5 Leagues Above ➸ Larry Stylinson

Chapter 2

[Brief character introductions - Harry]

Harry was a shy boy who had always struggled to express his emotions. He kept his thoughts bottled up so others wouldn't worry over him. He was one of the kindest boys in his high school, yet not many students even acknowledged his presence.

Harry fit the description of the typical gay soft boy. His curly hair was always perfect and healthy, his style and fashion sense was better than the rest of the school...and somewhat feminine at times. And his smile could light up a room, but only when he chose to show it.

Harry was a shy introvert who preferred to sit back and observe what was going on around him. He didn't open up easily to people, but once he gained trust in someone, all bets were off and he became a whole new person. 

He trusted his sister Gemma more than anyone and she was his biggest support system. 

Their mom, Anne, was supportive too, but since Harry's dad came out as gay and divorced their mom to leave for another man, she had distanced herself from Gemma and Harry.

The divorce had the biggest impact on Harry. Harry didn't want to further damage the relationship with his mom by telling her he was gay too. He felt that his dad had already done enough damage to the family.

Gemma knew he was gay ever since he was still a young child in pre-school. When Harry came out to her, she told him she'd known for a while and would never love him any less.

After hearing that Gemma could easily tell he was gay, Harry became much more closed off from others and did his best to limit his self-expression around his mom so she wouldn't suspect a thing.

Every day after school, he would change into more masculine clothes before she got home from working at the diner. He had a few hidden boxes of his more gender fluid and less masculine clothing in his closet. They were filled with tight jeans, tops that hugged his body, some cute sweaters to go over his polos, and the occasional crop top. But all of his "straight" clothes were hung up in the closet or folded neatly in his dresser.

Gemma had helped him pick out some clothes at the mall once after Anne had given them her waitress tips so they could have a bit of spending money. Of course, when their mom asked what they shopped for after they arrived home, Gemma covered for Harry and said they got him some new books for school.

That was the great thing about Gemma. She knew Harry wasn't ready to come out to their mom, so she was always there to help hide the truth without question or hesitation.

Harry lived in a small flat with Gemma and his mom on the outskirts of San Diego. His mom worked two jobs - she was a waitress at the local diner during the day, and took shifts at supermarket unboxing shipments and stocking shelves during the night.

Their family wasn't wealthy like many of the families in San Diego, but his mom worked hard for spare money to try and help him and Gemma feel more comfortable with their financial situations.

They owned two cars - Gemma shared a small red VW Beetle car with Anne, and Harry got the blue pickup truck that his dad had left behind when he left to move in with his new boyfriend.

Harry wasn't into cars, he saw them as a way to get around and that was it - no need for anything fancy or new. He wasn't ever into sports, girls, or video games. He was academically driven and was a straight A student.

He tutored a fellow classmate named Louis at least two times a week. He would drive the pickup truck to the Tomlinson complex after school and host the tutoring sessions. It brought in a bit of pocket money for Harry to save for college, since Louis' parents paid well.

Rich families always had the best paychecks, but it was rare that their kids weren't snobby or rude.

Even without the pay, Harry still enjoyed going over to the complex. Louis was a kind boy who acted much different around him than he did around his posse. It was like he had two completely different personalities which puzzled Harry.

Why wouldn't he just act the same in and out of school? He's got nothing to hide.

Louis' posse - Harry couldn't stand the posse. They were always rude and pushed him around, so he always made sure to steer clear of them in school. Thankfully, all but one boy never hung out with Louis outside of school, so he never had to worry about them when tutoring.

But he knew Louis was different from the others. He just didn't know why.

Harry's best friend, Zayn, had been dating his sister since middle school. Harry found it weird at first, but after just a few weeks, he started to find it weird when they weren't together. They completed one another and had a perfect relationship, which was something he only ever dreamed of having.

Harry had never been in a relationship before. There was a lack in openly gay boys at his high school, and if someone had asked him to name a single gay boy... he couldn't.

Although he was an introvert, Harry had a fiery desire for someone to love and care for. No one had seen that side of him, and he doubted anyone ever would.

He loved watching soap operas with his sister and Zayn on the weekends when his mom was at work. Despite the drama, the soap opera couples always seemed to have such steamy relationships and such perfect chemistry with one another.

Maybe one day that'll be me.

***

Writing fanfics is actually super fun, I never realized!

I'm excited to see how the story develops (technically I know how it'll go, but while writing I find myself elaborating on my original ideas which makes for a richer story).

Thoughts or comments?