"All aboard!" Louis chimed as he ran towards his car, jingling the keys over his head. He had to pull his pants up a little before he could open the door, and the extra few seconds just made his clothes and skin even wetter. He smiled at us, rain dripping from his lashes.
The rest of us just shared glances, still standing under the shelter by the front door.
It was pouring down. The grass was flooding, the sky was black and the rain just wouldn't stop.
And now Louis wanted to go on a road trip, to a museum of all places. Apparently there was an exhibit there on like frickin dinosaurs or something equally stupid and he just had to see it today of all days.
And he wouldn't just be going by himself either, no, we all had to go.
I had been the only one to just blatantly refuse, Liam had shrugged because he didn't really mind, and Niall didn't take much convincing but I just straight up told him I wasn't going.
It all would've worked out, I would've been able to hang around the apartment for the day while they went off and drove for five hours just to get to a museum, but Louis was so god damn annoying when he was trying to be.
I couldn't have lasted a minute longer without murdering him.
I said no, and he pretty much just perched on the arm of the couch and screeched a loud and insistent please over and over again until I snapped and turned the TV off. I couldn't hear it anyway.
So there we were, getting ready to go on a road trip in what could possibly be the worst weather in existence. I'm not a negative person, but the rain and darkness was enough to put anyone in a crap mood.
Louis shot us all a 'what the hell are you waiting for?' look from inside the car, honking the horn loudly.
"What would happen if we just went back inside?" I said. Even I knew how whiny I sounded but I really just couldn't be bothered leaving the apartment.
"He'd drag us back out." Liam chuckled, "come on, let's just go."
He stepped out into the rain and rushed into the car before he could get too wet. Niall shot me a small smile and then followed, slipping a little on the grass. I sighed and thought about turning around and going back to bed.
Louis would probably kill me.
I ran to the car and threw myself into the back, hooking the door shut with my foot. It was only a ten step dash, but my jeans were soaked. Niall was on the other side of me and Liam was in the passenger seat next to Louis with his feet resting on the dash.
Louis grinned at me in the mirror, his eyes sparkling teasingly, "is everyone wearing their seatbelts?"
He was trying to piss me off on purpose, dickhead.
I grinned back in an overly sweet way, "I think mine would look better around your neck."
Louis just laughed, unfazed.
I grumbled a bit to myself and clicked my belt into place, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Just let it go Hazza, enjoying this won't hurt you," Liam said, and I knew that he wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but I was just so agitated and irritated that I couldn't help but snarl at him before casting my gaze out the window.
"Oooh, testy," Louis teased.
I closed my eyes to keep from exploding.
The car burst into life and we rolled out of the driveway and out onto the road.
There was mo going back now.
I didn't know why I was so angry at everything today. I had been okay this morning, the rain waking me up wasn't too great but I didn't feel like screaming at everything. Then Louis' continuous pestering and being forced out of the apartment, and now Liam's stupid comment, I was just in a shit mood.
I hadn't gotten much sleep last night, so that could be a factor too.
And now the stereo was booming, literally making the car shake.
"Would you turn it down?" I yelled, unable to hear myself.
"It has to be loud because of the rain, we can't hear it otherwise," Louis called back, spinning in his seat slightly.
Liam grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around, tilting his face so that he was watching the road, "look at the rain Lou, you have to watch or we'll crash!"
"We won't crash." Louis laughed, "I'm a decent driver."
"Your going over the limit right now" Niall pointed out, leaning over to see the speed.
"On purpose" Louis nodded, "I'm not stupid."
My lips curled, "you're meant to slow down in the rain dumbass, not go faster."
The argument had been lighthearted and teasing until I spat at him, and there was a few seconds of silence after my words.
Niall looked at me, frowning hard, "how about you go to sleep H, maybe you'll wake up yourself."
"I am myself, I'm just. . .pissed. I don't want to sleep."
Liam rolled his eyes, "just go to sleep. You're being so annoying today."
"So first you force me out of the apartment and now you're forcing me to sleep?" I exclaimed. Why was I so touchy?
"If you don't go on your own I'll knock you out myself," Liam threatened, "I'm sick of hearing you complain."
He wasn't kidding by the looks of it. He didn't look overly happy with me. Because there was nowhere to escape inside a car, I nodded in resignation.
"Fine, but turn the music down will you?"
Louis spun the dial until it was much quieter, "there, now fuck of to dreamland and get your shit together."
I closed my eyes and leaned against the window, trying to relax.
For the first time that day the rain actually worked in my favor and the sound of it pounding on the windows sent me off to sleep within minutes.
***
Niall's POV:
I didn't know what had crawled up Harry's arse and died today but he was honestly confusing the hell out of me. He was never so snappy and angry, it was a strange sight to see. I understood that he didn't want to come, but he didn't have to be such a dick about it. It wasn't like him at all.
At least he was asleep now. It was pretty quick for him too, usually he takes a while to drift off, so he must've been tired. I guessed that was why he was so prickly, but usually when he was tired he was more quiet and cuddly rather than snarky.
"How much longer do we have to go Lou?" I asked. I actually didn't mind driving around, I liked being in car for some reason. Watching the view out of the window, listening to some good music; it sounded like a good day out to me.
Louis tapped the steering wheel a few times, "quite a while, but we'll stop at a gas station to grab some snacks about half way there."
"Sounds good, I'll probably need to pee by then too."
My face scrunched up a little, realising that I was probably going to have to use a gross gas station toilet.
"I better not." Liam pulled a face similar to mine, "I'd rather piss on a tree than use those horried bathrooms."
Harry slowly slumped against the window before turning his head so that he was facing me. He snuggled down against the seat until he was on my shoulder and then stayed like that. I could feel his breath on my neck.
"So what do you think is up with him?" Liam asked, obviously talking about Harry.
Louis shrugged uselessly behind the wheel. We went around a sharp corner, "who fucking knows what goes through his head."
"I think he's just tired, he fell asleep really quickly."
Harry made a quiet sound and wriggled a little but didn't wake up.
An hour later we stopped at a gas station like Louis had said we would. It was literally in the middle of nowhere and there was only one other car plugged in, an old couple sitting in the front while someone filled their tank for them.
Louis parked up by a pump because it was closer to the entrance and nobody else was there anyway. It was still raining, and I was barely dry from my run to the car this morning. Nobody wanted to park in the car park and then have to walk all the way over to the shop.
"And here we are, is everyone going in?"
"Yeah, I guess." Liam shrugged, "wanna wake up Harry, Ni?"
I winced, "what if he bites my head off?"
If I tried to wake him up and he didn't want to be woken, there was a high chance I would get screamed at or hit. Neither of which I wanted. But, he might be feeling better and be fine about it.
Louis shrugged, "You'll live"
I sighed and started gently shaking Harry, whispering his name.
"We've stopped for food Haz, wake up."
He moaned and his eyelids flickered a few times before he stretched out his legs and opened his eyes. "Are we here?" he slurred.
"Half way, we're at a gas station."
"I need the bathroom," he groaned, opening the door and slithering across me and out of it. He swallowed and glanced own at his stomach for a split second before stumbling off towards the sign that read toilets.
Louis raised his eyebrows, "well, that went better than it could have."
Hopefully he'd be back to his usual self when he got back from the bathroom.
Thankfully I didn't need to pee. Liam did, but he ended up using a bush just around the corner in fear of catching some disgusting disease.
Harry came out of the bathroom while the rest of us were searching through the sweets isle for something we all liked. He didn't say anything, instead just watched and then followed when we went up to pay for the couple of bags of lollies, chips and the water bottles we had picked out.
It was better than him yelling at everything that moved, but the silence was kind of weird too.
We all loaded back into the car after a bit of a break and quickly got back onto the road, not wanting to wait around to long and then not get to Louis' precious dinosaur exhibit before it closed.
"You still grumpy?" I asked Harry when he leaned back over onto my shoulder. I didn't mind, it was comfortable for me too.
He mumbled into my shirt so softly I thought I might have misheard him. Did he say he felt sick?
"You what?"
He whimpered, "my stomach hurts pretty bad. . ."
Louis glanced at us in the mirror, "what's he trying to say?"
I repeated what Harry had just told me. Liam cast me a knowing look in the mirror but I didn't know what meant by it.
He sighed, apparently annoyed by my stupidity, before voicing his thoughts aloud, "nice try Haz, but we've been driving for almost three hours, we're not turning around now."
So he thought Harry was just lying to get out of going to the museum.
Louis added a swift 'no way' onto the end, snorting a bit, "are you seriously trying to pull the sickie trick? Dude, you're a grown man, deal with it. It's just a museum, you'll survive."
Harry stiffened on my shoulder, waiting for my opinion.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what I thought.
The roads had been kind of twisty, and I'd seen the glance at his tummy back at the service station. Maybe he really did feel ill. But then Liam and Louis had a good point too, it was the perfect way to get out of going to the museum and I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
I didn't know what to think.
"I know. . ." Harry trailed off, "but can we just slow down a little or something?"
I peered over at the dashboard, "I agree Lou, we're going way too fast."
"Fine, but all of us have had enough of you today H, this better be the last complaint I hear," Louis replied, sounding like a father.
Then Harry stayed quiet, defeated.
"How bad is it?" I murmured. I figured I might as well take the gamble of believing him, since no one else did. Even if he was lying, I could still be a good friend.
"I don't know, bad," he replied just as quietly. He had paled a little since getting in the car and his face looked kind of damp as of he was sweating.
He looked ill.
"Tell me if you want to pull over, just grab my shirt or something if you don't feel like talking."
He hummed in response and wearily opened his eyes. "Can I have a drink?" he asked, speaking to the whole car now.
Liam passed a bottle back without interrupting his singing, barely looking at either of us.
Harry shuffled upright a little more and I watched as he took a few weary sips before shoving the bottle shakily into the pocket on the back of the seat in front of him.
Barely five minutes later there was a tug on my shirt and I swiveled to see Harry almost hyperventilating by the looks of it, looking ten times paler than before and ten times more terrified.
"Pull over!" I yelled sharply over the music. It must've given Louis a fright because the car swerved instantly and yanked to a stop on the side of the road
"Why did you scream at me?" Louis yelled, switching the radio off.
I was too busy opening my door and helping a very panicked brunette out of the car to respond.
Once out of the car Harry pretty much tripped straight away and fell onto his knees, his legs failing to hold his weight. The grass was dead and prickly, so I could imagine it hurting a reasonable amount. Of course, it was still raining, so within seconds both of our hair was matted to our skin and our clothes were sticking to us like glue.
The car doors opened as I started rubbing his back, trying to get his rapid breathing to slow down.
Liam approached me, blinking rain from his eyelids, "is this serious? What's going on?"
I gently pulled Harry's hair off his face so that if he was to be sick, which was highly likely by the looks of things, it wouldn't go all through it, "he's just carsick I think, and he's half scared himself to death by the looks of it."
"Obviously he wasn't lying earlier then," Liam said sheepishly, "I'm so sorry, Haz."
"I w-was an arsehole, it's o-okay," Harry stammered. He suddenly gagged, hard, and a strangled gasp came from his gaping mouth but nothing else.
"I'm sorry too!" Louis added, putting his massive umbrella over Harry's shaking form to shield him from the rain. It was so big that everyone else could fit under it too.
Harry heaved again and threw up, spitting and coughing in disgust. "S'okay," he sputtered while he got his breath back.
"You done, mate?"
He nodded and I helped him up. He looked awful now, like he was about to drop dead, but he got to the car on his own and strapped himself in while I did the same beside him.
Louis turned the car back on but didn't turn the music back on.
"Can we keep going?" He asked Harry.
"Let's just get it over with," came the reply, but it was joined with the first smile of the day from the curly haired lad.