In The Nick Of Time

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

Liam stuffs his cold hands into his jean jacket. It was getting colder by the days.

Autumn. When the trees grow bare and the leaves dance to the ground only to be covered in white, pure snow weeks later. When kids bundled up like little toasters, and people started getting colds and the ones who thanks their doctors for their flu shots didn't catch a single one.

He didn't think it'd be cold, his nose lightly pink as he went down the busy streets of Leeds. His phone woke him in the morning to have his best friend Louis calling him asking him about his sister's birthday party. Liam had planned out the whole thing. You see, Louis kind of fancied Liam's sister. From a young age even the little Louis had fallen in love with Liam's older sister, a strange little crush that he still seems to have. To him it was important that every thing went right in her favor, it was just a little get together. Have some family over who hadn't been there in a while. Simple thing.

Louis had to go ahead and make it complicated calling the family and getting them confused until Liam took hold of the reigns and pushed Louis off his throne, it wasn't his business any ways. Liam was the one planning it for his sister, not Louis. Hopping up the steps of his little flat, he opened the door and instantly the smell of warm pastry items attacked him. He didn't remember if he'd eaten that morning, but looking into the kitchen he found his best mate looking into the oven with oven mitts and a plaid knitted apron on.

He turned with a fluffy cake right on the tray, he glanced up. "Liam." He said surprised, but didn't look away from placing the tray down and throwing the mitts off. "I didn't hear you come in."

He smiled. "What'cha got there?" He rounded the island and looked over his mate's, Harry's, shoulder.

"I thought, instead of going out and buying one, I'd make one myself." He glanced to Liam with a smile, and back to the cake. "It's Grace's favorite." He showcased it, spreading his large hands out towards it. "Red velvet." He smiled.

"Nice job." Liam opened the fridge.

"Thank you." Harry mumbled, "Louis called, said he'd be around by eight. Had to do some thing important."

Liam furrowed his eyebrows, "Some thing important? I thought getting Grace's party was a big event for him." He joked, but he felt the sliver of pain hit him.

The thing is - Louis fancies Grace, but Harry fancies Louis. It was a rough patch with that one. Liam guessed that the crush would move along and Louis would be able to see that Harry liked him, and cared for him but he never did. It was hard for the two to be in the same room, because even when they fooled around and got close to each other, being able to sit close to each other, fool around and hug each other, wrestle, and some times even hug longer - because they were all long huggers - Liam could see it hurt Harry to not be able to be some thing more than just friends with Louis.

Liam pressed his lips together, turning to the fridge and looking in. "How you holding up?" He asked, nonchalantly.

Harry shrugged, "I made a cake." He joked.

He couldn't help but feel terribly bad for Harry. Some times he just wanted to strangle Louis to show him that Harry cared, but he could never do it because Harry would never let him. "Besides that." He scoffed.

Harry picked at a piece of frayed cake, swaying his shoulders. "I'm fine."

He nodded, he couldn't say anything else because he didn't want to push Harry. He cleared his throat, "So, the party starts at eight. The rest of the family will be here early. They'll try and park far, then walk here. Hide the fact they're here. And then Grace is coming by around eight thirty so we should be good." He repeated the plan. "Do you think you'll have time to make that plate you said you'd make?" Liam asked.