Snapshot » l.t.

Chapter 20

Chapter 20


Louis' POV


I woke up unwillingly. I kept my eyes closed and buried my face in my soft, silky pillow. For some reason, my pillow felt long and stringy. Like hair.

I opened my eyes. I was laying down with another, smaller body pressed against mine. One of my arms was wrapped around her waist, and another was where it shouldn't be. I immediately removed it.

My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to relax. Renee didn't know anything yet. Let's keep it that way.

But I found my eyes slipping closed. Renee's hair smelled so good, and I was just so comfortable.... What time was it anyway?

My grip around her waist tightened. I fell back asleep.

Someone started shaking my arm sometime later, but I refused to open my eyes again. I didn't feel like it.

"Louis!" a female voice said sharply. "Wake up! Wake up!"

I didn't move.

"I'm gonna get naked," she announced, and that made my radar go off like crazy. I nearly jumped off the couch. "Really?" I asked excitedly.

"No," Renee sniffed. "Boys," she muttered under her breath. Louder, she asked, "Have you been here all night?"

"Yeah," I said.

"You are in so much trouble," she growled. "First with me, then with your friends."

She launched herself at me but I dodged. "The boys!" I gasped. "Shit, they're going to kill me!"

"No doubt," Renee agreed, then grabbed me in a chokehold. I didn't even know girls could do chokeholds.

I batted at her hands until she finally let go, then I quickly caught my breath. "Can you kill me later?" I shot at her. "Like, after I'm dead?"

"That made no sense," she told me calmly.

Even after an exciting day and a sleep on a couch with a guy, Renee looked great. Her hair was frizzy and still in her ponytail, and her clothes were wrinkled and ruffled. But she looked good.

I nearly swatted my own head. Concentrate, man, concentrate! What is wrong with you?

"Um, I better go," I said, my brain working slower then usual. Renee suddenly grinned. "Probably," she said. "I'll see you later."

"Really?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Her grin faded into a frown. "Yeah, of course," she said. "Why wouldn't I?"

Now it was my turn to grin. "No reason," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess. Definitely not today because the boys and Paul will want to kill me, and you have to look for a job."

"Oh, yeah," Renee mumbled. She didn't sound very enthusiastic. Well, who could blame her?

I got up, but Renee stayed on the floor. I escorted myself out. As soon as I was sure Renee couldn't hear me anymore, I sprinted down the hall and to the parking lot like my bum was on fire. I was so dead.

I'm surprised Renee didn't hate me for accidentally spending the night. I thought she would be flipping out on me, but she wasn't. I don't know why she didn't, but I wasn't about to question it. I was just thankful.

I got in my car and drove about five miles over the speed limit. It's not like I would get in trouble. I was famous, and Paul was way scarier than any police person.

I calmed down when I neared our flat. Maybe everyone was still asleep. I could just sneak in. I prayed that it would work.

I eased the door open after unlocking it, and I slowly edged inside. All the lights were off. I shut the door behind me silently. I began to tip-toe to my room.

The lights suddenly flickered on, which scared the living jiblets out of me. I jumped thirty feet in the air and spun around.

All four British boys plus two super-pissed Irish guys were glaring at me like the Devil on judgment day. I know for a fact I'm not going where most fortunates go.

"Hi," I said, and cursed myself for sounding squeaky. That unleashed the tide of cusses and lectures.

Niall swore like a sailor and Liam reprimanded him that little ears were listening. Harry and Paul were screaming at me like they wanted to lose their voices, and Zayn just looked sleepless. Poor guy.

"Where the frick were you?" Harry yelled at me. "We stayed up all night looking for you!"

"At least call when you think you're going to be gone long," Paul scolded me. "Everybody thought you were kidnapped!"

Paul's first sentence reminded me of my phone. I took it out and turned it on. Everybody stared at me when the little tune played. Oops, I had it off the entire time. Make that burned to death, then my body being brutally stabbed a million times.

My phone started dinging like crazy with notifications. In the end, I had 108 text messages, and 46 voicemails. That was expected.

"Oops?" I said, with a small sheepish grin.

"OOPS?!" they screamed at me, and proceeded to chase me around the flat. Even Paul.

"Don't hurt meh, I'm innocent!" I cried as I was cornered in the kitchen.

"Innocent?" Harry exclaimed. "Far from it, dead boy."

"I am a man," I reminded him. They took a step forward. "Okay, okay!" I shrieked, holding up my hands to protect my beautiful face. "What will it take for you not to kill me?"

"Tweet that you're a--" Harry started to say, but I yelled over him, "NO!!" Not my deepest, darkest secret. Actually, that's my second deepest, darkest secret. What makes you think I'll tell you the first?

"What's Louis?" Niall asked, genuinely curious.

"A sexy beast," I replied quickly. "That's it. Right, Harry?" I glared at him. He smirked at me in return.

They all stared at me weirdly, and I stared back at them. I was waiting for my punishment, which I still wasn't exactly sure what it was. I don't know what they were standing around for.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" Zayn finally asked.

I turned my stare from Liam over to him. "What?" I exclaimed. "What girl? There's no girl! What are you talking about?" I sounded too hasty and nervous. Just great.

They all grinned at me. "Yes, there is," Niall cooed, and ruffled my hair. "Who is she? Is she pretty? Does she have any available friends?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled, pushing his hand away.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Harry sang. "There is definitely a girl. Your face is all red."

I smacked my own face as my hands flew to check. It definitely felt warm. Shit. Why would my face be red? Probably because I was lying to my friends.

"Is she pretty?" Niall pressed.

"No, she's an ugly bitch," I shot at him. He shrunk back, and I realized I sounded a bit harsh. I sighed. "Sorry, Nialler," I said, and gave him a small hug to make him feel better. He loves hugs.

"Is she really an ugly bitch?" Liam asked.

"Sort... of," I said, hesitating halfway. Then I cursed myself again for giving away the fact that yes, there was a girl.

They all laughed at me. "So there IS a girl!" Liam shouted at me, and they laughed some more.

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?" Harry asked.

"Well," I elaborated. "She's a bitch, but she's not ugly."

There was no way I was going to tell them that the girl was Renee. And, technically, she was a bitch, but she was pretty.

"Who is she?" Zayn asked enthusiastically.

"Why do you care?" I retorted.

"I just wanna know who my best friend is dating. So, who is--"

"We're not dating!" I objected loudly. "We're just friends! Sort of."

"Wait a minute," Harry said in his I'm-putting-two-and-two-together voice. "She's a bitch, but she's pretty. You're not dating, but you spent the night with her."

I wondered how he knew that, but I didn't say anything. It was probably obvious.

"And you're friends with her, sort of," he continued. His eyes widened. "So are you friends... with benefits?!"

The boys gasped and stared at me like I was alien. "What?" I nearly screamed. "No way! That's disgusting!" I wanted to say more, but I managed to shut my mouth in time.

"Then what are you?" Harry asked curiously.

"We're everything I said we were," I said coolly. "Don't jump to conclusions. You know I'm not like that."

"People change," Niall sang, and I hit his arm. He yelped, but I didn't hug him this time.

"Well, can we at least know her name?" Harry asked.

I hesitated again. I didn't want to give too much away....

"Alex," I said the first name that came to mind. "Her name's Alex."

"Aww!" the boys cooed, and I rolled my eyes.

"We're just friends," I sighed. "Now let's make that my punishment."

"I don't think so," Paul objected, and grabbed me before I could run away. He'd been watching the whole time, and he chose now to speak up? "That may be your punishment from the boys, but mine is way different."

"No fair!" I complained. Paul gave me a death glare, so I shut up.

"Your punishment is you can't leave this flat for three days, excluding interviews and concerts."

My jaw dropped. "But--" I started to protest, but he cut me off.

"No ifs, ands, or buts. You should've known better, Louis. We've been over this."

I groaned and he let me go. He and most of the boys left. Harry stuck by me.

"Any progress with Renee?" he asked me.

"No," I replied immediately. "I've given up."

"Louis!" he cried and shoved me. "Don't give up! Stop spending so much time with your 'friend' Alex and more on Renee!"

I glared at him when he said the word "friend" sarcastically, but he ignored it. He walked away.

I sighed, running a distraught hand through my hair. I'm sure the punishment was fair, but it felt unfair. I wanted to see Renee again. I would've been able to text and/or call her if she would give me her freaking phone number, but of course not. I was stuck here for the next few days.

What would Renee think? And why did I care so much?


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Author's Note:

I am so pissed at my cat right now, so this author's note is going to be short.

When I got home from school, she was chewing on my earbuds. My poor babies! I managed to rescue them and tape them up. They still work, but that doesn't mean I'm not mad at my cat.

SHOUTOUT to @ilovepinecone for still reading my author's notes. I love you.


Stay Beautiful,
-Sammi <3