chapter 11

The week crept by, Harry and Emma meeting after school to finish the essay. It was easy working together, they were both bright, wanting good grades, they started doing other homework together after finishing with the History project, helping each other out. Jon took a liking to Harry, always having a soft spot for the underdog. Harry didn't bring up Tyler and the killing again, and Emma never asked about it, but it was there, always there standing between them. Even though they have met every day after school for homework, there was this strange politeness they offered one another that real friends didn't. This friendship was strained, it didn't flow like friendships should, and they both felt it. At school they kept a distance, Emma knowing that it's just easier that way. Niall not making faces, and Zayn not dishing out digs at them. Harry seemed happy with this arrangement too, spending his time with Dylan and Nick. Even so for some reason she was hurt by it. She felt the time Harry spent with her was out of kindness to her then out of wanting to be friends.

Emma grew closer to Jennifer and Eleanor, spending most of their time at school together, joined by Niall and Louis when they didn't have football practice.

It was Friday morning, the day of homecoming, that El and Emma sat outside eating their food, as they waited for Jennifer to join them.

Emma's POV

"My dad said it will rain tomorrow," I say, swiping a strand of hair out of my eyes.

"Hard to believe, it is so nice outside," Eleanor replies "Did you finish with your essay?"

"Yeah, a few days ago actually, it's good to have it out of the way," I sigh taking another bite out of my sandwich.

"Dad," Eleanor calls out waving her hands up in the air. I look up to see the football coach walking over to us.

"Hello darling, nice to see you enjoying the sun," He kisses the top of her head.

"Daddy- meet Emma, she's Niall's cousin," Eleanor points at me with a smile.

"You're the chief's daughter, welcome to Holmes Chapel, hope you had a nice welcoming," He shakes my hand.

"Yes, sir, thank you," I smile up at him. The coach looks up spotting the person who made him come outside in the first place "Styles! Wait up! Have a lovely day laidies," He gives El's shoulder a slight squeeze as he walks off to catch up to Harry. We follow him with our gaze. I watch Harry, he doesn't look too happy about the coach approaching him.

"Your dad is the football coach?" I ask, turning back to look at her "I didn't know that."

"Didn't you ever notice my nickname around here? The coach's daughter?" She rolls her eyes.

"Well no.. I know how you feel though.. being the chief's daughter myself," I can tell she is still watching her dad. I turn in time to see him walking away with Harry by his side.

"I wonder what that's all about," I say watching their stride.

"He probably wants Harry back on the team now that he's back," she shrugs.

"Harry used to be on the team?" I did not see that coming.

"He sure did, good player too, channeled all of his aggression into the game, my dad was sad to see him go."

I keep quiet, not sure what to say. The thing about Eleanor is that you couldn't ask her anything about the Styles twins. She shuts down immediately. But once every so often she would speak up and share something from her past with them.

"Can I ask you something?" She suddenly questions.

"Sure."

"Do you think Harry killed his sister?" I glance at the table and then back at her.

"Well, I think if he did, he would stay in juvie for much longer," I finally answer.

"You said that once before, but now after spending some time with him writing the essay?"

"It's hard for me to believe," I whisper. I am squeezing my hands closed under the table reminding myself not to speak of what I know. I promised Harry, and I shell keep that promise.

"What do you think?" I inquire.

"I don't think he did it," Her eyes are round. "I knew him and Hope, and He would never hurt her, even when they used to fight and she would slap him he never hit her back," Then she goes quiet, knowing she said too much.

"Louis and Niall don't think like me, so I never bring it up," She shrugs.

"Don't worry about it," I say touching her hand with mine.

"Sorry I'm late- I just saw your dad talking to Harry- think he will try getting him back on the team?" Jen asks sitting down.

"Probably."

I listen to them talk about the homecoming. Jen is trying to get Tyler to come down for it. My skin goes cold by the mention of his name, luckily for me they don't notice my shiver.

"Well if he won't show come hang with us," Eleanor invites her.

"Emma! Hi girls- can I talk to you for a moment?" Sam approaches our table.

"Umm sure, I'll be right back," I don't miss the exchange of smiles between the girls as I follow Sam away from them.

"How have you been?" He asks playing with the strap of his bag.

"All right, how have you been?"

"Good.. I was wondering if you'll be coming tonight- to homecoming," He looks up at me.

"I guess… We were just talking about it actually, we were planning to all go together- you know, Niall and Louis and Eleanor- and Jen might join if Tyler won't show," I add.

I see a shadow pass over his face at the mention of his brother's name.

"I- I thought maybe you know we could go together.. Maybe you'll save me a few rides?"

I like Sam.. I really do, but not in the way he would have wanted me to.

"Sure," I smile not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"Great- So I reckon I'll see you there?" He grins.

"Sure, I'll see you," Before I turn back to my friends Sam touches my shoulder. When I finally do turn, I catch Harry watching us from across the yard.

Harry's POV

I finally got the coach to leave me alone after promising to come to practice tomorrow.

He was trying to get me to rejoin since I came back to school, not taking no for an answer.

I watched as Emma talked with Sam. I think I might be fucking jealous. I don't like her! I really don't. But I don't want her hanging out with that nitwit. I mean- he is Tyler's fucking brother- the fucking arse that killed my twin sister. This is the reason. Then I saw him touch her! He touched her shoulder. I squeezed my fists closed, clenching my jaw tight. Emma looked at me for a moment, than she went back to the girls.

"Stalker much mate?" Dylan punched my shoulder.

"Get over yourself," I waved him off with a fake chuckle.

"You know Harry, you make fun of me for liking Jen, and I'm cool with it, really, because I'm not lying to myself about it- I know I like her.. You on the other hand.. you are so into Emma, and you can't even admit it."

I am not into Emma. She is the chief's daughter. I did get used to hanging out with her though after school, homework and stuff… And I like that laugh of hers- when she finally does laugh, a real giggle.. the one that reaches the eyes- and her tongue slightly sticking out through her front teeth too. And I like the way she tosses her hair over her shoulder when it's down. Yeah.. I like it the most when it's down.. But that doesn't mean that I like her! Because I don't.

I watched the girls table for a while longer, than Dylan and I walked away to class.

Truth is Emma and I, are kind of weird, I mean.. we hang out after school but not at school. I know it's better for her because then she doesn't get all that shit from the Horan boy, but even if I pass in the hall, we might nod at each other but that's about it.

It is History class, so Dylan bumped my fist and walked off to whatever class he needed to be in now, while I strode into the room and took a seat. A few moments later, Zayn Liam and Perrie walked in. When Zayn saw me he tensed. Liam gave him a little shove and they continued to their seats. I knew what that look is. If I go back to the team, I might get his place.

Emma came into class right before Mr. D does, taking her seat swiftly. I watched her carefully. Her hair isn't in a bun but it's still tied up. I could see some of the pink. She kept her head down in her drawing book. I wonder, how is it her face is always in that book, but she still knows what is going on in class.

At some point she stiffened, her head jumped up, and she turned to glance at me. She felt me staring at her. I knew it. And now that she knows her feeling is true she is uncomfortable.

When class was over I hurried out after her, but only called out her name, when we were almost a block away from the school.

"Em!" I called. She stopped in her place but didn't turn, she knew it was me.

"How was your day?" I smiled as I fell in to stride with her.

"You used to be on the football team?" She never answers when she has a question ofher own."So you heard about that" I didn't ask but stated it.

"Well are you rejoining then?"

"I don't know," I sighed.

"If you're as good as the whispers around school- you should," She went on.

"I'm sure your cousin will be real happy about that," I couldn't help myself.

"What does Niall have to do with it? If you like the game and you want to play then you should- since when do you care what others think?" Her cheeks got some colour in them after this scolding.

"What do you think?" I asked her.

"Does it matter?"

"It does.. to me," For a moment it really did matter. I really did want to hear what she thought, I wanted her to tell me what I should do.

"I think you should play," She finally answered. "And I think you should stop ignoring me at school". I looked down at her as we turned into our street.

"It never crossed my mind that you cared if I acknowledged you at school or not."

"Well Harry, If we're going to be friends then we should be all the way friends- not just after school mates," She stopped in front of my driveway.

"You don't care what people will say- what your friends might say if they see us hanging out?" I questioned her.

"It's something for me to worry about- not you," She replied stubbornly.

"I'm not sure I want to be friends," I suddenly said. The truth is, I might like her after all, since if we are just friends it means that Sam can ask her out and I am not fine with that.

"Oh.." She was stunned, glancing at the ground for a minute. Then she looked back up at me, a determent look in her eyes. She nodded  and turned to walk to her own home.

"Hey- Emma- would you go to homecoming with me?" I called out after her. She stopped in her place again, but this time she did turn- slowly.

"You're a little too late Harry," She said quietly, then she stepped into her house.

Harry was ready to kick himself knowing, he was too late because he knew- Sam asked her before he got around to it.

When Emma entered her house, shutting the door after her, she had this kind of happiness and sadness fill her at the same time- Happiness for Harry, that finally asked her out, knowing that there was something there all along and she did not imagine it, and sadness that he was after all too late, and he might not act on it again.

Emma let herself dwell on it for five more seconds before pushing Harry styles out of her head and rushing up to her room to pick out an outfit for tonight, after all she might see Harry there..