Chapter 6

"Hey, you going somewhere?" Dior asked observing Lilly's outfit one the blonde got into the kitchen where her mom, sister, and brother sat at, three animals following her there.

"Yeah, I promised Harry I'll meet him at the gym," Lilly said, sitting down in the table.

"You keep a zoo now or something?" Daxton smirked, looking at the animals around her.

Lilly chuckled. "They're free living with everyone's houses, but the cat is Dior's and the dog is Harry's," she informed him.

"Is Harry your boyfriend?" Daxton asked Dior.

She giggled and shook his head. "No. I have a girlfriend."

"Oh," he said with a small smile and then looked at Lilly with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows. The blonde rolled her eyes and started eating.

"What's going on?" Dior asked in confusion.

"He's teasing me with boys because it's the last opportunity he has before college," Lilly informed her twin sister.

"Oh," Dior chuckled. "didn't you tell me you only had guy friends?"

"Yes and that's exactly why he's doing it."

"You don't smile like this around other boys when they say your name," Daxton smirks and Lilly's face turns red. "Told ya," he teases.

"Oh my god," Dior giggled. "You like Harry!" she exclaimed, Chloe only smirking at the kids.

"Okay, so I'm gonna go now," Lilly said, gulping down the juice and getting up. "When will I see you again?" she asked her brother.

"I was told you had big competition in October," he winked.

Lilly's face lit up. "You're coming?"

"It's the first one without dad, so I wondered you'd like me to be there?"

Lilly smiled sadly, trying to hold the tears back, eyes getting glassy. Daxton sighed and got up, hugging her tightly. "I love you," he murmured into her hair.

"Love you too," she sighed and accepted his kiss onto her cheek before she grabbed her backpack and looked at the dogs wanting to follow her. "No one will steal them, right?" she asked her mom and sister.

"If he's used to going out without a leash and won't get run over by a car then go ahead," Dior said, talking about Barrel.

"Okay, come on," she said to the two dogs and they all went out of the door, the cat already cruising around somewhere. She walked past Basil's house and to the gym in front of what some motorcycles were parked. She briefly got to look at Harry's house next door when he already jogged over, both of the dogs going to greet him.

"Hey," he smiled and observed her outfit. "It's 60 degrees out here and you're from California. Aren't you cold?" he asked, looking at her sport shorts and the thick hoodie on her t-shirt.

"I am, but I only have sweatpants and jeans, so I need to get something for doing sport in this winter town."

"Winter town?" Harry chuckled.

"60 degrees is supposed to be in January. Winter," she stated, making him laugh.

"Come on," he chuckled, leading her inside, the dogs going to sniff people and make some new friends, everyone knowing Kat but not Barrel just yet. Harry simply gave a small wave to a guy wearing a Tiger jacket. "She's with me," he mentioned and Lilly felt the guy's eyes on her long tan legs when they went inside.

"You have the gloves?" H asked, pointing at her bag.

"Gloves and hand wraps. you're not gonna punch me in the face, right?" she asked nervously.

Harry laughed and pulled himself into the empty ring, Lilly doing the same, using her upper body to get up there. H already looked impressed. "During the fight, you're going to wear every protection possible. I can take it down a bit if I see you're weaker than me," he teased.

"Oh we'll see that," Lilly chuckled, taking a seat and crossing her legs while wrapping her hands up. She felt Harry's eyes on herself, but only kept smiling when looking down at her hands.

"I'll get some punch mitts and leg protection," H said, getting back up and disappearing into a small room where they probably kept them. Lilly looked around, seeing different machines, most of them for lifting and pressing, some for cardio also. She had never understood why would anyone run in gym on the tape while they had the possibility to go and run outside, numerous miles.

"Hey, you told me you run?" H asked, getting back into the ring with some footwear for them and some more equipment to see how good the girl really was. "What do you run?"

"Cross country," she said, taking a sip from her water and then placing the bottle down and getting up, pulling the boxing gloves on.

"Wow. Which distance?"

"Whatever I'm in a mood for. They don't do long competitions to teenage girls, so the longest is like 4 miles," she said and looked up at him, the white boxing gloves on her now, hair braided back in one to keep it away from her face.

Harry smiled, eyes moving onto her legs for a moment before picking up the punching mitts and holding them. "How do you usually warm yourself up?"

"I run," Lilly chuckled. H raised his eyebrows and pointed at the treadmill some feet away. "No, I don't like that," she said and jumped a bit with a smile. "Ready?"

"Go ahead," Harry smiled too and Lilly started punching the mitts in his hands. He couldn't help himself but to feel impressed. His biggest surprise was that she was able to talk while impersonating his moves and panting. So he got to know her better, talking about her old friends and their schools and subjects and families and all that.

After half an hour, they moved on to the punching bags and Lilly smiled while holding it on the place and letting Harry work out some as well and then switching again. By the time they moved back to ring, they had to fill their water bottles again, so Harry went to do it while Lilly waited for him to come back, exploring all the faces in this gym. Most of them were men, some younger some older, but also some women trying to get in shape or already in shape. They had to be all Tigers.

When Harry came back, they smiled at each other, Lilly accepting her water. "Thanks," she said and they both drank a bit before smirking and getting up, knowing it was now the time for trying to beat each other.

"Don't hold back, okay?" Lilly asked him.

"I won't, I don't need to get kicked on my ass in front of all these guys in here staring at you," he smirked. Lilly raised her eyebrows and looked around, all the heads turning back away once she did, most of them smirking. She giggled and Harry laughed. "They don't see new people here often and when they do it's new Tigers who have lived in this town for a while.

"Okay," Lilly smiled, tugging her loose grey hoodie off, dropping it in the corner on top of her empty bag. She was now in the black sport shorts and some t-shirt from a surfing competition. Someone blew her a whistle, staring at her tan body and the legs. Harry glared at the guy when he saw Lilly getting a bit uncomfortable, making the older one look away. H looked back at her face and nodded, seeing her grinning now. He held himself back from looking at her legs as well.

"Here," Harry said, helping the helmet on her and pulling one on himself as well. "Let's keep it light today, don't punch me too hard." Lilly nodded in agreement and they both grinned while starting to jump a little and then move closer.

And then it started. The two started trying to make the other one get punches, get them to headlocks, jumping around and looking comedic to everybody else, because neither of them punched too hard or made each other hurt.

"Break," Harry said soon, making Lilly giggle as he fell to sit on the ground next to their stuff, she lowering herself there as well.

"So what do you think, am I qualified to win you and the other two assholes trying to beat me up?" Lilly teased, pulling her headgear off, followed by the white gloves she owned.

Harry smirked at her, shaking his head a bit while drinking. "You're going to win if I let my guard down."

"And why would you do that?" she smirked, both of them knowing very well that he wasn't going to do that.

"Because as a leader I have to look tough and you're going to say I let you win," he smirked and winked at her, drinking the water.

Lilly giggled again quietly. "Everyone is going to see you're trying hard to beat me."

Harry smiled at her adorable giggle and she smiled at his handsome smile. "Let's do another round?" she offered. He gave her a look and she laughed, getting up and giving him her hand. He looked at it for a second and then gulped, placing his on it, letting her pull him up. "Come on," she said, pulling the head protection back on.

#

The next day, Harry, Allison, Ethan and Basil were sitting in the girls' living room with Lilly while Dior and Mia were making out in the kitchen. Harry was keeping an eye on his little sister while eating a bag of Doritos and sharing them with Lilly who didn't even ask if she was allowed to eat them too, but just started doing it after moving to sit next to him.

"I don't know, man. I need to get it done before our hiking trip, but it will cost hella lot of money," Ethan sighs.

"What hiking trip?" Lilly frowned. The boys looked at her in surprise, used to her being quiet (everyone but Harry, Dior and Chloe thought that). Actually she just talked when feeling like it.

"We go to one every year in the beginning of August," Harry explained.

Dior and Mia walked into the room hand in hand just at that moment, Camila who had probably just gotten here following. "You're coming too, sis."

"Wait, you all go?" Lilly asked. They nodded. She looked at Ethan. "I can help you."

"You have money for the car repair?" Ethan asked in confusion.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "I can help you fix it. You only need an adjusting of breaks, the mechanics take 200 dollars for that. As long as you got me the tools, I'd do it for free."

Ethan smirked. "Could a girl really fix a car?"

"Are you saying girls can't fix cars, Miller?" Dior fired back.

"I mean..." the redhead said, sliding his eyes over Lilly. "I'm sure you like sports and stuff-"

"And I'm sure you have the money to fix a your brakes."

"You're saying you won't fuck it up more than it already is?" he asked carefully.

"Do you want my help or not?" Lilly sighed.

"I'm not sure... Could a girl like you really handle it?"

"A girl like me?" Lilly narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Small frame..." he explained.

Lilly sighed and got up to go to the kitchen. "If you want my help, be here tomorrow by 11."

"Only tools?" Ethan asked.

"50 dollars, jerk," Lilly said with a small smile, sliding out of the room, leaving the others behind her laugh. She got two apples from the fruit bowl and went back, throwing one for Harry to catch. He did. "Sorry for eating your chips," Lilly said, making him laugh.

"Yeah, well, it's kind of late now," he smirked, the empty pack on the table in front of them.

"Hey Lills, are you a feminist too, like Cami?" Ethan smirked.

"I think if one of us would be a feminist you'd already be dead," Lilly said casually, taking a bite from her apple. Ethan's eyes turned talk, making Lilly gulp her bite down. "What?"

"You are so hot," Ethan said, Harry's jaw tightening up.

"Oh my god," Dior giggled and so did the other girls, looking towards Lilly now to see her reaction. The pink-haired girl didn't miss the boy's reaction. He was looking sad and angry at the same time. Self-pitying.

Lilly raised her eyebrows. "No," she said.

"No?" Ethan chuckled.

"No," she just said like it would've given all the information needed. "I'm not hot and you're definitely not my type."

"What's your type then?"

"Something different," Lilly shrugged.

"Like what?" he kept pushing.

She sighed. "Like someone who leaves me alone when I ask them to."

"So-"

"I'm gonna go and get my room finished," she just said and went out of the room and upstairs.

Dior smirked at Ethan. "She doesn't like you," she said.

"I can tell," the redhead pouted. Dior's eyes moved back onto H and saw him back in his relaxed state, looking over at his sister who tried to follow Lilly upstairs, disappearing there. H got up with a sigh and followed her. She was on the last steps when he caught up, wishing she was either younger not to get to go up by herself or older so that he didn't have to look after her all the time.

Somehow Allison already knew where Lilly's room was, so Harry stopped her before she got to run there. "Where are you going?" he asked with the baby voice he talked to his sister with.

"To Lilly," she giggled and ran there. H sighed and gave the opened door a slight knock, making Lilly raise her head and smile a little. She pulled her earbuds out and looked at the two of them.

"What's up?" she asked, sitting up on the bed and moving herself to lean on the pillows prepped up against the headboard.

"She ran here and I need to keep an eye on her or my dad will be mad," Harry explained, looking around in the girly room. He smirked at the AC/DC and other Rock bands posters over her desk and smirked at the stuffed rabbit on Lilly's bed next to her pillow. Then he saw the skateboard under the standing mirror behind what some of her hoodies and light coats were hanged. He grabbed the board.

"Carver?" he asked. "Oh right, you're a surfer."

She smiled a little, helping Allison on the bed so that she could cuddle with Barrel who always followed Lilly around while the other two animals had gone back to cruising through the Tigers' houses.

"Can you ride one?" Lilly asked H, looking at how he was turning it around and observing every side.

"This one seems difficult... I have a regular one. I do tricks, but can you really do something with this one?" H asked.

"I have it for whenever I can't go surfing. The turns are amazing and it makes me feel like I'd be surfing the streets," she explained with a sad smile. "I won it at a competition."

"Right, I've been meaning to ask," H said after placing the board back and sitting down on the edge of her bed. "You compete. Are you any good? Like have you won anything?"

A smirk appeared on Lilly's face. "I sent my brother a picture of my room and he yelled at me for not taking the trophies out of the boxes, so I guess I still should do that. Maybe boys will stop underestimating me." H raised his eyebrows, looking at Lilly as he pulled three boxes out from under her bed. "Help yourself," she sighed and lied back down on the bed, starting to talk to Allison.

Harry carefully leaned down and opened the smaller (still big) box on the left. He raised his eyebrows, seeing that it was half full of papers and half full of medals. The papers were all the winnings and special prizes she had won and the medals were all gold, silver and bronze. He opened the next sized box and felt Lilly's eyes on him when he chuckled in amazement, staring at the box full of small trophies, some unpacked, but most still in the newspapers not to break them.

He gulped, looking towards the last huge box he had thought had books inside. He carefully opened it and unwrapped one of the huge trophies in there that you win from big finals. It was gold. He looked at Lilly in shock and the girl giggled at his face. "You're amazing," he murmured and saw her face turning a bit red when she looked back down. He smiled, lifting another trophy out, unwrapping it. Gold.

He did that with all the five huge ones Lilly had, two of them silver, three gold. "Care to tell me why you haven't unpacked them yet?" H asked.

"It's pointless," Lilly said.

"Why?" he asked in confusion. "You're amazing at what you do, you need to remember that to yourself."

She sighed. "I don't wanna brag. I don't want anyone coming in here and thinking that-"

"That what, you're a bitch?" he asked, seeing that two golds and one silver were from Surfing and the other silver and gold were from running.

"No," Lilly giggled. "I wouldn't let anyone in this room here who would ever think I'm a bitch."

"Then why?"

"I don't want my mom seeing them and getting all sad and feeling guilty that I can't surf anymore," she said quietly. "I don't want for her to think that I'm not happy here or something..."

"Are you happy here?" the boy asked gently.

"I think so," she said in a whisper, not knowing if it was true or not.

Harry smiled sadly, seeing she wanted to go back home. "It's gonna be better after a few months," he said, knowing what it was like for Camila 2 years ago who came from a big city and was never allowed to go there anymore.

Lilly nodded and sniffled quietly. H raised his eyebrows. "Can I unwrap them then?"

Lilly nodded after a brief moment of hesitation and got off of the bed to help him. They talked to Allison the whole time laughing at her nonsense stories about every subject in the world and then tried to find a place to place all of these weird shaped trophies.

"Swimming?" Harry asked in shock, looking at two small golds and reading the ones on the medals.

Lilly shrugged. "Schools compete, everyone knew I was good at sport so they made me compete in everything. I have some from like dodgeball and basketball too. The whole team got them."

"Wow," he said in shock. "And why do you like sport that much?"

Lilly smirked and shrugged. "Why do you like writing?"

"Because I can create stories and characters better than me and my life," H said, making her giggle.

"I feel free and relaxed. I don't know," she sighed. "My dad taught me how to surf when I was able to swim at age 4 or something and I just started liking it and found out sport was all great, so I asked him to teach me different things."

"Sounds like you were really close to your dad," he said quietly, looking sad and worried.

"He was the only one I had except for my brother," Lilly answered the same way, eyes getting glassy again. She was worried she could never talk about her dad anymore without tearing up.

"I hope my sister is that close to me someday," he said, making Lilly smile a little and nod.

"She will be."