number 12. (l.s.)

Chapter 63.

S I X T Y  T H R E E
-A start of a nightmare-

People can be resembled with flaming matches. When one is born, the match ignites. The flame burns to the end of the stick. However, there is a difference between them. Some are shorter, others longer. Some flames burn more strongly than others, and some flames extinguish with some resistance.

Every person is already given a match before being born, but too much resistance can make the flame burn less strongly. Flames are also able to ignite one another, make others burn more intensely. This is what happened to the two boys. The flames had almost stopped flaming, almost collapsed— all that would be left was a black stick that had burned out completely. However, just before this happened to both of them, they let them burn again—let them feel alive again.

Louis blew out the golden flame after lighting the burner. He was just about to hold the test tube over the flame when the bell rang loudly through the room. He groaned underneath his breath and halted the experiment. "I hope everything was clear after the experiment. Please, carefully turn off the burner and only remove your safety glasses after the flame has gone out. I'll see you in the next class," the teacher instructed. Louis removed his safety glasses roughly, then turned off the flame. He tossed the stuff in a large orange bin before he stomped out of his science class.

Once Louis got into the grand hall, he was just in time to spot Mr Styles, who was talking to Harry. He decided to wait at the side of the hall, so Mr Styles wouldn't see him. He was leaning against the wall, sneakily watching Harry through his eyelashes. He always loved watching him. He was pretty. Everything about him he found pretty. His dimples, his curls, his character, him.

When Harry's eyes flicked to the side and met his, Louis smiled gently at him. Harry gave a sweet dimpled smile back, before he turned to his father again. It gave Louis the time to watch him again.

He didn't even realize he was constantly smiling at him while his eyes were fixed on Harry. When Mr Styles was finally out of sight, Louis carefully walked his way. He checked once more that Harry's father was out of sight before sitting down in the chair next to him.

"You know, it's good for your eyes to blink. That ensures the moisture regulation," Harry said, which caught Louis off guard.

"What?" He questioned, oblivious.

"While staring. It's okay to blink," he clarified. Louis nudged him, then grinned as he shook his head playfully.

"Shut it, better tell me why your dad talked to you suddenly." Harry shrugged as he swallowed a bite of his sandwich.

"I received a D for Economics," he said in between a mouthful.  

"Was he mad?" Louis asked, a look of worry washed over him. He opened his water bottle.

Harry nodded, not even bothering to hide it in his facial expressions. "If I don't get a B or A for my next test, I'll be grounded for a week." Louis smiled in pity, nodded once in reassurance to show him it would be okay. Right then, a laughing Rose and Juliet fell down to the table. Louis' eyes snapped to Juliet and he sighed slightly in irritation.

"Juliet, seriously, where have you been? I needed to do that entire science experiment alone!" But Juliet was just laughing. It wasn't that she was cackling because she found something extremely funny, it just seemed like she was in a really happy mood.

But when Louis' eyes flicked down, a purple, red mark could be seen in her neck. He groaned then, leaning back in his chair as his eyes flicked back and forth between Rose and Juliet.

"Seriously? You ditched two classes so you could mess around with each other again?"

She brushed her hand through her hair in caution, her smile fading. "Shit, is it that obvious? Previous time, Zayn got kind of mad." Both Harry and Louis started chuckling.