This Road Has Been Putting Miles On My Heart

3

Chapter 3:

A restful week later, Louis hugged his family good bye and flew back to London. They were a little bit sad but they were more content than ever that he visited them early than waiting for December to roll around.

"Next time, you come visit us when Harry's around," Jay had scolded.

Louis rolled his eyes and huffed out, "Mum," accepting her tight hug and chocolate cookies to take along the way in case he got hungry. He kissed all four girls on top of their heads and waved, backing away and plugging in his phone. The first chords of Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder bellowed out, Louis humming along to the lyrics under his breath.

Doncaster was a mild distraction he desperately deserved. School started next week and he was itching to get back to his regular schedule filled with restless nights and loud classroom days. The summer was fun, but Louis was more than ready to get back in action. Naturally, that was when he found himself situated in this mess.

"Fucking 'ell."

Louis ran up the steps of the school, his tie flung loosely over his shoulder. It was the first day of school and Louis was late. Stupidly late. He took pride in taking time before school, taking a long hot shower, making himself a cuppa, and eating toast with beans. Sometimes he would take delight in pep talking himself before he opened the car door and walked into a new day. But today was not his fucking day as he was so very late. It was all Niall's fault, really. It was always Niall's fault. Global warming? Niall's fault.

"C'mon LouBoo. It would take you out of your slump."

He was using that ridiculous name Harry used on him when he was first pinning over him, back when they were sixteen and eighteen. He had barged in and tugged the sheets off of him, demanding to go grocery shopping for some beer and nachos. He wanted to get blacked out drunk the day before school. Obviously Louis declined. But Niall was persistent and he was weak and he only accepted when Niall offered to do his laundry for a month. So naturally, Louis got up from bed only to slam the door on his face and take a hot shower. He could never deny someone to treat him like the king he was.

That night, he swallowed down so many (Louis couldn't remember) shots and ignored the burning in his throat. Instead, he allowed the warm feeling to bubble in his lower belly. Zayn and Liam joined in on their night and soon they plugged in the karaoke machine, singing loudly and freely. They had gotten three noise complaints and even the cops showed up, but they continued to party on.

Eventually Zayn, somehow, seduced the cops to drop the charges and brought them inside the flat. So there Louis was, running a hand through his sticky hair (he hoped, prayed, it wasn't come) and watched as Niall danced shirtless on top of the kitchen island, Zayn and Liam kissing each other hungrily on the sofa, and one of the cops strip teasing to the other cop.

He fell asleep on the floor that was sticky covered with ketchup and mayonnaise goop. He woke up with a throbbing headache and pants-less. He freaked out but calmed down as soon as he saw the cop beside him was indeed, fully clothed. Taking one sniff at his armpit, he retched and took a quick shower. It wasn't until he grabbed his phone from where it was wedged between the couch cushions that he realized the time and literally ran to his car.

He made it out of his driveway before he stopped the car in the middle of the street and ran back, grabbing his rucksack and stuffing papers, pencils and his newest copy of Wuthering Heights. He was distressed and hadn't made his usual mean mug of tea.

Snap back to reality, Louis jogged into the school, papers flying out of his rucksack. He checked his watch and deemed he had a few minutes before class started. Instead of going his usual route to his classroom, he turned right and went to the teacher's lounge. If he didn't have some caffeine in him now, he would be cranky the rest of the day. It was too early in the year for his students to see that version of him.