Look After You [Louis Tomlinson]

Chapter 7 - The X Factor House

Catherine's POV

 It's a long drive from Fountain Studios to 'The X Factor' house. I sit between Harry and Louis on the way there. There is a little conversation going around the van, but I can tell it's not as much as they usually would have. I guess it's because to Niall, Zayn, Harry and Liam, I’m a stranger. We talk about their performance they delivered tonight. I watched from a T.V screen, and personally, I think it was their best performance so far.

            We arrive at the big, three story house. Every year I watch 'The Xtra Factor' on ITV2 and whenever they showed footage of contestants in the house I always used to dream what it would be like there. We enter through the wooden doors and it looks just like what they show on T.V. I'm welcomed by the big staircase and the computer.

            I walk beside Louis as we make our way to the dining room. The Sainsbury Team have put together a roast. It's the perfect night for a roast, since it's quite chilly. Louis goes off and says some inside joke to Zayn while I go and get my dinner on the self-serve table. There is the meat, of course, with potatoes, peas, gravy, pumpkin, all the thing you would have with roast beef.

            I grab a bit of everything and sit myself down. Louis comes back a minute later and plonks his over flowing plate onto the table and sits down next to me.

            "Nice, Sunday dinner, eh? Reminds me of back home." he comments

            "Yeah." I agree

            Dinner wasn't what I expected it to be at all. I thought we would eat our dinner and have a perfectly normal conversation. But, it turned out even better. There were a few inside jokes that I didn’t get, but other than that we were all making jokes and telling funny stories. It got a little silly when Louis and Harry started throwing peas at each other, but, that's Louis for you. The civilized people like Mary, Matt and Rebecca were all at one end of the table, and they were having their own conversation.

            On the other side of me was Cher. She was really nice, actually. We had a few conversations of our own. Then there was me and Louis. We were taking in turns telling funny stories about Hall Cross. I usually randomly started laughing when Louis was saying something.

Louis' POV

            I excuse myself from the table, telling everyone that I'm going to the toilet, but really, I'm going to the bathroom to think. I close the door behind me and it blocks out all the noise of people talking and shouting and cutlery hitting the china plates. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Tonight went well. I didn't suddenly stop and stare at her beautiful features, I acted as a friend to her. But tonight has made me realize something. It's made me question myself why I was so afraid to tell her I love her in the first place. I know Catherine. She's not going to punch me in the face and never talk to me again. She's calm, and down to earth. The only problem is...me. I just don't think I’ll have the guts to tell her in person. Maybe one of the boys could help.

            I open up the door and I hear the sound of clearing up plates and people getting out of their chairs.

            I say goodbye to Catherine as she leaves. I watch the van escort her off until it's completely out of sight.