(This chapter comes with a warning/Trigger it contains child abuse)
Ella's POV
"You've done well" I eye up Summers hands full of notes.
"Yeah! Actually I've never made so much as I have tonight. The punters were generous, they always are the closer to Christmas it gets" She smiles as she carefully places each note on top of each other on the table.
It's slowly getting closer and closer to Christmas which only means I'll be turning one year older in two weeks time, not forgetting that goes the same for Louis.
"It's my birthday on Christmas Eve" I tell Summer.
"Is it! Oh my god do you know that's Louis birthday too?" She gathers up the money and stuffs it in her bag.
"Yes I found out in conversation" I smile.
"Can't believe he told you. He hates his birthday, whatever you do don't get him anything. Don't waste your money. Last year I brought him a card and he burnt it in front of me, he's just an ungrateful fucker" she frowns.
"I didn't know he didn't celebrate his birthday" I lean down and take my heels off.
"Neither did I, until last year. I've never seen him be so angry about it, completely flipped out on me" she rolls her eyes.
"Well I'll keep that in mind" I say before Louis enters the hall.
"Alright boss?" Summer looks in his direction.
"Mhm, had a few good comments tonight Summer. Well done" he goes to the bar and pours himself a drink.
"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow. Ella do you want a lift?" She stands and throws her bag over her shoulder.
"No thank you. Lou- I- I brought a car a few weeks ago. I thought I told you" I stammer.
Summer looks over me and then over to Louis, "maybe you did I just of forgot, Ok well I'll see you tomorrow" she smiles and leans in for a quick goodbye hug before she leaves the building.
"She's so fucking irritating" Louis walks over to me and hands me a large glass of wine.
"You are so rude" I take a long needed sip.
I watch as he takes a seat next to me, he brings his glass up to his lips and I watch as he slowly sips the brown liquid, letting a long loud sigh out once he's swallowed.
I stay silent not really sure what to say, I want him to start of whatever it is that's about to be spoken about. I don't want to force him, I need this to be done on his own.
After five minutes of pure silence and just the noise of us swallowing our drinks I try and bring up conversation, "Did you catch up with all your emails?" I glance to the side.
With a slow nod of his head he picks up his glass again and downs the last remaining brown liquid, "My father raped me"
I snap my head to look at Louis completely shocked with his outburst. I was not expecting anything of the sort to come out of his mouth, before I can say anything Louis speaks again keeping his head low.
"All the time, every day. He beat me day in day out, used me as his own personal cigarette tray I can still remember the taste of them being forced in my mouth" he shakes his head, "still alight. My mother didn't care she watched and sometimes done things if he asked her too. This was for as long as I can remember. I was home schooled by my mother so I never left the house I never had friends until one day a family moved in next door" he stops to take a breath.
With tears threatening to burst from my eyes, "Harry?"
Louis nods his head, "we use to wave at each other from our bedroom windows then slowly we used card to write notes on them. We were only ten, I was ten when I found my first friend. We started sneaking out after everyone was in bed, we would sit out in the back yard and talk for hours and laugh. I'd never laughed before I met Harry, I didn't know I could. I slowly started to tell him about my parents and it was then I realised through Harry how fucked up my life was" Louis stands and goes to the bar bringing over the whole bottle and filling his glass up.
"I don't know what to say Louis. I'm so so sorry" I place my hand on his knee but he shakes it off.
"Shit happens to kids, it always will just be thankful you had parents who wanted and loved you" he downs his glass.
"Harry was my only worth in life, he kept me going through everything knowing at the end of the day I was going to see him in secret, he was the reason I didn't fucking kill myself. On my eleventh birthday my father called me down from my room. He had a box in his hand this was the first present I was given in my life. I always just use to watch my mother and father open gifts to each other and wonder what it was like to receive such a thing. I opened the box and there was a small Mickey Mouse toy. I remember the smile on my face. I loved Disney, my mother use to let me watch the films and I saw adverts on tv saying it was the happiest place on earth. I really wanted to go more than anything"
"Louis I'm so sad for you. For everything you've been through" I whisper.
"It was the worse birthday of my life and that was the day everything ended" he closes his eyes.
"What do you mean?" I frown.
Louis' POV - fifteen years ago
"I'll meet you here tonight at our usual time" Harry says as I rush back indoors upon hearing my fathers car pull up the drive.
I will look forward to seeing Harry tonight, he said he brought me a gift for my birthday. It will be my first ever present and I'm really excited.
I scramble upstairs and sit in my room, my old uncomfortable bed dirty from never been changed. I quickly hide the toy story movie under my bed that my mum gave me a few weeks back just incase my father finds it. I don't want to think what he'll do to me if he sees it.
I spend the next few hours in my cold bare room until I hear him calling my name, "Oi fuck face come down here"
Every time he calls me shivers run throughout my body, thoughts of what he might do to me makes me sick. The pain foremost it the worse, but I've learnt to control it but it never gets better. I slowly leave my room and walk down the stairs.
I enter the living room and come face to face with the monster, he's holding a small box wrapped in paper.
"Happy birthday" he holds the box out.
Feeling confused I look to my mother who is sitting in the arm chair with her head down.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Don't ask dumb fucking questions" he throws the box on the floor in front of me.
I pick up it always keeping eye contact with him, I need to know where he is in the room at all times.
I unwrap the present and open the box and pull out a Mickey Mouse toy.
"Wow" I hold it up and inspect it. I've never really felt happiness before but this must be it. I pull it into my chest "Hello Mickey" I whisper in to his ear. Toy story has made me really want to believe in toys being real.
"We are going to Disneyland" my father shouts excitedly.
"Huh?" I look up with tears in my eyes.
"We are?" I question.
"The happiest place on earth!" He claps his hands together.
I let out a scream, "really? We are really going?" I cry. For once tears are falling but I'm not upset.
My mother shakes her head, she doesn't seem happy.
I look to my father who is laughing so much he is nearly on the floor, "no you dumb fuck! Like I would take you there. It's a fucking joke, you know like your life!" He laughs.
I swallow a lump in my throat and watch as my father rips Mickey from my arms, "No he's mine" I reach out for him.
My only possession taken from me.
"Please I love him can I have him back" I reach again.
"Love! Haha love. You don't know what love is" he smirks.
I watch in horror as my teddy is held above my fathers lighter, I watch slowly as Micky is turned into a ball of flames.
"That was funny, your face! Look at you. You stupid fucking boy" my father steps towards me leaving Micky burning on the floor.
"I'm not stupid and I'm not a boy anymore" I whisper.
I don't talk back but something in me has changed, maybe it's because I'm older now. Maybe it's because I've truly seen what an evil man he is, Harry always seems so happy with his family. They do nice things for him, I've never had that.
"What?" My father stops and turns towards me.
"I'm not stupid!" I scream. The tears have turned into anger.
I don't want to live like this, in fact I don't want to live at all! No one wants me here they never have. What's the point?
"Don't you ever talk to me like that! Trousers down now!"
"No please." I beg.
"You misbehave and speak to me with such disrespect, you must be punished. All little boys are punished when they are naughty" I watch as he undoes his belt to his jeans. The knowing jingle of the buckle sets my senses wild, I know what's about to happen.
"Mum?" I turn to her.
"Louis just do what your father says" she replies in her usual tone.
"Please don't do that. It hurts me" I cry holding onto my trousers.
"Punishments aren't meant to be enjoyable for you" he lowers his trousers and pants, turning me around.
"Bend over" he leans down and whispers.
Harry's POV - fifteen years ago.
As soon as the clocks strikes midnight I creep out of my bedroom taking the small gift I brought for Louis. I've saved up for weeks doing extra jobs for my mother around the house. I'm so excited to give it to him.
I crawl through the gap in the fence and wait in our usual meeting place.
After ten minutes I start to panic, Louis is never late he is always on time. Something must be wrong, I know his father hurts him maybe it was bad this time? I know I should tell someone, my mother has always told me that hurting children is bad. Louis always told me to keep it a secret and I am a good friend so I've never broken my promise.
I get the feeling something isn't right, I creep around the front of the house and open the door, it isn't locked which surprises me. I know where Louis bedroom is as I can work it out from where his window is. Slowly I creep upstairs and get to his door.
I look back down the hallway, it's pitch black and I hope his father doesn't find me. He sounds so scary, I pull the handle down and sneak in to Louis bedroom.
I close the door quietly my eyes quickly adjust to the darkness, the moon casts a small glow to the room. I don't instantly see Louis, "Lou?" I whisper call out.
It's when a movement catches my eye in the corner of the room, my eyes widen when I see Louis standing on a chair with a thick rope around his neck. It's bolted to the ceiling.
"What are you doing?" I frown.
"I'm going to kill myself now" Louis says.
He's changed, he doesn't seem like the Louis I know.
"You can't kill yourself" I walk to him.
"I can and I am. This rope has been in here since I can remember. My father said to do this if I want to go away. I want to go away now. I like you Harry but I can't do this anymore" he steps close to the edge of the chair.
"It can't be that bad Lou, maybe he hits you a lot. Sometimes my dad smacks me when I use naughty words" I snigger.
"No it's more than that Haz. He does naughty things to me. Evil things that I can't tell you about because it's really naughty" Louis looks scared.
"Please don't go, if you die I'll never see you again and your my best friend" I smile to him. I guess this must be a serious situation but I've never had to deal with someone wanting to die.
"I am?" Louis looks up.
"Yes my bestest friend in the world. I brought you a present. Happy birthday Louis" I hold out the box.
"I don't want to come down" Louis frowns.
"If you don't come down you won't know what I got you. It is good" I smile excitedly.
"Ok I'll come down quickly" Louis ducks out of the rope around his neck and sits next to me on the floor.
"Thank you" he says as he takes the box.
I watch as he unwraps the box and I notice loads of small red circles on Louis arms and hands. What are those?
"Oh my! Wow. This is amazing are they really mine? Will you take them from me?" He holds his presents to his chest.
"Why would I take them from you, they are yours. I brought them for your birthday. Do you like them?" I move the box out the way.
"Yes I love them" Louis smiles.
"Here let's play with them" I hold my hand out and Louis passes me one.
"Hello Buzz!" Louis moves his toy towards me.
"Why, hello Woody!" I move closer to Louis.
We have fun playing for what seems like hours. When I should go home before I'm found out. We never play in Louis house.
"Harry. I need you to help me" Louis stands.
"I'll help you. What do you need?" I hand Buzz to Louis.
"I need to run away, will you come with me?" Louis looks at me desperately.
"Run away? From your dad?" I ask.
"Yes please he hurts me so much. If I don't run away I will kill myself. I don't want to be alive anymore" he hangs his head low.
I place my hand on his shoulder and watch as Louis shudders, "I am your best friend and best friends do everything together. I will always help you. Let's quickly go to my house so I can get a bag and snacks" I walk out of the room.
I turn to Louis who is only holding Woody and Buzz, "aren't you going to bring your stuff?"
Louis looks down to his toys, "these are the only things I own"
"Louis. I will help you now. This is the first day I promise you it will be alright from now on." I take his hand and we creep out of his house.
I'm going to bring him to my room and firstly I am going to let him sleep in my bed. I will let him have a good nights sleep, maybe the first nights sleep he's had.
"Wow your room is so cool!" Louis walks in, "You have so many toys. You are so lucky" he looks around my room.
"These are toys everyone has lou" I frown. Has he no toys whatsoever, maybe I'll give him some of mine. I don't mind sharing with my friend.
"You can sleep in my bed tonight before we go tomorrow we need to make sure we rest" I pull the covers back for Louis.
"Ok" I watch as he takes his top off, "Louis what are these?" I point to the same small red circles that were over Louis hands.
"Oh they are, they are what my father does to me" he shrugs.
He takes off his jogging bottoms and I notice on Louis white boxers they are stained red, "Louis is that blood on your boxers?" I point to his privates.
"Erm, I don't know. I mean yes I think so" he fidgets.
"He really hurts you, Doesn't he?" I say.
Louis doesn't say anything other than nods he stands there in his boxers and I see how skinny he is.
"I'll be right back" I turn to the door.
"Where are you going?" He says.
"I'm going to get some food for you and then I'm going to wake my mum up and tell her we need to help you" I open my door.
"No don't say anything I will get in trouble" he shouts.
"You won't. I promise you my mum always said if someone is hurting me I should tell her and she'll call the police. I'm sure she'll do the same for you. She's really nice my mum" I smile.
"Harry will you always be my friend?" Louis sits down on my bed.
"Yes. I'll be your friend forever"
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(😭 this chapter. Please comment and vote, I've found it really hard to write about something so intense and important. Also it was hard from a young boys POV! Anyway I hope it was written ok and we all have some knowledge on Louis past)