Louis was walking through the park with Zayn and Liam when he spotted the curly haired boy sat by the lake. "Um, I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm just going to go and see Harry." Louis smiled, walking over quickly as Zayn raised an eyebrow and Liam gave a knowing smile.
"Hi Harry." Louis greeted him brightly. They had been talking a lot more recently, and were now probably classed as friends, much to Zayn and Stan's dismay. "You alright?" He added with a frown as he noticed Harry's quiet demeanor.
"No." Harry grumbled.
"What's wrong?"
"I was fired from my job and nowhere else will take me. I haven't told my uncle yet but he's getting suspicious."
"Oh. Surely it would be best to just tell him?"
"It's not that easy. He'll probably get really angry."
"Why did you get fired?"
"We got a new boss and apparently I was a 'shitty worker who used my anxiety as a pathetic excuse to get out of work'. I didn't even use it to get out of fucking work, I did everything he asked." Harry sighed, "it's not fucking fair. I don't wanna be here anymore."
"First of all, that was so out of line I'm sorry. And second of all, what do you mean? Here?"
"Here." Harry gestured around, "I don't wanna be alive." He added quietly.
"You're not thinking of attempting again, right?" Louis's eyes widened at Harry's confession.
Harry didn't respond, instead tossing a stone into the lake, watching as the water rippled.
"Don't you dare."
"Okay." He murmured, "um, you better go, your friends look like they want to kill me before I can do it myself. Well, Zayn does. Liam's just smiling at me creepily." Harry joked.
"It's not funny." Louis frowned, "promise me you won't attempt."
"For now." Harry gulped, "see you Louis."
"Bye Harold. And I'm sorry about Stan yesterday. I tried to stop him."
"It's fine. Go catch up with them."
With a ruffle of Harry's hair, Louis had ran off after his friends. Harry grabbed another stone, throwing it into the water as he furrowed his brow. Of course he'd have to tell his uncle soon. But he was scared.
//
"Oi, Styles! What the fuck are you doing?"
"U-um, I was gonna eat?" Harry raised an eyebrow, cowering away from Stan.
"Don't get fucking smart. I mean with Louis. Why are you brainwashing him?"
"What? What do you mean?" Harry looked around for Niall, where the hell was he?
"Why's he telling us to leave you alone? What've you told him?"
"N-nothing." He frowned, "I've not said anything."
"Yeah, sure you haven't." Stan rolled his eyes, "you pathetic fag."
"Stan! There you are, coach wants to to talk to us."
"You're lucky this time Styles." Stan spat, "give me that." He held out his hand for Harry's lunch, aka an apple.
"B-but-" it was the first thing he'd eaten in 3 days, only having it after finding it below an apple tree in someone's front garden, and it was probably the only thing he'd have for the next few days.
"Give it to me."
Harry reluctantly put it in his hand. Stan rolling it in his hand before following Zayn.
So Harry was now bound to go hungry that week, bound to get beaten up by his uncle, and bound to get beaten up by Stan.
"Hey mate." Niall sat down next to Harry, "sorry I'm late out. My fucking geography teacher wanted me to stay behind. She literally just flirted the whole time."
"You may as well get with her." Harry joked, "only a 20 year age gap."
"Fuck off." Niall flipped him off. "Everything alright?" He noticed Harry's gaze drift to the ground.
"Yeah. Just haven't told my uncle about losing my job yet and I'm just worried about it."
"It'll be alright." Niall patted his shoulder, giving him a smile.
"Yeah. I'm just overthinking it." Harry shrugged, forcing a smile. "It'll be alright." He repeated Niall's words.
"C'mon, let's go to class."
//
"Hey, stop it." Louis hissed, hitting the back of Stan's head as he threw yet another ball of paper at the back of Harry's head.
Harry tried his best to ignore it, as well as the snickers of his classmates, but he still wanted to cry.
"Why?" Stan replied, laughing, "it's funny. Don't tell me you've turned into a softy."
"I just think you should leave him alone." Louis mumbled.
"Yeah?" Stan smirked, quirking an eyebrow, "and why's that?"
"Because he's nice and has a lot going on and he doesn't deserve this shit."
"Fucks sake Tommo, stop being a wetwipe."
"Why don't you stop being a dick? You're putting him through pain for what? Your enjoyment?"
"Yeah. Sounds about right."
"Fuck off." Louis groaned.
"Stan, just leave him alone." Liam added.
"God, at least Zayn's not a wuss."
"Yeah, well if Zayn's got any respect for me he'll stop and he'll realise how wrong it is, like I did."
"K." Stan shrugged.
Harry let out a small smile as he looked at his desk. Louis was sticking up for him.
"What are you smiling at you freak?" Someone he hadn't cared to learn the name of, stared at him.
"Leave him alone." Louis sighed. The girl glared at him but chose to remain silent, knowing not to get onto Louis's bad side.
The bell rang, all of the students rushing out. "Louis?" Harry called timidly.
Louis hardly heard his quiet voice, but turned around anyway, allowing a small smile to appear on his face as he noticed it was Harry who had called after him.
"Alright Harry?" Louis hung back from the crowd.
He beamed shyly, "thank you for sticking up for me."
"Course. I'll see you tomorrow." Louis grinned.
"Yeah. See you."