Numbness - Larry Stylinson AU

Chapter 1

He had never celebrated another Christmas, New Year, or even his birthday ever again. It was too hard to celebrate a birthday when all the brings up are family birthday traditions but no family to do it with. Over the years, he frankly forgot the tradition, or at least he will like to believe that. He actively shuts down the memory whenever it pops into his mind and pretends February 1 is any other typical miserable day in the life of Harry Edward Styles.

The only thing he celebrates is his sister's birthday and his mother's birthday. Those are the days he honoured their memory and all the love and support they had given him.

Currently, Harry was watching the trees pass by their car window with his duffel and school bag. He was being moved to yet another group home, but this group home was specifically for abused children.

Harry believes he is cursed. He lost his family, then every orphanage, foster home, and group home has treated him like a slave. He did every chore imaginable and some completely useless chores just because they could boss him around. He felt like Cinderella, but this time there isn't a happily ever after or a prince charming to come and save him from his miserable life and live in a castle. He got yelled at constantly, got punched, pushed, and beat up every day. There was no break for him. He was raped and sexually assaulted when he was ten, and none of that has stopped.

He was numb. Physically and mentally numb.

Harry walked around half dead. No life in his eyes. No dimpled smile. No sign of life aside from the fact that he is breathing and moving. He takes whatever is thrown at him and carries on with his life.

He barely even cries anymore. He is so numb to the point where anything terrible happens to him gets counted as usual, and he barely reacts.

He cuts, not for any relief but because he enjoys watching the blood flow out of him like life is leaving his body.

A sixteen-year-old, curly head, green eye. No family. No friends. No emotions. Numb physically and mentally. No home. That is Harry Edward Styles.

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They got to the group, and the house is average-sized and what looks to be a pretty good area. Harry didn't care and just grabbed his bag, got out of the car and waited outside the house while his social worker talked to the house owners.

It was a quick five-minute talk, and Harry was led into the house. It was Wednesday which meant that all the kids were at school, so the place was pretty empty. Harry was led to his room, where there were three other beds. The owner of the house, Simon Cowell, had informed Harry that there are eight other boys in the four-bedroom home. He said there was a list of chores to do around the house, and Harry was put onto kitchen duty. He was expected to cook and clean up the kitchen after him. He has to have food on the table by 7 pm every night.

Harry didn't mind. Cooking was something that he was good at and something that he didn't hate. He was doing it alone and wondered if they had seven other people in the house, why doesn't Harry have another person helping him? However, he doesn't care because he won't have to interact with any of the boys and can be left alone.

Harry got time to settle into his room, and then he has to make everyone lunch since he is here.

He already had a weird vibe from Simon but decided to shrug it off. Nothing can be done if Harry is uncomfortable and Harry doesn't care about what happens to him anymore.

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Harry is in the kitchen making lunch when Simon comes in with his laptop. He silently sits on a stool by the kitchen island and works. Harry sends him a glance before he is back at work and tries to ignore Simon's eyes following him as he moves around the kitchen.