Stay Strong

Chapter 13

You know what? Fuck it. It’s early in the morning and I need a drink. Not a shitty starbucks coffee, jeez did you expect me to be one of those hipster chicks that hang out at starbucks everyday waiting for Harry Styles to come and buy me a fucking hot chocolate? Hell no, I meant like a drink. Like a whiskey or maybe a vodka.

I got dressed into some faded skinny jeans and a baggy white t-shirt that had a picture of Stewie from family guy saying ‘I guess tonight’s the night bitches die’.

I walked downstairs and slipped on my white hi-tops. I grabbed my phone and some £20 bank notes from the ‘emergency money’ jar. Yeah, some emergency this is.

I made my way down the road to the local bus stop, getting on the bus that was heading into the city.

Harry hadn’t texted back. I don’t blame the poor guy, he was probably shitting himself in case Louis came and beat him up.

The bus came to a halt; I got off and walked to a bar that I knew would sell alcohol at any time of the day.

I walked into the bar, it was dimly lit. The place was empty, only a couple of drunken middle aged losers playing cards and smoking at one table in the corner.

“Would you look who it is? Lara!,” I heard a raspy voice greet me. The bar owner himself.

“Hello Jock. Still smoking 20 a day?” I asked with a smile, sitting myself on a barstool opposite him.

“Yep, my lungs are as good as they have ever been,” He laughed, “What are you havin’ then?” He asked, cleaning out a large glass.

“Just give me a Jack Daniels, Jock. I need it,” I said with a sigh, leaning my elbow on the wooden bar table and resting my head on the base of my palm.

“What’s up, lass?” He asked as he filled up the glass, sliding it over to me. I grabbed the glass by the handle and took a large gulp. The taste was over-powering, but it soothed my throat, giving it a fiery warmth.

“Boy trouble. It’s a bit more complicated, though.”

“I beg to differ,” A voice next to me said.

“What?”  A few bar stools down sat Louis with a glass of beer in his hands. He looked 10 years older than he did yesterday. It was unreal.

“Are you fucking kdding me,” I practically shouted. Jock’s gaze kept on switching between us both.

“You know this lad, Lara?” Jock asked.

“Yeah, I do know him,” I said. “What are you doing here, Tomlinson?” I asked, turning to face the 21 year old.

“I was just going to ask the same question,” He said with an amused look, he wasn’t smiling but I could tell by the crinkling of his eyes that he was laughing inside.

“Just in need of a drink. I guess that’s the same with you?” I said with a raise of my brow, taking another large sip of the whiskey.

“Do you know how hard it is to find a drink around here at this hour?” Louis asked with a chuckle, it sounded a bit insane, like someone who belonged in a mental hospital would laugh.

“Lara, I have been drinking for 3 days now. I haven’t been sober since. You are driving me crazy, to be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if I died because of you,” Louis said, his expression changing. His eyes squinted; he said each word with passion and anger.

“Me? Oh no, Louis. Your drinking habits are not my fault, okay? If you drink yourself to death then that’s your problem.” I said, returning the attitude.

“I saved your life, remember?” Louis said with clenched fists, rising up from his stool and swaggering over to me, “That fucking shark nearly got you but I saved your ass. And now you repay me by treating me like shit.” He dug his index finger into my collar bone, his warm breath hitting me with every word.

“Okay guys, I think that’s enough,” Jock tried to end the argument but Louis kept going.

“I kissed you, and when I kissed you I felt a connection. A spark. As my heart was telling me ‘this is the crazy son of a bitch you have been looking for’. And do you know how much it pains me that you hate me right now, every single time you talk badly off me. Swear at me. I die a little, my heart shatters piece by piece.”

“Do you know what that feels like, Lara?” He asked, I could see he was fighting back tears.

“I do.” I replied with a nod, my eyes also threatening to spill which resulted in me blinking quickly.

“So why are we hurting each other? Why can’t we forget about this all and start again?” He asked, begged rather. He was begging for forgiveness, it was different from the phone call he made. This time I knew he meant every word.