wheels on the bus ➸ [larry au]

ღ chapter twenty-three ღ

"has mitchell tried talking to you?" louis questions me as i approach him for whatever it is he's got planned today. i've been hanging out with him for the past week as he tries to convince me that he's gone good or whatever but honestly i'm just waiting until he slips up and completely hurts me. it's not like he's not done it before.

"michael," i correct him, "and no, he's completely ignoring me."

"hm," louis replies. i nod awkwardly not knowing why he would even bring it up. it's not like he cared about my relationship in the first place.

"so where are you taking me now?" i ask, trying to change the topic or whatever. he smirks as he turns to face me and says, "i'm taking you on a creamy and delicious trip."

a what now?

my questions are answered right away when i spy a familiar ice cream shop (one where michael and i went on our first date) and immediately the small visible smile on my face fades. i feel my body tense as i stop from walking any further.

everybody around us was either laughing, smiling or just having a fun time and all i could think about was that day when everything was perfect. when we went for ice cream and i had gotten strawberry ice cream with chocolate syrup and all types of candies because according to michael was how we got our money's worth. not to mention how sick i felt afterwards because of all the mixed candies.

and suddenly i wanted to be anywhere but here.

"can we go somewhere else, louis?" i whispered hoping he'd understand and take us somewhere else.

"what why?" he replies with, "they have the best ice cream! and today's a two-for-one toppings night!"

he obviously seemed chirped and excited about having toppings on his ice cream or whatever and i didn't want to ruin his fun and all and his chance at getting ice cream... i just didn't want to enter a place that would bring back unwanted memories of a happier time in my life.

maybe if i told him the truth?

"listen, louis," i start to say but he cuts me of by saying;

"are you gonna come or are you just gonna stand there? c'mon it's ice cream!" he says rolling his eyes. immediately i sense a change in his tone as he crossed his arms, his teasing smirk from before gone and replaced with an annoyed expression instead.

"i just-" i sigh, "nothing. can't you just understand that i don't wanna go in there."

"i seriously don't get it," he then says, "i try to be nice, i even invited you to a damn ice cream shop to show that i want to be friends yet you do this? you're so inconsiderate to how this makes me feel-"

"you're right," i say, agreeing with him. i was being inconsiderate. he WAS trying to be nice. i was just being too hung up on a boy that clearly didn't deserve to be hanged over. he was over me. officially dating that lad that he was sucking faces with. luke i think was his name.

"it's just..." i trailed off, "this is where michael and i went....after you crashed our date... our first date."

his lips part into an 'o' shape and he raised his hands up to his neck and stammers, "i didn't.... know... sorry."

i nod slightly and we just stood there staring at each other for a bit not knowing what to say. i could feel people staring at us just gawking at each other and deciding the silence was enough i look up towards the sign for the shop and say with a small smile, "let's just go... i cannot let him ruin this for me. it's two-for-one toppings night anyways."

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"you know," i say finishing my ice cream, "i never figured you'd be a plain vanilla type of lad."