Gossip Boy (Ziam)

One

And it's like a domino effect, really; the way each person on campus is magnetically drawn to Liam's website; how all it took was for one person to inform another and, suddenly, he had drawn in a crowd that was more than ideal. Liam loved the attention, the way everyone took interest in his revelations and he could often hear them chattering in the halls about the latest gossip, wanting to know who was the mastermind behind the site, wanting to match the stories with whatever culprit it was. It was just the beginning and Liam had only bothered to focus on the affair between Niall and Harry, though he could honestly say he was growing quite bored with that topic. Niall hadn't shown any signs of seeing Harry anymore and Liam could only assume that his best friend called the whole thing off. Harry's facade hadn't let down either, continuing to play the role of the perfect boyfriend, hoping he could give Louis less of a reason to believe his Harry would ever have anything to do with any scandal.

Liam didn't have much of a motive, nor was there a hidden agenda. It was the entertainment of it all; the way he could basically control a situation and grasp everyone's attention. It wasn't as though he was making anything up. He saw it as being the savior - bringing everything to light; helping people to dodge bullets and what not. They were all so naive and gullible, and dedicated, no less. As predicted, he had became the center of their world, that caffeinated drug; their fix. There hadn't been a time when he walked down the corridors and didn't spot someone on their cellphone; and it wasn't as though he had to actually take a glance at their screens to know what they were up to. He could tell by the appalled and shocked expressions upon their face. It was moments like those that continued to fuel Liam, continued to feed his ego and pride, continue to spread the flames. He had the campus of Bradford within the palm of his hands and they would know it, anonymous or not.

It was the library that Liam had found Niall in, hair disheveled and a lack of interest in the novel he was reading. Liam could only assume he was exhausted and distressed - studies, boy problems, and such. Call him ruthless, but that sense of guilt still hadn't sunken in. If anything, he would expect nothing short of the blond's gratitude, how he stopped Niall from being trapped within a situation that would only cause heartache and confusion. Harry would always choose Louis. He had made that quite clear when he decided not to check-up on Niall not once since their last encounter. And even if Liam was deemed as the one at fault, he was still there for his best friend, unlike the curly-haired guy. Liam maneuvered through the several aisles of tables, apologizing to anyone he may have bumped on the way, until he reached Niall, taking a seat on the empty chair beside him.

Liam's presence went amiss, Niall continuing to read his novel, the lid of his eyes as low as his self-esteem and sense of worth. There were signs he had been crying; however, that was something Liam had already been aware of because he had been there a few times to hold him until the blond fell limp in his arms and fell into a slumber; and sometimes he would wake up, in the middle of the night, in the same manner. It was exhausting on both ends, but Liam kept up his facade and continued to pretend as if he could ever understand what Niall was feeling. Through the midst of it all, Liam kept in mind his own task at hand. He wanted nothing more than for Niall to give some insight on what his relationship was like with Harry, though Niall had never actually revealed who the guy was. He went with the basics, the sob story and tears of the broken-hearted boy; and while that would've sounded interesting to someone else, Liam needed more. He wanted the glory details about what prompted them to commit to one another, in a sense, and he wanted the juicy details about their steamy nights in bed, their arrangements, and even the depth in which their hearts were into it.

Of course it was for Liam's own benefit. He could write the perfect tale, shake things up between Harry and Louis. He needed Louis to piece the puzzle together and come to the conclusion that he was caught in the web of a manipulative liar; that, while he was probably off studying and being an overachiever, his boyfriend was placing his lips on someone else's and sticking things where they didn't belong. Liam saw it as a case, the same way a lawyer would; and he wouldn't be able to rest or fully move on to another story until that one exploded. Oh, and the explosion would be the most impactful thing to hit that university since his arrival. He would make sure of it. His mind was working overtime, thoughts of how to execute his next plan and the ideal situation to follow. If Niall had to be broken and suffer, Harry would too; and it was inevitable that Louis would end up in the same state, despite Liam's lack of distaste for the guy. It was nothing personal - casualties and sacrifices.