Houseboy ➳ Larry AU |English|

Chapter 22.

That same night, Harry receives his paycheck, he's very happy, until he remembers that he must pay the three months back rent for the apartment where he lived with Jenn. Happiness doesn't last long for Harry, as it has always been.

He picks up his phone to call his friend to let her know he got his paycheck. The debt is reduced a little since Jennifer also received her pay, and Niall also wants to collaborate, so soon they will be able to get rid of all debts? They just have to get four more payments and then the payment for the apartment will be complete. How could they let the debt grow so much? It's a lot more money than they can earn in two months. Now Harry feels very guilty about spending his first paycheck on ballet slippers and lots of goodies. He should have saved that money. Idiot.

"Sure Jenn, I'm going to save all the money this time, I promise, I'm not even going to buy sweets." He promises, though he's not sure he can survive without candy for long. He's addicted to sweets.

On the other hand, Louis keeps flipping channels on the TV in his room, not paying much attention to any channel, he can't stop thinking about everything Liam said. He's scared, confused, stressed, and upset. Deep down he knows that Liam is right about everything he said, but Louis can't admit it. He doesn't like Harry, he just likes his legs, and his eyes, and his dimples, and his curly hair. No. He definitely doesn't like Harry. He's a friend, he looks at him just like he looks at Liam or Zayn, there's no difference with Harry, he just thinks about the younger one a lot lately, and wants to take him everywhere, and wants to buy him things, and wants to hear his voice, and wants to see him dance, and wants to smell his perfume, and wants to be around him most of the time. But it's not a big difference.... Ugh, that sounds really pathetic. Very pathetic, even for him.

He doesn't remember feeling anything similar with any girl or girlfriend in the past, Liam is wrong when he says it's the same feeling. Louis has never felt butterflies when he hears Brianna's voice, and he's never been so nervous around her, let alone think about her so much. It's nothing like that, honestly Liam is wrong.

"What's wrong with me?" He tosses the remote to the side and tugs at his hair in desperation.

He shouldn't go into crisis, but this has never happened to him before, it's getting out of control. He doesn't know what it all means, and he doesn't know how he should act in these cases.

The first thing that comes to his mind is to leave his room and go to Harry's room. He stops in front of his door thinking of a justifiable excuse to be there. But he stops thinking when he hears Harry's delicate voice on the other side of the door.

"It's a promise, Jenn, I mean it, believe me. I want to get it all over with and be debt free. I'm going to save all the money to pay the rent, even if I have to stop paying for the dance academy, and you know that's a sacrifice for me, but I guess the most important thing now is to pay off our debt and get rid of Mr. Jackson. I know you can't stay long living at Niall's place, I'll help you get a new cheaper apartment."

Louis is instantly curious, and yes, he gets a brilliant idea too. He smiles at the thought, until Harry's voice comes through once again.

"I was planning to save the money to go to college as soon as possible, I don't want to be a houseboy for the rest of my life, I want to be something else. I want to graduate, I want to get a decent job and grow up in society. I want to be useful. I don't want people to see me as a useless, failed maid, I know I can be more than this, Jenn."

Louis bites his lip, and can't help but feel so miserable listening to Harry say all those things. Louis never thinks about his future, he doesn't even care to be honest, he can inherit his father's position in the company, money is no problem for him, and he doesn't care about college either. He doesn't value what he has, but Harry longs for it all, and he can't have it. Life is ironic and very unfair.