One More Night

Chapter 1 - College/Arrival

Performance is an intriguing concept. There's always been the age old divide between the observers and the performers. What is rarely discussed is the third category: the ones who do both. Sometimes simultaneously.

***

Harry feels dizzy. He's been spinning far more than the average human should. He feels a little nauseous and everything is whirling around him, all in the name of a fifteen second dance segment. It's going to be worth it, he thinks. His class is preparing for a summer showcase, and the others in his group aren't able to perfect the turns yet, so Harry, the kind and caring person that he is, has been demonstrating it to them. Multiple times. He's always been a fairly skilled dancer, and he will never turn down the chance to help others that are passionate to learn and improve. Even if it feels like he is going to projectile vomit onto them.

"Ten minutes left of practising, guys, then I want to see them!" Pam, their dance teacher, calls as all of the groups practise their choreography.

Harry's group have nearly completed theirs, realising during the rehearsal just how long fifteen seconds actually is when you're creating choreography. Nevertheless, they managed it, and it looks amazing, in Harry's opinion. Not to boast, or anything.

They run through their section a couple more times, correcting errors and clearing up misconceptions about minor details of it. Once they're confident and everything is polished, they take a rest before they'll be asked to perform.

Harry grabs his drink from the cluster of water bottles on the windowsill and sits on the floor just beneath it.

"Slacking again, I see," The bane of Harry's existence, formally known as Louis Tomlinson, comments, as he takes a sip of his own drink.

"Thought I'd try things from your perspective, for once." Harry quips, unbothered. Louis' antics are more than expected by now.

"Ha. Ha." Louis deadpans. "You're in my way."

"Clearly not," He says, motioning to where Louis has easily accessed his drink and placed it back down.

"The whole of the dance studio and you choose to sit right where I need to be."

"The whole of the dance studio and you choose to put your drink where I want to sit." Harry replies easily.

"You're insufferable."

"You're the one who came up to me. Could've just been thirsty for a minute longer and avoided this entire conversation."

Harry is probably being a bit more petty than the situation calls for, and perhaps a little too petty with Louis in general, but infuriating him is too amusing to pass up on the opportunity.

"Louis! You ready to go over it?" Liam calls from the other side of the room. Harry could see Liam eyeing the situation, and he's aware that he isn't a fan of their 'bickering', as Liam calls it. He's Louis' best friend, so Harry had always assumed that he would back Louis no matter what, but even he seems to get frustrated when the two of them argue.

Louis whips his head around. "Yeah, one second!" He calls back before darting his eyes down to Harry, giving him the evils and then walking away. It must be so much effort to be that way, Harry thinks. A complete dick.

He picks himself up from the floor and returns to his own group.

"What did Tomlinson want?" Niall asks when Harry is close enough.

"To be annoying," Harry dismisses with a flick of his hand in the direction he came from.

"Nothing new, then," Isabel chuckles and Harry nods, sighing dramatically.