//past//

❝ L O U I S ❞

"lou, what are you doing here?"

i looked up from my phone and gave my friend a smile and a small hand wave. he looked a bit tired and a whole lot sweaty. i was sitting on a corner bench, trying to make myself invisible which is quite ironic because with this whale type body i can never not be visible.

"well, tay and gi were nowhere to be seen and i knew you were in the field. i thought why not wait for you here in the locker room, i hope that's fine?" i asked hesitantly. " after l-last time, i don't feel safe in the field." i muttered sadly while fiddling with the hem of my shirt.

i remember the horrible incident very vividly. last time when i went to meet niall on the field, the footie boys started making fun of me and one of them knowingly kicked the ball towards me. i ended up with a big red mark against my stomach and a tummy ache for a week.

niall gave a friendly pat on the back. "of course, louis." he flung the ball in the air and caught it. i wish i could play it too but i know i do not belong to the field, at least with this huge body. "be right back!" he chimed and turned to his locker.

as niall went for a quick shower and change of clothes. the team was in and the room filled with the smell of sweat and their blasphemous chatter. i shrunk myself as much as i could, hoping they would ignore me altogether. however, i had a bad feeling about it.

"oooh... look who's here!"

i looked down in fear as i heard the voice, my eyes went wide. how can i forget he's in the team too. fuck!

"hi fatlinson!" someone chirped, and the others laughed. scared that they'll beat me, i wished niall to come back soon. an involuntary whimper escaped my lips. i opted to screw my eyes shut and keep my head hanging low.

"oi cat got your tongue?" harry roughly grabbed my chin and made me look up. in haste and fear, tears clouded my vision as i peered in his green orbs. harry was quiet for a while but then he jerked my face away and muttered, "pathetic!" my heart was still thumping harshly against my chest, but harry stepped away from me. i've always seen hatred for me in harry's eyes, but today it was something else. pity? compassion? i don't know and didn't like the weird flutter in my gut. i never knew that  someone's eyes could make you feel things.

"louis..."

i sprang up from my place and hooked my arm with niall's and whimpered.

"did they do something, louis?" he asked me worriedly, i just shook my head. "let me put this in my locker and then we'll leave," he smiled sadly and walked towards his locker with me following him like a tail.

-

"louis, did they do something? you can tell bro." niall kept asking me but i just shook my head every time. "really?"

"hmm..." i sighed. "i guess harry was going to hit but then he saw me crying and backed out."

my irish friend brought me into a side hug and whispered an apology for leaving me alone. i was quick to dismiss, it isn't his job to save me.

"louis, niall!" gigi approached us with a big grin on her beautiful face. "zayn invited me to a malik family annual dinner!"

"that's great!" "aye, bitch!" niall and i, both gave our responses together which resulted into a small giggle fest.

"where's taylor?" i asked. i haven't seen the girl after lunch. her absence made me a bit sad.

"she's doing this pending assignment in the library, asked me to not disturb her at all." she laughed. "taylor in the library, what a beautiful combination!"

we all laughed and started walking back to our classes. i saw harry on our way and he just gave me a blank stare with frown etching his lips.

nothing new.

-

it was after the school was over and we were all gathered in the parking area, discussing our day.

"mine was surprisingly good," i stated happily. a chocolate bar in my hand, half chewed as i leaned my head on taylor's shoulder. "i missed you,"

"i missed you too, lou." she wrapped her arm around me. "my day was busy." taylor muttered, then sighed. "i'm exhausted,"

"aw.."

"you heard that! gigi's gonna have a family dinner with the whole malik fam!"

as niall finished his sentence, taylor was hugging gigi excitedly. "ooh-la-la!" gigi nudged her away gently, blushing softly. "zayn's coming here... with it."

harry was looking quite annoyed. again when he wasn't annoyed? he grumbled something to zayn, which all of decided to ignore, even zayn. "hey," zayn smiled at gigi and hugged her from behind. "niall, taylor, louis." with a curt nod.

his common greetings. i love them.

"hi." we all smiled. harry was just lingering behind zayn, looking around nervously. he looked at me and then looked away. he continued doing that and it was nerve-wrecking. i felt an annoying itch on my skin with every glance. the weird flutter was back and i hated it. his eyes were intriguing in some way and i didn't like it a bit.

'look away, you weirdo!' i yelled in my head. i can't get to wrap my head around harry's fluctuating behavior. last evening, he was joking around and stuff and today he's being the same grumpy bully of mine. why can't we be on the same page?

however, i was snapped out of my trance by taylor. "let's go, lou." she smiled knowingly and i was so thankful for such nice friends. we bade our bye to niall, gigi and zayn and walked away. "was it rude yesterday?"

"quite the opposite. he praised me, called me a good teacher." i replied back quietly. harry was hard to understand but i don't want to waste any more thought on him. he'll just continue to be an asshole. why bother? but fate works in different ways. and i, louis tomlinson, can do nothing but be bothered by harry styles. it's our fate. ew! why do i keep talking about harry and mine's fate!

"mhm... don't let it trick you. it's evil."

"yes."

//oh! i had been warned so many times before but as i said fate works in different ways.//

❝ Could it be that it's a lesson,
That I never had to learn. ❞

— Zayn Malik

____________________________

5/12/2020

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🥛: what what you do if you were given a day to manage one direction?

🍪: i suck tons at managing anything. also, this is one direction we are talking about! i would freak the fuck out and then pass out in front of them and make a fool of myself. lmao

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i hope you liked the chapter x