Ashamed [Larry AU]

Chapter II

Lottie stole the shower that morning, so Louis was a bit late too school, which meant that he didn’t get to talk to his friends in the morning. They had a surprise quiz in Career Management about college applications. Louis was pretty sure he failed it, but he was taken aback when he found out that he got a 100. In Communications, he had to give his speech, which he did on stereotypes. No one really seemed interested, Louis just pretty much shared his well-known story and they applauded him.

Now, it was English, and Louis’ day wasn’t getting any better. “We’ll be doing projects on Greek Mythology,” the teacher announced. She pulled a clipboard out of her bag. “You’ll be working with partners that I assign you.” A loud groan was echoed throughout the classroom. The teacher laughed at their response.

“You always pick our partners!” a random guy shouted. Louis knew his name, but the guy had no meaning to him, so he bothered not to think about it. The teacher ignored the kid, as did the rest of the class. Instead, they gathered up their stuff, getting ready to switch seats so they can be near their partner.

She listed practically all of the class’s names before she mispronounced Louis’. “Lewis Tomlinson and-,”

“It’s Louis,” he corrected. The teacher cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow as if saying ‘Bitch, do you think I care?’

“Louis Tomlinson and Haz,” she pointed over toward that druggie who sat beside of him. Really? Louis thought. He has to be partners with him?

Hey, it’s better than the “I’m-Smarter-Than-You-So-I’m-Gonna-Piss-You-Off” types of people. At least Harry wouldn’t interfere. He’d just let Louis do all the work. Louis didn’t care. He was used to it.

Harry huffed, getting up from his desk, scooting it closer to Louis, and then sitting back down. Louis just shook his head. Harry was pitiful. Louis already knew that Harry didn’t want to work with him, obviously, Louis didn’t want to work with Harry either. The feeling was mutual.

As the teacher finished listing the names, she passed out papers, and Harry didn’t even speak a word. He even looked like he was afraid of Louis. Seriously, Louis may be gay, he but would never go for Harry in a million years.

The teacher handed Harry a paper and Harry quickly grabbed it and read what was on it. His brow furrowed in confusion. “Who is…” he paused, as he thought in his head about how to pronounce the name.

“Let me see this,” Louis groaned, snatching the paper from Harry’s hand. “Aphrodite, the goddess of love,” Louis said, glaring up at Harry. Harry raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, okay,” he mumbled, resting his cheek on his fist, boringly looking at Louis. Louis huffed and rolled his eyes.

“So, how are we going to work on this? We have the weekend to finish it, so we obviously can’t do it in school.” Louis mimicked Harry by leaning onto his fist.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “We’d meet up,” he says ‘matter-of-factly’.

This is another reason why Louis hated Harry. He was a rude ass bitch. It was probably the reason Harry’s relationships never lasted long. He probably dissed the parents, or is abusive or something. Or, maybe he just never cared to listen? There are two things that girls need – everything, and someone to tell it to, aka, ‘the boyfriend’.

“When will we meet up?” Louis asked, clenching his teeth, trying to ignore all the thoughts swarming in his head. Punch him. Flick him off. Throw him in the garbage disposal.

Damn, why is Louis’ mind so violent?

“My house?” Harry suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

“I said, when,” Louis corrects, emphasizing the misinterpreted word.

“I heard you. It was just an offer.”

Louis huffs, this time, louder than before. Why did Harry have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t he just respond simply so they can get this conversation over with?

“How about a coffee shop? I don’t wanna- I mean, your house is- no.” Louis couldn’t find the words to explain.

“Yeah, sure, I don’t care,” Harry shrugged his shoulders again. Okay, now he was being too simple. Maybe you could consider Louis a girl right now? He was being picky and stubborn.

Louis huffs out and rolls his eyes. Harry just leaned his head back against his fist. Louis looked around the room, hoping to find something more interesting. But he felt Harry’s eyes boring into him. Wow, before, he was practically scared to look at Louis, now he’s staring at him. This guy is bipolar – or whatever you’d call that.

The long, prerecorded ring of the bell is what broke Harry’s stare. Everyone in the class got up from their seats, running out of the room to meet with their friends. Louis just waited till the doorway cleared out before he left too, not forgetting to bring along his lunch.

Remember the saying “Saved by the bell”? Well, it was true. In that situation, it was. It’s a key part of life. The bell saves you from class lectures and conversations with people you don’t like.

Louis gets to the lunch room and finds Joe and Niall sitting at their regular table. He walks over to join them, making sure to let out an extra loud groan as he sits down.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Niall wonders, cocking his head to the side.

“You wouldn’t believe what happened in English today,” Louis mutters. Niall snaps open a can of Dr. Pepper making a weird sizzling sound. “I got paired with Styles to work on a project.”

“Is it the Greek Mythology one?” Joe asks, taking a bite of what looked like spaghetti. Louis nods, opening his own lunch box and pulling the food out. “What’s your god?”

Louis purposely drops down a container onto the table, making it clank. “Aphrodite!” His two friends flinch at his tone, and then respond with looks of sympathy.

“The goddess of love,” Niall states. His face contorts to a grin as he adds in a low tone “Maybe you can teach that prick a lesson on how love really should be.” Niall winks getting Louis to let out an even louder groan.

Joe smacks Niall upside the head. “Don’t listen to him, Lou. All you’ve gotta do is focus on the project. Don’t pay any attention to Harry,” she advises. Louis nods in agreement.

She’s right. Louis shouldn’t let Harry hold him back. After all, it’s the project that counts for a grade, not their hateful affliction. No one ever said that Louis had to be nice.

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