Snakebites - Book 1

Chapter 3

Harry's POV 

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I walked with the girl called Megan to the cold metal bench that sat parallel to the brick building and sat down next to her because we still had an hour until school actually started. We talked a lot. She talked a lot, but told me little about herself.

"....and Sleeping With Sirens is one of the best bands to walk this earth."

I laughed. "You should come check out our band, doll."

Her eyes widened. "You're in a band?"

"We like to call ourselves One Direction. My friend Niall plays lead guitar, Liam plays bass, Zayn plays drums, and Louis screams. I growl and sing because Louis can't reach very deep notes and I can't reach very high notes like he can. You should come watch us practice after school - we play a lot of Pierce the Veil and Black Veil Brides. Sometimes Bring Me the Horizon."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds sick."

We exchanged numbers and I smiled as she picked a different song from her playlist - "Carolyn" by Black Veil Brides.

"You like that song?"

She gave me a shy smile. "Yeah, it's one of my favourites."

A heavy hand dropped onto my shoulder and I turned my head to see my long time friend Niall. "Who's this?"

Megan looked up at him and her tongue played with her piercing inside her mouth.

"Megan," I said. "She's gonna watch us practice after school."

He nodded at her and she waved.

He gave me a sly grin and sat next to me on the bench. Megan looked down at her phone and Niall gave her a quick once over. "I'd strum that," he mumbled.

If she heard, she didn't show it. I smacked his bicep and he grinned again.

Liam, Zayn, and Louis eventually joined us on and near the bench, Zayn taking a spot on the ground next to my feet. Louis and Liam stood beside Niall and Megan sat awkwardly pretending to look through her photos.

The boys had their own conversations while I played with my lip ring, taking it between my teeth.

The bell rang shortly after and I walked next to Megan down the hallway to first hour. Our classes were right next to each other. We said goodbye and parted ways.

                Class - Megan POV

I took an empty seat in the back of the class, my boredom getting the best of me as I absentmindedly drew Harry's name in graffiti writing. The only perk of being a new kid, is you never get called on for about the first week. My teacher droned on about a war, while my pencil glided gently across the binder paper I was drawing on.

His face was in my mind, keeping me wondering about his secrets. Or if he had any.

All of my classes dragged on and I made my way to each one of them, going through the motions and always sitting in the back of the room. No one ever tried to talk to me, and I preferred it that way.

At lunch I sat down with Harry and his boys, and a tall girl with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes made her way to our table, immediately sitting between Harry and I. Harry rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

She gave me a testing glance, the corners of her mouth turning down in a frown. "Who's this?"

"Megan," Niall said immediately. The way he looked at her was all too familiar; a look of annoyance.

The girl put on her best stank face and turned to Harry. "Baby, are you going to eat that apple?"

He shot her a blank glance. "I'm not your 'baby', Ally." He tossed the apple into his bag and out of nowhere, grabbed my hand as he got up to leave. I was confused.

"This is my baby. Megan, this is Ally." Harry mumbled as he gently tugged me away and out of the cafeteria doors. 

As we walked briskly down the hall I pulled my hand back to stop him. "What's the problem and why was she calling you 'baby'?" 

Harry sighed and slumped against a locker. "My whore of an ex," he said. "She hasn't left me alone since we broke up. It's been two years. She calls me every night and every girl she sees me get close to she scares away. I just..."

"You just?"

"I don't want her to scare you away." he kept his eyes trained on the black and white speckled tiles on the floor, readjusting his Ray Bans. He looked up at me as I got lost in how plush and plump his lips were. 

"Oh," was all I could muster the strength to say. The bell rang and Harry got up and brushed past me without saying goodbye, looking back once and disappearing into a science class about twelve doors down the hallway. I made my way to Ms. Finley's art class and took a seat in the back, farthest away from the board. 

Our assignment was to draw our favourite female singer, and after mulling it over I settled on Lana Del Rey. I drew her facial features with the utmost detail and took the entire period cleaning up the little mistakes with my eraser. I turned in the page and slung my backpack over my shoulder. Ms. Finley looked up at me and smiled as I walked out into the crowded hallway, trying to find Harry. I was having trouble, though, because sadly I was 5'2" and wearing converse so I couldn't see over the sea of people around me. 

I gave up on trying to find him and resolved to walking home. As I was putting my earbuds in I heard running footsteps behind me. I turned round, hoping it was Harry, but it was just a mom trying to go for a jog. I sighed and walked up the long gravel driveway to my house and threw my bag on my bed, and laying next to it. I fell asleep thinking about him.