h a r r y

"Talk?" My posture is sturdy, but my heart thumped loudly against my rising and falling chest. "Talk about what?" I give a mocking look to the blue eyed man, his eyes glisten with amusement as the words leave my mouth. I knew deep inside my body that this wasn't a friendly chat, his eyes told me stories of anger and jealousy as he took a step closer to me, the cigarette still handing from his smirking lips.

"Her." The words leave marks deep in my flesh, no one had to say a name to know what this was about. Images of a sweet smile and soft eyes enter my mind, my stomach twists and I clench my fists tightly causing my knuckles to turn white. "I need you to stay away from her." The words 'I need you to" leave questions in my mind, swallowing down any pity I felt for this poor excuse of a boyfriend as I take a sharp breath through my mouth.

"We're just friends, Louis." It was true, although every bone in my body wanted more with her, I could easily tell him this without having guilt biting at my skin. "I know she loves you." Pain lashes out at me in every sense with those words, I didn't fully understand why the words stung so much as I'd know the fact this whole time but still, I ached. Louis softens from the words, taking the cigarette from his mouth and sighing with a face full of concern. Keeping his composure as I wondered if he felt anything less after I said those words, would he regret perusing me like a vicious animal?

"I know she loves me," Executing these words from a lonely mouth made me wonder, did he know? "She's mine, you hear?" His eyes grow a little darker as he speaks. I grit my teeth, she wasn't an object for keeps nor was she a possession for this dark soul to have for show. Louis steps back, eager to prove dominance as he stands tall and lights the cigarette that is placed between his lips again. As he takes a long draw of smoke I start to realise this was all an act. He wasn't at all the bad boy everyone always thought he was and this entire façade was an act for people to be manipulated, telling a certain blue eyed girl lies of a forbidden world.

I step closer to the smoking man now, inked skin and menacing eyes piercing into mine. "She's not a possession Louis, I hope you'll realise that soon or..." I trail off, feeling blood drip down my cheek. I darken my eyes, pinning the worn down soul of this body in front of me with a dangerous look. He didn't scare me like he thought he did, I wasn't a fool to his game and I wasn't a chess piece he could move to his likings. I cock an eyebrow, letting a smirk find my lips "Or you will loose her." Louis takes in a sharp toxic breath, searching through his brain for something to say back and defend his honour.

I take no more pleasure in his weakening state, shoving him in the shoulder as I walk past him and exit the scene, wiping the smeared blood with the back of my hand. I leave smoke in the air; spiralling around a mess of a body that should learn this game will end in misery rather than fortune.

Entering the classroom made me feel weak, eyes watching the bloodied face as a weak boy explains his late arrival. I wasn't angry any more, feeling pity and guilt was all that surfaced now and as I walked to the back of the classroom – strolling past worried blue eyes, I felt so much weakness shoot through my bones. I take a seat as the teacher continues the lesson, ignoring the whispers of my strange arrival and going into discussion of the topic we are learning. I take out my book, eager to just sit and stare at the words instead of watching the curious eyes dart back and forth from my glassy eyes and bloodied forehead. Almost twelve minutes into the lesson I see a small hand place a folded note on my desk, I look up to her comforting eyes and instantly feel electricity shoot through my body.

She scurries away before I can say anything to her, sliding back into her seat before she gets caught by our teacher. Students around us eye her suspiciously, whispering to each other as she goes back to her school work and mindlessly forgets the world around her once again, losing track of time and space was her speciality.

I grab the note carefully, unfolding the piece of paper that almost felt warm against my cold hands. Her handwriting was neat, scribbling the words in a rush but still curving her letters perfectly.

willow tree after school at four.

-L

I couldn't help the grin on my lips, she was one of a kind with everything she did and it made me fall for her more every day. I found an angel in blue eyes, dark hair falling on a pale face that belonged amongst the universe to sparkle with the moon and stars. I fold the note the same way she did, placing the paper in my pocket and proceeding to read the text book on my desk. I couldn't focus on the words very well, after every sentence my mind would wonder to Lola and what I would say to her about my wounds.

I was never a very good liar, always stuttering and never finding a good excuse. I decided by the end of the day to simply just tell her I fell on my way to class, tripping on a rock or branch... Or something. I shake my head as a winter breeze brushes through my curls, refreshing my worrying face a little as I check the time on my phone which read 4:14pm. The school was quiet which made my irrational fear kick in, looking around every corner for tattooed arms and a cigarette filled grin. I visibly relax as I see the infamous willow tree on the horizon, arriving to see blue eyes sparkling at me from a extended branch.

"I started my project last night." Her voice was muffled in the breeze but carried out along the cold to touch my skin, forming goosebumps as I watched her smile.

"That's great." I reply with a smile.

Faded smiles fill the area now, the only sound I could hear was the beat of my heart and the wind swimming around the willow trees branches. I notice Lola's stuff on the ground, a blue bag and book on the green grass. "What did Louis say to you?" The question sticks in the air, our eyes stay connected but my body falls hard and the electricity burns my skin as I clench my fists.

"I don't know what you mean."

Lola sighs, which cues her to jump down from the branch with a grunt. Her hair sways in the breeze, blue eyes watching me like an eagle and her approaching body sends shivers down my spine. I can smell her vanilla scent in the air as she nears me, stepping closer and closer making my head spin with dizziness and as she extends her soft hand to caress my cheek, I almost feel new again. Analysing my wounds she licks her lips, watching me with the corner of her bright eyes.

"I saw you two having a 'heated' discussion when I went to the rest room during class." Lola says softly, her hand was still on my skin making me melt against the touch.

"Why didn't you say something?" I ask, closing my eyes as she moves her fingertips along my jaw line.

"I wanted to hear the story from you," She sighs. "What did he say to you?"

I swallow down hard, feeling heat all over my body as she continues to trace along my jaw and chin. "He told me to stay away from you." Our eyes lock and lightening strikes the ground, a burning sensation drawing us closer to each other. "And that you are his, and only his."

"Right." She says sadly. "Well he doesn't have a say in what I do." She states, moving her fingertips to below my bottom lips. I ache to kiss her fingers, touch her hand and let my lips run against the soft skin.

"So," Energy cirlces us as the space grows smaller and smaller between our bodies, inches from touching as we look into each others eyes. "You want me to stay?" Nothing can stop the force pushing us closer as her fingertips run over my lips, kissing the skin made me feel hot and a feeling of infinite ignited me as I let my fingers run down her torso to feel every curve with my own hands. She nods her head yes, closing her eyes as I lean into her face with my breath fanning her skin, a haunting feeling overwhelming her as I whisper into the wind to possess her bones. "Tell me you want me to stay Lola... Say it out loud."

She takes a breath and dives deep into my soul. "I want you to stay."

The earth moves with the sun and stars that afternoon as I place my lips onto hers, feeling her body heat as we finally let passion explode through our touch.

***

-A