Doncaster [Louis Tomlinson]

19: A Familiar Stranger

            Packing took quite some time, so when I finally looked out at the corridor I realised it was empty. I no longer felt the presence of all the students; all except one. While I’d taken forever to finish up, Louis had finished far earlier. But Instead of leaving he stalled; pointlessly organising a few of his books on the shelf and taking timed sips of his water, pretending that he was slightly dehydrated from P.E.

            Once we were completely isolated he shut his lock and took a step forward. He fearlessly linked our fingers together and tenderly pressed our lips together. He was so soft and gentle and perfect. He guided me backward until the back of my head lightly came into contact with the cool metal of somebody’s locker. At this, he smiled into the kiss.

            I pulled back once I became aware that a teacher, or anybody who happened to forget to take home something vital, could come bounding into the corridor at any moment.

            “Well I, uh, better go.” I said, a little breathless. Our foreheads were still touching, and my back continued to be pressed up against the hard surface behind me. He nodded, giving me one last peck. He gathered his belongings and started to inch backwards through the hallway.

            “Everything’s going to plan.” he announced much too loud for my liking.

            “What?” I wondered, tilting my head to the side. It was like the sixth form lounge all over again.

            “Never mind, baby, never mind.” he dismissed, giving his head a slow shake. He spun on his heels and plodded through the deserted corridor while sticking his arm out in an attempt to wave goodbye. I watched him walk away with his P.E bag slung over his shoulder, his tie loose and flailing and his uniform all crumpled and incorrectly worn.

            After countless attempts I failed to mask the ear to ear smile I wore throughout my whole journey home. I must’ve looked like an idiot to all those who passed me, but that didn’t bother me in the slightest.

            I arrived home to an unexpected sight; my mother standing in the doorway with her keys dangling in her hand. She never arrived home this early, so I was quite taken aback by her sudden appearance.

            “Ready to go?” she asked

            “What?” I breathed while wearing a furrowed brow. It seemed to be the only word in my vocabulary that day. Everybody was out to confuse me.

            “To your job interview?” she prompted, but said it like it was obvious. And it probably was. At that moment I was just too caught up in daydreaming about Louis to remember anything I had scheduled for the remainder of the day.

            “Shouldn’t you be at work?” I pressed. Still, nothing about my mum’s presence was adding up.

            “I thought I told you this morning that I was going to try leave work early. You need someone to drive you, since this local Tesco isn’t really all that local.” she explained. I recalled the early morning’s conversation. The memory came in a blur, since at that hour I was still in the process of desperately trying to continue the lovely dream I had about Louis that night. “Well, come on.” she interrupted my train of thought. All I could do was put my bag down before being urgently ushered out the door.

            The first half of the car ride there was spent in silence, but I wasn’t particularly fussed. I was too bust mulling over what Louis had said in the empty corridor, and probably what he’d mouthed to me in the study lounge. What did he mean ‘everything’s going to plan’?