Pure ≫ h.s. (Under Revision)

Chapter 10.

Revised 04/15/20

Harry

"So I said to her, 'Angelina, I really, really want to. But what about your brother, Brad? Brad's a good friend to me,'" I hear Louis say.

"You sir, are a good man," Niall responds.

"I know, I know." Louis leans back, resting his hands behind his head with a smile.

"So. . ." Liam trails off, unable to think of something to say about Louis' odd story. I don't blame him. Why Louis had to share the story of him denying the latest girl to swoon over him sex is beyond me. 

"Harry, it's only your second day at Hall Cross, but anything new happening?" I can hear the desperation in Liam's voice to move onto another subject.

Nothing comes to mind that I really care to share. The last new thing to occur since lunch yesterday was my mother's idea to invite Juliet and her aunt over for dinner later this week. Though, after Louis completely shutting down at the mere mention of our neighbor before, I'm not sure it's the best idea to bring it up when he was having a decent day.

I decide to respond with something simple. "Nothing much, you?" I wince at the way my voice cracks on one of the words. 

Liam sighs. It wasn't the type of answer he was hoping for.

"Are you okay, mate? You sound a bit off," Louis comments, taking note of the break in my voice.

"Yeah, fine." I shrug off and grab the bottle of juice I bought, uncapping it to take a sip. I try to keep eye contact with at least one of them, knowing that constantly averting your eyes is a universal sign of lying.

"I'm not buying it." Louis shakes his head, sitting up straighter. "Spill it, Styles," He demands.

"Um," I hesitate, looking around the table. 

They all look relaxed as they wait for my answer. Liam sits back in his chair, arms crossed lazily over his chest. Niall continues to stuff crisps in his mouth,  and Louis takes sips of his water, hardly touching the food he'd bought. I clear my throat and readjust the way I sit. 

"My mother went grocery shopping yesterday and started talking to the cashier, and she found out her name was Marisa, and she lives down the street from us with her niece, Juliet. And my mother wants to invite them over for dinner this week."

I say a little prayer in my head, hoping Louis doesn't react the way I expect him to at the mention of his trigger.

It happened in the blink of an eye. 

Louis's whole body tenses as he spits out the water in his mouth, soaking the table area in front of him. The water manages to land on half of Niall's face, and he grimaces, disgusted. Niall grabs a napkin from the dispenser on the table, wiping water and Louis's saliva off his cheek.

"Your mother wants a murderer to come to your house with her aunt to have dinner?" Louis's mouth is agape, leaning forward a little as if he'd hear me better this way.

"Well, a possible murderer, Louis," I reply, voicing the opinion on the matter that has been filling my thoughts for days now.

"Wait, you think she's innocent?" The question comes from Liam.

"I don't know—" I start to say, but Louis cuts me off.

"Harry, Juliet is not innocent," he seethes.

"I think it's possible—"

"It's not! She shot her dad with his own gun and then tried crying about it to make it seem like she did nothing! But she's guilty, so she took a trip to the nuthouse to pay for it!" Louis exclaims, once again not letting me get out a full sentence.