like someone was attempting to break into the house. I immediately leaped up and grabbed the baseball bat that was sitting in the umbrella stand. I crept over to the back door; bat in both hands and over my shoulder.

When I reached the door I called out, "I know someone's out here. I have a weapon, I'm not afraid to use it. I called the police and they're on the way."

"Shit Penelope, did you really have to call them?" A familiar voice called back.

"Harry?" I asked, lowering my bat.

"Yeah, now go call them back and say never mind."

"I never actually called them, idiot. But you scared the fuck out of me, what are you doing here?" I asked as his curls came into the light and started their way into my home.

"Sorry, I would have come to the front but I didn't want them to see me. I just couldn't let our evening end the way it did."

I turned around without a response and placed my bat back in its place and returned to my spot on the sofa. "It ended the way I wanted it to," I replied coldly.

"Penelo-pop, I want to start over with everything. Go back to the way we used to be." He pleaded as he sat in the chair across from me.

"Don't call me that, Harry. You lost the right a long time ago." I sneered as I concertrated on petting my cat.

"If I lost the right," he leaned forward. "Then why do you still wear the locket?"

My entire body froze. "Harry, please leave."

I couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. I didn't want to admit to him that I had never let my hope go.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." He stated, moving closer to me.

"If you must know," I spouted. "It's because a part of me always wished that you never left. That everything was back to the way it used to be. I remember the day you gave it to me like it was yesterday. I'll never forget how you smelled that day. Like your mom did your laundry and like you wanted me to breathe you in until I got lightheaded and had to sit down. I will never forget the way you looked at me like you could sort through all the clutter in my head. I will never forget how your voice sounded soft and sudden and illuminated just like your eyes when you said I was different. That's when I let myself feel something for you more then my best friend. That's what I waited for, for so many years. But now, I wear it simply as a reminder. It's a reminder of how not to be stupid and let someone charm you into something when you know it's just going to end in heartache."

By the end of my spiel I was in tears, not caring what I looked like. It felt amazing to get this off my chest, to let him know just how much he hurt me.

"Penelope, I don't know what to say, and I know to you that my words mean nothing, so I'm going to show you. Mark my words Penelope Clark, by the time I go back to work, you will forgive me." With that Harry stood up and walked right back out the way I came.

I turned to my cat, stroking his head as he purred. "Why does he always do that, Chynna? Make me fall in love with him?"