This time, the tables have turned. Every time Louis sees Harry walking around the club he makes sure to avoid him. No, Harry never sees him which is the difference between when Harry avoided Louis and this, but still.
Louis' still mad and yes, he knows he's probably just being petty but he has the right to be pissed about Harry's attitude. Of course he still wants to be Harry's friend in the end but not until he can be a little kinder. Treating people with kindness is not that hard, but apparently for Harry it is.
The next two nights at the club are uneventful and boring. Well as boring as a strip club can be, at least. It's really just the same as always, dance, maybe lap dance, change and then go home.
Except for Saturday night because that's when Louis sees Harry walking over to him. He wants to turn away but Harry's starring right at him and he doesn't have the guts to walk away. Plus he's sat at the bar and if he gets up then someone else will take his seat.
When Harry comes up to him he hands Louis a paper. Louis tries his best to keep an expression on his face that shows he's not happy with Harry. He thinks he succeeds but he can't be sure because Harry doesn't really react.
"That's the flyer for next Friday night. It has the times so you know when to come in, if you are."
Louis looks down at the paper that says '70s Night' at the top. Louis already knew that they were having the special themed night before this, but Harry hadn't told anyone the times it would start and everyone wanted to know so they could sign themselves up for dances when more customers would be there. Louis assumes that's why Harry's handing these flyers out to the dancers that tell them what time the night starts.
"Kay, thanks," Louis says purposely giving back the attitude Harry always seems to give him lately. He knows he's contradicting himself for saying Harry should be nicer and then being rude to Harry on purpose, but he can't be bothered to care.
"Okay well if you're planning on coming you should probably sign up soon because everyone wants to be there."
"Yeah," Louis says looking down and acting as if the drink in his hand is more interesting than Harry. "I know."
Harry notices Louis' attitude. "What's your problem?"
Louis gives Harry a look, "I don't have a problem."
"You have an attitude."
"I don't," Louis says back with sass.
"Yes you do," then, a bit rudely in Louis' opinion, Harry adds, "Drop it."
Louis sets his drink on the bar counter. "I don't have an attitude. There's nothing to 'drop'," he argues.
"Louis seriously, stop. You're being rude."
Louis wants to scream. He's being rude? Him? Is Harry insane? Had he not heard himself in the last couple of weeks?
Louis just rolls his eyes and turns back to face the bar leaving Harry standing next to him. Under his breath Louis whispers, "Hypocrite."
Again, Harry hears him even though he wasn't supposed to. He crosses his arms in front of himself and raises his eyebrows at Louis. "How am I a hypocrite?"
Louis decides to give go along with the bickering and tell Harry how he feels. "Because you're telling me to stop being rude but that's all you've been to me for the past two weeks and I'm kind of fed up with it."
"How have I been rude to you?" Harry snaps back.
"I've been so nice to you. I've done everything I can to try and show you that I want to be friends but you keep being insensitive about it. I ask how your day is and you just snap at me," Louis, who's now quite mad, tells him.
Harry shakes his head, "I didn't snap at you."
"You did Harry. You're a hypocrite because the second I get an attitude with you, you're all pissy about it but you're able to be rude to me whenever and I'm supposed to act like it never happened," Louis says, raising his voice a little not really caring if there's other people around who can hear.
"No one is forcing you to be nice to me," Harry says defensively.
"You're right. No one should have to either. Most people, are just nice because it's the right thing to do."
"Are you saying that I'm not nice to you? Because if I remember correctly I've let you do a lot of things I don't let any of the other dancers do."
"Being kind and giving people things is different. I'm thankful you let me practice here, trust me I am, but I'd rather you be kind than give me extra privileges."
"Why do you care so much?"
"I've already told you this Harry!" Louis semi-shouts, mad that Harry is totally missing the point and avoiding the topic. "I care about you. I don't know why, but I do. I'm nice to you because I want you to like me but you're not nice back. You don't have to like me, that's your choice and I can't force you to, but when someone is kind to you, you're supposed to return it."
Harry just scoffs. "You're being ridiculous."
"I'm being ridiculous?? Harry you obviously have to understand that you're attitude has been shitty. If you just say sorry, and mean it, then I'll stop and everything will be fine."
"So I have to apologize because you're upset?"
"No Harry," Louis says very frustrated. "You should apologize because you hurt someone's feelings. My feelings."
Harry looks at Louis and for a moment Louis thinks that maybe he got his point across and Harry's going to apologize but then he says, "Well if you're so mad at me then why don't you just leave?!" Harry says back raising his voice and pointing to the door.
Louis closes his eyes for a second and collects himself because if he doesn't he'll probably explode or something. When he opens his eyes he sees Harry looking at him the same way as before and Louis can't believe that Harry honestly feels this way. Like he genuinely doesn't believe it. There's no way that the person Louis first met wouldn't feel bad for hurting someone's feelings. Whatever is going on with Harry isn't just because of Louis anymore and Louis knows it for sure now. Maybe it's just a defensive mechanism, but it still doesn't make it okay and Louis' still mad.
"Fine, I will."
So Louis gets up from his bar stool and pushes past Harry who stands there and watches him walk away and disappear into the changing room.
When Louis comes back out he walks straight to the door and ignores Harry and everyone else. His head hurts and he's on the verge of breaking into tears and punching the closest thing to him. When he gets outside he gets right in his car and drives away from the bar not thinking twice about how this will affect things. He doesn't really care if Harry's mad anymore.
Before he would do just about anything to make sure he's not the reason Harry's upset but now, that's kind of what he wants. He wants Harry to know how he feels he wants him to know that he's been a jerk lately and he needs to fix it.
Harry needs to fix it not just for Louis but for anyone who talks to him. His issues, whether it's is a stupid phone call or something else, shouldn't affect other people. He can be upset about whatever he wants for however long he wants, but that doesn't mean he gets to take it out on other people.
Louis doesn't even realize how tight he's gripping his steering wheel until he parks his car and lets go of it. He watches his knuckles turn from white back to their original tan color. He's way more mad than he should be and he knows it, but at the same time he thinks that it's reasonable that he's this angry.
When he gets back to his dorm he's thankful that Niall's not home because right now he just wants to be alone. He wants to take a shower and get into bed then watch Netflix until he's tired enough to fall asleep. It's still pretty early considering Louis hadn't even done a single dance which is nice because he could use the extra sleep.
After about an hour Niall comes home with food. Louis texted him and told him to grab ice cream from McDonald's and Niall being the good friend he is, did just that.
"Why are you home so early?" Niall asks as he takes off his jacket and then hands Louis his sundae.
"I'm mad at Harry and we got into an argument and I just decided to go home."
Niall sits down on his bed and takes out his burger from the bag. As he unwraps it he asks, "Why were you arguing?"
"He was mad that I had an attitude so I called him a hypocrite and he didn't like it."
"Oh...but he's your boss."
Louis shrugs, "I really don't care. Him and I both know that we don't act like just boss and employee."
"How?"
"Every single Wednesday that I've gone into practice before he started being this way, we would talk. He'd joke around and we would get to know each other. If I didn't work for him and this was a normal situation we'd probably be considered friends. Or at least we would've been."
"Why was he mad in the first place?"
"I don't even know, but it seemed like he got over it until that one day I went into practice and he got all weird after I was done dancing."
"Oh. This is so confusing. I don't understand why he's treating you this way. You've been nice to him right?"
"Besides tonight, that's all I've ever been. Even when he was rude."
"So he's literally mad for no reason?" Niall asks confused.
Louis shakes his head and eats more of his ice cream. "Apparently. It's annoying and I'm tired of trying to figure it out. Trying to figure him out."
"Are you giving up on trying to be his friend then?"
Louis sits in his bed quietly. He takes another bite as he thinks. He sighs and then answers. "No."
"Why?"
"I like him. He's a good person."
"But you just sa-"
"I know. I don't know what his deal is and I'm not denying the fact that he's being rude but—I don't know, it's stupid."
"What is?"
"I don't know why I care about him so much. Like, I know he doesn't really care about me, but I keep telling myself he does and then when he acts like this...it hurts. I just want to prove to myself that I'm not being delusional and that there's a reason why I care and I won't be able to do that if I don't keep trying. I don't want this to all be for nothing. I don't want to be wrong about him."
"This is too much for me. I don't like drama."
Louis gets up to throw his trash away and then gets back into bed to go to sleep. He covers himself up and then shuts the lamp on his side of the night stand off. "Me neither Ni, it'll be worth it though," Louis rolls on to his side facing away from Niall, too quietly for his roommate to hear he adds, "I hope."
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A/N: I thought I was so funny for the irony in the last sentence of the second paragraph of this chapter
I promise you the wait will be worth it
Or maybe it won't be and you'll hate it and wish you never read this idk
I'm gonna hope for the first one tho cause you know, self confidence or whatever