"WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I had a tendency to shove beads up my nose even though I knew my parents were going to take me to the hospital to have me blow them out." Harry spit out his drink and widened his eyes at what I just said. I smiled crookedly at him and looked down at my glass. We had been sitting here for a while and when Harry decided to go get us something to drink—water in two glasses—I decided it was time for this awkwardness to end. If we were going to sit here together, we had to socialize. Staring at each other was not going to get us anywhere.

He coughed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "You were a very strange child."

I shrugged, "I was born into a very strange family."

"Your parents must be extremely proud."

My heart ached at the thought of my mother. I felt guilty for cutting off all contact with her but it was for the best. It hurt me, though, that she had not tried calling or texting me since our last conversation. I looked down at my lap and exhaled slowly. I had no idea where my father was but I could have cared less. He left and never looked back. I never needed him when he was around and I most certainly did not need him now.

"Yeah," I forced a smile and looked back at Harry. "I guess they are."

He ran his fingers along the tattoos on his hand and I moved my glass around, watching the water splash around as it tried to escape. I picked up the glass and brought it to my burgundy lips, taking a few sips of the plain liquid. I sat the glass back down and listened to the music playing. I had tried getting a conversation started but it had quickly died down. This made me upset. I did not want to be here if I was going to be bored.

I opened my mouth, about to ask Harry if he wanted to dance, "Hey, do you—"

"Want to play twenty questions?"

I looked at him, blinking once or twice, "Twenty questions?"

"What?" he looked slightly bothered by my response. "Have you never heard of it?"

"No, no, I have." I reassured him.

"All right, then," he nodded his head slowly as if he was unsure about this. He was the one who suggested playing it. "I guess I'll start."

"I'm ready." I was grinning.

"What's your favorite color?"

I chuckled, suddenly remembering when he asked me this before, "Emerald green."

He paused for a moment, his eyes meeting mine for a split second. His head tilted to the side a bit and he raised his eyebrows. He watched me carefully and when I smiled at him, he cleared his throat and said, "Good choice."

"If you could choose, would you remain a man or turn into a woman?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's the first one that came to mind."

"I don't know if I want to play this with you anymore."

"Why?" my smile widened. "Are you saying you want to turn into a woman, Harry?"

"Gosh, Sydney," he shook his head, laughing lightly. "No, I'd like to remain a man if that's all right with you."

"Eh," I took another sip of my water.

"Why'd you leave Portland?"

I somehow managed to choke even though I had already swallowed. It was my turn to stare at Harry. He already knew why I left Portland. I told him I wanted a change in scenery. I pushed my glass away from me and placed my arms out in front of me. I tapped my fingernails against the table and knitted my eyebrows together. Why ask again if he already knew the answer?

"I already told you—"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved me off. "But it's the same story for everyone. It's exactly the same, word for word, as if you rehearsed it."

I scoffed, "Are you saying I'm lying?"

"You aren't a very good liar, Sydney."

"I'm not playing this with you anymore." I snapped, standing up from the table.

Harry stood up, as well, and grabbed my arm, "No, don't go. Please? Let's continue the game. I won't upset you anymore. I just want to play the game with you." My lips parted and I noticed how eager he looked. I tried to pull my arm out of his grip but he was too strong. I was shocked at how he was holding onto me so tightly.

"Fine," I said so he would let me go.

I plopped back down onto my seat and Harry did the same. He was smiling now, "Your turn."

It actually was not my turn because I never answered his question but I went along with it.

"What's your favorite character from Sesame Street?"

"Big Bird."

"Fair enough." I finally smiled back.

"And you?"

"Elmo."

"Typical," he rolled his eyes at me but his smile was still there.

"And your answer wasn't?" I challenged him.

"Moving along," he said. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Classical," I blurted out. "I've grown very fond of it lately."

"Like with the strings and brass and stuff?"

"Precisely," I smirked. "Next question."

"It's your turn."

"Right. What's your favorite thing about working at the herb shop? And don't tell me it's because of the smell because that answer has been overused by many."

"Like who?"

"Shut up and answer the question, shrimp boy."

"Maybe it's because I like working with Clare," he said and when I laughed, he shook his head. "No, I'm being serious." I froze. "After my parents died, Clare took me in and she's been the best mother I could ever have. Anyone would be lucky enough to have her. Out of so many, I was the one she decided to take in and raise as her own. I enjoy being close to Clare because whenever she's near, I think about all the good times we had and how thankful I am to have her in my life."

"Wow, Harry, that's actually really—"

"My parents left without a single word. They never told me goodbye and they never told me where they were going. I was home alone at age six. They never cared about me and when I found out they were dead, I was not the slightest bit surprised." He stood up from the table and walked over to the balcony to watch Greysen and Jillian dance. "I just wanted them to show me how much they cared about me. I was constantly ignored when they were around. They always had friends over and there was always drinking and marijuana involved. If my father was drunk enough, he would complain about me and beat me to get his frustration out. I never wanted him to die, though. I never wanted any of them to die." He shrugged his shoulders and looked over at me. "But in return, I got something so much better."

"Clare," I breathed.

"Yeah," he nodded his head before looking back down at the dance floor.

He never once saw the tears falling out of my eyes. I wiped them away as soon as they fell and I forced my eyes to close as I took in a calming breath. I wanted to comfort him. He looked stiff and I knew reliving his past was bothering him. As soon as I stood up, though, Greysen and Jillian were coming back to join us.

Greysen looked at me and grinned, "Hey, woman. You're so sexually attractive. Damn. This train is wanting to make its way into the Sydney Station."

My eyes widened, "Is that your way of telling me you want to have sex? Because, sorry dude, I'm not that—"

Jillian smacked her forehead, "Please, excuse him. He had five drinks too many."

He slurred, "I'm so glad you're losing your house, Sydney." My heart stopped. "In fact, I'm so glad you're having problems finding this second job. Maybe you can move in with me and we have can have a...a..."

He laughed.

Once he was sober, I was going to kill him.

With a truck.

And then possibly a school bus.

Jillian removed her hand from her forehead and it seemed as if the entire club had grown quiet. A lump formed in my throat and, well, I was speechless. Greysen stared at me with a smile on his face and I knew he was not going to remember any of this in the morning. I was internally boiling. I turned my head to look behind me and Harry was staring at me with his arms across his chest. He looked as surprised as I felt.

When he nodded his head toward the entrance, I did not hesitate to nod my head. Jillian and Greysen were leaning onto each other for support and if they had another drink, who knew what would come out of their mouths? I went over to help Greysen and Harry went to go help Jillian. When Greysen spoke to me, I was able to smell the alcohol on his breath and this angered me even more. I wanted to push him down the stairs and smile at the sight of him tumbling.

"Remember that dress you wore to the beach?" he asked and I ignored him. "Burn it. I like this one on you better. It really compliments your breasts."

I pinched him.

Hard.

He hissed, "Ouch, woman!"

I got close enough to his ear and snarled, "What is wrong with you? You weren't supposed to tell anyone about my issue. You promised me and you lied."

He only laughed, resulting in me pinching him again.

We approached the exit and I watched as Harry struggled to get Jillian outside. She was laughing about something and when she continued to give him problems, he lifted her off of the floor and carried her outside. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes.

Greysen tapped my shoulder and I snapped, "What?"

"Can you carry me to...to the car, too?"

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away from me, causing him to almost fall over and hit his head on the wall. He regained his balance and walked out of the club. I followed him and made sure he was not going to fall without my support. Harry had the back door to Jillian's car opened and he was putting her in gently. Greysen had to lean against the car until he was able to get in himself. With them both sitting in the back, I had no choice but to sit in the front with Harry. I got inside and waited for Harry to get in, as well. Greysen and Jillian were officially passed out in the back, adding a lot of stress to the moment. With them being asleep, the ride back to the house was most definitely going to be an interesting one.

Instead of getting straight into the car, Harry took a couple steps away from it and looked up at the sky. His arms hung at his sides and his hair moved swiftly in the wind. I watched cautiously as his hands balled up into fists. My body tensed when he started screaming. They were not loud but I was still able to hear them. He placed his hands on top of his head, tugging at his hair. He sounded frustrated and angry. Screaming seemed to be the only way to release the negativity in his case. I laid my head back against the seat and sighed. I needed to scream, too. We all did. We all tended to hide how we were truly feeling and because of that, the tension grew and our minds wanted to explode.

His screaming soon enough turned into yelling and I turned my head to make sure Greysen and Jillian were still sleeping. They were completely still, unaware of what was going on around them. I turned my attention back to Harry and his head was downward. His hair dangled and his entire body looked lost. I wanted to get out of the car and hug him. The idea was tempting but it would only worsen the situation. I waited it out and tapped my fingers against my thighs. He stood like that for a good four minutes. I never knew four minutes could last so long.

Harry turned around and made his way back to the car. I looked straightforward to not give myself away. He opened the door and got in, turning the key in the ignition. His breathing was heavy but the music eventually drowned it out. We were out of the parking lot in no time and when we were on the main road, Harry turned the radio off.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked after a while of silence.

I shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't think it was necessary for you to know."

"Why didn't you tell Clare?" he wondered. "She is the one who pays you, after all."

"I'm not going to beg her for money," I said.

"You can't just lose your house," he said.

"Harry, it isn't that big of a deal. In fact—"

"You're missing the point," he cut me off. "If you lose your house, where are you going to go? Your family is there in Portland. You're here in Seattle."

"I'm sure I can afford a hotel room."

"For how long, though?"

"Why do you care?" I suddenly asked.

Instead of responding, Harry turned the radio back on and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. The ride back to the house was a heated one and I was more than ready to go back home. My brain was slowly frying from processing all of this information and I just wanted to lay in my own bed. Was that too much to ask? I never quite understood why Harry was making such a big deal out of this. There was nothing he could do about it and I was not going to let him do anything. I was going to take care of it. I still had time left to work things out. There were other places in Seattle that were hiring. I was going to find a second job and I was going to be able to catch up on my bills.

When we made it back to the house, Harry got out without saying a single word to me. I rolled my eyes and got out as well to assist getting Greysen inside. Harry already had Jillian in his arms and he was carrying her toward the house. I tapped Greysen's shoulder but he did not budge. I shoved him a bit and he groaned in his sleep. His eyes still did not open. I pinched him like I had done at the club and he jumped before swatting at my hand.

"Stop that!" he yelled.

"We're back at the house. Do you need help getting inside?"

He shook his head but I helped him inside anyway. Harry and Jillian were nowhere in sight and I assumed he had taken her upstairs to his bedroom. I knew I could not help Greysen get up the stairs, so I took him to the living room. He practically fell on the sofa, muttering something about how I should join him, and I placed my hands on my hips, completely out of breath. He looked uncomfortable but he did not move. I managed to get his shoes off of his feet and I sat them on the floor beside the sofa. I then made sure his head was on one of the sofa pillows before going into the kitchen. The shot glasses were still sitting on the kitchen table and I grabbed the one I had used. The tequila was in the fridge and I pulled it out before pouring myself a shot. Just as I brought it up to my lips, Harry walked in.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I slowly sat the glass down on the counter, "I'm about to head home."

"You're in no condition to drive."

"Says who?"

"You had alcohol tonight, Sydney. I'm not letting you drive home," he told me. I frowned and moved to the table. Harry joined me and I stared down at the shot glass in my hands. "I have a couple guest bedrooms upstairs. You can sleep in one of them tonight and leave in the morning."

I opened my mouth to ask him how he was able to afford a house like this when I could barely afford mine. We both had the same job. How was he so special? I quickly closed it back and laid my head down on the wooden table. That was none of my business.

"When I was little," Harry started, making me raise my eyebrows with sudden interest. "I used to bring Clare's fishing poles inside of the house and go fishing in the bathroom toilet."

I lifted my head up a bit, "Catch anything?"

"If tissue counts as anything, then, yes."

"And you wanted to call me a strange child."

"Come on," Harry stood up. "Let me show you the room you'll be sleeping in tonight."

"How is it I get a room and Greysen gets the sofa?"

"I didn't put him there."

"True," I said, standing up to follow Harry upstairs.

I abandoned my heels in the kitchen and we took our time getting up the stairs. I heard Greysen snoring from the sofa and I wondered if Harry was going to allow his friend to sleep in a bed or not. All of the doors were closed and Harry approached one at the end of the hall. He opened it and turned on the light. I looked over his shoulder into the room and smiled a bit. There was a queen sized bed with a television right in front of it. The blue walls were bare but the room was a nice size. I stepped inside of the room and sat down on the bed. Harry smiled at me from the doorway.

"I'm going to go get you a shirt."

He disappeared from the doorway and I laid back against the mattress. The ceiling fan moved around in a quick, circular motion and I felt hypnotized. My heart was pounding and I was somewhat excited to spend the night. I was also terrified. I never thought I would ever spend the night in this house, let alone be in it more than once.

This day was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

Harry came back into the room moments later and he tossed me a dark red shirt. The text on it was faded and no longer readable. I held it close to me and Harry leaned against the door frame, watching me. I looked back, hoping my stare would inform him that I wanted to change and get in the bed.

He looked away from me, "Sydney?"

"Yeah?"

"You know moving in is always an option, right?"

Me? Moving in where?

I opened my mouth to ask him what he was talking about but he had already disappeared from the doorway.