Under Coloured Trees || Larry Stylinson

3

Louis' head snaps up from his phone and looks at the door. His eyes grow wide and his breath hitches. He didn't know he was actually so nervous to meet this roommate. If it was scary when Anne-Marie mentioned it, it is more than scary now. It's terrifying. This could be very good or very bad. Probably bad, considering Louis' luck. A million 'what if's' cloud Louis' mind as the door opens completely.

In walks a tall, brown-haired boy with a suitcase and a backpack on his shoulders. His gaze dances around the room until finally setting on Louis. They make eye contact and the boy smiles, wide, carefree, untroubled. He looks like a happy lad. Good for him, Louis thinks.

"Hi! I'm Liam" he says offering his hand for Louis to shake. His hair is short and straight and his eyes brown. "You must be Louis, at least that's what the nice girl with the pink hair said at the reception. I'm sorry I'm so late" He's talking quite fast, like he's extremely excited to be here or something. Louis still hasn't reacted. Liam continues looking around the room, leaving his stuff on the bed. He opens the closet that Louis checked out earlier "Sick!" he half whispers. He finally stands in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips and sighs happily. Then his smile falters, like he just remembered something, and he turns to look at Louis. 

"Bro, you okay? You don't talk much, do you?" Louis stares. Then Liam's expression turns urgent and sort of... apologetic? "Shit, am I being too intense? I am, aren't I? I'm so so sorry mate. People tell me I'm a bit overwhelming at first. I'm sorry, really. I'm just used to doing all the talking and..." he continues rambling.

But Louis'  not listening. He can't. Because a million different thoughts are dancing around in his head right now.  He's panicking, he knows he is. He feels like that episode of Sponge Bob in which they show the inside of his head and there are like dozens of tiny Sponge Bobs running around and screaming (Louis needs to stop watching so much TV with the twins). Well, anyway the point is, there are dozens of micro Louis panicking and running and yelling at each other inside his brain. And everything's on fire. And there're a million red flags and glowing signs and warnings and alarms telling Louis to run away.

But.

But there's also something telling him that Liam's okay, that he's a nice lad, trustworthy. And Louis isn't sure what part of his brain he should listen to. Because Louis has learned his lesson. He's learned that you can't trust people, that you need to be careful with them because they all betray you at some point. So part of Louis wants to listen to the red flags and the alarms, but he also thinks he won't know what Liam's deal is until he gets to know him better. And there will be plenty of time for that because Louis and Liam live together now. 

By the time Louis' pulled away from his thoughts by some mystery force that decides it's time for him to come back to the real world, Liam's still talking. But Louis doesn't know what the hell he's blabbering about. Damn, what is this kid on? Louis will take two.

"...and then my mum told me I needed to calm down-" Louis stops him.

"Nah mate, it's alright. I guess I'm just tired. Sorry it took me a while to react" and he half grins. It's apparently enough for Liam, who immediately smiles again, and looks over to Louis' desk, where he left the mandala an hour ago, completely forgetting about it.

"Wow! Sick drawing, man. You know, I know someone who would love it" he says, getting closer and picking up the notepad. Louis sits up on the bed.

"Ah, thanks, mate. People seem to like that one" Liam just smiles and doesn't question him about it, so Louis continues. "So, do you know anyone else here?"

"Oh yes, I have a mate in the musical composition and production program, he plays guitar and piano and stuff. He's amazing at it. We should all hang out sometime. I think he has another friend here as well, but I haven't met him. Also, my boyfriend got into the visual arts program too, so we'll be classmates probably"