Chapter Two: Hermana
With a happy stomach and drowsy eyes, Louis bid all of his friends a goodnight before trudging away to his room, his legs now too tired to complete their functions correctly. The others didn't dare question Louis' change in attitude, continuing to eat their pizza in odd silence. An hour after Louis had gone to sleep, Tommy and Oli had moved to the couch to watch one of the many films that was held on a shelf just above the television. In the meanwhilst, Ed got a text back from a very familiar person, deciding to take a walk around the hotel to ease off his stress and worry a bit. He shoved his cold hands into the warm pockets of his moss green jacket, kicking a few rocks with his pearly white Converse. When he got to the hotel's pool, he opened the gate before walking inside, sitting on one of the cold cement benches, taking in deep and slow breaths, his head clearing up just a bit with each breath he took in.
Ed watched as a family of ducks skidded onto the ocean blue pool, quietly quacking as they bathed themselves in the bleach-filled water. He looked down at his hands, smiling when he heard the sound of the gate opening and shutting with a loud clank, heels clicking against the stone tile. "Long time no see," she sat next to Ed, her eyes never glancing away from him. "'m glad you finally decided to reach me after all these years of us suffering."
Ed looked up at the familiar blue-green eyes with genuine sympathy. "I know, Charlie, and I apologise, but no one is to blame, not I nor Louis. I did my best to keep Louis safe and out of harm's reach, that was my priority."
Charlotte, now twenty-two years old, crossed her legs, her small white bookbag sitting on her lap. They sat in silence for a whilst before Charlotte sighed deeply, watching Ed from her peripheral vision as she spoke, waiting for his reaction. "Fine." She paused before continuing with a nod. "I'll take Louis in and you lads can come along as well, I suppose. Only temporary, though, until you are all able to get back on your feet."
Ed stood up, taking Charlotte's hand into both of his. "I totally agree on that and I'm eternally grateful, thank you." He leaned down and gently pressed his soft lips onto her soft knuckles.
Charlotte didn't say a single thing, but smiled when Ed looked up at her. She wasn't uncomfortable by this, it was a friendly gesture and she appreciated it. On their way back to the hotel room, they conversed with one another. The two of them were recapping on each other's lives, not having seen each other in six, almost seven years just when Louis was turning eighteen and Ed decided it was best to meet up with Charlotte and discuss about Louis. Ed told her of the dangerous life the four of them had, even though she had an idea of how it was. He also explained how they escaped not too long ago, and how Louis' been dealing with his little problems since he's joined the gang.
Once they were in the hotel room, Ed immediately showed her to Louis' room, not bothering the introduction between her and the others. As soon as he switched the lights on, Louis began to shift in the bed, opening his eyes for a minute or two before finally reacting, being a light sleeper. With sleep still in his mind, he began spitting swears, covering himself from head-to-toe with his baby blue blanket. "Mate," Louis let out a sarcastic chuckle. "I'll kill ya with my bare hands, you know it, ya fucking idiot."
Charlotte walked towards her brother, sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing at him, noticing every single detail on him she swore she wouldn't be able to recognize if the situation were different. She gently ran her delicate hand up and down his back, the elder still unknowing of who was there. When Louis felt the unfamiliar touch, he immediately sat up, flinching and hissing in pain, glaring into Charlotte's eyes.
In realisation, his eyes widened, leaning back. His heart started aching for an unknown reason. He sat completely still as Charlotte cautiously touched his cheek before smiling, not noticing his wincing, and wrapped her arms around him, caressing the very ends of his hair, twisting the wisps between her fingertips. She uttered a single word, which had caused a series of memories to flush into Louis' mind. "Boo."
It was the nickname he was given by their dear mother Johannah before she and his father got the divorce that had separated Louis from his mother and only sister. Johannah had gotten the custody of Charlotte whilst Troy got custody of Louis, which their lawyers deemed fair enough.
During his visiting days with his mother, Louis got emotionally attached to one of her boyfriends Mark, soon becoming her husband. Louis, being a mere eight years old, adopted Mark's last name; Tomlinson. Though, not long after that, Johannah filed a divorce and fled to New York in the United States.
Both Louis and his father were devastated, so much that Troy couldn't even stand to see Louis, blaming the events on him. The man would leave early in the afternoon and return to Louis as late as midnight, either drunk, stoned, or both. Since then, Louis learned to go to bed early before Troy ever had the chance to see him. The only times Louis ever received proper meals were during schooling hours, and somewhat of a decent meal during the weekend, where he would find canned fruits and soups in the kitchen pantry. From then on, Louis continued living and caring for himself and himself only, seeing that's what everybody else in his family had done.
At the age of thirteen, Louis decided to run away with just his bookbag filled with food, clothes, and warm blankets. He learned to live that way ever since, roaming the streets with his head held high and an increasing amount of pride, too much for a young teen. That was until he met the worst people ever to set foot in his way.
Though, these memories were suddenly cut off by Ed, who was dragging Louis towards the bathroom whilst Charlotte was crying and screaming, trying to break away from Tommy's tight hold on her, wanting to get to Louis, but they all knew too well that that would've made things worse. Ed filled a glass with cold water from the sink and held it out towards Louis, gripping the sink for some kind of leverage, leaving the water running. He didn't touch Louis, he couldn't, even if he thought Louis seriously needed it, he just couldn't risk it.
Louis was wheezing harshly, trembling violently as his face flooded with tears, his hands fanning his face. Ed placed the glass down, watching as Louis slid down the wall until he hit the floor. He gripped his hair, his wheezing calming down until his breaths were quick and sharp, his heartrate accelerating more than it already was.
Ed continued watching him, sitting on top of the toilet lid. "Louis, you've got nothing to worry about, nothing to be afraid of."
Louis' grip was harsher, sobbing uncontrollably. Ed sat next to him, wanting to hug him close to his chest, but he just reassured Louis. "You aren't obligated to stay here, Lou. You're the one with the power." Ed told him, not wanting for Louis too feel helpless. "This is only temporary." Slowly, Louis became calmer and almost after twenty minutes, his breathing slowed and his trembling stopped, though his tears continued falling from his eyes.
"Good?" Ed asked, lowering his head a little to get a look of Louis' face. The latter nodded, wiping his face before standing up and taking a big gulp of the glass of water.
"He needs help!" Charlotte aggressively shouted just outside the door where Tommy was still holding onto her.
Ed stood as well, gesturing towards the door with his head. Louis saw that and nodded, leaving behind the glass of water as he walked through the door.
Louis nodded towards Tommy, rubbing his nose. "Let 'er go."
As soon as she was free, she quickly ran towards Louis, but before she could do anything, she stopped. She noticed Louis' wince when he saw her coming for him — he didn't want her to touch him. "Louis..." She reached out her hand towards him.
He glanced at her hand then to her. "I'm...off limits, alright?"
"Louis." Ed called to him firmly with his arms crossed . "'s your sister, treat her like it, yeah?"
He scoffed, shaking his head, glaring at Charlotte as he snarled. "Oh yeah? Then, explain to me where the hell were you for the past seventeen years?"
"Looking for you — "
"Bloody fucking bullshit." Louis interjected, crossing his arms. Even Ed had to agree with him on that. "So many years without a call or a visit. I reckon Troy's dead, eh? And Mum? Not a single fucking word. You all might as well be dead to me."
That stung like a bitch. It rang throughout Charlotte's ear like a nearby bell tower that was hit with a wrecking ball. Charlotte lost it, she pushed him onto the wall, gripping onto his collar. "Don't you dare, you fucker! I have been searching for you, day in and day out! I've turned Donnie upside down just hoping you'd be somewhere fucking familiar."
"Charlie!" Ed grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her back. "That's enough, you two." He looked down at Charlotte, trying to catch her stare. "Don't get angry with him, it's what he does, he can be...manipulative."
She shrugged him off, glaring at the one person she ever really cared about, the one person that could truly understand her — or so she thought. "Pack your things, you'll be moving in this week." With that being said, Charlotte walked off, reminding Ed to call her just before she left.
After a long and tiring lecture from Ed, the boys packed all of their belongings. Before they knew it, the week finally flashed by and were driving to Charlotte's place. It was a beautiful house in a fairly quiet neighbourhood, which Ed absolutely loved. The two-story house was big on the inside with five bedrooms, two downstairs and three upstairs.
Charlotte received the house and her Prius as a guilty gift from her father, along with cash every two weeks, which she has kept a secret from her mother. She didn't speak much with her mother after Charlotte moved back to the U.K., leaving Johannah behind. It was difficult to do, but she reckons it'll be worth it in the end, not certain if Louis would ever understand the situation they were going to face.
The first few steps in the home felt like a sort of success for the boys, especially Ed. He felt as if he succeeded in keeping his boys out of harm's way, like he finally won a losing battle. Though, for Louis, that battle remains unfinished and almost untouched as if nothing was going to occur to change it. Charlotte tried her best to make sure Louis felt right at home, asking him if he needed anything as she followed him into his bedroom.
Tommy chose one of the bedrooms downstairs, the other being Charlotte's. The other three chose theirs upstairs, Louis choosing the farthest one and Ed choosing the closest one to Louis' in case of any emergency. Louis looked around his room, finding any sort of flaw in it. The room was plain and simple, a room without a personality and Louis was destined to change it. "The walls," Louis replied to Charlotte's question, gazing at the dull, grey walls. "I want them blue, just to match my eyes."
Charlotte tilted her head to the side, a confused look spread across her features. "Are you sure?"
Louis glanced at her, scoffing. "Do I look fucking unsure to you?"
Charlotte glared at him, almost teasingly before walking out of the door. "Fair enough."
Ed walked over to Louis' bedroom to offer some help with unpacking, which was actually just him doing all of the unpacking for Louis, though Louis didn't complain.
Meanwhilst, downstairs Charlotte was on her way to her bedroom when she passes by Tommy's room, where he was sitting on the edge of his bed, playing on his phone. When he looks up to meet Charlotte's gaze, he smiles, which she returns with a faint blush before continuing to her bedroom with her head tilted downwards, the smile never disappearing.
___
The next few days, after everyone had settle in nicely, Charlotte took Louis to the university she was attending; The London School of Economics and Political Science. She knew Louis wasn't unintelligent, she argues that he has never really gotten a chance to show his intellect, besides, she knew a few close friends who'd be willing to help him out with his studies.
"This is dumb." Louis huffs, looking out of the window from the backseat.
Charlotte asked Ed to join them on the ride, being well aware of him being more capable of understanding and tolerating Louis. Ed saw the look on Charlotte's face and before she could reply, Ed touched her wrist gently. She understood and shook her head, clicking her tongue. "What's dumb is you not appreciating nor taking advantage of this opportunity. This could be the start of your future career!"
Louis scoffed, moving his fringe out of his eyes. "Did you just call me dumb?"
Charlotte took in a deep breath and let it out, keeping her eyes on the road. "Right."
Louis snorted, leaning back against his seat, his arms crossed against his chest, just as a stubborn and hormonal teenager would. There was a long moment of silence between the three of them. Ed didn't like the way that the relationship between the two siblings was already crumbling, nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to blame it on either of them.
Once they arrived at the uni, Ed dropped it and focused on Louis' education, which could determine his future as a whole. Louis insisted on staying in the car, but Charlotte wasn't going to let it go down so easily. She dragged him out of the backseat and pushed him all the way to the administration office, where they were greeted by a man around his late thirties with a greying brown beard and gentle hazel eyes.
"Hey, Linny." Charlotte greeted, sitting Louis down on one of the waiting chairs, looking directly into his eyes whilst crouching to his height. "I need you to stay. Right. Here."
Linny grabbed the papers he was working on and alligned them together, setting them aside. He folded his hands on his desk and smiled at Charlotte. "Hey, Lots, what can I do for you?"
Charlotte and Linny began speaking, with gestures towards Louis once in a whilst. Louis scoffed, playing on his new iPhone 7, something Charlotte had gotten him recently. After a whilst of the two of them talking, Linny nodded as he understood what Charlotte was asking of him. "Yes, of course, I'd love to help!" He finally said, making Louis roll his eyes.
Linny handed Charlotte a thin packet, telling her a few things before she thanked him. "Let's go." She said, gesturing towards the door with a nod of her head.
In no time, the trio make it home, where Louis immediately flies upstairs to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Charlotte scoffs when she and Ed enter the home, slapping her hands against her thighs. "How unappreciative can this fucker get? I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!"
Ed rested a hand on her back. "Absolutely nothing, you're doing wonderfully. Remember, Louis had a hard past with his father and all."
She nodded her head, walking into the kitchen with Ed by her side, placing her keys in a bowl with the application papers right beside it. "I don't know..." Charlotte rubbed her eyes, running her hands across her face. "You think...you think we can get him a psychiatrist?"
Ed gave her a look, suggesting it to be an awful idea. "Do you really want to put Louis through a shrink?" Ed tested, tilting his head as he crossed his arms.
Charlotte huffed, untying her bun and running her hand through her long hair. "If it helps, then I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
Ed sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter, watching as Charlotte grabbed a few biscuits from the pantry, sitting down on one of the chairs from the dining table.
"Look, I know what you're going through, I do and I know how confusing and frustrating it is, but this is your brother we're talking about. Not some kid you've picked up from the streets." Ed assured her, hoping that she would understand that soon.
"But that's just it! It feels just like that - like I don't even know him -"
"What do you expect? For you to pop up out of nowhere like some fairy fucking Godmother and bippity-boppity-whatever, I'm all over you and nothing's changed?" Louis walked into the kitchen, calmly interferring in the conversation. He opened the fridge and popped open a can of Coke, taking a sip.
He closed the fridge, leaning his back against it. He watched Charlotte vigilantly, however didn't react much when she gave him a sympathetic look.
"How long have you been listening?" Ed interjected, his eyebrows knotted together.
"Long enough." He glanced at Charlotte. "Who cares, though? I'm just some kid you've picked up from the streets, isn't that right?"
Louis looked between Ed and Charlotte, continuing to sip on his drink before chuckling when realising they weren't going to mention anything else about it. "So much for helping, eh, Lottie?" He teased, knowingly using her childhood nickname. He attempted to keep his temper under control as he walked off to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Louis laid down on his bed, looking through his phone with a blank look on his face, no remourse located anywhere in his broken conscience.
"So much for family." He softly spoke to himself.
___
Thoughts?