Chapter 10

• As I made my way out of the school, Kira stopped me. "Leah, I promised Josh I would meet him right after school. Will you be okay alone?"
• I smiled. Oh no, I am pretty sure Pete is going to prey on me again. I nodded.
• "Don't worry about me."
• Kira rolled her eyes. I agree, What a stupid thing to say. But she shouldn't be worrying about me all the fucking time. My life could be bad, but I am not a baby. I told her as much.
• "Fine, fine. Keep me posted, by the way."
• I forced a smile, instantly reminded of Pete's words from last night. Great, he just ruined a really casual phrase for me.
• I hurried to my car, not stopping even once. I thought someone called my name, but I didn't stop. Why? Because I am not an idiot.
• But as soon as I reached my car, my hand on the handle, ready to pop the door open and drive like my ass was lit on fire, a hand grabbed my arm. I froze, squeezing my eyes. But the hand pulled away softly, and I knew that this couldn't be Pete.
• I turned, and found the Devil's advocate right in front of me. Just fucking great. After Pete, the next best thing was Gary, his best friend. He wasn't as bad, even refraining himself from a lot of Pete's 'activities'. But demons are only fallen angels, aren't they?
• "What do you want, Gary?" I asked bravely as I kept my hand on the door's handle, ready to run away.
• He shuffled on his feet, looking unusually shy. "I..."
• Seeing him so weird, I gainedined some confidence, still not quite convinced this wasn't one of Pete's pranks, but it didn't quite matter. If he was planning something, I was already trapped, the only thing I could do was to fall gracefully.
• I think.
• "What?" I asked again, trying to be just a touch more intimidating. I was enjoying this.
• He shrank back, which was a miracle considering that he was so tall. "I...it's my birthday today."
• I stared at him. What the fuck? He wouldn't come to me begging for a birthday wish, I was pretty sure about that. So what is this about?
• "And?"
• He blinked. "Well, I am having a party today, and it would be great if you came."
• I almost snorted, was this guy serious? He couldn't actually think I would fall for that?
• "Oh yeah, it would be such a great gift, just seeing me tumbling into a pool or something. Humiliating me, right?"
• He winced, to my surprise. "No...no. I have never been good to you-"
• This time, I snorted.
• "-and I want to change that. I promise I am not inviting you to... bully you or anything."
• "Forgive me, if I don't trust you, Gary. You have never exactly made it easy."
• He sighed, rushing his hand through his golden hair. "Look Leah, I truly feel bad, and I just... I know inviting you to a party wouldn't make you forgive me, but it would be a step forward."
• I stared at him. I wanted to believe him, but it would be so stupid of me to. "Pete's gonna be there, wouldn't he?"
• He looked down. "Yes."
• I shook my head. "Leave me alone, Ga-"
• "What if I take an oath?"
• Now,that stopped me dead in the tracks. If he was ready to take an oath, I couldn't really doubt his sincerity, but-
• "And what would your oath be?"
• "I'll...I'll protect you throughout the party. I will make sure nothing happens." He looked so sincere, so honest.
• "And your mate's gonna be okay with this?" I blurted, not really thinking.
• His eyebrows furrowed. "Of course, if anything, she's going to be happy about it, trust me."
• A corner of my mouth lifted. "She sounds awesome."
• "She is." He nodded like a puppy, a dreamy look in his eyes. I smiled, he looked absolutely and ridiculously goofy like that.
• "I don't need your oath, Gary. Oaths are...tricky, and big. I just want you to just...try?"
• He nodded seriously. "I will."
• "Or I will tell your mate." I blackmailed him, a smirk forming.
• His eyes rounded, and he shook his head furiously. "No, don't do that."
• I laughed loudly, it was so amusing to see Gary like this. "Oh, and Gary?"
• He looked up.
• "Happy Birthday."
• *****************************************************
• "Now, why would you think that's a good idea?" Kira asked, scowling hard.
• "Agreed, Leah. This... doesn't sound good at all." Josh added, taking a gulp of his coffee.
• I rolled my eyes.
• "Do you think I don't know that? But it's a party, and it's been ages since I have been to one-"
• "You've never been to one." Kira cut me off.
• I glared at her. "I do have! Remember Veronica Jade's birthday? Who went to that?"
• She laughed out a loud, humiliating laugh and pointed a spoon at me. "And when was that?"
• I stayed silent.
• "I thought so! It was in third grade, Leah. That's not a party. It's little girls with pink in their hair, and ponies and princes in their dreams."
• I sighed. It was technically a party, and I wasn't about to let Kira take it away from me. Mostly because that would just make my life a hell of a lot more miserable. "Fuck you."
• "He is."
• Josh blushed hard, and even I cracked a smile. "You have no absolutely no shame, Kira. It's disgusting."
• "But you love me because of that."
• I couldn't argue with that now.
• "Well, obviously I am not going to let you go alone. When's the party?" Kira asked, finishing of her waffles. I shuffled in my seat.
• "In two hours." I gulped, knowing what was coming.
• "WHAT?! TWO HOURS?! HOW THE BLOODY HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET READY BY THEN?"
• "Calm down, sweetie. It doesn't matter, you are going to look gorgeous anyway." Josh, the Lee-charmer, said.
• I arched up an eyebrow, seeing how easily he was able to calm her down. Nobody could really do that, nobody- but a mate.
• "What's the sad smile for?" Kira asked, still a bit grumpy.
• "Nothing." I folded the napkin in front of me. "Hey, I was wondering, do you think I should ask Harry?"
• Kira stared at me. "You're kidding, right?"
• "No, why?" I asked, feeling genuinely confused.
• "Well, Leah, do you really want this to be your second....or is it the first....date?" Josh asked.
• Well, no. I didn't want this to be any number of dates at all. If you're avoiding the lion, it's best not to go ahead and sit in the lion's den, or his best friend's den. But if I am going...
• "I would love to have him with me."
• "You're not doing this to make Pete jealous, right?" Fucking Kira, she never could keep her mouth shut.
• "No." I paused but then added. "Look, Pete and Flora are going to be there, all over each other, and I just... I can't be alone, Kira. I don't want to make him jealous, but I don't want to be the jealous one either." I stared at them both, they would understand, right?
• Josh nodded, and so did Kira. "Yeah, no, I get it."
• Josh flashed a brilliant smile at me. "You should call him."
• And so, I did.
• *
• He picked up at the fourth ring.
• "Hello? Leah?"
• Oh damn, he would have saved my number. As soon as I heard Hello?', I was like- YUP! OKAY! We're DONE HERE.
• I sighed. Apparently not.
• "Hi. Umm...Harry?" What was with that 'Umm'? Why did you say Umm'?
• "Yeah, hi." His voice was good and soothing. Pete's voice was like that too, just a touch more smooth...
• I shook my head. Pete spoke like a toad. That was the truth.
• "Yeah, so..." Stop being so fucking nervous, what the hell?!? "Right, uhhhh...."
• "Is everything alright, Leah?" I could hear the genuine concern in his voice.
• "Yeah, everything is totally fine!" Say something nice, and ask him out! What are you doing?!
• "I just wanted to... thank you for walking me home."
• What. Is Wrong With Me?
• "Oh." Was that sadness I heard? "That's alright. It was no problem."
• I couldn't get the words out of my mouth, I was so sure I would sound like an utter fool.
• "Is that all?"
• Is it?
• No.
• "Actually, someone I know is throwing a party. And I know it's not ideal, but I was wondering if-"
• "I'll be there at 7."
• "What? I mean, yes. Yes."
• He smiled, I know he did because it was in his words. "Bye, then."
• "Bye."
• And I was smiling too.