cradle to grave

Harry's first day of school

Over the years, Louis has stopped pretending to be visiting the styles family to see Gemma.

As they grew older, the need to chase each other outside in the backyard has gone away.

Now Gemma has new friends from school, and barely ever talks to Louis.

Unless to greet him in passing, when louis comes over to see Harry.

She did hate him for a few months, when it became clear that what she's feared since Harry was born.  Was happening right in front of her eyes.

But instead of Louis stealing her brother from her, it had been Harry who stole Louis from her.

But she eventually got over it, and currently Gemma is standing on the side walk with Anne, Louis and harry waiting for the school bus.

Harry's six years old now, and he's excited to start first grade.

If it's because Louis will be going to the same school as him, and he doesn't have to wait all day at home for Louis to come home.  Well nobody but him and Louis  needed to know that.

"Baby, are you scared for your first day of school?" Anne asks Harry, reaching down to play with his hair.

"Nope" Harry replies confidently. 

They all look at him in mild shock, "you excited to be making new friends?" Louis asks him.

"Niall's mom said he's going to the same school with me. Niall's my friend" Harry replied proudly.

Harry's known niall since he was a one year old, when he came to his birthday party. They've been playmates ever since.

Jay walks out the house then, leading lottie across the street so they could all wait for the bus.

"Good morning" Jay greets them cheerfully.

"Morning Jay, lots how you feeling about your first day?" Anne asks.

"Scared, I wanna stay home with mommy" she replies, grabbing Jay's hand harder than before.

"You don't have to be scared, Louis will be there to protect you" Jay tells her gently.

Lottie turns to look at her brother, Louis reaches his hand out moving to comfort her.

When Harry realized Louis is moving away from his side, he grabs his jacket to keep him from going any farther. 

Louis turns to look at harry then, "it's okay H, I'm not going anywhere.  I promised I'd be here for your first day of school and I'm here" Louis tells him gently trying to pry his hand off the jacket.

"No, stay" Harry says stubbornly.

"Okay, lots come here then" Louis says hand once again reaching towards her, but this time not moving away from harry.

Lottie rushes towards her older brother taking his hand and leaning on the side of his leg. 

Harry huffs, when he sees Charlotte leaning against Louis.

"Pick me up lou" Harry demanded.

Louis rolls his eyes at him, harry can be such a brat sometimes.

"No, you're going to wrinkle your uniform harry"

"I don't care, pick me up... please lou"

If there's one thing Harry has perfected in his 6 years of living. It's how to manipulate Louis.

Gemma, zayn, liam, Anne and Jay always tell him. He spoils harry too much. But he can't help it.

Louis huffs, realizing he has to let go of lottie's hand in order to pick Harry up.

He gives lottie a side hug, then let's go of her hand picking up Harry.

Harry grins down at Louis, and starts playing with his hair.

"Lottie come here" Gemma says, already moving towards her.

Anne and Jay exchange glances, "maybe we should just swap them, they could each get a sibling of their choice instead of harry always competing with everyone for Louis's attention" Jay teases. 

Anne chuckles at that, "I don't think it's much of a competition, atleast not yet" Anne replies, watching Louis and harry fondly.

"You going to sit with me on the bus?" Harry asks Louis.

"No, I'm going going to sit with Zayn and liam.  You can sit with Niall"

Harry frowns in confusion, "why?"

"Because, they're my best friends and I sit with them on the bus to school everyday"

"Yeah but, I'm your friend" Harry argues.

"No niall is your friend"

"I'm not your friend?" Harry asks, getting teary eyed.

Louis sees the bus coming, so he places harry down. "You're my little brother" he tells him, ruffling his hair. 

Harry smiles up at louis, satisfied with his response.

"I guess that makes you my sister then" Gemma tells lottie, after having heard louis and harry's conversation.

"No, I'm Louis's sister" lottie says slowly, as if Gemma would understand better that way.

"Exactly, Gemma stop trying to steal my sister" Louis teases.

Before Gemma can reply, Anne and Jay move towards harry and lottie to say goodbye.  Disrupting the kids conversation.

The primary school bus stops infront of them, Anne and Jay hug harry and lottie goodbye. Telling Gemma and louis to look out for them. They help them into the bus, waving an emotional goodbye to their babies.

Louis sees liam and zayn sitting at the back in their usual spots and makes his way towards them.

Harry quietly follows behind him, he waves to niall when he sees him. But continues to walk behind Louis.

Louis greets his friends cheerfully, and turns around to take a sit only to find harry behind him.

"Harry, Niall's over there" Louis says, pointing a couple of rows ahead of them.

Harry turns to where Louis is pointing, doesn't see niall cause he's much shorter than Louis. "I know, I waved to him" Harry says, starting to climb up the seat besides Louis. 

Louis puts a hand on Harry's shoulder halting his movements, "I mean, he's over there so go sit with him"

Harry frowns, "no, want to sit with you"

Louis bites his lip in thought, he knows Harry won't just leave without a good reason.

"You want niall to sit alone on his first day of school?"

"No"

"Then go sit with him" Louis says, satisfied with his idea.

Its not that he doesn't want to sit with harry, but harry needs to hangout with his own friends so he won't be following Louis around the school. His mother told him that, so he's trying to do what's best for harry.

Harry turns around without a word then, and Louis wants to reach out and call him back. But he just bites his lip, to push down the discomfort and hurt of fighting with the kid.

Louis sits down next to Zayn, "I'm surprised harry actually went away, that kid is like attached to you" Zayn says.

"They grew up together, Louis is like his brother. Ain't you attached to your siblings" Liam defends.

Just then harry walks towards them, pulling niall behind him.

"He can sit with us" Harry tells Louis, once again taking the sit next to Louis.

Louis laughs, throwing his arms around Harry's tiny shoulders. He tells the other boys to move and make room for niall on the four person seat.

Louis isn't going to push harry away twice, he tried to do what he's mother asked. But harry came back, and Louis is more than ok with that.