The Flaw in your Heart

12. For your Ears Only

Chapter 12

Louis’ POV

We arrived at Dan and Tessa’s apartment and all got out the car. I slung my rucksack onto my back and smiled at Tessa as we walked into the building. We made our way up to the apartment and I couldn’t help but fangirl, I mean I was about to set foot in Dan Smith’s apartment. Being a big fan of Bastille I fangirled over the fact that I was actually best friends with Tess, seeing as she was best friends with Dan.

That’s not why me and Tess became friends though. I didn’t even know about Bastille when I first met her. It was when we were in Year 7, just beginning Secondary School. We were put in a pair for a Maths project on our very first day at our new school and we kinda just clicked. 

Tess never said she was best friends with Dan Smith; it was by accident that I found out. I don’t know why she never tells anybody… I guess she just doesn’t like the attention. It was only earlier on in the year I found out Tess was best friends with Dan, when Bad Blood hit number 1. I bought the album, having heard Pompeii and Flaws a few times on the music channel. Not too long later I bumped into Tess in WHSmith, and she was with Dan. I remember saying “Hey, aren’t you Dan from Bastille?” I’d recognised his cool quiff from the music videos. He’d nodded shyly and then I’d asked Tess why she was with Dan. She’d explained they’d grown up together, and I was so shocked she’d never told me before. 

As Dan opened the apartment door me and Tess followed him inside and dumped our bags down by a sofa.

“Want anything to drink guys?” Dan asked. 

“Sure”, I nodded.

“Do we have any doctor pepper in?” Tess asked, she knew that was my favourite.

“We do, want some?” Dan asked.

I nodded eagerly and so did Tess.

He poured us a glass of it each and then I followed Tess to the lounge. 

“Dan, do you mind if you like, leave us for a bit. I promised Louis I’d tell him everything about, well, you know…” Tess trailed off. 

Dan nodded sympathetically. “Sure thing, I’ll be in my room working on my stuff. If you need anything just knock. Don’t get up to any funny business you two!” he grinned.

I blushed. I didn’t like Tess in that way, no offence to her. I didn’t ever feel that way about girls at all really…

Tess blushed too and Dan patted our shoulders. 

“Don’t worry, I didn’t mean it”, he smiled. He left to go to his room and me and Tess sat down on the plush sofa that was in the messy lounge. The TV was huge and there was about a million CD’s and DVD’s stuffed into two big wooden cabinets either side of it. I looked to Tess who was fiddling awkwardly with the hem of her blazer.

“Tess?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, erm, well okay this is gonna be really awkward and horrible to say and I feel stupidly guilty for not ever telling you Dad was an alcoholic”, she said quickly, looking down at her hands.

“Tess, I honestly can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, and I don’t blame you at all for not telling me about your Dad. I have to congratulate you for keeping it so secret. I mean, I’d noticed you weren’t yourself and you looked very tired all the time, but apart from that…” I trailed off, not really knowing what to say next.

She smiled weakly and then looked up, tears in her eyes. “Dad had told me that he’d do something I’d never forget if I ever told anyone”, she whispered, barely audible.