Half Bad //l.s

Chapter 18

        "So Louis," Nick started as he leaned forward, his eyebrows pushed together curiously. "Did Marcus say anything to you we should be cautious about or on the lookout for?"             

Louis shoved a piece of turkey in his mouth, shaking his head.             

Nick rose an eyebrow. "And you're sure? He just let you go?"             

He nodded.             

I swiped my tongue across the inside of my bottom lip, leaning forward as well and turning my head to look at him. "Louis, what's your favorite color?"             

This caught his attention as he turned to me, eyebrows pinched together but lips parted. He was taken off guard by such a question of normalcy, and also a question I already knew the answer to. However, it was very hard to believe that someone as cruel as Marcus would let him go without even the slightest warning to tell us. Not even a threat, apparently.      

       "E-excuse me?" Louis asked, now looking around him warily.        

     I licked my lips, nodding. "Yeah. I forgot, but the question is eating me alive. Could you please tell me your favorite color, Louis?"   

          His name fled my lips accusingly, probably giving off the impression I didn't believe who he was. The boys seemed just as intrigued as me now as they too leaned forward to hear what he had to say. The answer was simple; it was just a color. But the matter of it all was if he could get his supposed "favourite" color right, which if he were Louis, it would be a quite simple task to do. And by the sweat beading his forehead, it was quite obvious he hadn't a clue what the answer was.             

"Well, it... uh..." Louis dropped his fork, fumbling with his hands as he stood from his chair. "It's yellow, of course. Now if you excuse me I need to go to the bathroom and—"   

          I stood from my chair, the legs scraping the tile. His gulp was audible as he looked up at my frame towering over him. "It's green," I told him with somewhat of a smirk on my lips. "Louis hates the color yellow."             

Simple as that, he spun on his heel and began running like a bat out of hell. However, I caught him by the waist, spinning him around and pinning him against the wall. I tried to remind myself it was just Louis' body, not the actual Louis as I pressed my forearm into his throat, my face dangerously close to his . I would never handle the real Louis  in such a harsh way, but he's missing and I need to know why and where the fuck he is before I go fucking insane.             

"Harry, what the hell are you doing?" Niall asked in a worried tone as he walked over, but I shook my head.             

"This isn't Louis, dammit." I pushed my arm further into his throat, watching as his hands flew up to grasp my forearm. He was struggling for breath as I glared at him, my tone dropping many levels as I hissed out, "Who the fuck are you?"             

The imposter Louis pressed his lips together, obviously trying to keep himself from answering the question. Niall was standing near still, his eyes wide along with everyone else's. It must've looked like I was a monster holding this person so harshly, but I would never in my life touch Louis in such a violent way.  

           "Not talking? I see..."             

With my free arm, I lifted my hand to show the fire swirling around above my palm. The imposter's eyes widened as they continued to struggle more feverishly under my strength, but I pressed my hand to their arm to halt them, sending the fire with it. Whoever was in Louis' body let out an ear-piercing screech as I pressed my hand into his flesh, hearing the singe of the fire bleeding into him. After a few moments, I retaliated my hand but kept a fire grip on his throat as I kept my eyes hooded, continuing to glare him down.