Renegade-N.H-

Starry Nights

"Holy shit Lee," Alex leans against the door frame in a silk, purple dress that flows in the floor in one continuous piece. She looks beautiful in the light with her hair tucked up away from her face and large diamonds hanging from her ears.

I stand once again staring at myself in the mirror, I've fixed the friz to my hair and put on small touches of make-up until I at least look presentable to the rest of the world. The dress still fits perfect, the light layers of fabric wrapping me in warmth and protection.

"You look amazing Alex," I say to her as I embrace her tightly for a moment. I was nervous, really I shouldn't even be going to this. Neither should Louis. But here we were dressed up fancy for a party that wasn't for us. Alex had bought us all extra tickets so we could be there.

This wasn't exactly the way I had expected to finish this year. I just wanted to get the hell out of town, even more so now than before.

"Talk about amazing, is he coming tonight?"

I hadn't spoken to Niall since I left the house, not a single word. I could only hope that he would show up as promised and I would get to hold him close for a while. I sigh and shrug my shoulders, "I hope so too," she says reading my mind, only as a best friend could.

"Let's go give your brother a heart attack."

We wander down to the front of the house where, everyone was standing in the living room. Loran, Liam and Ansel had black dress shirts, and nice slacks on. Their hair was brushed and they all looked appropriate. They wouldn't agree to let me or Alex go unless they were around to protect us if anything did happen to go wrong.

I can't say I didn't like the new look for all of them. Carter isn't dressed at all because he wasn't going. He had decided to step down and let Louis take us because it wasn't exactly appropriate for him to show up to his sisters grad on the arm of her best friend. I argued that it would make prom that much more exciting. That and he was still healing, and that long standing wouldn't be any good for him.

Louis was absent, but as if on cue he sauntered into the living room from the kitchen wearing a slim back coat and black shirt. His hair was messy and longer than usual but he looks good.

"I feel highly under-dressed to be escorting you two," he jokes. In his hand he has two corsages, and he hands one to each of us.

"It's beautiful, thank you." I say taking the small flower from him, it's white and made of delicate flowers wrapped in red ribbons.

Louis doesn't respond he just helps us put them both on and lets Carter take a few photos with Alex. I laugh at him and pull him close, "Take a photo with me."

He smiles honestly and it feels weird to be celebrating anything in such a dark time but here we are.

"You look beautiful by the way," he says into my ear as he lets me go to take photos with Alex.

"We should get going," Loran says after a few more photos are taken and the clock starts to tick behind us in silence.

We nod, not wanting to disrupt his schedule any more, and file out the door one at a time.

I stop Liam at the door and look at him for a moment, he stares back with the softest eyes I've seen in awhile. "Thank you," I say to him and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"For what, all we do is argue with one another."

"Exactly, you remind me of the truth when I need it. And you still choose to protect me even when I don't deserve it sometimes."

"You always deserve it, you're special remember?" He puts his hand on my shoulder and looks at me with his cheeky grin. "Sometimes I forget how heavy trage can be, and how hard this is for you. I like to dismiss the idea of warmth and love because I lost a lot of mine. But that's what makes you special Harley, you're constant ability to find the love in someone."