The Story of Us // L.S

Twenty Seven.

Songs for this chapter are:

*Old Scars/Future Hearts // All Time Low

*Crashed The Wedding // Busted

*Good Riddance // Green Day

*Fools Gold // One Direction

*

"Who was that?" Isobel's voice travelled down the hallway and I popped my head round the door of the kitchen, on my way into the bedroom. "Liam, he needs me to help him with something. I'm just getting ready then I'm off." I jogged down the hall, scared to see her reaction since she could always see right through me. 

When I reached my bedroom I flung the wardrobe doors open and sifted through all my tops and jeans, trying to find the perfect one. Everything was colour ordered all the way up to my jeans on the right hand side. 

I decided on just throwing on some black jeans and keeping Louis' jumper on, after all he had said I could keep it. 

I raced down the hallway back to the front door, in an effort to avoid Isobel and her judgmental stare. I called over my shoulder to her as I left and slammed the door shut behind myself before I could hear her response. 

The staircase seemed to be never ending as I raced towards Louis' car outside. By the time I'd reached him my hair was a state and I had to stop and sort it out in the frosted reflection of the downstairs door. 

When I did finally reach him, he was perched on the bonnet of his car, his legs crossed at the ankles, absorbing the little sunlight that was available. I approached him and he opened one eye before registering it was me and smiling brightly, with both eyes open. "Ready?" I nodded and we both climbed into his red shiny car. "This isn't the same as before, the last time you took me to the fair, your car wasn't nearly as fancy or as sporty as this. If I remember correctly it was black and had scratches up the sides and puffed out grey smoke from the exhaust." I started to chuckle as Louis started the engine. "Well Haz, I've moved up in the world now. I am somebody." I snorted and gently slapped his thigh. "You're full of shit is what you are." He laughed as he pulled down the road. 

*

I was surprised to see that the fair was exactly the same fair as last time. Every detail that was alive in my mind from that day was here, except it was older now, and more run down. 

I stood still on a patch of grass and stared out at it, absorbing everything, scared I was going to wake up and it would all be gone. Louis grabbed my hand and tugged me forward. "Haz come on, there's fun to be had." I snickered as I let him pull me wherever he wanted to go. He stopped by the ride he knew I hated. It looked like dodgems from the outside, big black cart things that you sat in but when the ride started all it did was spin round and round, faster and faster as it continued. 

"Noooo Lou no!" 

"Yes, come on it's fun!" 

"I'll be sick!"

"Even better." He tugged me into a seat and sat me down, bringing the barrier down to clip in. "I'm not 18 anymore Lou." 

"That's why it's fun. We're reliving our youth." 

"I'm just going to relive my breakfast." But my voice was lost as the ride started and I squeezed my eyes shut. It felt like my body was flying through time and space but all I could see was black with coloured circles, as I squeezed my eyes tighter the more vivid the colours were becoming.

When the ride stopped I staggered off and stood holding the railings as I felt my stomach churn. Louis came up behind me and rested his hand on my waist as he whispered into my ear. "Are you okay Haz?" My head was spinning but I nodded anyway, feeling as he moved to stand in front of me. "I..I thought you were joking. Just gentle stuff from now on yeah?" He took my hand and intertwined our fingers, pulling my slowly away from the railing. "Deep breaths yeah? I'll get you a coke to settle your stomach." We wondered slowly to a food stall and he bought two cans of coke, opening them both and passing one to me. I sipped it slowly and he watched me do so, gripping his own can tightly, causing it to make a noise as it indented where his fingers were. 

"I reckon we should do hook-a-duck next?" I chuckled but agreed with him, spotting the stall for it over his shoulder and leading him towards it. He paid for both our games and we laughed as neither of us hooked even half a duck. The man running the stall laughed as well and offered us a free turn. Louis said that I could take it and somehow I managed to hook the smallest duck, winning myself a candy ring. I slipped it on my finger and walked with Louis along the stalls, just looking and admiring the fair. 

"I forgot what it was like to be around you Harry." His soft voice broke through the comfortable silence we had built and I felt my heart start to do back flips. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and we stopped walking, allowing him to face me. "I forgot how much you make my pulse dance and I forgot what it was like to love someone. Which is stupid really because I've been loving you this whole time, it's just different doing it from a far. I know you want to keep away from me, for Isobel, but you can't. You feel the same, I know you do. Please say it, just once. So I know I'm not mad." 

I didn't know what to say and the thought of Isobel at home, thinking I was with Liam, made me scared to say it back. It was like my mind was in a  constant battle between Louis and Isobel and I didn't want Louis to win, even if I did love him. 

I licked my lips and saw the stall where he had won me a teddybear, stepping round him and pointing to it. "Look, it's the stall where you won me a bear." I heard him sigh and his shoulders slumped visibly from behind. He turned to face me and walked over to the stall, paying for three attempts to win another bear. The objective of the game was to knock down all the cans with the water gun, but after three attempts, Louis walked away empty handed. 

"Sorry." I chuckled at him as we walked hand in hand away from the stall. "It's okay."

"I really wanted to win you a bear, like before. I wanted everything to be the same so it was like we were restarting. Is that crazy?" 

"No. It's sweet. I know you want to move on and try again. I appreciate it." We stopped walking again and this time, instead of talking, he turned to kiss me.