➳ loathing in vegas // l.s.

chapter 4

    The next day, Louis felt satisfied with himself, he was in a better mood, the best one he'd been in a few days. He was sitting with Luke and Ashton on their usual benches, eating their lunch as they talked about various stuff.

"I really like this girl and I don't know how I should ask her out..." Ashton's shoulders were slumped as he told his friends, gazing dreamily at his crush who sat in the distance.

Louis followed his gaze until it fell on a blonde girl with a big smile that can light up everyone's worlds.

"What's her name?" Luke asked his friend as he stared not very subtly at her. He has the tendency to be oblivious at such things.

"Perrie..." Ashton sighed as a smile painted his lips while his eyes looked at the sky.

"That girl looks familiar." Louis narrowed his eyes, his jaw flexing as he was lost in thought.

"She used to date Zayn last year." Ashton blurted out, causing both of the boys to snap their head toward him.

"She did?" Louis asked, more for himself. Now that he thinks about it, he remembers seeing some photos on Zayn's Instagram with her, but they're definitely gone now.

It wasn't long until Harry appeared out of thin air with Zayn and Liam at his heels. Kendall along with two other girls, Bella and Gigi, Louis supposed, followed them toward Perrie and three other girls. Louis scrunched his eyebrows in concentration as he tried to hear what they were talking about.

Harry held that never missing smirk while Kendall wore a disgusted, superior expression on her face as she talked to Perrie, who never ceased smiling. She genuinely seems like a nice person, unlike Kendall.

"Where did you meet Perrie?" Louis asked, curiosity sparking in his mind.

"At choir. She's there with those other three girls. They call themselves Little Mix." He explained as he gesticulated.

"Oh, I heard about them. They sing around places in London, don't they?" A lightbulb lit up above his head as realization hit him. Ashton nodded in response as his eyes never left Perrie.

    At last, Niall made an appearance, stretching his body and yawning as his limbs straightened, before making his way toward his group. Louis is glad Niall didn't notice him, since he wasn't in the mood to talk to him.

"You're still mad at him?" Luke asked him, noticing the glare Louis was giving Niall who was oblivious to it.

"Of course I am. He lied to me!" He grumbled under his breath, clenching his hands into fists as he tugged at his sweater.

Just as fast as his temper changed, he felt his gut plummet in his stomach and his entire figure freeze when Harry's green, perilous gaze trailed to him. A prankish smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he spoke, dimples popping out on the side. While he talked, a few people from the group turned around to look at Louis, some with their eyebrows raised while others seemed amused.

Louis' heart began to thump hard in his chest as he realized they were all talking about him, he felt his blood pump in his ears. The boy felt as if a rabbit was banging against the rib cage in attempt to escape. Anxiety overcame him and his fists tightened on the fabric of his cloth, sweat forming through the little streams of his palm.

He didn't cease to notice the way Niall's eyebrows furrowed and stepped in front of Harry defensively, gesticulating aggressively. Kendall crossed her arms and spoke for Harry, a dishonest glint in her eyes as she stared at Niall.