Stars, stripes and student life [Larry Stylinson]

Chapter 5

I should not update so much and study... 

Harry doesn't like crowds. He doesn't like a lot of people close to him. It makes him feel claustrophobic and he panics a little bit, doesn't know how to breath anymore. But he doesn't tell Niall or Louis. It was his own idea to come to this party and how stupid would he look if he tells Louis know that he isn't comfortable? He doesn't want him to think that he's a dork. He has done that enough during their first meeting by sleeping while soup was cooking.

"Let's partyyyyy!" Niall shouts and runs through the ocean of people. Harry's eyes are full of panic. He really doesn't want his friends to leave him. It's like Louis can read his mind when he speaks.

"Don't worry. I'm staying with you." He takes Harry's hand. "Let's find a place where we can settle down, yeah?"

The two of them walk upstairs where the music doesn't sound so loud and they take place on the floor of the hallway, back resting against the wall.

"Why did you want to come here?" Louis asks. He is a lot more sober than he was at the dean's party.

"Just wanted to have fun." Harry sighs. He looks down at his toes. "Normal teenagers have fun at these kind of parties. Look at everybody else."

"I'm also not a fan of those college parties." Louis says. "I'm only here because you wanted to come here. Harry you don't have to be a stereotypical teenager to feel normal. You can still be yourself, you know?"

Harry leans his head on Louis' shoulder and Louis automatically starts to play with his curls.

"I just want to do something crazy like you and Niall did. You painted a dog for god's sake. Not that I want to paint a dog but.."

Louis laughs. Harry is cute when he rambles and he does that a lot.

"Want me to get you a beer from downstairs?" Louis asks.

"I never had a beer before." Harry confesses.

"Well... Want me to change that or another time? You can stay here if you want. I don't want you to go through that crowd."

"You're the best."

"Aw, tell me something I don't know Curly." With those words Louis stands up and walks down the stairs. Is it weird that Harry feels cold without Louis next to him?

He jumps up though when one of the doors open. A guy with black hair, skinny jeans and a Hollister t-shirt leaves a room. Harry recognises him. He's actually the guy he heard talking about this party.

"Hey, Harry right?" he smiles. "From my environment class?" the boy asks and Harry nods.

"I'm Nick, Nick Grimshaw. Dope that you're here at my party." He smiles.

"Shouldn't you be down then?" Harry doesn't mean to sound rude but when his parents throw a party they don't leave for a second.

"I am going now actually. I had to change my t-shirt. Someone spilled their beer on it, smelled awful." He explains. "Hey, I'll see you in class tomorrow okay? You are staying upstairs, right?"

"Yeah, waiting for my friend." Harry nods.

Nick's phone beeps.

"Got to go now." Nick says. "That's my friend telling me we are out of crisps. We should definitely hang out one time. You look cute by the way in that suit." Nick winks at him before running downstairs and it makes Harry blush a little bit. He isn't used to all those compliments.

It takes a little bit before Louis comes back and it's getting really hot. Harry takes off his jacket but his eyes get wide when he hears people screaming.

"What's going on?" he asks Zayn and Liam who are standing at the stairs.

"I have no idea. I'm going to check." Liam says. He goes downstairs together with Zayn. They are not long downstairs when Harry sees Louis again.

"There's a fire!" Louis screams, running upstairs. "Harry, fuck there's a fire!"

Harry wants to run downstairs but Louis stops him.

"No, you can't go from there. The flames block everything. We'll have to jump from the window." Louis grabs Harry's hand and both Liam and Zayn are following.

"Why are all the bloody bedrooms closed." Louis curses, trying to open a room so there's a window.

"Fuck it." Louis mumbles. He can see the fire getting closer and he really can't risk getting Harry hurt, not his little curly head. Louis kicks in one of the doors and opens the bedroom window.

"It's so high." Harry starts to cry and his whole body is shaking. "I'm scared."

"I'll jump first." Louis says. "And I'll catch you, okay?"

"What about Zayn and Liam? They went downstairs."

"They are trained, Harry. They will be fine. We have to be quick." Louis jumps out of the window and groans in pain when he lands. He forgets about the pain though when he sees the view from outside. There are flames everywhere in the house and Harry is looking like a deer caught in headlights standing in the window frame.

"Jump, Hazza!" Louis screams. "Come on!"

Harry sobs loudly and his body is shaking. He is so scared. Where are Liam and Zayn? Is Niall okay? What the fuck is happening? What if Louis doesn't catch him? Will he die? Is this it? Literally one day of uni?"

"Trust me, Harry." Louis gives Harry pleading looks and his heart beats heavier in his chest. Eyes closed, he jumps. Harry expects to fall down on the cold, hard floor but instead his fall is broken by warm, strong arms.

"You're okay." Louis' arms are tightly wrapped around Harry. "Fuck, you're okay." Louis' fingers are caressing Harry's back and Harry is sobbing like crazy in Louis' chest.

"Zayn, Liam, Niall." Harry sobs. "Where are they? Niall was so drunk he couldn't..." Harry can't finish his sentence, tears rolling down his cheek even faster. "This is my mistake. I wanted to come here."

"It's not, baby. Want to go look for them? There are loads of people in the garden." Louis takes Harry's hand and they walk around the house, watching as the firemen arrive to stop the fire.

"HARRY!"

Harry turns around to see Liam. He was clearly in the fire, his clothes to shred and his face is a little bit burnt.

"Liam!" Harry whimpers. He hugs his bodyguard closely.

"I was so worried! I couldn't go upstairs anymore, the fire was there. But you are okay. I was so scared."

"Not thanks to you." Louis snaps. "You should have kept him safe!" Louis' hold around Harry's waist gets tighter. "I risked my own life to safe him and I would do it again but isn't that exactly your job?"

Liam looks at the floor and Harry feels bad for him.

"I know you did what you could, Li." Harry whispers. "Where is Zayn?"

"He's with your friend, Niall." Liam says. "He could save him."

"Thank god." Both Louis and Harry breath out and Harry immediately hugs into the boy next to him.

"Harry Styles!"

Harry turns around when he hears Taylor's voice. Her make-up is ruined by the tears that are rolling down on her cheeks and she is barefoot, probably has thrown her shoes away because they hurt too much.

"Tay." Harry runs up to her and hugs her tightly.

"Why are you here? Are you okay? Fuck you scared me. You could have been dead!" Taylor slaps him against his chest, not too hard of course. "Why didn't you let me know you were here! I would have been here too! Liam called me and..."

"I'm good, Taylor." Harry tries to relax the girl.

"I called your father." Taylor breathes out. "We're flying to Washington, right now, including Louis and Niall..;"