Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter 1: The Sassy Doncaster Duo

It was the hottest summer on record in Doncaster, and Louis Tomlinson was bored out of his mind. For a boy who thrived on attention, drama, and endless energy, nothing was worse than an uneventful day. And to make matters worse, his best friend Savannah Sellers—who had been practically glued to his side since they were five—was running late.

"Where the bloody hell is she?" Louis muttered, pacing up and down the cracked pavement in front of Savannah's house. He glanced at his reflection in a nearby car window, fixing his already-perfect hair. The nerve of her, making him wait out in the sun like he was just some ordinary bloke. He was Louis Tomlinson, future superstar, self-declared diva of Doncaster, and he had zero patience for delays.

Finally, the front door flew open, and Savannah came charging out, her Long Brown hair bouncing with every step. She wore that scrappy smirk he both loved and hated because it meant she was about to say something cheeky.

"About time," he huffed, crossing his arms. "Did you need to write a novel before you came out? Or were you just building the suspense?"

"Relax, diva," she shot back, rolling her eyes. "Not my fault you're desperate for attention."

Louis gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Excuse me, desperate? It's called 'star power,' love. You'll understand when you're not late for every bloody thing."

Savannah laughed, clearly not fazed by his antics. "Alright, Mr. Superstar, what's the plan?"

Louis grinned. "We're going to the park, obviously. There's a world of people out there who haven't seen my face today, and I'd hate to deprive them any longer." He linked his arm with hers, and together, they made their way to the town's center.

The two of them had been thick as thieves since they could remember, united by a shared love of mischief and a mutual inability to back down from a challenge. Savannah was one of the only people who could match Louis' sass, and she had no problem putting him in his place when he got a little too high on his own ego—which, let's be honest, was most of the time.

As they passed a group of teenagers from their school, Louis leaned over to whisper, "Watch this."

Before Savannah could stop him, Louis had launched into full diva mode, strutting with exaggerated confidence and flashing a dazzling grin at everyone they passed. "Oi! Ladies and gentlemen, you're in luck! You're witnessing greatness," he announced, making a grand sweeping gesture with his arm.

"Bloody hell, Louis," Savannah said, laughing. "You're unbearable."

"I'm fabulous," he corrected, tossing his hair back. "You're just jealous."

"Oh yeah? Keep telling yourself that, superstar." She rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing as he hammed it up for his invisible audience.

They reached the park and flopped down on the grass, basking in the rare sunny day. Louis stretched out, looking up at the sky with a cocky smile still plastered on his face. "One day, you'll see. They'll all be screaming my name, and I'll be off somewhere living the high life, getting fanned by beautiful people while eating grapes or something."

Savannah raised an eyebrow. "Fanned by beautiful people? Jesus, Lou, keep dreaming."

"Oh, I will. And you'll be right there with me, laughing and rolling your eyes like you always do," he said, poking her arm.

"Guess someone's gotta keep you from getting too big of a head." She smirked, then looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "But really, Lou... d'you ever think about what we'll actually be doing in a few years?"

Louis shrugged, his face softening for a moment. "I dunno. But whatever it is, I reckon we'll be alright as long as we've got each other." He grinned, nudging her again. "And maybe, just maybe, we'll make something of ourselves."

Savannah laughed. "With you? Anything's possible. Now, can we get up before someone thinks we've gone mad lying here?"

Louis stood up, dramatically brushing invisible dust off his shirt. "Fine, fine. But remember, Savannah Sellers, you're best mates with the future king of pop. Or rock. Or whatever I feel like, really. Point is, I'm a star."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, Lou. And I'll be the poor sod forced to keep you grounded." She looped her arm through his, and together, they strolled back through Doncaster, the unstoppable, sassy duo who thought they could conquer the world—and maybe, just maybe, they would.