“I wanna save ya, wanna save your heart tonight, he'll only break ya, leave ya torn apart, oh. I can't be no superman, but for you I'll be superhuman. I, I wanna save ya, save ya, save ya, tonight.” - Save You Tonight

FEBRUARY 14. 2012

11:15 A.M.

Louis rolled over and shut his phone off without even looking at the screen to quiet the incessant ring tone he'd assigned to Liam's texts. “What time is it?” he shouted.

            Harry poked his head in the door clad only in a towel. “It's nearly half past eleven. I gotta go. Mystery girl is waiting.”

            “Go on then,” he said. “Behave yourself. And remind mystery girl there are four more of us where you came from. And we're all probably better choices. And put a pair of pants on.”

            Harry's mouth dropped in mock horror. “I will do no such thing.” He leaned down and picked up a shoe that lay strewn on Louis' floor, whipping it at his roommate, narrowly missing Louis' head.

            Louis jerked to move and when he did, he thought maybe he should've let the shoe hit him. His head might hurt less. A deep rooted pain was making its way from his frontal lobe straight down the back of his neck. Maybe he should have left that party the night before sooner than he did.

            “Ugh,” he placed a pillow on top of his head and tried to fall back asleep. No such luck.

            Very reluctantly he swung his legs around to hit the floor. Rubbing his face with his hands, he picked up his phone and switched it back on to see what was so important that Liam couldn't leave him in peace. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and when he saw the text, he figured it was worth getting up for.

            Sarah Olsen.

            The lad had finally done it. Well good for him.

            Louis groggily walked to the shower, hoping Harry had bothered not to use all the hot water. Steam filled the room quickly, proving his theory wrong and he stepped in. The warmth of the water felt good and by the time he was ready to get out, the pounding in his head was no more than a steady, shallow throbbing. It never ceased to amaze him what a good shower could do.

            Now the only thing he needed was a good cup of strong tea. He threw on a pair of sweats and a striped t-shirt and made his way to the kitchen. The cupboards housed an array of warm beverages: hot chocolate, coffee, apple cider, and tea. He retrieved the box from the top shelf and opened it only to be met with monumental disappointment. It was empty.

            He cursed Harry for a moment until he realized perhaps he was the guilty party in question. He tossed the empty box in the trash and shrugged, slipping on a pair of shoes and grabbing his car keys. What good was it if you couldn't roll with the punches?

            As he drove, One Direction came on the radio. “It's a quarter to three, can't sleep at all, he's so overrated, if you told me to jump, I'd take the fall and he wouldn't take it. All that you want's under your nose, you should open your eyes, but they stay closed.”

            It really didn't matter how often it happened, it was still weird to hear himself on the radio. As if it were an urge he was simply unable to resist, he cranked the music and sung along.

            When he pulled up to the cafe, he saw Zayn walking out of an ice cream shop with a girl. “Hello Zayn,” he said as he approached. “Hello hot chick.”

            Zayn's eyes narrowed, “her name is Lily.”

            “Right then, hello hot Lily.”

            She giggled.

            “Just. Lily,” Zayn corrected him.

            Louis recognized her name. He'd heard Zayn talk about her before and they really looked as though they were enjoying their alone time, so he smiled. “I was heading out for some tea. I'll see you later tonight.” He swept Lily's hand to his lips and brushed it with a kiss. “Pleasure to meet you, just Lily.”

            “Bye, mate,” Zayn said.

            When Louis walked away, he heard Lily laughing and Zayn saying something to the effect of, “there's no excuse for him.”

            As he walked into the cafe, he found himself smiling. Zayn had someone to spend the day with, Liam finally landed the girl of his dreams, Harry was for sure going to make someone's day, but he hadn't heard from Niall.

            He ordered his tea and sat at one of the tables, pulling out his cell phone to call Niall. His finger hovered over the keypad but as he was about to enter the number, it rang.

            Unknown name.

            For the smallest of moments he considered not answering. Living with Harry, well you never knew who would be in possession of your phone number, but Louis was bored.

            “Hello.”

            A frantic voice was on the other end of the line. A teary sounding frantic voice. “You won't believe what he did. He dumped me! Over email! On Valentine's Day. That's a new low in the history of lows. I'm so depressed. Oh God! I don't know what I'm going to do. He was going to take me to the One Direction concert tonight and everything and now I can't go. I hate him. I hate him.” She spoke so fast, her words were tumbling over each other.

            Louis pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at it, like it was somehow going to tell him who was on the other end of the line.

            “Hello? Jenny! Are you there,” the voice said. “Are you even listening?”

            He cleared his throat and sipped his tea before responding. “I'm listening.”

            Silence.

            “Hello?” Louis said.

            “I've dialed the wrong number, haven't I?”

            “Well. Yes.”

            “Oh my God!” she shrieked. “Could this day possibly be any worse? I'm going to hang up so I can find a corner to shrivel up and die in. I'm sorry to bother you.”

            “Wait,” he objected. He had no idea what he was doing. But she clearly needed someone to talk to. Louis was good to talk to. He was an excellent listener, at least when it was important.

            “What?”

            He could tell her voice was still cracking and it made him feel horrible. What kind of idiot was this girl dating? Dumping her over email. She was right. It was the lowest of lows. He wasn't entirely too sure what to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind. “Don't cry, love. He isn't worth your tears. If he was, he wouldn't make you cry in the first place, right?”

            She sniffled, and he could picture a girl sitting up a little straighter, squaring her shoulders. “You're absolutely right. What's your name?”

            “I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you it was Jenny.”

            She laughed the kind of laugh that came from the heart and Louis felt immediately victorious. No girl should be so sad.

            “I wouldn't believe you, no.”

            “Fine,” Louis said. “It's Louis.”

            “Same name as my favorite guy on the planet,” she said. “I'm Kyley.”

            “Your favorite guy on the planet, huh? That's a high standard for me to live up to, besides, Louis is a pretty common name,” he said.

            “Louis Tomlinson is anything but common,” Kyley said. “And now, thanks to the jerk formerly known as my boyfriend, I'll never get to see him.”

            Louis was grinning from ear to ear. What are the chances that she'd dial his number by mistake? About one in three million, he reckoned. The feel good meter for his day just kicked up a notch or five. “Ah yes, One Direction.”

            “Whatever, I don't want to talk about it. I'm not going now, so...”

             Louis sipped his tea again. “Well Kyley, surely there are other things you fancy doing.”

            “Right about now the only thing I fancy doing is having a good cry.”

            “He isn't worth your tears,” Louis reminded her. “What you need is a good break up party. You know, burn all his pictures, his clothes, clean the toilet with his toothbrush. Make a voodoo doll.”

            “There aren't enough pins in the world,” she said.

            This time it was him laughing. “I'm glad you called my number,” he said.

            “Why?”

            “You're a bit sassy. Makes a good accompaniment for the tea I'm drinking.”

            “Oh,” she said. “Well I'm glad my horror story entertains you.”

            “It doesn't entertain me. You do. What do you reckon about fate?”

            “Fate is a crock,” she replied.

            “Well I disagree. I think that it's fate that you called my phone.”

            “I think its fate that you're being a really nice guy and not hanging up on me since I'm acting like a godforsaken lunatic. Thanks, by the way.”

            “You're welcome and you're most definitely not a lunatic,” Louis assured her. “In fact, I think I quite like you, therefore I can only assume the former boyfriend must be the lunatic.”

            “You don't even know me,” she objected. “But that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

            “Wow. You need to find some new friends if that's one of the nicest things you've ever heard.”

            “Tell me about it.”

            “I just did. How'd you like me for a friend?” he asked. “You have a lovely voice, and I'd like to know you.”

            “Really?” she asked happily. “You think I have a nice voice?”

            “I do.”

            “Really?”

            “Why is that so shocking?”            

            “I don't know.”

            “So what do you say, are we friends?”

            “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I'd like that.”

            “Right. That's good. Friends help friends in need. It just so happens I have an extra ticket for the show tonight,” Louis said. “If you'd still like to go, I'd love to take you.”

            “Shut up!”

            Louis didn't say a word but he simply could not wipe the smile from his face.

            “Louis? Hello? Are you serious?”

            “Very much so.”

            He could hear the phone drop and what he made out to be a muffled scream, like she was covering her face with a pillow. “Why?”

            “Why not?”

            “Oh my God!” She yelled again, mixed with what he was sure were more tears only this time, he guessed, they were happy ones.

            “Listen to me for a moment, love.”

            “Okay,” she said sucking in a breath.

            Louis looked at his watch. “It's nearly twelve now. The show is at eight. I unfortunately have a previous commitment which will not allow me to be there until around eight thirty, but I'll leave your ticket with the box office, just tell them your name and I'll meet you there. Wear something specific so I can tell it's you.”

            “Okay,” she said. “I have this flower I was going to wear in my hair. It's a purple orchid.”

            “Right then. I shall find the girl with the purple orchid in her hair. When I see you, I'll wink with my left eye and say “hey, babe,” and you can be sure I'm the right Louis.”

            “Okay,” she agreed. “But wait!”

            “Yeah?”

            She spoke firmly. “Just so you know, that place is going to be crawling with security. No funny stuff.”

            He could see in his mind, her wagging a finger. “Rest assured, Kyley. No funny stuff. You have my word.”

            “Louis?”

            “Yeah?”

            “You may not be the one and only Louis Tomlinson, but you're everything I hoped he'd be like.”

            “Well Kyley, I'm not sure I can live up to this Louis Tomlinson character, but I'm honored that you're willing to let me try, especially in the path of your hurricane ex-boyfriend.”

            “I can't wait to meet you,” she said. “Honestly, I think dialing your number was the best mistake I ever made.”

            Louis said goodbye to her, even though strangely he didn't want to. He walked to his car and thought about the show. It was without question going to be one of their best.