When Worlds Collide

Chapter Sixteen

I'm sorry if it's short

Chapter Sixteen

I stay in my room for a few days, mentally preparing myself. I still don’t want to talk, even after two days. I haven’t spoken much in those two days either, except for a few greetings. They’ve all left me pretty much alone with my thoughts, even the over exuberant Harry and Niall.

I've been debating if I should even tell them, and half hoping Liam already did… I even thought about turning on my cell and calling Andy, or texting him to let him know that I'm still okay. But, then I think… I left for a reason, and that reason isn’t to go running back into his arms just three days after I left him. I left to get away from him.

Earlier this morning I went into the living room and waited for everyone to gather. It didn’t take long, of course. I haven’t been out of my room much at all, and this is the earliest I've been up as well. Its around ten, and I haven’t been getting up until after noon.

“Lou, I don’t think Andy’s like that…” Harry tells me. I'm sitting on the couch next to Liam. Zayn is on the chair while Harry and Niall are sitting cross-legged on the floor. I just told them about what happened, with help from Liam, of course.

“But… you guys don’t know what I've done to him,” I whisper. “There's no way anyone could forgive…”

“Louis! Listen to us! It couldn’t have been that bad!” I look up to see Harry’s face, which is somehow both concerned and annoyed at the same time. Is it really that bad? I mean… I practically ruined his last year, and maybe even his high school… he said he forgives me… but what if that was just because he wanted to get close enough to ruin me?

“Louis,” Harry tries again. I nod for him to go on. “Tell us,”

“W-Well…” if I tell them, will they hate me? Maybe they’ll think it’s horrible too… but, it didn’t happen to them, they weren’t there… they wouldn’t know, right? And so, I tell them. I tell them everything, starting from the way beginning with Drew Sixx in second grade, to Debbie, to the move… I even explained Felix, though I don’t exactly understand why. Maybe it’s because I didn’t want to stop talking, didn’t want to see their reactions.

They're all quiet, even Liam. Apparently, he didn’t know the whole story. Or the truth, or whatever. I keep my eyes trained on the carpet at our feet, holding my breath. I don’t think they would actually hate me… I just don’t what their opinion of me to change. But they deserve to know the truth…

“Oh, Lou…” Niall starts. I glance up at his pained face and try for a smile. It’s been forever since I've told someone… no, I don’t think I ever have. Not everything, at least. Next thing I know, I'm being hugged by everyone, including Liam.

“Like we said, it wasn’t that bad,” Harry tells me. Zayn nods in agreement.

“If he had been holding a grudge over that, for this long…”

“You guys really don’t think it was that bad?” I ask hopeful.

“Well, it was a pretty horrible thing to do to your friend… at the time,” Niall says. “You were barely in high school then. And your best friend changed into something unfamiliar. Of course you would have reacted… though, probably not in the best way, it was to be expected…”

“Lou, was that the only reason you thought his feelings weren’t real?” Liam quietly asks. I nod, and he sighs. “You need to go back to him,”

“I- What?” I thought I was going to give Liam a chance?

“Lou, I… you know I love you, but you don’t love me. Not like that,” he adds. “You love him, like that. And he clearly loves you,”