Letters to the Author -Larry Stylinson

chapter fourteen

"Bullhockey!"

Louis laughed as Daisy slapped her hand on the pile of cards, clumsily picking up the first one. She frowned when she realized that Louis wasn't lying about putting down a nine of hearts.

"You gotta pick up the whole pile now!" Phoebe cried, laughing loudly. Daisy glared at her then frowned at Louis.

"You looked guilty!" she accused, and Louis smiled at her.

"That's how you play the game, Daisy May." He let her pick up her cards before he leaned across the table and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Remember: I am always the best at it."

Phoebe opened her mouth to respond when Louis' phone went off from where it was sitting on the table. "Hold that thought, love," Louis said softly, before picking up his phone and getting out of his chair. His phone was still ringing, and he swiped the bar quickly.

"Hello?" he asked quietly, waving at his sisters and smiling before going into the kitchen and shutting the door behind him.

"Lou?" 

"Harry?"

"I don't know what to do, I can't breathe can you help me, I can't, I can't..." he trails off. His voice is shaky, aching as he struggles to get the words out between his sobs.

"Harry, shh, slow down," Louis says. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Do you not... you don't... you..." then he hangs up.

Louis dials him a few times before holding the phone to his chest, taking a deep breath. "I wish I could remember," he says quietly, and when he reaches his hand up to his cheek, he's crying. "Crap, Louis, get yourself together. You don't cry."

He flinches when the door to the kitchen opens, and is hesitant to turn around and see who it is. He doesn't have to when they ask, "Louis?"

It's his mum. He turns around, hoping that there are no traces of tears on his face. But she's his mum, and she knows him better than anyone in the world. The minute she sees the look on his face, she walks towards him and wraps her arms around his torso, and he puts his head down on her shoulder. "It'll be okay, baby," she whispers, placing gentle kisses to his temple. "It's all going to be okay."

And the thing is, she doesn't know why Louis is crying, yet she still knows the perfect thing to say to make him feel just a tiny bit better.

"Harry called, my new friend you know?" Louis feels weird saying new friend, even though he doesn't know if despite the fact that they knew each other, that they were even friends at all. It's a mystery, and never in his life had he wanted so badly to be able to remember.

Jay nods, pulling from the hug. "What'd he say, sweets?"

Louis has to gulp a few times before he can speak. "I don't, I don't know mum, he just said some random words and then he hung up. He sounded really upset."

He kisses Jay's cheek before he leaves to his room.

***

"I'm going to bed!" Louis calls, knocking lightly on his mum's door before moving on to his sister's room. "Time for my nuggles," he smiles as he walks into Phoebe and Daisy's room. They're both sitting up in their beds, eager smiles on their faces.

"Story time," Daisy grins, and Phoebe immediately reaches on her desk for the book the read last night. It's a chapter book, that Louis is actually enjoying. It's about a little boy and a little girl exploring the forest together.

He sits down on Daisy's bed, getting ready to read, when he sees a picture on Phoebe's desk.

It's all three of them, but what he sees when he looks closer terrifies him.