Times two

(An almost emty bus at three in the morning. HARRY is sitting curled up in the back off the bus, half hidden behind one of the seats. His jacket is missing and he's visibly shivering, occasionally coughing and sniffing. LOUIS enters the bus and approaches THE DRIVER.)

LOUIS: Hi.

(LOUIS hands his bus card to THE DRIVER who grunts in response. HARRY stirs from the back of the bus, immidiately growing silent as he peeks his head out and watches the exchange.)

THE DRIVER: (Tiredly) Child or adult?

LOUIS: Adult thanks.

(THE DRIVER hands LOUIS card back to LOUIS after scanning it.)

LOUIS: Thank you. Thanks.

(THE DRIVER doesn't answer and LOUIS turns around to find a seat. HARRY immidiately hides his head again. LOUIS stops halfway into the bus, turning around toward the driver.)

LOUIS:(Shouting) This bus goes all the way to the end station today, right?

THE DRIVER: (grumpily, grumbling) Yeah, 't does.

LOUIS: Great, thank you.

(HARRY sneezes and LOUIS immidiately turns around, eyeing the bus warily.)

LOUIS: Hello? Who's there?

(HARRY stays quiet, pressing his hands over his mouth in an attempt to hide his sniffs. LOUIS tentatively takes a few steps forward. He spots one of HARRYS' shoes sticking out behind a seat.)

LOUIS: Um, hello? Person with the nike shoe?

(The shoe instantly disappears out of sight. LOUIS curiously approaches, stopping when he's standing over HARRY who is curled up with his head between his legs.)

LOUIS: Hi. (HARRY visibly flinches and LOUIS takes an insecure step back) I'm, um, I'm Louis. Who are you?

(It's silent for a while and the bus eventually rumbles to life. LOUIS sighs and takes a seat beside the curled up boy)

HARRY: (quietly, whispering) I'm Harry.

LOUIS: Oh. (Startled) I'm Louis. Wait- no, I already said that. I didn't mean to say it twice I just wasn't expecting... um, I mean I thought you didn't hear or, that, this is weird I'm rambling. I don't usually ramble, it's just, I'm not sure what to say now, I shouldn't ramble. Do you, uh, I'm, shit this is really weird... hi, eh, Harry.

HARRY: (Briefly peeks out at LOUIS from betwen his legs, surprised) H-hi?

LOUIS: Hi... there. Hi.

(An awkward silence follows. LOUIS nervously bounces his leg up and down, stopping when he hears HARRY sniffle. He looks down at him)

LOUIS: (Curiously) Why aren't you wearing a jacket?

HARRY: I was. Before. But then I lost it.

LOUIS: Oh... How?

HARRY: (Visibly tenses, hugging himself tighter) I just did.

LOUIS: Okay. (A brief silence follows) Are you cold? You look pretty cold.

HARRY: (Has lifted his head a little, watching LOUIS warily) What?

LOUIS: (eyes widening, blushing) N-nothing. I didn't mean to sound weird, I'm so sorry, I just, I tend to do that sometimes. Sound weird I mean. When I talk to strangers, or well not like talk, but you know talk talk to people I don't know. And then there's this big event coming up with my sisters wedding and I just, I needed to practice a little, because I don't usually do big events. They're not, like, my thing. But it's a wedding, my sister's, and I can't exactly miss my sister's wedding but then I start talking like this, sorry, and people think I'm weird. I'm pretty weird when I do this, I don't know why I do this actually. It just happens. Um, sorry.