Look Closer

Prologue.

A/N
Hi, I know it's been ages since I last wrote a proper story so here's a fresh taster of this new story! Hope you like it 😊
Laura x
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Prologue.

The only sound was the ticking of the clock which filled the empty room. Louis stood on the far side of the room, fiddling with a photo frame on the long, wooden desk. He glanced at the door and gave a sigh.

The door handle rattled noisily and a forced smile greeted the lady who entered the room. She looked at him confusingly for a moment before walking to her desk.

Without a word exchanged Louis walked over to the low, hard sofa and dropped himself down heavily his arms firmly crossed over his chest.

"Hello."

"Oh, hello," he replied aggressively. "You're late."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that Mr Tomlinson. Is there anything in particular you'd like to bring to the session today?"

"Like I said last time there's nothing wrong with me," Louis pointed out bluntly. "I didn't choose to be here. The hospital forced it - "

"I see," she said slowly, before grabbing a pen. Louis looked concerned. Ruth who seemed to be in her mid 30's with a mono toned voice that could be on repeat and would bore you to death.

She's writing, why is she writing again? Is that bad? Louis thought to himself.

"Perhaps we could begin from where we left off last session?" Ruth suggested. He smiled at her apologetically.

The silence fell . Louis stared at Ruth, who flicked through her note pad as she chewed on her pen. She looked up at Louis and smiled slightly, before straightening a pencil in alignment with the edge of the desk. A strand of brown hair was tucked anxiously behind one ear.

"Self confidence," Louis mumbled.

"I'm sorry?" Ruth asked, looking back up.

"I...thought now might be an appropriate time to discuss my self confidence...but I've just remembered that I don't have any...As you were..." He indicated to her notepad. Ruth gave an awkward smile and leant back in her chair to observe him.

"If you don't want to talk about your self confidence, perhaps you'd like to discuss the issues with your disorder," Ruth suggested.

"I don't have an issue with my disorder. I'm completely fine. I've got my whole life planned out."

"Do you think you might be transferring your issues onto your lifestyle?"

"I don't have issues," Louis insisted

Ruth nodded "So, Louis I'm curious to know if you have girlfriend."

"Yes Kadie. Where is this going?"

Ruth observed and began to scribble loudly with her biro again and looked up with a reassuring smile.

"Tell me about your relationship with your Kadie."

"We have our good and bad days but it's always my fault. I see what you're doing here, and you are mistaken. Everything is my fault. No one needs to know. "

"Louis, friends and love ones can help you through this -"

"Don't," Louis spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes firmly fixed on Ruth in front of him, cutting her off. "Don't you comfort me. Don't you even look at me." he added, Ruth carried on scribbling notes.

"You...lady, stop writing," Louis demanded. "It's not nice to be scrutinised, is it!"

After an awkward silence Ruth continued "What would happen, do you think, if Kadie, the band or fans wasn't a part of your life anymore?"

Silence fell again in the room as Louis thought long and hard about what Ruth had asked him. It hadn't occurred to him to think about himself. Perhaps he didn't want to. Perhaps he couldn't. Deep down he knew that he needed them; that meeting them had changed his life forever. But there was doubt in his mind, what if they didn't need him? What if he lost his purpose? He forgotten who he was and it was making him ill.