Technically Seniors

June 29, 2019; Louis

-

It's summer break and I'm texting with Harry Styles.

Louis: ice cream? Usual place, 2:00

Hazza: Sounds good.

So there's that. At least I have that to look forward to.

Except now I have to figure out something to wear that doesn't make me look like I'm five.

"Ashton, hi," I say when he picks up. The original plan was to call Zayn or Luke, but I doubt they'd be too happy to get a call from me about Harry.

"Louis! Hello, and to what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning summer phone call?" Ashton asks formally, making me giggle.

"Sorry, did I wake you? It's just- I'm going to get ice cream with Harry-"

"Ooh!" Ashton interrupts me. I shush him.

"Yeah, except I don't know what to wear."

"Louis, you've come to the right token gay boy," Ashton says dramatically.

"I'm pretty sure we're both token gay boys but okay..." I trail off, smiling.

"FaceTime me from your laptop, okay? I need to visualize our options," Ashton says before hanging up the phone call. I log into iMessage on my laptop and FaceTime Ashton quickly.

"Now, when is this date? Also, who asked who?"

"Uh, one, it's not a date, two, it's at two, and three, I did," I answer, pulling out viable options from my closet and holding them up for Ash to see.

"No, no, ew, absolutely not, why do you even own that? Alright, Lou, something to know about our good pal Harry? He's grown a fashion sense. Which means he's gonna be looking like a whole snack this afternoon."

"A whole snack? Why a whole snack?" I don't understand Ashton's millennial language. I'm only one year older, but between him, Luke, and Michael, I can barely comprehend half of the things they say.

"Oldie. Ugh, do you have any beanies?" Ashton asked, typing something on his own laptop.

"Next time, you're coming over to do this," I tell him quietly as I flip through my hat selection.

"Next time?" Ashton questions, smiling. "Okay, I'm going to give my advice and just go simple. Hopefully that's what Harry's doing, unless he's really in the mood to impress."

"Ashton, I am incompetent," I tell him directly. "What the hell does go simple mean?"

"Just- do you have a white tee shirt, preferably tight, black jeans, also preferably tight, and, like, red shoes? And a red beanie, if you feel it?" Ashton says, sighing at my knowledge-or lack thereof.

"I have all! Are you proud of me?" I ask him, smiling.

Ashton smiles and nods, checking his watch and freaking out. "Crap, it's so late! I have a date with Luke at one, he's gonna kill me if I'm late. Gotta go, love you Louis, bye!"

Then the video call ends.

I put the clothes on, obviously, and then I head to the ice cream place because by the time my hair meets it's usual standards it's getting close to two.

I make myself busy with my phone, not wanting to order without Harry.

"Hey, sorry, traffic was horrible," the man himself says, slipping into a seat across from me.

"No it wasn't, we literally live down the street. I walked, Harry," I say.

"Yeah, me too. I just needed an excuse to be late."

I smile at him, adjusting my beanie self-consciously in hopes that he'll notice.

"Nice clothes," he comments, drawing my attention to his own outfit. Some sort of gangster bowling hat, a pink and black flowery button up, and black jeans similar to mine. Except, it looks so much cooler than it sounds. He wears the shirt not fully buttoned up, and I can see hints of his tattoos and necklaces peeking through.

By habit, I run my own necklace through my fingers as we order, and once we sit back down Harry points it out.

"The necklace," he says, literally pointing to my neck. "You still wear it?"

I nod, smiling. "I don't think I've taken it off since that day."

Harry leans back in his seat and starts to say his ice cream. We both got ours in cups, so I propose an ice cream toast.

"To us being practically and technically seniors!" I say, raising my cup into the air.

He clinks his with mine, laughing a bit.

"I'm glad we did this, Lou. Louis."

He still corrects himself.

"You can call me that, you know. You're the only one I let call me that, better use it," I say, and it's almost bittersweet.

"I only let you call me Haz. And Hazza. And H. Basically anything other than Harry, that's only you."

I smile down into my cup of ice cream. Today was good.

ashy washy: update me on tings w lover boyo!!

Louis: life update-still in love with the boyo