C H A P T E R E L E V E N:
“Pick up your phone,” Louis mumbles.
He's been calling and texting Harry all morning and the time for school is soon approaching. Louis hasn't spoken to Harry since their phone call got cut off, and to say he's worried is an understatement.
“Come on,” he hisses to the device. “God damn it, Harry, pick up your phone.”
“Time to go, Lou,” Zinnia pokes her head through the door, her nose ring slightly damp from the epson salt water she has to use to clean the piercing.
Reluctantly, Louis hangs up his phone and tucks it into his pocket. He picks up his bag and slings it over his shoulder and follows her out the door. Zinnia furrows her eyebrows and turns back to look at him.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
Louis gives his mother a glance. She isn't paying attention. He grips Zinnia's wrist and pulls her out the door, dodging Lottie, Felicite, and Gwyneth as they make their way from the house.
“No, I'm not,” he admits when they're out of earshot. “Harry's not answering his phone.”
Zinnia scoffs. “Jesus, Lou, give the boy some space.”
“You don't understand, Zinns,” Louis pulls on his hair and sighs. “We were talking Friday and then his foster brother came in and Harry screamed at him to stop before the line went dead.”
Zinnia blinks a few times. “Wait, wait, wait, foster brother? When were you going to tell me?”
“I'm sorry,” Louis says. “I didn't know how. I didn't think it was important.” He drops his head down. “I'm so worried about him, Zinnia.”
She squeezes Louis' arm. “I know you are.”
They don't say anything else after that. It's easier for Louis to lose himself in his thoughts than make conversation with Zinnia, so that's what he does.
By the time Louis and Zinnia get to school, he already has several plans formulating in his brain. All he needs is Harry to show up so he can protect him.
“I'll see you in French,” Zinnia hesitates a moment, then grabs Louis' arm and says, “We're early. If I had to guess, Harry's in the library. Isn't he usually there every morning?”
“Right,” Louis nods. “I'm going to go find him.”
“Okay,” Zinnia agrees. “We're going to talk later, by the way. We clearly have a bit of catching up to do.”
“Okay,” Louis smiles.
He grips his bag tighter and heads off in the direction of the library. On his way, a hand grips his shoulder from behind and Louis turns around to find Cody Ault. He swears and bares his teeth.
“What do you want?” Louis demands.
Cody has the nerve to laugh. “Just wanted to say hi. I haven't seen much of you since Halloween.”
“There's a reason for that,” Louis says and turns to walk away. When Cody grabs his arm, he hisses, “Let go. I'm meeting Harry, so I suggest you back off and walk away.”
“Oh, fiesty,” Cody bursts out cackling. Louis hates him so much.
He turns and marches away, not giving Cody the attention he needs to make himself feel important. He doesn't look back as he makes his way to the library and heads in, sitting down next to a head of curls he knows too well. He barrels into the room, reved up from Cody's taunting, and pulls Harry into a hug without even saying hello.
“Oof,” Harry makes a squeaking sound, struggling to turn around in Louis' grip so he can hug him back. Louis just cups the back of his head and holds him tightly.
“You're okay,” he says, rocking Harry a bit. Both of them know it's for Louis' comfort more than it is Harry's. “I was so worried about you after our phonecall got cut off.”
Harry wraps his arms around Louis' waist and squeezes, nuzzling into his neck and resting their cheeks and foreheads together. Louis distinctly makes a sniffling sound and they hold each other tighter.
“I'm okay, Lou,” Harry assures. Taking a deep breath, he adds, “I'm fine, babe, you don't need to worry.”
Louis pulls back, looking into his eyes, teary smile on his face. He wipes his tears and then Harry's, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Harry tangles their fingers together and rests their hands against his cheek, knowing that both of them have never needed the comfort of each other like they do right now.
“See, I'm okay,” Harry repeats in a soothing voice, kissing Louis on the lips. This is definitely a change for both of them, both feeling out of place at the switch in rolls, but feeling good about it at the same time.
The librarian clears her throat as the bell rings and Louis reluctantly pulls away from Harry, pulling him up by his hand and exiting the room with him. Louis can't think of a better place to be than with Harry by his side. He doesn't think he can get more content when Harry fits his had in the crook of his neck and bumps their hips together as they walk to homeroom.
“I love you,” Louis tells him, kissing Harry's forehead and breathing in the sweet scent of his hair.
“I love you, too,” Harry reciprocates.
Louis craves these moments. The ones where Harry doesn't seem so battered and worn out, where Louis doesn't feel so tired and beat up. Times like this when everything seems to innocent again. Louis would give anything for this to happen all the time, for all the bad things to go away and leave Harry smiling all the time.
Outside homeroom, Harry shyly cups Louis' cheeks and presses their mouths together.
“Meet me in the bathroom at lunch?” he requests. “I have some food packed so we don't get hungry, since we won't get to eat anything from the cafeteria.”
“Plan this, did you?” Louis teases, his eyes sparkling.
Harry's cheeks flush. “Maybe. So, meet me there? Five minutes after the bell? There's something I need to set up.”
“I'll be there,” Louis promises. He cups Harry's cheek and pulls him closer, bumping their noses together. “Let's head in, I don't want Ms. Lucia to yell at us.”
As the sound of giggling girls sound from just around the corner, Harry pulls away and bolts inside the classroom. Louis sighs and watches him go before following. He wishes Harry wasn't so easily embarrassed, but if everyone in school brandished him a murderer at thirteen and didn't leave him alone about it, Louis thinks he'd be embarrassed, too.
After Ms. Lucia has taken attendance, Chloe-Grace taps Louis on the shoulder and begins to talk to him. He mumbles “hello”, but chooses to tune her out and mutter acknowledges every now and then.
His attention is only grabbed when Chloe-Grace says, “Did Aura tell you she has a crush on you?”
“What?” Louis splutters. This is news to him. He knows Harry heard, can practically feel the way his body goes rigid from a few rows back.
Chloe-Grace nods. “It's true.” When she sees his wide eyes, she rolls hers and assures him. “She'd never come between you and Harry, though. She knows that you're gay, and she knows how much you love Harry. She likes you two together.”
“Is that why she gets all... angry?” Louis asks.
“Pretty much,” Chloe-Grace answers. “She can't have you, that's why she wants you. Don't worry about it, it's just a silly little crush. They happen, don't they?”
“Zinnia had a crush on me for a few years,” Louis shrugs his agreement. “I only found out this year and she liked me when we were ten to twelve.”
“Aura's liked you since October, but crushes can be hard to shake,” Chloe-Grace sounds like she's thinking aloud. “I wouldn't make a big deal about it. When she graduates, she'll forget all about her stupid crush. Promise.”
Louis nods and turns away, looking over his shoulder to try and catch Harry's attention. He doesn't gain it. Giving up with a sigh as the bell for period one rings, he gathers his things and heads out the door. Harry doesn't wait for him. Louis knows him well enough to conclude that he's upset.
The morning crawls by, and when it's time for Louis to meet Harry, he's cranky. He's praying that Harry can soothe is frustration.
“Hi,” Louis says to Harry when he enters the washroom.
Harry looks up and smiles. “Hey,” he greets, patting the ground. “Come sit.”
Louis smiles to himself and takes a seat across from Harry on the floor. He loves Harry's confidence, but he hates how easily it could shatter.
“Are bagels okay?” Harry asks timidly. Even the slightest harsh tone can break him, and Louis hates that. He wishes he can build Harry up as high as the sky and keep him floating their. But he can't do that.
Instead, he nods and says, “That's fine. Anything you make me is fine unless it's not seafood.”
“I'd never make that, it's disgusting,” Harry crinkles his nose. Louis reaches for a bagel from Harry's hand and tries to ignore how they're eating on the bathroom floor where anyone can walk in and see them.
“So, why are we here?” Louis asks after a few minutes. Harry sets his bagel down and swallows, clearing his throat in the process.
“I need to talk to you about the whole across Europe trip thing,” he says.
“Oh, Harry,” Louis shakes his head in process. “No. I said I'd give you time to think about it. It's barely been a week. Give it time, baby, I don't need an answer right now.”
“I know,” Harry continues, “but I thought about it, and I have an answer.”
“Babe—” Louis attempts, but Harry interrupts him.
“Just listen to me, please?” he says. “This is important to me.”
“Okay,” Louis gives in. “Okay,” he repeats. “If you're really sure.”
“I am,” Harry nods. “I want to go with you on the trip. I was thinking, and I thought that I want to be at least graduated high school before I lose my virginity for real or do anything related to the sex topic.”
Louis furrows his eyebrows. “What are you talking about? You've already had sex before. What do you mean for real?”
Harry sighs, looking pained and very conflicted. “Lou, I need to tell you something.”
“Can I hold you?” Louis asks, already reaching out, but Harry stops him.
“No,” he answers. “If you do that, I'll never get it out.”
“Alright,” Louis tries to hide his rejected look and put on a brave face for Harry's sake.
“Okay,” Harry takes a deep breath, then starts to cry. He wipes his eyes furiously before he continues. “Leigh and Dalton, they do things to me. A lot of the boys at my foster house like to—” He chokes. “—rape me. And Leigh touches me.”
“Harry,” Louis breathes out. Harry hangs his head in shame. Louis reaches for him, pulling him into his arms as they tumble to the floor together. “Shh, baby, it's okay.” Louis strokes his hair and back, rubbing circles into his shoulder blades. “I won't think of you any differently. Oh, babe. Shh.”
Harry clings to him. “I'm leaving there soon, so it'll all be okay.”
Louis just holds him. He's never felt so helpless before. As much as he wants to help, he can't mess with the legal system and expect to walk away without a scratch. All he can do is hold Harry tight and comfort him, so that's what he does. He wishes he can protect Harry from the world, but he can't.
A/N: I know I said Tuesday, but I have to be super energized all day with the kids at camp, so I'm a little drained. Doing my best, guys. It's getting late, so I have to go to bed as I need to get up early, so I'll share some camp stories in the next chapter. I have one more week to go before I'm free. Side note, I'm trying to keep this story realistic, so if this direction of Louis not really stepping up to help is not what you want, sorry, but Harry is legally bound to his foster care until he's eighteen. He can't really mess with the law unless he wants one of them in jail. Anyway, I hope you all have a good sleep! I'll update this weekend for sure. xxx