One night {Cinderella AU}

Chapter 3

(I attach a song every chapter. Listen to it if you wish as I feel that it helps you understand the story a bit better. The song attached in this chapter is 'like stars' by tich. Hope you enjoy it. )

After the short conversation exchanged between the two, Louis and Amelia made their way towards a bush that Louis didn't care for and quite frankly thought it looked quite disgusting. He also knew that there was a ditch-like area behind it that he used to play in as a child, so he was sure that they wouldn't get caught.

When they sat down, Amelia lit two joints and handed one to Louis. "Your mum seems really fucking annoying. I hope you don't mind me saying." She laughed a little, clearly concerned about whether or not she had hurt Louis' feelings.

"She just so judgmental. Like, I told her I was gay and she looked down on me for it so I said fine, I'll take a girl to my party and now she won't let me take you to the party. What does she want from me?" Louis sighed a little, trying not to cry. He knew that if that happened he wouldn't be able to stop, especially when he was high.

"Same with me," Amelia flicked some of the ash off the joint and leant backwards a little, "my dad ran off with some slag and my mum's been a bitch ever since. Always makes me cover my tattoos, always tells me to take my lip ring out. Of course I don't, but it's really annoying."

"At least you don't have to worry about coming out." He felt sympathy for her, it was uncommon for someone with royal roots to run off with someone else, but then Louis was on the verge of doing just that most of the time.

"Oh I did. I'm lesbian but my mum sent me here 'cause she caught me with some girl, thought it would 'turn me straight' or some bullshit like that." She looked down a little, Louis could tell she had been hurt. At least his parents hadn't sent him across the country so that he could date a girl. Amelia was a lot like him in many ways. She saw this similarly to Louis. Saw the beauty in things that weren't made to be beautiful. Saw the sadness in things that weren't meant to be sad.

"Of course we mustn't complain. I mean, we already have our lives planned out for us. We don't need college or university or a stable job, we just have big bank accounts and pretty faces. You know, I've been smoking this stuff for 2 years, I literally don't even get high anymore, I'll have a smoke and I'll still be able to do all the shit I can usually do." She really was emptying out all her emotions to him. He could tell she was getting worked up, she clearly didn't have anyone to talk to back home so this is the only time in the last however many years. Amelia was just like Louis, a lost soul in this world.

"IM FUCKING DEPRESSED OKAY. I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO. PLEASE JUST LISTEN." Louis nodded, leaning across to wipe the tears that had fallen into her cheeks.

"I'll listen. I'll listen all you want. I sound really lame but I don't really have any friends apart from Liam and my maid. It's nice to talk to someone else," he rubbed her shoulder, meaning for it to be a touching gesture. She jerked away from his touch and wiped at her cheeks.

"Please don't touch me without me telling you. I'm fucked up ok, I'll flip out or something if you do that." Louis nodded in understanding. He didn't spend much time out in public but he did know about the dangers of some men and he could see why Amelia was worried.

"I'm staying here for a few weeks you know. Even though I'm probably not your date, I've been invited to the party." His eyes lit up at her words. At least there was going to be one person he could tolerate for longer than an hour in that place. He had heard that members of the public who give a lot to the country were going to be invited, so they had probably done stuff like save cats, and he didn't want to talk to crazy cat people for the whole night.

"Anyway, I've gotta get back to my room. I'm staying in an apartment a few miles away from here. I wasn't really caught in traffic, I got up late." She laughed, raising to her feet. "See you next week at the party?"

"I guess. It is my birthday so I should go really." Louis sighed and waved Amelia goodbye before standing up and burying the burnt out joints into the dirt with his foot. His parents weren't aware of his smoking habits and he intended to keep it that way.

He shoved his way through the leaves of the bush and didn't bother to brush himself down. If he was being honest, he didn't care about his appearance. He was in his own house for gods sake! When he approached the door that he had left open, there were only two girls in the hallway.

"Good afternoon your majesty." They said in unison. It was almost creepy, how synchronised they were.

"Stop calling me your majesty. Call me Louis yeah, since when did someone call their kid 'your majesty'. Why are you here anyway?" Beginning to grow frustrated, he kicked off his stupid posh shoes and made his way towards the stairs, "if you think I'm taking you to my birthday then piss off. I'm not taking anyone."

"But Louis, what about your parents? They may become rather upset!" Who did she think she was. He doesn't even remember talking to her earlier, obviously she wasn't very interesting, "they can piss off too." Was the last thing Louis said before he made his way up to his room to change.

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After making his way up the stupid amount of stairs he had to climb, he smiled a little when he saw that Nina had left him a pack of cigarettes. She often left little gifts in his room and he was very grateful, always thanking her for them when he got the chance.

He changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and vans, not feeling the need to change his shirt and put his nirvana CD into his stereo. He lit one of the cigarettes Nina had left and locked his door, hoping that his parents wouldn't smell the tobacco beneath the scent of the various aftershaves he frequently sprayed in his room to get rid of the odour of the alcohol he was frequently smoking. Even if they did smell, he could put out the cigarette and then they would have no actual evidence that he actually did smoke it, just their own judgemental asses being too nosy for their own good.

He glanced at the clock. It read 23:47. Had he really been with Amelia for that long? But then, who really cares? Liam hadn't been able to meet with him due to the fact he was a witness at a court case so had to attend that, so Louis had to make do with Nina's cigarettes and a bottle of vodka that he had stashed under his bed a couple of weeks ago. He knew Nina wouldn't have moved it, she wasn't against him and had told him on many occasions that she doesn't have anything against Louis' drinking habits as long as he didn't over do it. Nina would've been a great mother, but she had also told him that she was unable to have children due to a medical condition he wasn't too educated on.

This world really is fucked up. Someone as cold hearted as his mother can have all this power and money yet someone as gentle and caring as Nina can't have a child? That seemed unfair to Louis really, but he can't speak out obviously.

He put out the cigarette he had been smoking and opened the bottle. A drink was needed after a messed up day like this.