"please tell me you're not looking at him again."
"i'm not," harry sighed, blinking and turning towards the blonde boy walking next to him. the hallway was incredibly crowded, so every time he took a step a shoulder would bump into him.
"you know, it's really weird that you have a crush on my stepbrother."
"i don't have a crush on him, niall. i wasn't even thinking about him before you brought him up," harry lied. but he couldn't help but take one more glance at the shorter boy dressed in a white tank top and black skinnies, topped off with black vans.
"i didn't even say his name and you knew who i was talking about," niall pointed out, rolling his eyes, but he was smiling.
sometimes niall confused harry. he never could make up his mind over whether or not he agreed with harry's major crush.
the bell rang, and it seemed as if the whole hallway cleared up in a second.
"shoot, i'm late," harry mumbled, dragging his black high top converse to the next class. niall called a quick good bye before heading off in the other direction.
the teacher didn't seem to notice his late arrival, which he was extremely grateful for. he already had enough trouble in maths, a bad relationship with the teacher would just make it worse. so he hunched over and walked to his desk, sliding into a seat with a deep sigh.
"hey mate." harry jumped at the deep voice in his ear, and whipped his head quickly to the left.
"oh," harry said, relieved, when he realized it was his friend zayn speaking to him. "hi zayn."
and then zayn leaned in closer, and harry wanted him to stop because the teacher was talking and he didn't want to get in trouble. but he didn't say that.
"you going to niall's after school?" zayn whispered, and harry nodded quickly.
"it's friday. course."
"good."
the rest of the class was spent staring at the confusing equations on the board and trying to find how it all made sense. but no matter how much he contemplated, he couldn't understand it.
he let out a sigh of relief as the bell rang for dismissal, and it seemed everybody agreed as they made similar noises.
harry smiled at zayn as they walked out of the classroom and into the busy hallway. it smelled of sweat and hairspray, and harry scrunched up his nose. "it smells in here," he frowned.
zayn nodded in agreement but didn't say anything, and harry looked away as he maneuvered his way through bodies that were almost all shorter than him.
but then he was frozen as he looked up ahead and saw the boy with shaggy brown hair and a slight frown as he walked.
louis.
"what're you doing man? niall is waiting for us."
of course he was. niall's last class was at the very front of the school, which meant he was always the first one waiting at the end of the day. harry was extremely jealous, as he had to walk forever until he finally got into the fresh air.
and that thought almost, almost distracted him from the fact that louis was coming closer, his blue eyes trained straight ahead and his books held in one arm by his waist, in a loose way that was very different than harry's. harry held his to his chest tightly, as he was very bad about getting bumped into and he didn't want to drop his stuff.
louis looked extremely bored but also beautiful, and harry could feel his face heating up as they walked by him, and ducked his head so his curls were covering his face when louis slightly bumped into him.
"sorry," he whispered, but louis couldn't hear him, instead he rolled his eyes at the younger boy and strode away.
"that was rude," zayn noted, but harry ignored him, and instead trained his eyes on his locker.
"hurry," zayn groaned as harry struggled to stuff his many books into his backpack, and harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
because harry wasn't mean. that was probably his main goal in high school. to be nice to everyone, no matter what they did. so he bit his tongue as zayn continued to say impatient words.
"almost done." his voice came out soft, and he was surprised zayn could hear him.
he finally swung his backpack over one shoulder and gently closed his locker door. it annoyed him terribly when people slammed their doors, because it was pointless and it gave him a headache.
zayn didn't seem to think the same way, as he had earlier slammed it so hard that harry could feel his locker door shaking.
"done," harry smiled softly at zayn. besides niall, zayn was his best friend. although his impatience and occasional door slamming, he was a good person. it seemed niall and zayn were the only people in this school that cared about him, but that was enough.
"okay, let's go!" zayn grinned, bumping his shoulder into harry's and laughing a bit as they walked quickly to the front doors of the high school.
they finally arrived at niall's car. he always drove them on fridays, because they always went to his house.
harry, per usual, was the most excited. going to niall's meant seeing louis.
louis was niall's stepbrother, and he was two years older than all of them. harry knew he didn't have a chance with louis, first because while louis was a senior he was a sophomore.
another reason was louis' small hatred towards him and zayn.
niall still apologised to the two of them for louis' cruelness, and harry always pretended it was okay, even though it wasn't.
harry knew louis could be nice. he sometimes watched him at lunch, eating with his only friend, liam, and he noticed how he always was smiling brightly and laughing and talking.
he wondered why liam was the only person louis tolerated. (well, besides niall.)
niall was confused why harry liked louis, because he was so mean to him. harry didn't know himself. something about his feminine features and loud laugh, and his joking attitude whenever he talked to niall, caused his stomach to get butterflies.
"harry, get in the car you twat," niall teased, looking at harry through the window.
the curly boy jumped, blinking a bit before realizing he was, indeed, standing by the car like an idiot, and he needed to get in.
"sorry," harry said sheepishly, climbing into the backseat.
zayn and harry always rotated the front seat every friday. today was zayn's turn, and harry didn't mind. he needed to think a bit, because he always needed to think before seeing louis. that was why he was so caught off guard when they bumped into each other in the hallway.
harry partially listened to zayn and niall's conversation about why girls should be allowed to wear shorts to school. he honestly didn't care, which he knew his friends would understand. they knew he was gay.
he hadn't exactly came out, but he wasn't hiding it either. in sixth grade, when the three boys became friends, they had asked him and he hadn't hesitated to tell them that yes, he was gay.
they had completely accepted him, which harry was extremely grateful for.
so now, while they continued to rant about the 'has to be past your knees' policy, harry pushed his ear buds in his ears and let himself bob his head to the soothing music.
his mum had found it weird that ever since harry was a kid, he had insisted on listening to classical music, and harry thought it was odd as well.
but he didn't mind. if he had to deal with the horrible music taste of this generation, so be it. as long as he had the violins and flutes to relax him, it was fine.
"we're here!" zayn screeched, and harry slowly pulled his ear buds out as they pulled into niall's endlessly long driveway.
niall's parents were extremely rich, as one was a doctor and the other a plastic surgeon. harry couldn't help but be a bit jealous, because his house was small and average just like everyone else's.
niall laughed as zayn rambled on about what they were going to do, and harry smiled along.
this was why he loved his friends. they accepted that talking wasn't his thing, and they still always tried to make him feel included.
he had to give himself credit though. he was a good listener.
the talking between the two never seemed to end as they strolled up the stairs of the house and into niall's large room. harry commented on things a few times, and niall always seemed to laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world, which harry liked about the blonde boy.
"louis, we're home!" niall called, cracking his door slightly, and harry leaned forward to listen to louis' voice from where he was sitting on niall's bed.
"don't be loud, and tell your friends not to speak to me!" louis called back.
and even though what louis said was mean, harry couldn't help but smile foolishly and stare at the ground at louis' high, sweet voice that he had grown to love.
"what're you smiling 'bout, h?" zayn nudged his knee, and harry shot his head up.
"nothing."
"you sound so believable," zayn teased. "really, why are you giving that signature harry smile that we so rarely see?"
it was true. harry did smile, but it was rare that he did a real, large smile where he showed his teeth and his eyes crinkled up at the sides.
because, although harry was a nice, happy person, he wasn't particularly... content. there seemed to be something missing from his life. he loved his friends, but that was it. his sister gemma was away at college and his mum seemed to never be home.
and although it was selfish, harry wanted somebody who would pay attention to him, and only him.
he just didn't know who.
so harry decided not to answer zayn, instead raised his eyebrows and said, "i will never tell you."
he expected zayn to continue and bug him about it, but zayn just winked and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
harry glanced around the room and realized that niall was missing.
"hey zayn, where's niall?" harry asked, slipping his backpack off his shoulders and plopping it on the floor.
"probably went to go get some snacks," zayn chuckled, and harry leaned forward to look at his phone screen.
he was playing 2048, a game that still confused harry. he didn't understand why it was so enjoyable. it had something to do with math, and he hated math.
zayn was right about niall, as a few seconds later niall came in with a bag of chips in one hand and three mountain dews in the other.
"give me one of those!" zayn laughed, throwing his phone down and holding his hands out.
it was a lousy toss from niall, and the mountain dew instead spiraled through the hair and hit harry right in the head, causing harry to let out a little squeak.
"oh my god, harry i'm so sorry!" niall rushed, covering his mouth with his hands, but harry could see him giggle a bit.
"s'not funny," harry whined, rubbing the side of his head and wincing a bit.
"it kinda is," zayn cut in, and harry glared at him.
"no it’s not!"
and then zayn opened his mouth to speak when the door swung open, and harry stared blushing like an idiot because it was louis, and he was now shirtless, his tank top probably on the floor of his room.
"what's up lou?" niall asked, gently placing the bag of chips on his bed before turning back to the shorter boy.
"mum's not gonna be home for dinner, so i'm supposed to ask you guys what kinda pizza you want," he sighed, and harry frowned when he pointedly looked at him with a glare on his face.
"and don't say cheese," louis rolled his eyes at the curly boy just as harry opened his mouth. zayn had already requested pepperoni along with niall.
and harry sat there with his mouth wide open, because louis was talking to him. it was a rarity for his attention to be on the curly boy, and when it was harry always turned into a blushing mess.
"uh, uhm," harry stuttered. "anything you want."
"well, i wanted pepperoni, but we're getting two pizzas and i want you to choose the second one."
apparently what louis had said there was too nice as he looked away with his cheeks flushed, biting his lip in a way that made harry squirm.
"cheese?" harry squeaked, ready to face palm, but then louis laughed.
and it was the most musical, beautiful sound harry had ever heard.
"did i not just tell you not to say cheese?" and louis voice sounded teasing, and harry didn't know what to do.
"uhm, i guess, if you-"
"okay, fine! i'll order cheese." louis' smile wasn't on his face anymore, as if realizing his mistake of teasing around with harry.
then he left, and harry looked at his hands and tried not to grin.
because even though louis had been mean to him, he had also been nice.
it was a start.
***
OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE THIS I LOVE WRITING THIS.
comment your thoughts! should i continue?
-kayla x