The Other Side

Chapter 13

'I'm alive!' I text Harry as I'm getting ready to go babysit Matty for the day.

'Phew, thought I'd lost you for a minute' Harry text back, then another that reads, 'What you up to today? Are you allowed to come over and play? ;-)'

'Ha! Nope, I'm banned from ever seeing you again ;-) that and I have to work :-('

':-( talk to you later then' Poor Harry, having to survive the day without me, I think sarcastically.

"Ready?" Mum calls, and I go out to meet her so she can drive me to Matty's house.

As we drive, I suddenly think of something Mum said last night. Or more precisely, the way she said it.

"Do you not like Harry?" I ask bluntly.

Mum looks taken aback. "Why are you asking me that?"

I shrug. "Just the way you reacted to the two of us last night."

"I thought we decided that last night was crazy irrational time, and should be ignored?" Mum says.

"Well, then I'm asking you rationally now. Do you like Harry?"

"I like Harry," Mum says, but her voice sounds weird. I stare at her until she cracks. "I'm just worried is all. He's a celebrity, who travels a lot. And he's a young, immature, a boy. I just don't want you to get hurt." She reaches down and takes my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "But as long as you're happy."

Of course the fact that Harry is world famous, and I'm a small town girl has crossed my mind. But I don't have time to think about it as I chase after Matty who has decided he's going to throw tantrums all day. Harry and I text sporadically, I reply whenever I get a free second, but we don't make plans to meet up.

'Did you tell your parents?' I ask him as I'm in the car with Mum on my way home.

'Not everything ;-)' is his cheeky reply.

"Why don't we invite Harry and his parents over for dinner this week?" Mum says out of the blue.

"Uh," I stutter, being caught off guard. "Yeah, ok." I agree hesitantly.

'Meet me at the fence in 5. I have terrible news' I text Harry with a grin on my face.

When I get home I go down to the fence, and Harry is waiting for me, a troubled look on his face.

"What is it?" he asks, concern filling his voice.

I sigh. "It's not good," I drag out, sounding really upset. "Mum wants you to come for dinner Friday night. And your parents."

Harry laughs. "God that's awful news." He leans in and kisses me, but I pull back slightly, looking worriedly up to my house, and then to Harry's house. "I think they'll be ok with us kissing," Harry teases, and kisses me again. His hands snake around my waist and pull me as close to him as possible with the fence between us. "Stupid fence," he grumbles.

"Stupid parents," I mumble back. "This fence must stay between us until Friday night," I say meekly. "I'm kinda grounded."

Harry chuckles into my cheek. "Sorry about that," he says, and kisses me again.

"No you're not," I say with a smirk, pulling away from him.

I say goodbye and head back inside, so that my grounding can begin. Mum only did it to prove a point, and it barely means a thing, just that I can't go to Harry's house. But her and Dad work until five Monday to Friday, so I could sneak out if I really wanted to.

On Monday I explain the whole situation to Sam before school begins, and he thinks it's hilarious. Of course he does. I can't help but laugh about with him too. What we don't find hilarious is the glares, giggles and gawks that follow me into the school.

"That's her," I hear Stephanie say, and I don't recognise the guy she's talking to. He looks too old to be in school. "Alexia Grant."

The guy rushes over to me. "Hey Alexia. I'm Shaun. Just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about your relationship with Harry Styles." He shoves a recording device in my face.

"What?" I ask, completely bewildered.

"These pictures," he says, showing me his phone screen which has a photo from yesterday of Harry and I kissing over the fence. "How long have you two been dating slash hooking up?"

I stare daggers at Stephanie, who is looking smugly back at me. I want to go over and rip her face off. But I remember what Ms Allan told me, I'm too smart for them. "No comment," I say to the scumbag reporter and march off with Sam behind.

I want to run away - again. But that would just mean that Stephanie wins. So instead I stay at school, ignoring everyone's comments, death stares or looks of admiration. I smile more often than usual, answer more questions in class. Basically, I show off.

At lunch I text Harry. 'I'm famous :-/ just got attacked by a reporter at school'

'Yeah management just called me. The pics are all over the internet. Sorry :-('

'Don't be sorry. I'm looking at the bitch who took the pics and started it all. Can I kill her??'

'Please don't. I'm sure management don't want to comment on how I was caught kissing a murderer ;-) you holding up ok?'

'Yeah, I'm surprisingly good. Really wish they'd captured my better side though. Also, that shirt I was wearing yesterday is sooo not flattering'

'I'm kinda concerned you're not flipping out. Are you feeling ok? :-P you generally don't take these things too well'

'I want to punch everyone in their stupid faces. But I'm fine. Acting like top stuff seems to be pissing Stephanie Slut-A-Lot off more than death staring her'

'Righto ;-) I'm home alone today, I'll sneak over and see you before your parents get home :-) have fun at school and don't kill anyone'

I was really glad to leave school, away from the hype. Sam walks me home, only so that I'm not alone and more vulnerable to paparazzi attacks, as there were a couple outside of my school as we're leaving. After they're kindly told by Sam to 'get lost' they snap a couple of pictures of us. Oh great, I can just see the headlines now - "Harry's hook-up has a boyfriend!"

Sam gets me home safely, and then heads straight off to get to his job at the grocery store. I notice a couple of photographers watching as we arrive, and they snap a few photos, but they seem to be waiting for Harry to step foot out of the house. When I get inside, my phone rings and it's Harry.

"Hey," I answer. "I'm home."

"I know," he says in a creepy tone, "I was watching you out my window."

I giggle. "I hope you don't do that all the time."

"You're so pretty when you brush your teeth," he says, and then cracks up laughing.

"You coming over, stalker?" I hold my phone to my ear with my shoulder as I smear some jam on bread.

I hear Harry sigh. "I think it'd be better if I didn't," he says seriously. "Management just want to get this sorted, and just want me to lay low for a few days." When I don't respond he says, "Lexi, you there?"

I stay silent for a second. "Yeah, sorry, I'm eating. That's cool. Just let me know -" I cut myself off. Let me know what? "I'll just talk to you later."

"We can talk now," Harry says quickly, before I can hang up.

I don't really want to talk now. "My phone's about to die. And I have to... go do stuff," I say lamely. "I'll text you later." I hang up before he can stall again.

And now the full effect of what Mum said yesterday hits me. Harry is famous. Like incredibly famous, so much so that I can't even fathom how famous he is. He's so famous, that he has 'management' telling him when to hang out with girls, and what to do when a picture of him kissing someone gets leaked. Mum said she didn't want me to get hurt, but too late, I'm already hurting.