What The Effing Hell...

"I'm not scared of death Kaiden!" Harper called across the store before huffing slightly and leaning against the counter. As she watched Kaiden sort, waiting , hoping, for him to fuck up so she could berate him, two more customers entered. While Harper also was repulsed by anything remotely electronic, popish, or electronica, she sought any chance she could to get under Kaiden's skin. She was angry, but she was also growing bored. However it seemed she wasn't to be too bored for long as soon a mother and son entered the store. Harper smiled at the stressed looking woman then grimaced when her brat started whining. 

Just as the child began to complain, Kaiden headed for the back room and Harper rolled her eyes, but didn't question it. If he wanted to be a big baby, he could. That was not any of Harper's business. Thankfully, the child found a CD he wanted and the two customers were able to check out. Uninterested, Harper didn't check the title of the purchase, but she instead just smiled, again, at the mother and bid the two farewell with a coupon.

Things at Spinners continued like that for a while, random customers coming in now and then, but there was rarely more than seven people in the store, minus of course, Kaiden and Harper. To be honest it was a bit boring, even more so to Harper with someone else there because she knew they could be talking or doing something, but Kaiden was not much a talker. She wondered if she should cause problems with Kaiden, just for the fun of it, but just as she thought that, Harper realized it was twelve. Time for lunch.

"Do you like pizza, I'm ordering pizza?" Harper called to Kaiden as she went into the back room where a local pizzeria's number was pinned to the cork board. Hearing the bell ring from the front after her order, Harper popped her head out through the beads to greet the customer but her smile fell as soon as she realized who it was.

Drew was an ex of Harper's, and he, like all the other boys Harper had dated was a complete arse. Not only did he cheat on her, he had hit her. That was where Harper had drawn the line, punched Drew in his sorry face and dumped him. While this had happened before she even left for Hogwarts the prior year, Drew knew where Harper lurked when she was home, and was looking to see if he could coax her back. Unfortunately for Drew, it wasn't going to work. Harper would ignore his presence for as long as she could, proving that she was above his nonsense. Yes, that would piss him off more than fighting with him.

With her held high, Harper went back out and behind the register, standing at her post with all the pride and confidence she could muster.

Harper huffed, but didn't look away from her nails that were in a desperate need of a new coat of paint, even when Drew got in her face and called her babe. She hated being called babe or any pet name for that matter and it sparked an anger hot and fiery in the brunett. She didn't want to, God damn it she didn't want too, but she did. Harper shot Drew the dirtiest look she could muster and then looked back down at her nails. However, even with that briefest glance she was able to see exactly what she was missing.

Drew was the type of guy you met at galleries or in those small coffee shops no one really seemed to know about. He was interesting, alternative and made himself come off very 'artsy', liberal and edgy. He was handsome, in that classic way, all dark hair dark eyes and strong angles and it made Harper swallow thickly. However all that Drew appeared to be covered an emotionally manipulative and physically abusive young man with a short temper and a permanent lack of knowledge concerning the word 'no'. Being with Drew was like being smothered in a blanket. Too many memories, too many reasons why they had been together in the first place. Finally Harper moved away, walking over to the CD stand opposite Kaiden, so they could see each over over the top.

"Don't talk to that guy, okay?" Harper whispered to Kaiden, catching his light eyes with her darker pair. They were more deadly serious.

"I ordered sausage and pepperoni pizza." Harper said at normal volume, ignoring the eyes she could feel boring into her back.

She made herself busy, sorting CDs that Kaiden had already done, refusing to look in back of her though she could practically feel Drew moving closer to her. Taking a deep breath as not to lose her temper, Harper's hand tightened around the CDs she was currently holding, before shoving them back into their specified places.

Harper covered her mouth trying to muffle the shrill laugh that came out after Drew fell. She wasn't stupid, she knew the store and Drew, so she was able to put together that Kaiden had tripped her ex. She wasn't really looking directly at them, trying to avoid Drew, but had seen from the big mirror up in the corner of the store that was supposed to help with security or something. It definitely helped with entertainment. However, Drew took the laughs and Harper slowly moving away as her just being coy, as if she just wanted him to go after her or something. Harper was a tease, she'd give him that, but not about things like this. She didn't want Drew anywhere near her.

"Babe, c'mon." Drew whined, quickening his pace. Harper ignored him however, her face unflinching as she continued to organize CDs. All too quickly that cesspit of a boy was next to her. He smelled of that same knock off cologne and cheap hair products he always did, and Harper would never admit aloud she missed it. In fact Harper missed being wanted. Things had never been good with Drew, the relationship was rocky from the start, and what had been supposed to be just a summer fling turned into something vile and far too serious. However she had opened up to Drew and he knew her insecurities. He knew she needed to be wanted, he knew how fragile her self esteem actually was.

"Come on, you're finally home, we can work stuff out, babe. You're seventeen, you don't have to even go back to school this year." Drew said in his smooth voice, talking quiet so only Harper could hear him. Her heart panged and her throat felt choked with regret, wishing she hadn't told Drew the things she had.

Harper had been around, practically everyone knew that, but only because there was something reassuring she found in sharing intimacy with someone you barely knew. Probably because it discredited the need for love all together and that justified Harper's lack of it. Drew had been one of her two serious boyfriends in her life. The first had ruined her, the second had promised to fix her. It didn't work though, because whether or not he admitted, Drew had worse issues than Harper and two broken parts only made things worse. But Drew wanted Harper,  he fed her lies about love that she couldn't help but believe and both knew Drew would use them against her. That was what had kept them together for nearly a year, and what could get them back together if Drew said the right stuff. Harper didn't want that though, she was trying to move on. She wanted to be real again, she wanted to put herself together and Drew would only tear her down.

Moving away, Drew followed Harper undeterred. The Gryffindor, though refusing to speak, could feel her indifferent mask breaking. Drew was whispering too much stuff to her and it was seeping in like poison threw her cracks corroding her resolve. Finally Drew trapped her, getting fed up with Harper's lack of response, and slamming down his hands on either side of her. Harper's eyes went dangerous and she glared at Drew but he kept that too-cool smile.

"You know it's only ever been you darlin'. We're one in the same, we get each other, we were made for each other." Drew said softly leaning in closer to Harper. His dark eyes flickered back to Kaiden and he looked back to Harper.

"You shag him too? Reckon a pretty boy like that knows how many you've had? I'm the only one that doesn't care, no one else wants used good."

"You bloody piece of shit!" Harper finally snapped, done with being berated.

"Get out of my store Drew. Get out! Get out!" She seethed, pure fury and anger, deeper than what she felt for anything, her dad's illness, those crooks, pulse in her body. Drew shook his head, biting his lip slightly, but that smile never left.

"Kitten," He purred, extending an arm out to touch Harper's waist, "I love you. And you love me. It's always been us, babe-"

"Do you remember what happened the last time you touched me?" Harper threatened, grabbed Drew's hand and twisting it back.

"Fine!" He scoffed with drawing his hands and holding them up as if trying to claim innocence. "I'll come back late when you're not acting like a psycho bitch!"

"Get the fuck out already!" Harper snapped. Picking up a pair of earbuds from a shelf and hurling at Drew's head.

"Jesus Christ, I'm leaving!" Exclaimed Drew as he stormed out of Spinners.

"Bloody Psycho Bitch needs to be locked up somewhere!" Drew spit at Kaiden, speaking of Harper, as he left the record shop, door slamming closed behind him. After Drew left, there was a moment of calm. Harper looked to Kaiden and shook her head, blushing with embarrassment. Of course Drew had to come in and make a scene. Not even in front of a stranger, in front of someone she had to see almost every bloody day.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. He's a waste of skin, that one." Harper apologized softly, trying to laugh it off, but failing as she went over and picked up the ear buds she had thrown. 

"Mildrew?" Harper repeated, looking up at Kaiden with a raised eyebrow. Without warning, a laugh bubbled up into Harpers chest and out through her lips coming out as some sort of overly amused snort. She covered her mouth and had to look away from the taller Gryffindor for a moment.

"I-" She said looking up again and trying to look Kaiden in the eye, but she couldn't and laughed again. What a ridiculous name! No, what a perfect name. Harper was almost mad she hadn't thought of it first.

"I can't believe you just called him that." Harper said, grinning for the first time really all day.
Something in Harper's heart lightened a bit for Kaiden and she punched him in the shoulder.

She was still embarrassed about what happened with Drew for despite the dramatic flare she presented herself with, such personal issue were not something Harper wanted in the lime light. However the easiness with how Kaiden acted after witnessing such a raw scene not only surprised Harper, it earned her co worker some serious Brownie Points. It left Harper wanting to say something to Kaiden, to thank him for not getting involved because she knew it could have gotten a lot worse if he did. Drew was the type of person who didn't react well to conflict, and while Harper had no doubt from Kaiden's sheer size that he could take Drew, that wasn't what she wanted happening in her second favorite place on earth. 

Moving away now, Harper went to the bathroom to cool down. She still felt hot in the face and jittery and could seriously use some cool paper towels on the cheeks. Locking the door behind her, Harper flicked the on the tap in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were wet. Touching tentatively, Harper felt a new rage for Drew. What an ass hoel making her cry! Something told Harper though that those were not sad tears, they were angry ones. She had had it up to here with Drew's shit, why couldn't he just get the message she didn't want him anymore.

After patting her cheeks and under her eyes with some cold water, Harper left the bathroom and returned to her position at the till, trying to seem as best she could, that nothing too serious had happened as they waited for their pizza.