Extravagant Challenge [Narry AU] ~On Hold~

Chapter 14

[Niall's POV]

“ – I knew him first!” Louis' shrill voice rang through my ears.

Looking back, I should have noticed the first signs of tension between Harry and Louis when we were hanging out at Louis' place on Sunday. It's too late now to do anything.

“I'm dating him!” Harry hollered back, slamming his hands on the lunch table as he stood up beside me. The whole cafeteria was practically silent by now. It was a rare occurrence, seeing the usually calm and collected Harry Styles lose his temper. It was also probably the fact that Harry just announced that he was dating somebody, specifically another male.

Well if this isn't the most mature thing to occur. My eyes met Zayn's from across the table. Our faces were mirrored; both filled with fear and confusion. How did this come to be? And where is Liam? Why isn't he here to ease the tension?

I can't exactly sure when the argument between Harry and Louis started (or what it was really about), but it's eating me up from the inside that my bestfriend and my boyfriend can't get along.

Lunchtime was usually a casual affair; Lou would meet me at our lockers (usually accompanied by Zayn as it turns out they have a couple of other classes together besides just English), and we would make our way to the cafeteria where we'd usually meet Liam. We'll get our food, then proceed to our usual table of artsies. This was all before Harry and I got together. Monday went surprisingly well, Harry had to talk to one of his teachers to discuss his post-secondary education opportunities, and he only joined us for the last couple of minutes before the bell rang.

But today, Tuesday to be exact, Harry and I had gym together the period before lunch. Liam had disappeared right after the bell rang, and so I was left with Harry, who had immediately dragged me to his locker and insisted that I put my things in his locker and collect them after school. I didn't argue. An angry phone call from Louis was received eight minutes into the lunch period, demanding to know why I'm not at my locker, and why my stuff weren't in there (he knows my combination). Harry had taken my phone from me before I could reply, and told Louis to meet us at the cafeteria before promptly hanging up.

We were holding hands when we came into the cafeteria, but upon entering, he dropped my hand and took on to fiddling with his phone. I didn't think much of it. Harry had chosen a table in the far corner of the cafe, not our usual table, but I didn't bother questioning him, maybe it was his usual table. It was only fair that I let him sit where he was comfortable. Louis and Zayn came and sat with us moments later, Louis looking slightly pissed. I paid no heed to it; Louis was generally ticked off with the idea of school, so who was to say he wasn't mad at one of his teachers from his previous classes?

Little conversation went around, mostly small talk made by Zayn who was raving on about the boys on the football team and just how cute the sophomore boys (and I repeat, boys, like plural) were. Harry made little effort in conversation, and Louis and I were both buried in last minute work on how-to-write-a proper-essay-that's-worth-thirty-percent-of-our-final-grade-in-two-days-when-we-actually-were-given-two-weeks-but-never-really-got-around-to-it. It was about the third time Zayn had mentioned the kid Chris and just how weird he was when Harry threw a coin at me. The coin had been labeled 'TUIT' in the large, bold letters of Harry's handwriting.