Stand By Me

Chapter Six

Harry realises then, that maybe his brother is feeling just as lonely as he is today; and that maybe, this isn't just for Harry, it's for him, too.

"Didn't they invite you?" He asks quietly, fingers absently pulling at the cushion that has somehow found its way into his lap.

The TV draws his brother's attention for a moment before he looks back to Harry, shaking his head. "I was invited. Just...not going. 'Cause, you know, Dad and Papa wouldn't have let me. They'd wanna know whose parents are gonna be there and then they'd ask for numbers and stuff, and it's not that kind of party. It's just easier to not go," he explains, and Harry isn't stupid, he knows what kind of party it is for Liam to not even bother asking whether he can go or not.

But he knows how it feels to be left out, even if it's never been by his own choosing; he and Niall are often left out of class discussions and are mostly oblivious to the stories of things that have happened outside of school, neither of them having ever been big socialisers. He doesn't mind it, but that's only because he has Ni. He knows it'd be a lot worse if he was all alone.

"Maybe — maybe they'd let you go if you did ask. I mean, you never really know unless you try," he offers, then scrunches up his nose because he knows as well as Liam does that the answer would be 'no'. "Yeah, actually, probably not," he corrects. "But you get to hang out with me. I'm better than some dumb party anyway."

He looks up with a grin at that, expecting some wisecrack answer from the older boy or an elbow to the ribs. Instead, Liam just smiles and rolls his eyes, not arguing otherwise.

Harry smiles back at that, loneliness fulfilled as they turn to the movie, slouching back slightly and resting his head against his big brother's shoulder and staying there when he isn't shoved away.

By the time the movie ends, they're both sprawled out on the bed, Liam somehow laying horizontal across the mattress with his feet hanging off the edge, Harry's head on his stomach, only lifting it when his phone buzzes in his pocket.

He rubs at one of his eyes, unsurprisingly tired after the late night previously, lifting his phone to read the text displayed on the screen.

Ni
probably won't be at school next week. sorry if i miss your birthday, we'll have an extra celebration when i'm back :)

Harry frowns, sitting up on the bed and reading the message again, confused as to why his friend is going to miss school again when he's only been back a week since the last time. He'd seemed fine yesterday, the best he's been in a while, and Harry's anxiety over the entire situation had managed to fade entirely. Now it's back full force, threatening to engulf him.

Liam seems to sense this, sitting up and frowning at him. "What? Why do you look like somebody just sent you a death threat?" He asks, tone teasing but genuine all at once.

He shrugs. "Ni says he won't be at school next week," he states.

"He's gonna miss your birthday," is the first thing Liam says, before he pauses and then adds, "is he sick? He seemed fine before Papa dropped him off a while ago."

Harry shrugs at the first statement, not really too bothered about his birthday — sure, school would suck without him there, especially on the day that he turns thirteen, but he's more confused about why.

"I'm gonna call him," he mumbles, slipping off the bed and standing up, turning to Liam with a small smile. "Can we watch another movie after though?" He asks, not wanting the rare niceness between the two of them to end so soon.

Liam nods, tries and fails to look disinterested. "Sure. You can pick or whatever."

He smiles more genuinely at that, leaving the room and moving down the hall a little to call Niall, not wanting anyone to overhear if the other boy is upset again. However, his call is declined.