Don't be Happier

Chapter five

Harry finds everyone at the school's field. They're playing footie with a ball that came out of Harry doesn't know where. Louis is there too, overcoat off and showing off a black t-shirt with a quote that makes Harry feel like throwing up.

Love will tear us apart.

His heart aches.

Louis is as good as Harry remembers. He used to be the captain of the football team and everyone had eyes on him, everyone was fan, including Harry himself. He remembers how he used to cheer for them, especially for him, always craving his looks and dedications to the captain of the cheerleading team when he scored. Harry remembers always smelling Louis' shirt whenever he hugged him after a game and telling him he wanted to keep that shirt.

One time, Louis gave him his shirt. Harry kept it since then. It's not like anyone has to know he takes it to his every tour.

Louis scores, smiling big and involuntarily turns to the bleachers, soon turning meeting Harry's eyes and winking playfully.

The singer can't help but feel his stomach and the fucking butterflies again. He's so distracted he doesn't see Niall approaching and sitting beside him.

"Hey, mate," He calls him and Harry turns to look at him.

"Hey," he smiles.

"You okay?" Niall asks him, turning his eyes back to the field.

Harry's eyes follow his and he sees the people taking a few pictures there. Louis smiling big along with his friends.

"Yeah," he says, still looking at Louis.

"We missed you," the brownish haired lad tells him, reaching to wrap his arm around Harry's shoulders. "You've gone all famous and now you don't remember us."

Harry rolls his eyes. "Ass," he giggles, "we talked last week."

Niall laughs at him, pulling him close and kissing his short hair. "Long time ago," he nods his head. They both stay in silence for a minute. "He misses you," he says.

The younger one turns his eyes back to the field, watching as his friends make their way back to the bleachers. He looks down at his fidgeting hands, playing nervously with his rings. "Bullshit," he says soft and sadly. "Just don't know what happened, you know?" He says and sighs, looking up at Niall. "He just moved on without me."

Niall sighs heavily, removing his arm from around him. "Don't be angry, Haz, he just had his reasons."

"His reasons aren't fair and I don't even know what they are." He says sadly. "And I'm not angry, just upset. We had history, Niall, he just moved past all that."

"Harry," he shakes his head, smiling a little. "If he moved past all that he wouldn't have freaked out when he saw you," he reminds him, "just be patient. Louis' gone through some shit, everyone has their own ways of dealing with shit."

"I just." Harry sighs, clenching his jaw. "I just wish he wouldn't have vanished," he says, noticing how close his friends were. "I just hate that I don't know what the fuck happened."

"Give him some time, yeah?" Niall pats his shoulder and stands up. "Come on, we're going to the cafeteria."

-x-

The cafeteria is the worst, Louis decides. It's where it all began after all.

Louis decides to ignore what happened in the bathroom, but deep inside he knows he can't. He is kind of grateful though that his old friend decided not to give up on them, to keep insisting even though Louis basically told him to stay away.