Junior year ended quickly and Harry questioned where the year had went when he started his senior year. He was glad he finally made friends, even if it was later than he planned and his friends were a little strange, but he was okay with it.

Louis, on the other hand, had left all of his friends and broken up with Jaiden after catching him in bed with someone else. He regret giving everything to Jaiden, from his first kiss sophomore year to his first fuck later on. He knew it was wrong, it didn't feel right, but he needed something to fill the void he had been feeling. So he went along with it and he wasn't going to lie by saying he didn't enjoy it. He loved it. He loved feeling as if he had someone's complete and full attention.

Needless to say, when Louis found out that Jaiden had a 'side chick,' he was furious and decided to take out his anger in . Harry was the one to find Louis in the boy's locker room, throwing shoes against the wall and knocking over ball carts. He was pacing back and forth, tears rushing down his cheeks as he debated using the blade or not. Harry ran to his side, taking the blade from his hand and reaching it high above his head.

Louis jumped, trying to reach it, screaming at Harry to "drop it, drop it, drop it goddammit!" He sobbed against Harry's chest until he began to feel as if he was being suffocated.

"You don't need to do this. You don't, okay?  He's just a fucking stupid prick," Harry set the object on top of one of the lockers.

"You didn't tell me!" Louis yelled. He weakly punched Harry's chest and Harry let him, "you didn't tell me the fucking truth when you knew. You knew all along and you didn't tell me! Why didn't you tell me?"

Louis tackled Harry to the ground, where Harry held Louis close and rocked him back and forth until Louis fell silent. Harry let out a sigh and kissed the top of Louis' head when he knew Louis was sleeping.

"I'm sorry," was all he whispered as he waited for Louis to wake up again. His chest was in pain, not from the beating that Louis put him through, but from the hurt he was feeling.

He should have told Louis the moment he learned that Jaiden slept with someone else. He should have told him, but he didn't and he felt like utter shit right now. He felt like a terrible friend, that he didn't have Louis' back through everything.

And then a thought crossed his mind, maybe he purposely did it. Maybe he didn't want to tell Louis because he knew this would happen. He wanted Louis here in his arms. He wanted Louis to himself and if he showed him how cruel everyone else is, then Louis would stay. Louis would stay with him and that was what he wanted. He wanted Louis forever and always.

 "You're breathing too heavily," Louis remarks, eyes closed, "are you crying?"

"No," Harry lies, "just go back to sleep."

Louis follows the given orders and settles into Harry's side. Harry is willing to stay in this dingy, disgusting lockerroom for as long as he needs to. He will not leave without Louis feeling better than before. He will not even think of walking out of those grimy doors without Louis right next to him.

"Please, get over him," Harry whispers to himself.

A weeks later, after Louis had sworn to Harry he'd never, ever, ever do something stupid again and they started speaking more and more, Louis asked Harry who he liked.

Harry didn't answer even though Louis was constantly nagging him about it. He kept his cool until the Friday before homecoming and he decided to be spontaneous, or he'd like to think so, and just tell Louis in the only way he thought would work.

"What's this for?" Louis questioned, staring at the plush bear Harry had handed to him as they waited outside of their first period class.

"Just read the note, okay?"

Louis' eyes followed the words that were traced across the small paper:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

I think you're cute,

I really like you.

 Louis looked up at Harry in utter shock, no words leaving his mouth. Harry decided to speak first, "I know homecoming is next week and I know you probably don't even want to go. But I also know that I've never gone to a dance in the four years I've been here and I would love to go with you. And that note, that cheesy fucking note that I created in ten seconds, can't even explain to you how much I care for you and I just want to see you happy. So will you please do me the pleasure of going to homecoming...with me?"

Louis didn't know how to reply. Harry had a bear, a plan, and the cheesiest note that he almost didn't know what to do with himself. He couldn't say no. There was no way. And not know when he felt like he could actually be Harry's. Not now when he actually felt as if someone cared deeply for him. Not now as Harry was standing in front of him with a face of loss and disappointment.

"Yes," Louis smiled, "yes I'll go to homecoming with you."

And maybe those words made Harry's heart flutter and his lips form into a smile. Maybe he laughed and pulled Louis in for a kiss he wasn't expecting. And maybe, just possibly, he took Louis home where they had a heated make out session. But those were only possibilities.

What was certain was the fact that Harry was extremely surprised and joyful when Louis said yes. He had felt accomplished, as if he had finally found the thing that completed him. Or at least that was until Louis called him in a drunken state a few weeks after the dance, yelling at him for being such a fag and fucking with his emotions. If only Louis knew he had fucked with Harry's feelings too many times to count.

"Can't you just get over the fact that someone might actually love you for once in your life?" Harry screamed through his phone, glad he had decided to leave the comfort of his bedroom and go outside.

"You're a fucking prick you know that?"

"That has nothing to do with this situation and I find it hysterical that you call me a prick when you're the one who can never make up their mind. I want you Louis. I want you to be mine and that is all I've ever wanted. You're the one who can't decide if you want to be with someone in the light or all alone in the darkness. It's your call, talk to me when you're sober."

Louis never called.

He didn't call for weeks. He avoided Harry at all costs and made sure to never be seen outside of school. He was embarrassed. He was humiliated. He had ruined one of the only good things he had going for himself and he hit his head every time he thought about what could have been.

Harry graduated at the top of his class, ranking second, which mean he had to give a speech and he really didn't know what to speak about.

Strength?

Courage?

Grit?

There were so many things to choose from looking at school at an academic stand point, but he wanted something deeper. He wanted to show the connection between students and teachers. He talked of love.

He said that love gets you through the rough times. Love gives you courage and strength. Love keeps you going even if you want to give up and never try again. A teacher's love shows you that there are people that want you to succeed and expect you to become what you wish. The love of a friend helps you when you're facing a tough break up.

And the love of another helps you realize that sometimes, love isn't that good. That sometimes it's deadly and hurts you so much that you don't want to patch up your heart again, just to have it break one more time. Sometimes it isn't worth having someone who will hurt you more in the end.

It just isn't worth it.

Louis wished he had heard those words sooner. Maybe then he would have been Harry's. Maybe then he wouldn't be the person he is today; sad, lonely, and not looking forward to the future at all.

He just didn't want to grow up.