Date Published: Sunday, March 26th, 2017
Word Count: 2055
Song: Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
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Tuesday, July 19th, 2016
7:40am
"Hurry up guys," Louis whisper-yelled. He was trying to get his sisters out of the house before his step-dad woke up.
Mark was passed out on the couch, four beer bottles littered around him. The only thing that made Louis feel the slightest bit safe, was Mark's loud snoring, meaning he was fast asleep. But that didn't mean that he couldn't wake up soon, so Louis had to get his sisters out of the house.
"Alright, calm down before you get your boxers in a twist," Lottie said, causing the twins to snicker.
"Who says I'm wearing any?" Louis sassed back.
"Ew, you're disgusting," Lottie squealed, pushing Félicité in front of her.
Louis noticed how Fizzy's eyes got wide and started tearing up, before scrambling away from Louis in fear. He made a note to confront her later that night, and hopefully find out what was wrong.
The Tomlinsons left the house and started their walk to school. The girls' elementary school was a block away from Chapwood High, so they all walked to school together every morning.
"Girls, let's get going," Louis ordered, looking at the clock on the wall. "Class starts in 15 minutes."
Everyone started picking up the pace, even Louis was jogging through the immense pain. When Louis noticed that Fizzy was trailing behind, he grabbed Fizzy's wrist and pulled her along, but she quickly tugged out of his grip and sprinted ahead of the group and ran the rest of the way to school.
"What did I do?" Louis asked, defeated.
"I don't think it's you. I think she's still upset about..." Lottie trailed off, realizing she said too much.
Louis stopped walking and grabbed Lottie's backpack, keeping her from walking away. He glanced down at his sister suspiciously. She avoided his gaze and looked down at her shoes, confirming Louis' suspicions. Lottie knew something.
"Are you two okay to walk alone the rest of the way?" Louis asked, glancing at Daisy and Phoebe with concern.
"Yes," Daisy replied, giggling slightly.
"Bye Louis," Phoebe added, who was also giggling.
The twins skipped off to school, and Louis kept glancing at them worriedly, just like a big brother would. He didn't want to let them walk alone, even if they were only a few blocks away, but he needed to confront Lottie. He turned Lottie around and grabbed her shoulders, not hurting her, but to keep her from running away.
"Spill," Louis demanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lottie replied, but Louis saw right through her lies.
"Tell me."
"No."
"I didn't give you a choice."
"I don't care."
"Lottie," Louis said warningly.
"Louis," Lottie replied back, in a teasing voice.
Louis snapped. He needed to know why his little sister was hurting. He needed to help her.
"Fucking hell Lottie, just fucking tell me! I'm not a bad guy! I'm not going to use it against her or anything! I'm her fucking brother! I'm supposed to protect her and keep her safe and help her in anyway that I can! But I can't fucking do that because I don't know what's wrong, and it hurts so badly. I love Fizzy so much, I love all of you girls, but if I can't protect you, what does that say about me? It says that I'm a horrible brother and I don't even deserve-"
"Don't finish that sentence," Lottie warned, cutting her brother off.
"I don't deserve you guys, or to even be alive. Protecting you and keeping you happy is all that I live for," Louis finished in a weak voice.
Lottie was shocked. She didn't know what to say to comfort Louis. He was usually the one helping her, so she didn't know what to do now that the roles were reversed.
"Louis, you're a great brother, and we all love you," she said cautiously.
"B-But, I'm not good enough, and I still don't know how to help Fiz," Louis mumbled, making sweater paws.
Lottie complimented her options. Keeping Fizzy's secret safe, or telling Louis.
"Mark raped her," Lottie blurted out, before shaking out of Louis' grip and dashing off to school, leaving a shocked and enraged Louis behind.
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8:08am
Louis walked into the school, not even acknowledging the pain shooting through his body. He was numb, in a trance. He couldn't process the fact that Mark had- no, Louis didn't even want to think those words. He knew that he should go home and beat the living daylights out of that bastard, but he also knew that he wasn't in the right state of mind to do so.
The people in the hallways rushed around, trying to get to class and bumping into Louis. He didn't notice. He didn't care.
"Hey Lou. Whoa, you okay lad?" Liam said, approaching the zombie-like boy.
Louis didn't respond, he didn't even notice his friend. Everything was spinning, but he wasn't dizzy. He was just- there's no way to describe the pain he felt.
"You look white at snow. Care for a poisoned apple?," Liam joked, trying to make his friend smile. He didn't understand how badly Louis was hurt.
"Come on you bonehead," Liam said, slapping Louis on the head. It wasn't too hard, but it was enough to get Louis attention.
"What?" Louis said weakly.
His head felt wet, and the weird feeling was spreading across his scalp. He slowly reached up with a shaking hand and pressed it against his head. It hurt badly, probably a combination of Mark's beating and Liam's light slap. When Louis pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. His blood.
"Holy shit, Louis I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that har-"
"It wasn't you, it's fine," Louis mumbled quietly, interrupting Liam.
"If it wasn't me, then who did it?" Liam asked, in an accusing tone.
Louis eyes went wide as he realized what he just said. And suddenly, everything that had happened to Louis had pieced together in Liam's brain. Liam knew someone was hurting Louis.
"Who is doing this to you," Liam asked angrily. He wasn't mad at Louis, but he was beyond pissed at whoever was hurting his best friend.
Louis didn't answer, he just looked down to his feet and made sweater paws, his hands fiddling nervously. He noticed a few drops of blood splashing on the floor, and Liam took note of that too. The taller lad looked around the hallway that was quickly clearing, before dropping his backpack on the floor.
He shrugged off his jacket and hung the hoodie on Louis, covering up his head. Then Liam picked up his bag, grabbed Louis by the wrist carefully, and pulled him into an empty classroom, locking the door behind him and shutting the windows.
"Okay, tell me what's going on," Liam demanded.
The poor lad was worried sick for his best friend the past few days, and now that he finally understood what was going on, he was furious. First, he would make sure Louis was okay, and then he would personally murder the bastard who dared to lay a hand on his best friend.
"It's fine," Louis whimpered, scared of Liam's reaction.
"Louis! It's not fine! Someone is hurting you! This is why you've been so sad lately, and why you've been looking like you got hit by a car! Because of some sick person who has been-"
"Don't say it."
"Abusing you! Louis, you need to let me help you. You don't deserve this," Liam said, grabbing Louis' shoulders and looking him in the eyes.
"But I do," Louis mumbled, looking down.
Liam felt his heart crack. It hurt him to see his best friend in such emotional and physical pain. And to the point where he had no hope left for things to get better only fuelled Liam's anger to Louis' abuser.
"Please, tell me," Liam said, his voice cracking. "Let me in."
Louis collapsed to the ground, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. Liam was quick to bend down and wrap his arms around Louis. He hated seeing him cry. Louis was usually so strong, and Liam hasn't seen him cry since his parents got divorced years ago. And here he was, crying for the third time this week.
"W-we have n-no m-m-mon-money, a-"
"Louis, take a few deep breaths and then continue," Liam said sympathetically. Louis did as told and started over.
"Ever since my dad left us, we've been struggling with the bills. That's why I work so much, and I bought phones for my older sisters but not for myself because all extra money I have goes to my mom. And if I don't work enough we could lose the house, and I couldn't do that to my family. I love them so much and I'm supposed to protect them. But I can't!" Louis wailed, starting to wail again.
Liam finally understood why Louis worked so much. He thought that Louis just liked working at the CD Shop, or that his mom made him, but now he knew that Louis just did it out of the kindness of his heart.
"And do you want to tell me about this?" Liam asked, pulling one arm away from the hug, taking his hoodie off of Louis, and patting his head lightly, pulling it back to reveal all the blood.
"No," Louis said in a small voice.
"Louis I'm not giving you an option," Liam said, hugging Louis again. "And I'll be here for you through this whole thing."
"Mark," Louis said, so quietly, that Liam didn't hear it.
"What?"
"Mark," the smaller lad repeated, his voice raising slightly.
"You mean your step-father Mark?"
"Yes, that fuck face! He tried to hit my mom and my sisters but I wouldn't let him, I let the bastard hit me instead. I couldn't let my family get hurt. And that shit head did worse. He raped Fizzy! He fucking raped her! And I didn't even find out until this fucking morning! I'm the worst big brother ever! I can't fucking believe that I'm such a shitty person that I let that dick even lay a hand on her! What the fuck did I do to deserve this? What did my mom, or my sisters do! I don't fucking deserve this shitty excuse of a life!"
Louis stood up, still crying, and rage filling his body. He grabbed a chair and lifted it over his head. He needed to throw something, break something, let the anger out, but Liam grabbed his wrists before he could do any damage.
"Louis, put the chair down," Liam said carefully, not wanting to anger Louis.
"Why should I? I think I deserve to-"
"Not here. Later," Liam said firmly. He took the chair out of Louis' grip and set it back down, before pulling the boy into a hug.
"Why me?" Louis cried.
"I don't know Lou, but I do know that you will be able to get through this. You're a great brother, your sisters look up to you so much. And I know after you get rid of Mark, you will help Fizzy get through everything. But no matter what, I'll be here for you."
Louis sniffled, trying not to dirty Liam's shirt, but Liam couldn't care less. Louis needed a place to vent, and Liam decided that he would be that place.
"Liam?" Louis asked quietly, pulling away from the hug.
"Yea?"
"I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, about everything," Louis mumbled.
"Don't worry, I understand it must of been rough. The Mark thing was pretty recent and it was pretty heavy. But I hope you know that you don't have to be embarrassed about the money thing. I'm your best friend, I wouldn't judge you," Liam replied.
"I know, but it's still lame."
"It's not lame at all. If anything, it just shows how strong you are."
The two boys didn't say much after that. What could even be said? Liam knew there was nothing he could say to comfort Louis. All he could do was be there for his best mate.
And Louis was thankful that he had someone like Liam by his side. Sure, Liam didn't understand what Louis was going through, but Liam was there for him during this horrible time, and that was all that he cared about.
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wow, another chapter, much proud, very yes.
hope your day was lovely and amazing by the way.
side note, i now have a total of 12 flower crowns. thats how i got my new username, original, yes?
thank you so much for reading. please vote, comment, and share if you enjoyed, i love you all.
liayn ~❁