Within These Walls

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Taking a deep breath, Louis grabbed his bag and clambered out of the car, making sure to lock the door behind him as it closed. He wished he could've kept Kara on the phone with him all day, knowing the majority of the students around him would continue to look at him as though he was going to breakdown any second. Not to mention Sam encouraging Louis to open up to him more, which he had promised himself he would start doing.

It would have been nice to counter all of that with the quippy sarcasm Kara brought to the table. Sarah could have been that person for Louis while he was at school but given what Isaac had told him and the few text messages Sarah had sent Louis, she wasn't going to be at school for a few days at the least.

In the spirit of trying to get back out in the world, Louis had offered to go around to their house after school and spend time with Sarah, but she had shot down the idea rather quick. She didn't want Louis to pile more worry into his mind about her seeing her in the state she was. It would shatter the 'no pity' rule that they had implemented on the day he visited her in the cancer clinic.

Sadly, Louis couldn't help his mind from wandering there however hard he tried, and the worry Sarah didn't want Louis to feel was already flowing freely around his mind.

Hitching his back up, Louis made his way toward the entrance of the school, trying to train his thoughts on anything other than Sarah, which turned out to be rather easy.

Seeing Jonathan leaning against the wall only a few meters inside the school made Louis' mind go somewhere completely different. He was the last person Louis wanted to see, especially since it had been no time at all since Louis had slammed Jonathan against school lockers.

Louis would be lying if he said the temptation wasn't currently swirling in his head.

"Louis!" Jonathan's voice was like a fork being run down blackboard in Louis' mind, and he almost physically cringed at the sound.

"Told you to leave me alone," Louis seethed, walking by Jonathan, and continuing into the school.

Students still lingered in the hall, though their numbers were dwindling as everyone made their way to homeroom, and Louis was sure the first bell was going to ring at any second.

"Can we just talk?" Jonathan asked, jogging to catch up to Louis before slowing to a walk beside him.

"About what? If you want me to apologise for Friday, you might be waiting a while."

"I just want to say sorry—"

"You already did. And I told you, I don't want your sympathy."

"No, I mean... I'm sorry for how I've treated you."

Louis stopped at Jonathan's words and Jonathan, too, came to a halt. Louis knotted his eyebrows as he stared at Jonathan, his eyes trying to get a read on the face before him, looking for any hint of maliciousness in it.

He couldn't find any.

Jonathan's brow was furrowed, and his eyes were focused on the floor, only flicking up to meet Louis' every so often.

Louis had no idea how to react. His initial thought was to continue to let the anger inside him come out in full force at Jonathan, however, there didn't seem to be any in him. In fact, there hadn't been any anger in him since the night in the cemetery with Sam.

Instead, Louis remained silent. Keeping his eyes trained on Jonathan. The boy who had constantly tried to tear Louis down because he would rather keep to himself. It very rarely worked for him, though, and it seemed maybe now he was giving up on it. After all these years, he may have gained some form of conscience.