Stutter || Larry Stylinson

Prologue

note (april 2020) this story is very old and is not very relevant to how i currently write. i am reposting this for old time's sake. i hope you still find joy in reading this, whether it's for the first time or the second. thank you for all of the support and love from forever ago. <3 

this is being edited as of november 7th, 2020 to try to remove offensive or inaccurate depictions of mental illness and speech impediments. sorry if anything i have written has ever offended or hurt anyone, it was not my intention but that is not an excuse. hopefully, i can right some wrongs through removing/editing aspects of this story. it will take a little bit of time, so please bear with me. thank you for everything.

The room was silent, except for the small voice speaking a shrill version of a love sonnet. Louis wasn't exactly sure which one, but it made his heart stutter with every word. He wish he could find someone that would make his heart burn like it was on fire, lighting his whole body in this blissful amount of heat and pleasure. With every touch, there would be an ice to cool the fire, but it would still burn deep within. Goosebumps lined his arms, making Louis shudder. He closed his eyes, feeling the words make his heart thud against his chest.

The euphoric world Louis had escaped to made him want to jump for joy and sob at the same time. For once, he felt like no one could bring him down or torture his self-esteem. There was no one in this place to kill his mood. Louis didn't have to be some loser. Louis didn't have to be some made up version of himself. Louis could just...be.

But, the joyous place had to end at some point, because even though his soul and brain believed in this place that could do him nor harm, he was still in a world where things couldn't always be happy and lovely. The shrill words had ended, and Louis was pulled out of his dark euphoria by the dreaded words, "Mr. Tomlinson, you read next." He had looked up right when people snickered.

"You're going to make the stuttering freak read? Why are you trying to torture us?" A guy, Markus, teased, making Louis sink in his chair. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his face, trying to hide his blush that had spread across it. The teacher scolded Markus before turning towards Louis again, asking him to take the hood off and stand up to read the sonnet.

Louis nodded and stood up, letting the hood fall off of his head. Someone from behind him tried to trip him as he walked to the front of the classroom to speak, but as he tumbled, he caught himself. The class giggled at his almost-fall. Louis blushed harder in complete embarrassment as he shuffled the rest of the way to the teacher's desk. He stood in front of it, putting his book onto the podium in front of him so he could read. He propped it open with one edge of the podium and sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Shall I c-c-compare thee t-t-to a summer's day. Thou art m-m-more lovely and more t-t-temperate," Louis stuttered, making everyone in the classroom chuckle and laugh. He stopped and looked around the room, staring at all of the giggling faces. Tears started to well up at the corners of his eyes. He couldn't help this emotional side of him, he had always been like this. With always living with girls, Louis had learned to not hide his emotions. 

"C-c-carry on, L-L-Louis," a guy named Ian said, his girlfriend giggling right next to him. He smirked at her and winked, making her blush and giggle more. Louis rolled his eyes and looked back down to the book, blinking away the tears that were starting to blur his vision.

"Rough winds d-d-do shake the darling b-b-buds of M-May." Louis took a deep breath. "And summer's lease h-h-hath." Louis winced. He tried. Every time he tried, he failed. "Hath all t-too sh-sh-short a date." The classroom erupted with laughter again, this time not stopping for Louis to continue. The bell rung before he could read anymore, and he was relieved and disappointed at the same time.

Louis sighed and went back to his desk, packing up his books and other supplies. A tap on his shoulder made Louis look up. The teacher was standing there, hands on his hips, an irritated look in his eye. Louis knew what was coming next.

"Mr. Tomlinson, I've been trying to be patient with you. But this stuttering problem is becoming a disturbance. I would like to hear Shakespeare without all the giggling and stammering," Mr. Langston scolded, his wrinkled forehead scrunching with a frown.

"You have a good d-d-day, Mr. L-Langston," Louis whispered, walking out of the classroom to face the rest of his day.