Snapshot » l.t.

Chapter 33

Chapter 33


Louis' POV


Someone knocked on my door. I didn't say anything.

"Louis, I know you're in there!" Harry called. "You haven't come out since... that night."

That's what everyone was calling it. That night. The night that everyone was too afraid to bring up. The night I cried. Yeah, they knew about that. Apparently tough guys don't cry quietly.

I still didn't say anything. I turned my head so that I was staring at the wall, my stomach on the bed, my back facing the ceiling. I felt dead inside.

"I'm coming in," Harry told me. "You have to eat sometime."

I gritted my teeth. I wasn't hungry.

Harry came in, holding a plate of something-or-other. He sat next to me. He rubbed my back.

"What's up, buttercup?" he asked with forced lightness.

That sounded so gay I wanted to laugh out loud, but my voice had shriveled up to nothingness. My throat felt scratchy.

Harry sighed. "Come on, Louis," he said, pleading slightly. "Say something. Do something. Just show me that you're still alive!"

I groaned into my pillow.

"Uh, I suppose that'll work," Harry said, raising an eyebrow. "You know you're kind of overreacting."

I scowled. I must've had a really pissed look on my face, because Harry changed the subject pretty quick.

"You have to come out," he told me. "You've been in here for days. You haven't eaten anything, drunk anything...." He took a closer look at my face. "Looks like you haven't slept anything, either," he added, and I turned away.

"You also haven't used the bathroom!" he exclaimed.

I had to make a comment. I'm sorry, but it was in my nature.

"Who says my mattress isn't my toilet," I mumbled.

"Ah! Gross!" Harry yelped and jumped up immediately.

I chuckled.

"There, see, that's better," he said, though he still sounded and looked pretty disturbed. "You're speaking actual words now. The old Louis I know and love is still there."

I closed my eyes and ignored him.

"And when was the last time you showered?" Harry exclaimed in a nasally voice. "You stink!"

"Three days," I replied through my lips.

Harry didn't say anything for a moment.

"Well," he finally sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll just leave now. And leave this hot, toasty breakfast here--"

"That only works on Niall," I said into my pillow, but he was enticing me. I hadn't eaten in three days. As much as I didn't want to eat, I felt like my stomach was digesting itself.

Harry sighed again. "Fine," he said, and I heard him stomping towards the door. He was up to something, I knew it.

"Then I guess you don't care that Zayn went over to Renee's flat--"

"He did what, now?" I shouted, sitting up immediately.

Harry smirked. "I'd love to tell you, but you have to eat something first," he said pointedly.

I scowled, but didn't move.

Neither did he.

But then he started moving towards the door.

"Wait, wait!" I cried. "I'm eating, see! Watch!"

I tore off a piece of toast and stuck it in my mouth. I wanted to continue with my strike, but even the stupid toasted bread tasted delicious.

"You have to eat the whole thing," Harry said.

I struggled not to groan again. Such labor.

"Fine, but you have to talk," I said, picking up the plate slowly. I ate little bits and pieces as Harry spilled the beans.

"Zayn took your invitation to Renee quite literally," Harry told me. "The afternoon after you got back, he headed over there to talk to her."

I was drinking milk when he said that. It sprayed out of my mouth and all over Harry, who jumped up and ran away.

"What?" I yelled in a shrilly voice.

Harry snickered as I glared at him.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "He got back and now has a breakfast date or whatever scheduled with Renee."

My heart skipped a beat. So she did choose someone else over me. And Zayn, of all people. The one with the "sexy" voice in the band....

Of course. I scowled. Other than Harry, Zayn was the most loved. It would only make sense that Renee would go for him.

She had no room for me in her life. She was probably laughing it up with Zayn right now at the breakfast or whatever place.

I collapsed backwards onto my bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Uh oh," Harry said. "Louis? Louis, are you okay?"

He waved a hand in my face. I didn't move. I didn't even blink.

"Serious uh oh," Harry said nervously. "CPR!" he yelled.

Niall raced into the room. "I call dibs!" he shouted.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed and sat up to see their puckered lips. Yuck. "Get away from me, you perverts," I said, and shoved them both away.

Niall pouted. Harry patted his shoulder. "Better luck next time, mate," he said. Niall left.

"You're going to stop them, right?" Harry asked me.

I frowned. "Stop who?"

"Renee and Zayn, of course!" he exclaimed. "Are you deaf and dumb? I'm not about to let you throw away your life like this over some girl!"

"She's not 'some girl'!" I snapped. "She's Renee!"

Harry suddenly grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said. "Now get out there and fight for her!"

I mulled it over in my head. I desperately wanted to go to Renee and keep her away from the rest of the boys, but I couldn't do that. I didn't own her. If she fell in love with someone else, there was nothing I could do about it.

I sighed and fell back down again. "No."

Harry stared at me. "'No'?" What do you mean 'no'?" he shouted. "Don't you love Renee?"

"I extremely, extremely like her," I corrected him angrily. "And I can't hide her from the rest of the world. She has her own life. I'm not going to ban her from Zayn."

Harry scowled.

"And if Niall were here," I added in an Irish accent. "He would say, 'What about that term, if you truly love someone you'll let them go?'."

"I heard that!" Niall shouted from wherever he was. "And I do NOT sound like that!"

I smirked.

Harry stared at me for a bit. "Well, Niall's not here," he retorted. "So I say if you truly love someone, you'll fight for them."

I rolled my eyes. Harry was going to pester me forever and ever if I didn't do it his way. And I really, really did want to do it....

Eh, what have I got to lose?

"Fine," I caved. "I'll do it. But only this once."

"Yay!" Harry whooped and crushed me in a hug. "Louis' gonna fight for Renee!"

"What has happened to me?" I mumbled, rolling my eyes again. What kind of tough guy was I?

"Now go shower, put on some real clothes, and go show Zayn who's boss!" Harry shouted and ran out of the room.

I made a face after him, but of course he didn't notice.


.....


"Okay, I'm going!" I shouted dramatically. I stomped my feet against the ground, heading towards the front door.

"Good!" Harry said, and jumped onto the couch. "I'll be right here when you get back. I want details!"

Cheezuz, this guy was getting gayer with each passing day.

I closed the door behind me and stood on the front porch. I shivered. I was wearing my regular jeans and t-shirt, and my hair was still wet from the shower. I probably should've brought a hat. Or at the very least worn a sweater.

The idea was that I go around back and sneak into my room where I could continue to pity myself. But apparently my feet had different ideas. They forced me towards the car.

"No," I said and grabbed onto the mailbox. My feet continued to walk. "Quit it, you stupid feet!" I yelled. I bent down to slap at them.

I lost my grip on the mailbox, and I tripped. I glared at my feet. My own feet had rebelled against me.

"Whose side are you on?" I demanded.

Thankfully, they didn't reply.

"Fine, we'll do things your way," I said. "But when we get home you're going to wear Niall's shoes for a day. How do you like that?"

I stood up, brushed myself off, and stomped towards my car. I got in and my feet took over. Since when were they the boss? I had the brains!

There wasn't really a proper breakfast restaurant around here, but there was this one place that Zayn always loved to take first dates. Starbucks.

I parked outside the large glass window, and scowled. Sure enough, Zayn's red Ferrari was parked there. Suddenly I didn't feel so bad for the dents in his trunk anymore.

I got out of my car and bowed my head. I wasn't wearing a disguise, so people would definitely notice me here. Especially those teenage girls that were always addicted to Starbucks. In my opinion, McDonald's was better.

I got down on my knees and shuffled over to the glass window. An old man inside the coffee shop gave me a weird look, but I ignored him. I peeked further inside.

I nearly had a heart attack when I realized Renee was sitting not two, three feet away from me. A Starbucks frappechino stood before her. Her thumbs were twiddling together, and she was biting her lip hard. She looked so beautiful, I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and sprint away.

"No one can touch her," I growled. I realized I said that out loud, and my voice sounded rather creepy. Like Grandpa Darth Vader. Let's take it down a notch, shall we?

Zayn came over and sat across from Renee. My breath caught and I scooted away as fast as I could. When I felt I was safe enough, I stood and watched them from afar.

Renee narrowed her eyes. Zayn said something. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Renee recoiled in disgust at whatever he said.

I felt a twinge of satisfaction. So far, so good.

Then Zayn grinned widely and said something else. Renee hesitated, then half-smiled. I tensed. I suddenly had the urge to find out what they were talking about.

They talked some more. They laughed. Then talked again. Renee even blushed. My heart melted, while my mind silently plotted Zayn's death. What should it be, death by trunkies, or strangled to death?

Why was I even thinking those things? Zayn was one of my best friends! I had to control myself.

Zayn laid a hand on Renee's.

"Bro code!" I exploded and raced towards the Starbucks.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" I yelled repeatedly as I entered.

Literally everyone in the coffee shop stopped what they were doing.

"Oh, not you guys," I said. "Them."

I pointed to Renee and Zayn. The coffee shop went back to what they were doing.

I stomped over to my ex-best friend and my ex... person-I-knew. They stared at me. I ignored Renee's gaze.

"Louis!" she gasped.

Zayn smiled. "What are you doing here?" he asked pleasantly, like this was by accident. "If you wanted Renee, you shouldn't have given her to me."

"Shut the hell up, Zayn," Renee and I said at the same.

I glanced at her. That was my mistake. Her dark green eyes were misted over, like she wanted to cry. She was biting hard on her bottom lip, the lips I wanted to kiss so badly. I looked away.

"She was never yours," I told Zayn angrily.

Zayn stood. "Then why did you say, 'She's all yours'?" he demanded.

I hesitated. Why the hell did I say that? Oh yeah.

"I was still sorting out my emotions," I muttered. "I'm probably going to regret saying this too, but I don't want you anywhere near her. None of the boys can."

"So, you're saying that you own her?" Zayn taunted me.

I bristled. "No," I shot back. I still wouldn't look at her. "She doesn't belong to me, either. But she sure as hell doesn't belong to you."

"Hey, can I say something?" Renee asked.

"No!" Zayn and I shouted in unison.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her scowl.

"Come on," I said. "We're going home."

I grabbed Zayn's ear and dragged him away. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Watch the hair!" he yelped. I ignored him. At the last second, I glanced back.

Renee was staring at me. She opened her mouth to say something, but I turned away.

No, I told myself. Don't get pulled into her clutches again.

I threw Zayn into his car and sat in my own. I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head.

I was a tough guy. But at the same time, I was a coward. I couldn't let Renee go. I couldn't make my feelings go away. I was a disgrace to mankind.

But as I drove away, making sure that Zayn was following, I was definitely sure of one thing: Renee had pulled me back in.