"You never realize how much someone means to you... even your best friend until you almost lose them" Louis smiled a few moments after we had left the room. I looked at him, taking in his red, watery eyes now.
"It touched you that much? Haven't you always been best friends, though?" Maybe it was a stupid question. They met each other in a gang, after all. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.
"No, no. Not at all. I was the last to join the gang. Naturally, I was the runt. They all immediately took a disliking to me, because they thought that Numbers, was going to be the last. It was pretty much a closed party. Well, I showed up, wanting to be able to provide for my family more or less. Anyways, everyone hated me, even Harry. He may have accepted me enough to let me on, but he was still incredibly harsh on me at first. He acted like he wanted me dead. Always setting me up with guys who I wasn't quite ready for yet. But after a while, I realized that Harry was just pushing all the big guys on me because he wanted me to get trained up fast- faster than the others to prove to the them that I had every right to be there. Now I'm second in command and they're scared of me. We're all on good terms now, but Harry got me where I am today. I can't thank him enough." Louis said, wiping away stray tears from his face. "I don't cry. I've cried so much while Harry was in here. I've cried two other times in my whole entire life that I can remember before Harry got put in here. Now it seems that it's all I'm doing. I can't wait until he gets out and I can stop this madness." Louis chuckled. I was amazed at the fact that this boy just told me most of his backstory. I'd only known him for a few weeks and he had completely opened up to me.
"Thanks for telling me that, Louis. I'm glad that you feel like you're able to open up to me." I smiled, wishing that Harry could do the same. That sounded really awkward- Like I was his therapist or something. I blushed involuntarily, wishing that I could take it back, but he brushed it off.
"Well, now I see you as a friend too." he smiled.
"I agree." I grinned bright, wrapping my arms around him. He seemed like a best friend from the movies. To think that this was a tough guy from a stray gang off of the streets. I felt bad that he had to live that way- and it was all for his family. So they could live better than he did when he was younger. That was more admirable than I could describe in words, and I wish that I could tell him that.
My heart nearly stopped for the umpteenth time today when my eyes caught hold of the rest of the gang, walking up the hallway. I had to admit that I was completely surprised that the secretary at the desk here let them in. My heart pounded against my ribs. I never wanted to see them again in my life. I felt trapped. I wanted to get out of here. I was ready for one of them to pull a gun off of their belt and start firing at hospital patients. "Get back." Louis mumbled, stepping in front of me like a shield. It bothered me to become aware of the fact that I still had to worry about them. It had been well over a month now and after being so close with Harry for that long, I'd thought that they would have made some sort of democratic decision that they should leave me be. I know that I am not one of them, but if I am close with their leader, why should they not treat me with respect? I wonder if they feel bad at all for what they did to me the first night that I met them.
"Hey, it's pretty girl." Numbers muttered. I felt sick to my stomach. I had never been treated like this before in my life. I've always known that I'm lucky to be able to say that. I know that many women are treated like objects, but I never had been until now. I hated the blonde boy.
"Long time no see." Pain smirked. Louis glared at the rest of them. I didn't see how he was part of them. He was human and they were practically animals.
"Relax, Tommo. She's Styles' now. We at least owe him that after everything that happened. It fucking sucks." Clifford said. I bit the inside of my cheek, not enjoying the way Clifford had said that I was Harry's, like I was his property, but I decided to ignore it. I'm sure they were used to that sort of thinking; they own girls. Though, I'm sure that Harry doesn't. I decided that it was safe to step out from behind Louis now, but still shifted uncomfortably back and forth on my feet.
"Nice to meet you properly. I'm Ash." one of the boys held his hand out, grinning at me. I glanced at Louis and he nodded at me. He must be another one that it is safe to be around. He seemed more like Louis than the rest of them. He seems nice and I recall him and Harry talking over the phone in a calm and even friendly manner. I wonder how he got caught up in this garbage. I'd have to ask Louis later. It was probably for the same reason that Louis had gotten into it.
"I'm Charlotte." I smiled back meekly, accepting the hand shake.
"I know." the boy said. "Styles might've mentioned you once or twice. Or a thousand times." he giggled. Giggled.
"Alright boys, I think that we should reintroduce ourselves to Charlotte seeing as that our first meeting wasn't... the best..." This caused an unpleasant grunt from Zayn. He started to take a cigarette out of his pocket but Ashton said something to him and he put it back, grumbling curses under his breath.
"Alright, I see we've got a real party out here." Doctor Malonie said, after walking out of the room. "How nice." he laughed. "You're welcome back in now."
"Hey, Charlotte?" Niall said when it was just the two of us left in the hallways. I took a step away from him to create distance and smiled, weakly. I wanted to punch him right in the face. How dare he address me this way after treating me like garbage.
"Leave me alone."
"I'm serious. Please just listen to me."
"Why the hell would I listen to you? As if I'd ever listen to anything that you have to say. Never even say my name again."
"Hey, please... Just give me a chance for a second. I'm not what you think I am."
"Oh really? Then how are you? You attacked me. Me. A young girl who wanted nothing to do with you. I didn't say or do anything to any of you and you attacked me. Stay away from me." I turned on my heel and immediately started walking down the hallway. I didn't know where I was going to go. I was supposed to be back in Harry's room now. Everyone else was. They would wonder where I was if I didn't show. But I didn't care. I had to get away from this guy. Maybe I'd just walk out of the hospital and go home for the day. Surely, Harry and Louis would understand. They knew what happened. They know what he did to me.
"Charlotte!" he yelled, grabbing my wrist. I yanked it out of his grip as if he had burned me. I noted the shock in his eyes when he realized he had grabbed me like that. "Give me two minutes." he said. I didn't know what else to do. I stood there, unmoving, against the wall and as far away from him as possible. I was petrified. Just like I was with Harry at first, only this was worse because Niall actually had done bad things to me when Harry hadn't. Niall actually WOULD kill me. "I'm really sorry about everything. It's just what I usually do- I know that sounds bad..." he paused, scratching the back of his neck, nervously. "That's not exactly how I mean it either. Shit, um... anyways." he cleared his throat, ready to continue now. "I didn't know that you were actually an incredibly sweet girl and I surly didn't know that you were going to end up with Styles. Not that I should have done it even if you weren't such a nice girl. I know that. But-Well- If it helps, I am super nervous right now, mostly because I'm afraid of what you'll do to me. You look like you can pack a punch." he laughed, lightly, but it didn't sound like he was joking. I had to smile. "I know all the apologizing in the world won't help. I just wanted you to know that I'm extremely sorry for what I did. Trust me, though, Styles gave me real grief for it. Not that he's making me apologize... Wow, I am shit at apologizing. But anyways..., on that... See this?" Niall asked, pointing to the skin just under his eye. I leaned closer, trying to figure out what he was talking about when I saw the slightly lavender rim.
"Did Styles do that?" I asked. Niall nodded. I felt bad for him, but he did deserve it after his behavior and it wasn't my right to be apologizing for Harry either. Besides, I'd say that the cut on my leg was still worse than the light bruise on his face, even though that had to be a month old by now. It was probably much worse when he had first hit him. He deserved everything that happened to him and I wasn't sorry for it. "Good." I said, looking the other way. I knew it was mean and that's why I couldn't make eye contact, but I still didn't feel bad about saying it.
"So, I'm really sorry. I know that my eye doesn't make up for it either, but... I'm really sorry. I'll spend the rest of my life, trying to make it up to you even though nothing will be good enough. What I did was unforgivable. But also, just so you know... I was never gonna....rape you or anything." I flinched at the word. "I know that that's probably what it seemed like I was going to do, because of how I was acting. I wasn't going to. I've never done that to anyone, because man, Charlotte, I am a shitty, shitty person, but even I know that there are boundaries, and I would tear a guy to shreds before I'd ever lay a hand on a woman like that. "I was honestly just trying to scare you. You're safe around me. You have my word. I'm sorry."
"It's a lot better now that I know you weren't going to- ugh. Yeah... That..." I said, not even being able to say the word. "If that's true. That really does make it better. Thank you for apologizing. Even the fact that you tried to make it better is sweet. But you should know that I still don't feel safe around you and I'm not going to for a long time. Maybe things will get better but not yet. So don't ever touch me. We should go in before they start wondering where we are, though." I said, pulling the door open. I couldn't say that it was ok. It was not okay that he had acted like that, but I felt a lot better about it now that he admitted all of that to me. I feel like we can move forward from it and maybe even become friends one day, but I will never say that it is ok.
-----------------------------------------
Author's Note: That was two really quick updates. I would've uploaded them even sooner, but my internet is out from a severe storm last night.
You should leave me some comments or votes to be happy about :) Thank you so much for reading. I love you!
~Peyt xx