raincoats and wellies | stylinson au

Chapter Seven

Louis

-

"Get out."

Gran had retired her silver walker for a polished wooden cane and loved finding any excuse to walk around.

She really was making a lot of progress. The cane made it a lot easier for her to get around. But her doctor still wanted her to rest easy, leaving me to prepare her meals and continue running her errands.

I only left her apartment when she needed me to. If she didn't need my assistance then I remained sprawled out on her couch.

I had no idea how much this annoyed her until she switched off the television while I was in the middle of a Simpsons' marathon. I had really grown to like that show despite my stance on American television being shit.

I quickly snapped up. Gran was really intimidating when she had her cane in her hand and for a second she almost she looked ready to hit me with it. "Sorry?"

She put her hand on her hip. I think she was giving me attitude. "Go. Leave. Scat."

"You're kicking me out?" I asked dumbfounded.

Her face smoothed out a bit. I guess she realized how insane she sounded. "Not exactly."

"Why do you want me to leave?"

"All you do all-day is sit on this couch," she said. "You're bumming out."

"Where am I supposed to go?"

Gran pulled a finger up to her lips. "Go upstairs and see if Harry wants to hang out or something."

I shook my head. "We haven't really reached that level where I can just drop by his place whenever I want."

Harry hadn't come back for his pan. I thought maybe he'd use it as an excuse to bring himself back over. But I hadn't seen him in three days.

Was this it? Was Harry finished welcoming the new kid?

What kind of man pushes another grown man into a puddle of water and never speaks to him again?

"Nonsense," she scoffed. "You two are practically besties. The two of you have already started dressing like each other."

"I've already told you," I explained. "My shoes got wet and the wellies were on sell."

Gran rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I remember the story."

"Then why did you make me tell you it again?"

She frowned. I understood her banter. I just didn't think it was funny.

Gran shifted her weight using her cane. "Louis, I want you to think of your time here in Seattle as a vacation."

"What?"

"I want you to have fun while you're here," she explained.

"I thought the sole purpose of my being here was to take care of you."

Gran let out a sigh. "No."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Yes."

My mum had paid for my ticket to come here. This wasn't a holiday. It was supposed to be a job. And it was one that I had enjoyed very much for the most part.

But I had agreed to follow all Gran's orders, no matter how weird they were.

"Okay," I said, pushing myself up from the couch. "I'll go."

"Good." I watched as she made her way back to her bedroom.

"If you wanted the house to yourself you could have just said so."