Wicked || larry

12. I want to be a real boy

Harry reads his mothers spell book again as he sits on his bed. He's shirtless and his window is open to let the late night breeze draft in. He can't quite figure out what some of the ingredients are for some of the spells and he's to scared to ask someone around here because he doesn't know what to say if they ask him why.

He jumps when he hears a knock at his window and he quickly looks up to see Louis floating outside. He moves to slide his book under his blanket at the same time he smiles and waves the boy in. The boy doesn't seem to notice and just flies over to his bed and sits himself done across from him.

"I have a question for you," Louis grins at him and Harry hums and leans forward.

"What is it?" He asks and Louis seems to be extra happy with all of Harry's attention solely focused on him.

"Do you want to spend lunch with us tomorrow? My friends think it would be good to start to get along," Louis tells him and Harry leans back and scrunches his nose.

"I mean I guess me and Michelle can if they want to apologize," Harry groans and Louis shakes his head, a frown on his face.

"Uh, not Michelle... And you're the one that's always mean to them first... They just defend them-"

"I'm not going to a lunch with you tomorrow without Michelle to apologize when I'm not sorry," Harry cuts him off. Louis looks taken aback by his harsh tone and upset.

"But then you can be with me more," Louis pouts and Harry shakes his head and scoffs.

"That pout won't always get you your way. I'm not doing that. Lunch is Michelle's time to sit with me and not feel attacked," Harry defends her. He just feels very protective of her all the time.

"But my friends won't like you if you hang out with her and then I can't really hang out with you!" Louis cries and Harry can feel anger building in him.

"Why not?" He asks and Louis blushes and looks down at his lap.

"She's just different. She's not like us and we're not friends with her or people that associate with her," Louis coughs. Harry can feel himself getting disappointed and this perfect illusion he had of Louis is shattering before him and he feels like his heart is being stomped on.

"What is wrong with you people?! What makes her so different!" Harry yells and Louis jumps at his loud voice. The small boy curls into his small body and looks up at him with his blue eyes that Harry just doesn't find so pretty right now.

"She thinks she's a he! She thinks she's a boy and she told us to call her Michael and Brooke said that wasn't okay and she's weird. We can't like her," Louis cries. Tears run down his pink cheeks and Harry desperately wants to wipe them away but he can't because he doesn't want the boy to think he's okay with this.

"You agree with this?" Harry asks and Louis shrugs and looks away from Harry's eyes.

"I don't want them to not like me. I want you though and if you leave her then everything will be okay," Louis tells him hopefully and Harry shakes his head and looks away from the small boy.

"I'm not doing that," Harry tells him and Louis frowns.

"What?" Louis asks in disbelief and Harry just shakes his head.

"You're not choosing me over your friends so why should I choose you over mine?" Harry questions and Louis just opens his mouth and then closes it.

"My friend group is different than her," Louis weakly argues. He looks smaller than usual and his usual shine is nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah because she's an actual friend and would never make me choose. Friends like you for who you are, not who you hang out with," Harry tells him. Louis looks hurt at his statement and Louis gently flies up and moves to the window. He stops halfway through and turns around.

"If you change your mind we'll be outside for lunch tomorrow," Louis offers. Harry doesn't want him to leave but he refuses to back down.

"I won't be there," Harry promises him. Louis looks crushed at the news and flies out the window in the blink of an eye. Harry can feel himself being crushed and the news of everything is ringing through his head. He gets himself out of bed and throws on a shirt before exiting his room and running down his stairs.

Michelle's dorm is in another building which is nicer than Harry's and he quickly enters it and creeps up to the third level. He prays he doesn't run into  Zayn or Brooke while in here, but the halls are quiet. He makes it to her door and knocks. He waits outside until her sleepy face opens the door and gives him a confused look.

"Why are you here?" She mumbles and Harry just sneaks passed her into her room. She just shuts her door and turns to him with a baffled expression. "Let yourself in. Not like I was sleeping."

"I know why they don't like you," Harry tells her. She stops and her chest raises and falls quickly. She looks petrified and it makes Harry feel bad. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" She asks and Harry looks down and he needs to phrase this properly.

"Louis came to room and he told me to choose you or him. He told me that no one talked to you because you think you're a boy... Is it true?" Harry asks. Michelle has tears in her eyes and her shaking frame makes Harry feel ill.

"Depends. Will you still be my friend?" She asks and Harry nods.

"Yeah."

"Okay, well I uh I feel like a boy. No that's wrong. I know I'm a boy. I am a boy I just don't have the right parts. I am a boy though," he confirms over and over and Harry nods.

"Okay. So is Michael your name then?" Harry asks and he looks up at him and he gives him a watery laugh.

"Yeah. That's my name," he confirms. He's crying and Harry doesn't really know what to do.

"Don't cry. I'm not good with it," Harry whines and Michael just shakes his head and wipes his eyes.

"No ones ever just accepted it and made it so easy. It's always my mom yelling about how I'm confused and the other kids teasing me about it. You made it easy," he explains and Harry shrugs.

"I get what it's like to be different and on the outside. It's not the best," Harry admits and Michael snorts.

"I agree. Especially here. You'd think my mother who pretended to be a boy would be more supportive," Michael sighs and Harry hums and keeps looking at his friend.

"So if you're a boy do you like other boys or girls?" Harry wonders and Michael just smirks.

"Girls. I won't be stealing your boy anytime soon," he promises and Harry pouts at the mention of Louis.

"Not my boy. Never was and never will be," Harry sighs.

"You know, when you find your princess you're supposed to keep her," Michael reminds him and Harry just smiles.

"He's just a boy. If there's one thing I've noticed here, it's that there's a lot of pretty faces," Harry chuckles and Michael nods his head in agreement.

"But none that are special like Louis," he points out and Harry shrugs again.

"Maybe. I can find a boy anywhere at anytime though but I've never had a friend. And I like having one," Harry admits softly. Michael smiles wide at that and moves forward to pinch Harry's cheek.

"Such a charmer. No wonder Louis was all over you," he laughs and Harry shove him away.

"Get away from me, weirdo," he grumbles. His hand moves to rub his cheek. "So any other secrets besides the fact that you want to be a real boy?" Harry teases and Michael rolls his eyes.

"I am a real boy and I think it's your turn now. Any secrets, Harry?" Michael asks with a raise of his brow and Harry just smirks.

"Far too many."