Tolerate It || l.s ✓

Chapter 16

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Harry giggled, curling up as Louis and Liam told a story about Niall. The four of them had gotten along very well, and although Harry was scared at first, he thought that perhaps he could end up having some good friends in Niall and Liam.

He zoned out, thinking about the warmth that he felt. He had gone from being almost entirely alone in this town to having people in his life who he felt he could rely on.

He watched their exaggerated hand motions and their looks of joy, smiling as Louis looked to him.

He looked down as his phone lit up, the feelings of happiness immediately abandoning him.

A notification of a text from Jake held top place on his phone and Harry was reminded of his attitude before he left.

Jake: when are you leaving

Harry: not yet

Jake: fucking hell can you give me a   
          straightforward answer??

Harry: I don't know when I'm leaving. I
             don't want to see you tonight
             anyway.

Jake: fucking slut

Harry inhaled deeply, going to put his phone down but pausing as he saw the 5 missed calls from his mum.

"Louis?" Harry interrupted quietly and Louis paused the story, turning to look at him. "Sorry but is it alright if I go outside for a bit? I gotta make a call."

"Yeah, of course. The key should be in the back door."

"Thank you, I shouldn't be too long." Harry nodded, standing up and pocketing his phone.

He patted his pocket, checking he had his cigarettes and a lighter before heading out to the back garden.

Reluctantly he called his mum back, lighting the cigarette as it dialled. His mum picked up, but didn't say anything- silence dropping on the line.

"What do you want?" He asked quietly.

"Come home."

"For fuck's sake, no." Harry groaned, "I'm not fucking going to visit you just to be insulted and yelled at."

"When did you become such a horrible person?" She spat, "you used to be such a sweet little boy."

"I'm surprised you remember." Harry murmured.

"You've changed." She hissed.

"I wonder why." Harry muttered back sarcastically. "You know I'm not the only one who's changed and you're not the only one who's had to deal with people changing in a way that you don't like."

"Are you saying I've changed for the worse? Huh? Is that what you're fucking trying to say? That you hate your own mother because she's not the same as she was?" She began to yell down the phone.

"I never said I hated you, you're just twisting my words as per fucking usual." He replied, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "I'm just saying, you're not exactly the person I used to look up to."

"Oh, I'm sorry that little baby Harry doesn't have his mummy to spoon feed him everything anymore. Little baby Harry doesn't have his mummy to hold his hand through all his teeny problems anymore." She spoke tauntingly and something twisted inside Harry.

He shakily took a drag of the cigarette, "it would've been nice to have you to hold my hand through my problems no matter how small they are. And not that you care, but my problems are far from teeny."