(edited)

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CHAPTER 2: Have I lost my Bradfordness?

PRESENT - 3, 4, 5

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3

And there it was. Liam froze in the spot.

The same man, always that one. Certainly double the size of Liam's broad body looking up into the building. He was too far away to be able to read any sort of expression but Liam found himself praying that he hadn't given out his weak side like a little shit running away from danger.

He has been following me for weeks, Liam thought.

A black van pulled over and just as easy as opening the vehicle's door was enough to lure the gorilla in. Liam watched closely as the humongous man leaned to get inside the car.

This beast that had followed Liam for God knows how long and now he was getting picked up by a fucking van. Things were getting dangerous... They already knew what Liam knew... Why did they keep threatning him? To what end?

"Are you deaf?" Niall got in front of Liam, his body wrapped up in a white blanket.

The blonde boy shut the curtain close, making the room as dark as it was before Liam's arrival, the only light source of the apartment being Niall's computer screen. "Told you to close those things almost a dozen times." Niall bickered like an old man.

Practically walked like one too as he lightly tumbled side to side over to the couch, plopping his ass down on the soft cushion of the couch and sighing gladly, like he had taken a long walk in the afternoon then had just returned home to find dinner was ready. Apart from the love of technology, Niall had the life of a septuagenarian.

When Liam returned to lucidity he had a gag reflex, something extremely unusual in Liam. It had been caused by the stinking smell that seemed to fill the air, no matter which side Liam turned his face to. "How long has it been since you had sex, mate?" Liam asked with genuine concern, sitting close to his friend on the couch.

"Sure, sure." Niall replied, his skilled fingers clicking all over his computer's keyboard, the light from the screen reflecting all over the boy's glasses, that he time and again adjusted to his face with a tap of his fingers.

"Seriously, Ni, you need to get out. Catch some sunlight, come with me to Joh's, maybe gain some weight...." Liam commented as he looked around at the dirty smelly apartment. But saying that was as good as not saying anything because Niall was not paying attention.

"I found these guys online, they are daring me to hack into all sorts of weird sites and shit for money." Niall blurted like he had been asked a question.

"Isn't that just what you normally do?" Liam laid back massaging his temple, trying not to think too much about the smell, but the more he ignored it the worse it got.

"Well, kind of, but this is like, for sport you know? They get tougher and tougher as I go and look." Niall turned the computer very quickly to Liam, showing his bank account movements.

"Three thousand pounds?! That's rent for almost five months!" Liam gasped, looking at the numbers perplexed. The hunk had never been good with numbers.

"Yeah, and I made this in two days!" Niall spoke way too excitedly about the topic, his face lighting up, his fingers still madly typing away.

"Two days? How? What are they making you do?"

"Just random stuff. Yesterday they dared me to hack into the queen's email and send them a funny text, but I couldn't do it. I'm getting around to it though." Niall stopped for two seconds to say that quietly, looked down and shrugged like a little kid, but didn't stay in defeat for long. How contradictory is this kid, hah? , Liam thought.

"Isn't that a crime against the crown, or some bullcock?" Liam stared into the bright screen without blinking, same as his friend, his eyes starting to burn. Niall gave back no response. "Okay, enough! Go to sleep, you crazy."

4

Lottie let her bag fall on the floor as soon as she got inside the flat, taking a breather after the four flights of stairs she had to climb.

The blonde hadn't been in Doncaster that long to come back to this mess but there it was. Dirty dishes in the sink, smelly underwear everywhere... Lottie took a hand to her head not wanting to deal with all her problems right now.

"Lotus!" From the left side of the house came Zayn, joint in hand, smile lighting his soft face, with open arms rushing towards the girl and hugging her closely.

She smiled back, squeezing the boy in her arms as well. "Zee, how are you?" Lottie took Zayn's face in her hands looking him in the face, a spark of curiosity on her lightful eyes.

"I'm good. I'm doing good." Zayn replied, even with Lottie squeezing his cheeks in her palms, making it difficult to speak.

"Are you sure?" She let her head fall sideways, and her lips purse a bit.

"You've been gone two weeks Lotus, love, how much could have changed?" He said watching the tiny blonde reach down to grab her bag.

"Well, I don't know. How are things with the boyfriend?" Lottie wiggled her eyebrows before turning to head to her room making Zayn follow.

"It's whatever." Zayn shrugged as they walked inside Lottie's tidy room.

She sat on her bed and motioned for him to sit next to her. The boy sank the bed as he sat, looking at Lottie for her response.

"How are things with Louie?" She blatantly asked like the two subjects were correlated.

Zayn looked down, picking at the unlit blunt he had made, trying to evade the subject, but not managing to under Lottie's pressuring gaze. "I didn't tell him." He answered like it was obvious.

"I know you didn't, Zee..." She smiled softly squeezing his shoulder before reaching down on her night stand to grab a lighter and hand it to him.

"God bless me if your brother learns I like cock. Lotus.... Just imagine how he would take it!" He cleared the tension he felt, gladly lighting the joint.

Lottie stayed quiet for a moment. "My brother's not... that homophobic."

"There's no such thing as a level of homophobia, you either respect us or you don't." Zayn, already two puffs in, put the drug in front of Lottie's face for her to take.

The girl didn't say another word, taking a few drags herself, letting it sink in. Before she looked at Zayn with watery eyes.

Her hand came in contact with Zayn's shoulder, a look of worry clouding her. "Safaa called." Tears poured and Zayn caught them quickly trying to cover up, even though it was clear to Lottie that the boy was weeping.

"Whah? When?"

"Last night." Zayn's voice was a squeaky whisper.

"What did she say?" Lottie didn't want to pressure the boy, but he worried the hell out of her constantly, so she would ask anyway, trying not to worry about how much she worried.

"She misses me and hopes I'm doing okay." From that point on he didn't even hide it anymore, pressing his face on the crook of Lottie's neck, shaking, taking the girl by surprise.

"Zee, it's gonna be alright."

5

Closing the store for the day was always Louis' hateful burden. He hated putting toys that kids had misplaced back in it's original place, and verifying if everything was closed... it was simply tedious and his only thought during it was 'After this I'll go home.'

Despite that it had to be done, and Louis knew how displeased Michael would be if Louis failed to do it. So he got to through the boring task quickly, sliding his feet along the isles, cleaning all around.

When done he slipped some cash out of the register machine and changed back to his normal clothes. He locked everything after a deep consoling breath starting his way to meet Zayn, and Lottie who waited outside the store for him.

"Hey, little brother." She smiled teasingly, forcing him to kiss his cheek even though she struggled to get it with Louis' persistent pushing away.

"Told you to stop calling me that." Louis muttered under his breath, but the ghost of a smile was on his lips.

The walk wasn't far, but Lottie's job was most assuredly the farthest away from their flat as she worked in a nicer part of town, that somehow still managed to be shitty.

"Get over yourself, Louie!" Lottie snarked, an evil grin adorning her pretty features as she turned to Louis walking backwards before swirling, as she giggled out loud taking a sprint down the street. "Be free!" The girl twirled around in a little happy dance before noticing she was in front of the tattoo parlour Zayn worked and stopped, breath heightened.

"You are mental!" Louis rolled his eyes with a frown, although he was unable to hold back the endearment he had for his crazy sister in his docile eyes.

The boy looked down to his pockets in search of his faggies and his red lighter before hearing a few whistles and amused chuckles down the street.

"What? You don't believe it?" Talking to Lottie was a tall man, of squared jaw and dark small eyes. His greasy hair had small curls but it was mostly brushed back and he preferred to dress in a baggy jersey and tight pants like a wanker. Three other guys stood behind the moron, like he was the pack's leader.

"The only thing I believe is that your left hand gets jealous of your right hand!" The girl put her small dainty fingers in the back pockets of her jeans, her chest risen in prowess.

The group laughed at her light hearted humour but Louis had an uneasy feeling about these guys. He was sure their faces were familiar. "What's your name?"

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Lottie batted her eyelashes at the main guy, Louis observed, he stayed back smoking his cigarette with a passive aggressive staring contest that he played alone.

"Fine, that's fair. I'm Godfrey." The bloke showed his teeth at her in a ghastly smile.

Godfrey, Louis thought, that certainly rang a bell!

"Lottie." The girl answered before the group praying on her turned their attention elsewhere.

"Hey, Malik!" The Godfrey chap stepped forward, crossing Lottie like she had evaporated.

Louis's best friend was walking out of the tattoo parlour, cigarette behind his ear, baggy white tank top showing off his forever lanky frame. Zayn gulped with his throat dry. "Where's my money?"

And just like that, as if it were a cue, the boy ran the other way turning left on the alley between the parlour and Joh's pub.

Lottie and Louie shared a look, as the pack, that had scared Zayn off, ran after him into the alley. A look that communicated so much of their history with Zayn, of why they had to worry and if it was this time they were screwed for good.

Not three seconds later the two siblings were chasing after the situation.

On the left wall of the alley was Zayn, pressed up forcefully on the wall, two of the guys pinning him against it as the pack's leader threw punches at Zayn's stomach making the boy groan and spit blood. "Zayn!" Louis screamed in agony at the sight. The fourth member of the crew was nowhere to be seen.

Lottie hadn't lived in Bradford for all of her life. She hadn't even been born here, but it had always been a home to her. Not because the city protected her, or welcomed her, or had treated her right for the matter, no. But because she firmly believed that it gave the girl the tools she needed to always be able to protect herself.

Little did Lottie fear. So when she saw her best friend being beaten to death she didn't hold back. Seemingly calm in all this situation she approached the beater that just seconds ago had flirted with her, poked his shoulder with the tip of her index finger and made him turn around.

"What?" A sweaty Godfrey turned around, red, drops of saliva splashing Lottie's face. She grinned unhinged, lifting her knee that hit straight between the bloke's legs, his balls forced their way back inside him.

And just as his hands went to protect his tallywaker Lottie shoved her gritted fist into the chap's eye socket. "Shit!" She spat after the plunge, looking at her aching red knuckles, bruised and hurting like a motherfucker.

Louis, that for a while let hesitation get the best of him, ran towards his friend and plunging his elbow into the throat of one bloke, that quickly let go of Zayn to protect himself, he smacked the face of the other with his wide open palm, his clammy fingers pressing into the chap's eyeballs.

"Godfrey! Godfrey, we have to go! It's bad!" In came hysterical the fourth idiot from the other side of the alley.

What Lottie proceeded to watch felt like luck greeting her for the first time in her life. She didn't know how long her brother and her could hold off the four men that literally got up and ran off together like they had seen a ghost, or something much worse that the girl could not fathom.

Too bad Lottie didn't believe in luck. She frowned, and took slow steps out of the alley. It wasn't even that far away, and just as she passed the big dumpsters of putrid smelling trash her eyes bulged off her skull. "Louie!" she yelled practically in a crying voice.

The brother, that had been helping a groaning pained Zayn, looked at his sister startled.

"It is really bad."

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QUESTION 1: What is really bad? AKA What did Lottie see?

QUESTION 2: What do you think of Zayn hiding his sexuality from Louis? Why is that?

QUESTION 3: Who is this Godfrey character and why is he threatening Zayn? Why does Zayn own him money? Where have we heard the name Godfrey in the first chapter?

QUESTION 4: What do you think about Niall's situation? What is going on there?

QUESTION 5: Describe from what you have seen till now Lottie's and Louie's personalities and what makes them different.

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Next update: 05.11.18, Monday