One night {Cinderella AU}

Chapter 4

(The song attached in this chapter is 'bite my tongue' by you me at six who I love very much.)

Louis had stayed up until the early hours of the morning and it was now almost 1pm. He had been awaken quietly by Nina, she told him that his parents requested his presence in the living area as soon as possible.

Sighing miserably, Louis splashed his face in the sink and took a paracetamol, hoping that it would cure his splitting headache from the cheap vodka last night. He left his 'Of Mice And Men' t-shirt on, by this point he was beyond caring about his parents views on his music taste, and made his way down to the living area, another room he despised. Like the dining room, it was just a show covering the real problems that his family faced. That's all this whole place was- apart from his bedroom of course. That was the only place that showed Louis' true colours.

His parents were sitting on the hideous floral print sofa with the usual expressions on their faces. "What is that t-shirt you're wearing Louis? Nina just washed some of your nice white shirts." Was the first thing his mother said to him.

"Nice is a more polite way of saying boring. You're lucky I'm here." Louis replied grimly, sitting down awkwardly on a wooden chair that he had never really liked. He was certain that his parents were going to scold him about yesterday's events, so he didn't fight it.

"Your behaviour yesterday was appalling. However, we will allow you to attend your birthday party without a date, as long as you don't act up. Do you understand?" His mother told him in her stupid 'I wear the trousers' voice. She really is pathetic. What if Louis wants to take someone to the dance? Just because he wants to take a man. It's 2015. No one gives a shit. Apart from his mother of course.

"Could I take a guy?" His mother snapped her eyes back to him.

"No. No way. I will not let you take a man! The bible says not to let man lie with man and I shall follow that!" Homophobic bitch. Why someone would want to date her, regardless of gender was beyond Louis.

"It also says to treat everyone equally but you clearly don't do that. I try to compromise with you, I try to follow a basic outline of all the shit you make me do. I'm sorry I like men. I'm sorry I don't like your music. I'm sorry I drink. I'm sorry I was fucking born! There you are. There's my apology." He knew that some of the comments had to affect his mother a little and that's why he said them. It was all true, every last word of it. Why should he have to put up with all the shit his parents give him.

She just stood there in silence.

"Maybe I should just go upstairs and slit my throat. Maybe then I'll get a reaction out of you. After all, I'm filthy. I love men. I love it when they shove their fat cocks in my tight little hole. Love it when I suck their dicks and they come on my face. I drink it all up. I'm such a filthy boy aren't I?" He had gone too far. His parents have a line of tolerance and he had crossed it.

Before he knew it, he felt a slap across his cheek. The impact of the slap jerked his head sideways and he was sure that there would be a red mark forming on his skin. "Your party's tonight you know. Might wanna put some make up on that mark. That is what you gays do isn't it?"

"Don't act like you don't envy me." Was the last thing Louis said before leaving the room, making a mental note of finding a guy to piss his mum off with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he got back to his room, Liam had given Nina 4 bottles of Jack Daniel's to give to Louis. The two had a system set up. Liam would give the alcohol to Nina who would give it to Louis and Louis would place the money in a small box that he had outside his window. How they hadn't been caught was a mystery.

He knew he had to go. It was his 17th birthday and Amelia would be there. Maybe he could show his face and then sneak off with some guy. He had done it before and had only been caught once. Or he could get high with Amelia. That would be less frowned upon with homophobes for parents.

Either way he knew he had to go. Months before the party he had been measured for the suit that had arrived a few weeks ago. It was draped over his chair so Louis wouldn't lose it, he had lost important things before and no one wanted to risk it.

Then he had a thought. His parents never said anything about what the outfit had to be. A few adjustments couldn't be that bad.

Before a second thought, he delved into his wardrobe and found his ripped skinny jeans that he was hardly ever allowed to wear and pulled them on with the top half of the suit on as well. Of course he didn't wear the tie correctly and left it loosely tied around his neck with the top two buttons of his shirt undone. He felt a little more like himself. It was the most he could possibly get away with.

The party didn't begin until 6pm but he had to be there at 4 for an unspecified reason. It was 3:30 currently and for some reason he had to travel in a car separate from anyone else. It was probably to make him feel special but he wasn't too worried about getting there, he was worried about getting home.

A car pulled up outside the palace and two security guards stepped out. Before his parents could get a glimpse of his appearance, he fled down the stairs and out the door, hoping that no 12 year old girls stalk him to the party. If they did, he thought it was a bit stalker like and he would be quite concerned for his safety.

After running past a group of tourists, he made his way into the car door and slammed it behind him. Apparently he wasn't allowed to sit in the front passenger seat, so was forced to take a seat in the back. He could see a lighter in one of the security guard's pockets and quietly said, "do you mind if I use that?"

The security guard replied with a subtle nod and handed it to him, eyeing Louis up as he lit the cigarette, "I can't stand this." Louis said as he took a drag from the smokey substance.

"I can tell. You're brave you know. I would've never been able to stand up to my parents the way you do." For once someone was making a normal conversation with him that wasn't about money or materials. Just about Louis.

"I've gotten used to it. I've put up with it for the last 3 years. It's ever since I came out." He flicked some off the ash onto the seat, not caring about the welfare of the stiff leather seats. "Are we at this place yet or what?"

"Just pulling in."

Dread surged through Louis' bones when he heard the flashes of cameras and screams of the naïve public. This was going to be an eventful night.