shift » l.s

one

The bell rings loudly and Harry jumps at the loud noise, his mind elsewhere as he sits at the back of the class,  his pen inking drawings onto his hand, wrist and up his arm. 

“Wakey, wakey,” somebody from behind hisses with a chorus of laughter following shortly after and Harry silently sighs as he packs away his books full of meaningless words and information he will never need to know. He keeps his head down as he walks from class, pulling his hood over his mess of hair and shrugging his jacket around his shoulders.

He doesn’t see the boys’ foot sticking out from behind the door as he walks, causing him to trip over and fall to the ground with a smack. The boy points and begins to laugh, calling out names and attracting a gathering around Harry who is trying his best to not cry while sprawled across the floor.

“No,” he weakly calls as somebody takes the pile of papers that are scattered across the wood. There is a chorus of sniggers from the surrounding crowd as they peer at Harry’s drawings; leaves and trees inked to each sheet. He whimpers at the sound of a page tearing. Harry curls himself into a tight ball in the centre of the circle and hides his face in his knees, attempting to block out the shouts and sneers around him.

“Hey!” A voice yells, much louder than the others directed at Harry. His eyes lift and he sees a boy, brown haired and blue eyed, snatching the pieces of paper from the boys and collecting them in his hands.

“Why are you sticking up for him?” Somebody laughs and rolls his eyes. “He’s a freak.”

Harry inaudibly gasps as the chuckling boy is punched solidly in the jaw and staggers back while the blue eyed boy flexes his knuckles.

“Anyone else?” He growls and the noise in the hallway immediately settles as people watch with widened eyes. “Because I will not fucking spare anybody who says one more thing.”

There’s a scurrying of feet in the hallway and when Harry looks back up the crowd has almost evaporated. The blue eyed boy leans down with an outstretched arm but Harry crawls back on his hands and pushes himself to his feet. His green eyes do not blink as the boy passes him his bag and the collection of drawings.

“They’re good,” the boy nods with a small smile. “The drawings, I mean.”

“I - thanks,” Harry speaks in a whispered murmur and the boy nods again with the same warm smile.

“I’m Louis,” the boy says and outstretches his hand again for Harry to shake, though Harry flinches and withdraws his body further from Louis. “What’s your name?”

“Harry,” he says shyly, his voice shaking as he bites down on his lip cautiously. “I really need to go.”

“Going anywhere nice?” Louis asks and sticks his hands in his pockets as he walks beside Harry.

“Just…a place,” Harry whispers and Louis stops at his locker and pushes his key into the lock.

“Well, wherever this place is, I hope you enjoy yourself,” Louis says with a grin but by the time he turns back Harry is gone.

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