C'mon, C'mon (TMH 1)

Chapter 3: Shaliene the Sweet Sixteen

Louis's POV:

I woke up to sun streaming through the window and bathing me in warmth. It was a promisingly cozy feeling that invigorated me as I slid out of bed, rubbing my eyes and dragging my fingers several times through my messy bed hair.

My mood is particularly higher today (A/N: Higher than usual?!) as I pull on jeans and a striped T-shirt. I bang open my bedroom door and sail down the banister of the stairwell, landing in a heap on the floor of the kitchen.

Harry's slumped groggily over the kitchen table, slurping cornflakes, his eyelids sagging. Did I mention that we share a flat? Or that I'm usually the hyper one dragging him out of bed every morning?

His gaze falls when he sees me. "Can't abandon the chipper attitude for even one morning, Lou?"

"Flat-out no, Hazza." I cross the kitchen and open the freezer, taking out a tub of carrot cake flavored ice cream. "How late did you stay up that you can't even stay awake while you're eating breakfast?"

"Not really late," mumbles Harry as he munches some cereal off his spoon. "I'm just sleepy. The alarm clock stopped working again."

"Gosh, Harry, just use your phone."

"I did," Harry slurs.

I shrug and shovel a scoop out of the ice cream container and into my mouth. Harry eyes me disgustedly.

"What's with you today anyway?" he demands.

I lift my eyebrows. "I'm bringing Shaliene to that ice cream place and you're coming too; you get that? And bring Denise; I think we all need to meet each other and... judge." I grin mischievously.

Harry moans. "Lou, I don't think Denise and I are really going to get anywhere that--"

"Aw, c'mon man. How bad coud it be? Loosen up." I lick the last of the ice cream out of the tub.

"Whatever happened to Eleanor anyway?" demands Harry. Dang, I didn't want him to bring that up...

I don't meet his eyes and pretend to be very busy scraping the frost off the side of the ice cream container while I slowly answer, "You know; she stopped calling me after all those rumors leaked out about you and me being gay and all..."

Harry makes a strange sound that is a sort of mix between a moan and a laugh. "Still?"

"Still." I won't look at him. "You know I've told her. She knows I've told her. But she just can't stand getting all that hate from fans..." I trail off.

Harry catches my discomfort and rushes to change the subject. "So... this Shaliene doesn't have a problem with 90% of Directioners shipping us together?"

I shrug. "Nope. Not that I can see, anyway."

Harry lifts his eyebrows. "OK, then."

Harry's POV:

I don't care what Louis has planned. After our fight, which ended in thirty seconds with Denise storming off, I've hesitated about calling her. The problem is, I really don't want to ruin anything between us that hasn't already been broken. There's a chance I can win her back, but I don't want to throw myself into it and reap the consequences later.

After Louis leaves to pick up his girlfriend, I sit at the kitchen table playing iPhone games and mostly killing the time that lies between now and when I'll have to seek out Denise.

Who's ever heard of a celebrity dating someone who hates him? And I'm not talking about literal loathing; I mean as a celebrity hate/love. If she hates me as a celebrity, how can she love me as a person?