CHAPTER SEVEN - Trapped

Harry was smart enough to let me cool off a bit before asking, "Erm... is everything alright?"

I frowned. "No."

He coughed. "Right," he murmured, and we drive the rest of the way in silence.

We parked, and before Harry could move to unbuckle himself, I grabbed his arm. "Harry."

"Yes?" he asked, turning to look at me, confused.

"I wanted to say thank you. For earlier. That ledge is amazing. And..." I paused. "I'm really sorry for dragging you over to that bonfire," I said. "We shouldn't have gone."

Harry sighed. "Me being there probably didn't help."

I looked at him, stunned. "But you didn't do anything! It was all my fault. Actually... It was Michael's fault. But still. This is in no way your fault."

He frowned, his eyebrows puling together, and said, "Michael and I have a bit of a... history, let's say."

I blew out a breath, frustrated. "Of course. Who does he not have a history with?"

"You."

"I almost want to keep it that way," I muttered, moving to get out of the car.

This time, Harry's hand grabbed me. "Hold on," he murmured, his eyebrows drawing together. "Almost?"

I coughed, uncomfortable. "Erm... yeah."

"Why almost? Why aren't you sure?" He looked worried.

I got distracted by his eyes. "I... dunno..."

His hand grabbed mine. "Please, save yourself. He's not good for you."

I fought the urge to jerk my hand away. "I don't know that yet," I murmured, even though his words were hard to outright deny.

Harry let me go, and my hand dropped to my lap. "You're fascinated by him, aren't you?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"You want to have a history with him, don't you?"

I closed my eyes. "No."

"Then what do you want? Because you know... you can't have both of us at the same time."

My eyes flew open, and I turned to look at him. "What do you mean by that? We're just friends!"

Harry gave me a wry smile. "Yes, I know. But being friends with both of us at the same time... doesn't work out very well."

"Why not?"

"Because he was flirting with my girlfriend and wouldn't own up to it afterwards."

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

Harry's expression was grim. "You heard me. He was this little freshman hitting on my girl."

"What... Lois was your girlfriend?" I asked, shocked.

Harry's eyebrows raised. "How do you know about Lois?"

"I- Michael told me," I said, still trying to process. "You didn't..."

"I didn't what?"

I looked at Harry. "You didn't hurt him, did you?" I whispered.

He gave me an even look. "He was flirting with my girlfriend."

I stared at him with wide eyes. "I think I have to go," I said, jumping out of the car before he could say anything more.

I was halfway back to BCC when Harry yelled, "What do you want with that guy, anyway? He's nothing but trouble!"

I bit my lip. "A future!" I yelled back, and then ran the rest of the way inside the gates.

Kat was doing her nails when I got back. "Hey Elle. It's kind of early... where are the others?" she asked as I walked in.

"Still out. I got a ride back early," I muttered, and Kat raised an eyebrow.

"Then Michael must be back."

I shook my head. "No. I got a ride with Harry."

"Styles?" she yelped, looking stunned. "But... Michael... Harry..." she shook her head. "What game are you playing with them?"

Confused, I asked, "Game? I'm not doing anything with them."

"Hanging out with the two biggest players at BCC," Kat said, shaking her head.

"No. Kat, seriously. I know Michael did some bad things, but don't treat Harry like this..." I shook my head.

Kat carefully finished painting her last finger and said, "Honestly, Elle, I think we need to talk. About everything. About the guys at this place. Because they're really not the people they seem like. Like Ashton."

"What does Ashton have to do with this?" I demanded.

Kat sighed and gave me a sad smile."He's in love with Alara, yeah, but before that, you know he used to do drugs, right? He had depression or something, and so he'd cut himself and do drugs. He should have gone to rehab, but his parents sent him here. He wasn't getting better until he met Alara, and that's why he's so possessive of her." Kat rolled her eyes.

I was glued to the spot. "But..."

"You see? None of the people here are angels. A lot of us might act nice, but we're all screwed up. Harry comes here to volunteer, but you know he comes here for help, too. He's got anger management problems, and he had to start visitng here after he beat Michael up back in freshmen year. Nobody here is an angel."

"Everyone can get back up," I whispered, and Kat shook her head.

"Most people can. But let me tell you, Michael Clifford and Harry Styles are not most people."

I shook my head. "I can't do this."

"You're right, you can't. I suggest you stay away."

--

The next morning, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

Another knock answered me.

I opened the door to Michael. "Uh, Michael?"

He shuffled his feet. "Hi."

I glared at him. "What do you want?"

"I want- no, I need to talk to you," Michael said. "Please?"

"Fine," I muttered, ignoring the way my heart beat faster as I closed the door behind me and followed Michael.

He led me a little ways away from the cabin. "Listen, Elle... I'm so sorry. For everything. Everything yesterday. I know you think I'm a liar and I'm trying to save myself, but don't you get it? It's too late. I can't save myself."

"Save yourself from what?" I whispered, desperately wishing I could just believe him.

Michael whispered, "I can't tell you."

"Bullshit," I said back, and he grinned weakly.

Michael stared at me. "God, I brought you here to talk to you, but literally every time I see you all I want to do is kiss you."

I took a step back. "What, so you can hook up with me?" I asked coldly, my heart sinking. "Isn't that what all this is?"

"No! No, definitely not."

"Why else would you want to kiss me? Do you like me or something?"

"Yes. No. I don't know!" he said, running his hands through his hair. "I really don't know. Okay, just let me explain everything. Please."

"Explain," I said, my heart pounding.

"I told you about that night with Lois. What I didn't tell you is that she had a boyfriend. Harry. And that Harry found me one day after school, when Lois broke up with him because his friends had beat me up, and he..." Michael trailed off.

"He what?"

"Yes, do tell."

Michael and I both spun towards the voice.

Harry was standing a few feet away, looking furious. "Go on, Clifford," he said, his voice deathly calm. "Tell what I did to you, you lying cheater."

"I didn't know she was taken!" Michael yelled, and Harry laughed, the sound dry and angry.

"You didn't know? The hell you did," he growled, taking a step closer.

Instinctively, I put myself between them. "Harry, don't-"

"Stay out of this, Elle. I really do like you, and it would be a shame if I hurt you."

My eyes widened. "You don't need to hurt anyone!" I squeaked.

Behind me, Michael said, "Yeah, you already beat me up once, no need to do it again."

"Hey guys, are you guys coming to- whoa," Ashton said, taking in the scene before him.

All three of us turned to look at him. Neither Harry nor Michael relaxed their stances, and I felt trapped.

Calum sighed. "Isn't it a little early to be playing tug of war over a girl? It's only, like, eight in the morning."

"Shut up, Calum," Luke said.

I pretended that Michael and Harry weren't glaring at each other. "Right, breakfast! I think that we should go. Come on," I said, grabbing Michael's arm and dragging him away, thankful for the distraction. "Bye, Harry."

"I'll see you," he said, still sounding irritated.

Michael was silent until we were well out of Harry's earshot. "Thanks," he muttered relucantly.

I let go of his arm. "Yeah."

"He really likes you," Michael said, thoughtful.

I shrugged. "Maybe, I don't know. I just met him yesterday."

Michael muttered something under his breath. "What?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Nothing important," he said, eyes innocent.

I sighed. "Does me being friends with Harry bother you?" I asked him quietly.

It took Michael a few beats to answer. "I wish I could say no, but it does."

"Why?"

Michael was silent the entire way to breakfast. "Because," he said, evasive.

"Because what?"

"Because I don't like him."

"So? He doesn't like you much either, but he doesn't seem to have a problem with us being friends."

"Friends," he muttered under his breath.

"Is there a problem with that?" I asked.

"No, no. Er, Harry, in case you haven't noticed, is a lot more polite than I am. But trust me: he doesn't like it either."

We got our food in silence and sat down at an empty table, waiting for the others. "You didn't tell me it was Harry who hurt you," I said.

He shrugged. "I didn't think you'd end up meeting him. But I should've guessed. You're his type."

I raised an eyebrow. "His type?"

Michael shrugged again, avoiding my eyes, pushing his food around his plate with his fork. "Blonde. Pretty. Friendly-ish."

I dropped my fork. "Pretty?" I repeated, stunned.

He sighed, still not looking at me. "You remind me of Lois, and I'm sure you remind him of Lois as well," he muttered.

"Right," I said.

Michael thinks I'm pretty?

"Hey, lovebirds," Calum said, putting his plate down and taking a seat next to me. He held a fork out. "I brought you a fork. Saw you drop yours."

My eyes widened. "Were you watching us?" I asked, taking the fork.

He grinned. "Such a serious conversation. What were you two discussing? The national debt?"

"Okay, fuck off," Michael said, viciously stabbing at his breakfast.

"Whoa, whoa, be kind to the pancakes, they didn't do anything to you," Calum said, neatly cutting his own into little squares.

"Good morning guys!" Anna said, she and Luke joining us at the table. "So is it true? Did Harry and Michael really start yelling at each other and wrestling outside our cabin?"

My eyebrows drew together. "Uh... what?"

"Calum's dramatic," Luke said, pouring syrup over his food.

I glared at Calum. "Really? It's bad enough, you don't need to make it worse."

Calum shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm like, in the dark about what's going on. I have to spice it up somehow. But there wasn't a way to incorporate ninjas and angry apocolyptic bananas-"

"Is Calum lying again?" Ashton asked, sitting with Alara. "What about this time?"

"Harry and Mikey," Anna said.

Ashton looked between Mikey and me. "Ah."

"Morning everyone!" Kat bubbled, and Michael tensed.

I saw Luke, Ashton, Anna and Alara glance at Michael. Calum was too occupied with his sausages.

"Morning," I answered awkwardly, giving her a fleeting look before focusing very hard on my breakfast.

"I'm gonna stab her," Michael muttered under his breath, his hand twitching towards his knife.

"That's not going to get you out of here any sooner," I breathed back, and he snorted.

Luke gave us a quizzical look, but I just shook my head.

"Why's everyone being so weird?" Kat asked, obliviously cutting her pancakes.

"Good breakfast?" Alara suggested.

"Lame," Calum said, and I kicked him under the table. "Ow, damn it, was that necessary? Can't a guy just enjoy his pancakes?"

"Then shut up and enjoy them," Michael said, and everyone laughed.

"What are we doing today?" Kat asked.

"Erm... nothing much planned," Ashton said. "I was thinking of watching a movie with Alara at the cinema a few miles out."

"Sounds like a plan!" Kat said brightly.

Calum set down his fork. "Without you."

Kat looked hurt. "Oh."

Michael snickered beside me, and I was torn between being mad at him and laughing with him.

I still didn't know what had happened between him and Kat yesterday...

"I think I'm going to just hang around here," I said, and Michael nodded.

"Me too."

"God you are so obsessed," Calum muttered next to me, and I barely supressed a smile.

Luke turned to Ashton. "Mind if Anna and I join you?"

"Not at all, mate. Heard it's a good movie," he said, grinning.

"You say that like you plan on watching it," Calum said, and Ashton blushed.

"I am!"

"You're just going to make out with Alara the whole time. Which is why I'm not even going to try and go. You four go on your little double date, and we four will stay here," Calum said.

Luke and Ashton protested weakly, both of them turning red. Alara and Anna laughed, but I could see that none of them were outright denying what Calum said.

Which made me think about what Michael had said earlier.

Every time I see you, all I want to do is kiss you.

I wondered what went through his head. To me, it still kind of seemed like he was just trying to hook up with me. But I couldn't honestly tell whether I was thinking that, or Kat was telling me to.

"What do you want to do?" I asked Michael.

He grinned. "Do you like music?"

I nodded. "I do."

"Perfect. I'll swing by your cabin in a bit," he said, getting up with his plate and walking off before I could say anything.

Luke was grinning. "THIS IS SO EXCITING!" he yelled, drawing several looks from other people.

Anna punched him. "Shh," she said, smiling affectionately. "So which movie are we watching?"

"Can I come?" Kat asked.

Luke ignored her.

"A good one," Ashton answered, winking. "Trust me, you'll like it."

"As long as I get to bring this one with me," Anna said, leaning against Luke. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, holding her close.

"Hold off on the PDA until you're miles away in a theatre, please. I can't eat while you're flirting," Calum said.

"You ate just fine while Michael and Elle were flirting," Kat said, sounding irritated.

Calum shrugged. "At least they don't do PDA."

"We weren't flirting!" I said, and Calum looked at me in disbelief.

"Maybe not PDA, but do you guys even see yourselves?"

I shook my head. "We don't flirt."

"Maybe you don't, but Michael sure do- Ow!" he yelped, and Alara gave him an innocent look.

"Oh, did I kick you? I'm sorry," she said.

I looked between them, confused. "Right... er, I'm just gonna go," I said, grabbing my things.

As soon as I walked to the cabin, my phone went off.

Ding!

Mikey<3: I hope you brought something pretty to wear to this hell hole.

Me: Erm... not really?

Mikey<3: Damn. Uhh, just dress nice.

Mikey<3: Be by your room soon ;)

Mikey<3: Cutie.

[A/N Photo is the breakfast scene, minus the girls]