for an artist you're a little afraid

Chapter 3- drugs

The next week flew by quickly, Louis kinda forgetting about Harry, as long as he wasn't exactly modeling for his class.

Throughout the week he had introduced Gemma to Niall and Liam and since then they had almost spent every lunch break together. When Harry had approached Gemma on Friday, it had turned out that Harry was really her brother. "Why can't I reach mom?" Gemma shrugged. "I think Dad bought her the new iPhone last week. Maybe she's a bit overwhelmed with all the new functions."

"Hey, champ.", Harry said, when he saw Louis, his face switching back to his normal smug expression. "Hey.", Louis answered shortly, his eyebrows shooting up warily.

"Gotta go Gems. See ya.", he said kissing her cheek and turning around in the next moment.

***
Later that evening he talked to his friend. "He's just getting on my nerves, Liam."- "Still you seem really composed around him.", Liam said. "You know me. I will not let myself get expelled just because I loose my shit and punch him in the face. Even though I really want to." Liam laughed, but got serious when he said: "You need to relax though. Everyone makes mistakes. And it's also okay for you to make them."

Liam had always been the responsible one, somehow the Dad of their group and it was nice to be able to talk to someone like that. Louis really needed it sometimes.

"Yeah, I know. But I just won't make one because of him.", Louis answered regardless. "I appreciate it though, Liam.", he told him with a soft smile.

***

"There's this party on Saturday. It's from a few people who just finished their bachelor. My friend Audrey is one of them. You wanna attend?", Gemma offered Louis.

"I actually have to learn quite a bit this weekend. Otherwise I'd go, but I've already been last week...", Louis said worried. "Oh please, Lou. Audrey is going the be with her friends from her semester all the time and I have no one else but you!", she begged dragging out the you, her puppy eyes all over Louis.

He groaned. "But I won't be staying that late." "Yay!", Gemma shrieked anyway, kissing his cheek.

They go on talking about how they can't realise that they've only known each other for a week. For both of them, it had felt so much longer.

***

Louis had studied all Saturday morning and afternoon and now his head was throbbing with pain.

At first, when he had finally finished, he had wanted to call Gemma and tell her that he wouldn't go, but he figured he couldn't do that.

So he dressed up in black skinny jeans and a basic white shirt, hiding his silver necklace beneath it.

***

He spotted Gemma at the bar. "No, you can't to this. Put them away.", Louis heard her arguing with her brother. "Hey, you're alright?", Louis asked. It was than that he saw the little packages of white powder. Drugs. Obviously. "Care to have some?", Harry asked teasingly. "Harry, stop it.", Gemma interrupted, shielding Harry's hand with hers, so no one would see. "No.", Louis replied nevertheless.

Gemma looked at him with a kind of I'm sorry about him look and Louis looked back with what he hoped looked like a Don't be I already know he's an asshole look.

"Anyways. I'm out.", Harry said. Gemma turned towards him. "Please don't do anything stupid." But he was already on his way to god knows where. Probably to the containers, where he could sell this stuff.

So it seemed that Harry combined the two of Niall's old crushes. Drug dealer and straight as a stick.

"I'm really sorry about him.", Gemma said. Louis shrugged it off. "Don't be."

"I think he's hiding his real self, you know?" So they were doing this know, talking about Harry. "He might is.", Louis engaged in the conversation. He felt like Gemma needed someone to listen to her. So he did.

"Please don't tell anyone." I nodded. "I think he might be gay. Somehow. Bi maybe. At least he's being strange, always acting like the alpha male. He wasn't like that before." That kinda shocked Louis. He knew that acting like Harry did often come from own complexes, but he wasn't really expecting it.

"Before what?", Louis asked. "Before high school, I think. He was more feminine somehow. Had longer hair and all. I've been forcing him to grow it out again.", she laughed. Louis tried to imagine Harry in middle school but it was hard because now he had that sharp jaw line and the trained face expressions.

"Ok. Anyway. Let's dance." Louis groaned playfully, as Gemma dragged him on the dance floor.

Just ten minutes after, the music was shut down. "This party is over. For all of you. Go home kids." Louis was shocked, as he recognised the dean talking. The room was full of why's and buts. "And for anyone, who has still drugs with them or bought them for Jamel Ricks, may turn themself in now. The penalty will be smaller.", he proceeded with an authoritative voice.

Oh shit.

How many people were selling drugs here?

"Come on. I gotta go anyways.", I said but she stood still, starring straight ahead. I followed her gaze. My eyes landed on a chuckling Harry, one arm around another muscular build guy. I immediately got, what was going on. Harry had put the blame on someone else. What made Louis especially angry was that the kid was black and openly queer. Of course they would believe him more, than a black guy.

He got up to the dean. "I think you should be checking Harry Styles, Sir.", he told him. "I have seen him with some kind of powder. I think.", he added. The dean thanked him, before Louis left to go to his dorm.

***

Louis woke up by a loud knock on the door. He got out of bed half asleep and opened the door, surprised to see Harry stand there. "Are you fucking insane to tell them about me having the drugs? You're fucking lucky that they haven't found anything on me.", he hissed, afraid someone might here him.

"Why do you think it was me?", Louis asked calmly, noticing how Harry looked him up in down. Louis was just in his boxers.

"You and Gems were the only ones who saw them for fuck's sake!"

"So you're telling me you didn't sell any of them yesterday?", Louis wanted to know sceptically. How else he couldn't have had any on him.

Harry rolled his eyes, obviously feeling trapped.

"What do you think Gemma will say, if she knows you turned in her dear brother huh?", he asked, speaking to Louis like he was a toddler.

"Well. Nothing. Because you don't have any evidence.", Louis said fake smiling and shutting the door in front of his nose.

"Fuck.", he heard him growl, as his fist landed against the door once.

Louis had to bite back a laugh. He knew what he had done yesterday had been dangerous for Gemma and his friendship and that he was just incredibly lucky that Harry couldn't proof anything.

His racist behaviour really had just been Louis last straw.

[1226 words, 6.may 22]

What do you guys think? Was Harry acting racist on purpose?

J