Bad For You (Larry Stylinson) [INDEFINITE HIATUS, MAY BE DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 1: Hard Lessons

Chapter 1: Hard Lessons

Today was the day. Louis was of course excited, but at the same time extremely nervous, to start his first real job. Sure he'd held his fair share of poorly paying part time positions when he was younger, but this was much, much different. He was an adult now, in charge of helping a whole classroom of rowdy teenagers live up to their full potential, much like his teachers had done for him not too many years ago. When he had given up on himself ever achieving anything, it was a few caring teachers who pulled him out of the darkness he felt constricting him more and more with each passing hour and who encouraged him that he wasn't a screw-up. He was Louis Tomlinson and he could be whatever he wanted to be, no matter what anyone else may try to make him believe. And that was what made up Louis' mind to become a teacher. It was his way of giving back, of repaying the kindness he had been shown at his lowest point. He sincerely hoped he would be given the opportunity to be the one to give a troubled student a second chance at success and a happy life. Because he knew firsthand how good it felt to get back on track after nearly losing himself all those years ago.

*****

The ice-blue eyed, wispy-haired boy with the delicately pale skin had always been picked on as a child due to his admittedly slightly feminine features. Louis had never exactly been ashamed of the way he looked. He quite fancied admiring himself in the mirror, actually. He took pride in making himself look good, and Louis had never found anything wrong with that. Once he was a year six however, his classmates began to take more notice that he was somehow different. He'd never been particularly fond of sports, had never really liked talking about cars and girls. He much preferred staying home as it meant he got to keep his vocal and piano skills in tune. As time progressed, Louis found that he could better relate to the girls in his classes than the rough-mannered boys. No one took much notice of this at first. Everyone just thought he was a ladies man and many of the boys envied him. Soon, though, the prodding and teasing began. For awhile, Louis was able to brush it off as nothing, but the longer he kept acting like it was no big deal, the worse the bullying got. What started as snide comments whispered in the corridors from ear to ear like a big game of "telephone," quickly escalated into full-on physical abuse.

Being a foolish young lad who thought he could handle all his problems by himself, Louis put up with the almost-daily beatings he suffered at the balled-up fists and flailing feet of his fellow classmates. Sure the patchwork of black and blue bruises lacing over his porcelain skin ached, but what hurt Louis the most was the fact that the pain was inflicted by people he knew, or at least thought he knew. People he once called his friends.

Louis figured that eventually the beatings would stop, that the boys would get tired of hurting him if he didn't fight back. As the days went by however, the pain inflicted on the young boy only got worse and more vicious. He repeatedly went home with fresh bruises peppering his arms, legs, and back. Instead of being angry at his classmates for the harm they did him, however, Louis was ashamed of himself. He felt like it was his fault that they did this to him. It was because he was different. He wasn't entirely sure how he was different, but he could sense he just was. Maybe if he changed, this would all turn into a bad dream.

So that was what Louis decided to do. If he had to change his appearance and behavior in order to stop the bullying, he would do it. Sure he'd heard all the lectures his teachers gave the class about "stay true to yourself blah blah blah" but he could change just on the outside, couldn't he? He'd still be the same old Louis, just less flamboyant outwardly. He was sure he could do it.

The day Louis made up his mind to become "one of the boys", he ran home quickly, carefully dodging the bullies in the hall before they could grab him and do any damage for the day. He lived fairly close to the school and got home quickly, slamming the heavy oak door behind him.