Just In Case - A Lilo Fanfic

Chapter 7

It's with a racing heart and shaky hands that Louis approaches Niall's front door the night of his party. It figures he would have it at his house, the bloke could have rented out a building of some sort but that's not who he was. Niall was very down to earth, very humble and unpretentious. A big party at a fancy building and lots of people he didn't know would be too much for him. It's one of the things that made Niall so loveable, part of the reason why Louis loved him enough to be risking running into Liam here, which is why Louis was so nervous.

He knows Niall said Liam wouldn't be here but he was a bit skeptical of that because well, this was Liam's best friend. How could he miss it? What could be so important that Liam would miss his best friend's birthday party. And if it was that important, Louis would like to think Niall might post-pond the celebration so Liam could be there. He realizes Liam may not have let him post-pond it, that's just how Liam was, and he realizes Niall's busy schedule might not have let him post-pond it either but Louis was still worried. He was worried that Liam might do what he could to show up anyway and Louis isn't sure he can see Liam after that day in the grocery store. It was a bit embarrassing.

Looking back on it now, running away had been a stupid thing to do. He should have stayed. He should have talked with Liam because there was so much he wanted to know, so much he wanted to say. He couldn't believe he just ran away like that, now he doesn't know if he could ever face Liam again. He had let Liam see how much he had hurt him. He had let Liam see just how 'fine' he was not. He had let Liam see that even after all this time Louis was still not over it. Sure, that might be understandable in some eyes, probably even Liam's, but not in Louis'. Louis was a proud person, he didn't like to be vulnerable in the eyes of others, he didn't like to appear hurt or weak. He may have been okay with Liam seeing him like that at one point, but not now.

However, the damage was done. Louis had shown his vulnerability and all he could now was hope that Liam didn't try to be a good friend and actually show up to Niall's party. Or if he did, that he stayed the hell away from Louis because all he had left to play was his bitch card and well, he wouldn't want to cause a scene at Niall's party.

Louis and Harry were stopped at the door by a very big man with a clipboard. He wore a black shirt with small letters over his left side that read 'Security' and eyed them both like they didn't belong here. Louis was taken back by the fact that Niall was big enough now to warrant security at his home, though word probably got out about the party and there were probably some uninvited guests showing up. Louis quickly gave the man his name before they were promptly booted from the property, hoping to God that Niall remembered he even invited them. That would be quite embarrassing, looking like a couple of hopeful fans trying to sneak into Niall's party, or worse, a couple of paparazzi try to sneak a compromising photo of the popstar.

The man skimmed his clipboard for Louis' name, seeming to find it because he was then waving them through into the house. Niall has moved since the last time he's been over to his plce. The last time Louis was at his house was about two years ago and it hadn't been a house at all, but a small rundown flat that smelled of mold and dust. It was quite the change from that to this practically mansion of a home. He had known Niall was getting big, he hadn't known Niall was getting this big. The two boys walked into a wide open room that was currently filled with very... expensive looking people. They were all in flashy clothing, all wearing some kind of shiny jewelry. It was no wonder the man outside looked at them like they were asking him if he could fly; doubtful and confused.

"I think we're a little underdressed." Harry said in his ear because otherwise it would have been drowned out by the music blasting through the house. Louis nodded in agreement as he scanned the crowd of what must be important people in the music industry. Honestly, Louis had no idea who they were, at least by face because he was never really into knowing everything about celebrities, but give him a name or a song and he could probably recognize it. "Do you see Niall?" Harry asked as he too scanned the crowd. Louis would like to say he was looking for the blonde Irishman, and the blonde Irishman alone, but he knew he was keeping an eye out for that shaved head of hair he saw a few days ago at the grocery store.