concealing ➸ tomlinson

vi

"hi kate."

"hi kris."

"....."

"....."

"is mom ok?"

"yeah. it looks like she's just bruised up."

"i feel bad."

"you should."

"....."

"why did you throw her into the wall?"

"she wouldn't let go of me. i-i panicked."

"you're lucky she's okay."

"i know. i'm sorry."

"just go into your room. hope school was worth it."

kris woke up the next day ten minutes before her alarm was set to wake her. a glance out the window revealed a sky clogged with dark gray clouds. someone could make a decent poem out of that, if they had the time and patience, of which kris had little patience, and ten minutes of time.

now playing- medicine; daughter.

kris quickly dressed into jeans and a plaid button-up, watching her pale brown-blonde streaked hair float down the edges of her face. they gave her form a rather ghost-like look. she kind of liked it.

according to kate, her mom was sleeping. and it wasn't a good idea to go in and talk to her. so kris took her backpack and left the house silently, only sending the click of a doorknob echoing through the quiet house.

she turned around and nearly screamed. louis was standing on the house driveway, one ear bud hung loose near his shoulder, the other in his ear. he glanced up and smiled.

"morning, kris."

"how-how do you know where i live?" kris gripped the strap of her bag.

"connections; i'm a teacher's pet. i'm here to walk you to school."

he stuck out one arm, a proud smirk plastered on his face. kris let herself smile softly, despite her fingers still clutching white-knuckled to her backpack.

"um, alright." she walked down the driveway, around her older sister's car, and next to louis. not taking his arm. the two started walking down the street. the walk wasn't exactly far- ten minutes at most- but it wasn't three minutes past until louis playfully bumped kris.

"so, any plans over the next 48 hours?" he asked.

kris glanced up at him. there was maybe nine or ten inches between them. he smelled like lemons and sweet tea. "besides school, no."

"excellent! i'm a complete hermit myself, save for the company of my friends. consider coming over sometime?"

"sure?"

louis smiled again. there was something about his smile that made you want to put it up in the sky with all the stars and suns.

"smooth, tommo. self-five." he cheesily gave himself a high-five.

kris laughed, closing her eyes briefly to do so. louis held up one hand. "high five?"

suddenly, someone bumped into louis and kris. they both jumped.

"you two both realize we're going to be late if we don't start running, right?" zayn clapped them on the shoulder.

kris looked over at her phone. they had four minutes to get down to the school. she and louis broke into a run. louis glanced over his shoulder at zayn and glared at him. zayn shrugged and headed back down the sidewalk, to the hq.