Flicker 》Harry Styles x Kennedy Walsh {COMPLETED}

14: Pizza Thoughts

The car ride on the way home had initially been tense, and I know Harry could feel that tension emanate from me. So he talked to Mom about stuff, like us growing up, and her body painting business—well, she talked a lot and Harry mostly listened intently, casually throwing questions my way.

When we finally pull into the driveway, I instantly feel my palms sweat. Judging from the noise and boisterous laughter, the boys are in. Jesus, I hope they didn't come through with the wigs and tarpaulin.

"You okay?" Harry comes up beside me, his bag slung over his shoulder.

I nod nervously and shrug. "Yeah, just stay behind me and run when I tell you to."

A confused expression mars his face before he slowly breaks out into a smile, probably thinking that I'd been sarcastic. "Oh. I'm excited." And I feel it radiating off of him. Oh boy, you don't know what you're getting into.

The first thing I hear when I get into the house is Nick's voice. "Holy shit, is that them?"

"I guess," Cory's head pokes out from the kitchen to check the front door. He sees me, and this huge, cheeky smile splits his face into two. "Yup, they're here. Prepare the orchestra, boys."

I glare at him with pursed lips, daring him to continue. He just laughs and disappears into the kitchen, getting into a conversation with the others. Harry moves behind me, instinctively taking off his shoes.

"Oh, you don't have to," Mom says.

He looks up before shrugging with a smile. "Eh."

His boyish charm rubs off on Mom, making her grin as well. How the hell does he do that? How can a person be so charming and light? It's so fucking unfair. Mom scoots past us and heads into the kitchen, probably warning the boys off to not do anything embarrassing. When he straightens up, I cock my head to the side, motioning for him to follow me.

"They're in the kitchen."

When I get there with him behind me, obviously following my instructions in the driveway, the boys simultaneously greet him "Eyyyy." And I swear, I had never been that close to beating up grown men twice my size. I would've believed it'd been unrehearsed had I not seen the mischievous glint on Nick's eyes. Oh God, here we go.

Brandon chuckles. "For a minute there, I think we sounded like a boy band."

There it is. The fucking dig. It hadn't even been five minutes! Jesus Christ, these children.

And silence. Deafening fucking three-second silence fills the room. Then Harry bursts into laughter, shaking his finger at them, shocking everyone. Mom lets out a breath of relief, hitting Brandon's shoulder on her way to the fridge and discreetly pinching both Nick and Cory. They yelp and laugh.

Brandon moves forward, offering his hand, "Brandon Walsh." Nick introduces himself too, and Cory the last and the most idiotic, apparently.

"Nicolas Wolberg," Cory says.

"Harry Styles," he says back, looking from Brandon to Cory.

Nick scoffs. "Nicolas," he repeats, "you haven't earned being a Nicolas. Stick to being a Cory."

They were about to start a banter when Claudia and Devorah walk in, laughing amongst themselves. As if it's possible, I literally wish for the ground to swallow me whole. I am petrified. It was one thing to have the boys meet Harry, and it was another to introduce him to Devorah. Fuuuuck.

Harry seems just as surprised to see more people gathering in our small kitchen. Right at that moment, Devorah sees him and she stops dead in her tracks and everybody—and I do mean everybody—goes silent.