Taking the Plunge

Chapter Six

Harry smiled with a sick sense of satisfaction as Liam walked into  class the next afternoon. His face was bruised, black and yellow splotches covering his once pristine face. Glancing around the room, the older boy noticed that the only empty seat was right next to Harry. He sighed, defeated, and walked over to the desk. Plopping himself unceremoniously in the metal contraption, Liam leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, quite aware that the younger boy was no longer speaking with him.

"Its not just a bet anymore, Styles. I actually like  Niall."

Harry scoffed, keeping his eyes trained on the teacher at the front of the room as she explained polar and rectangular coordinates on a plane, hand scribbling down notes furiously.

"Pathetic." He mumbled under his breath, hoping that Liam had heard him.

________

 

"Fuck."  Niall swore as he stepped outside of the brick school building. He huddled under the small awning and scolded himself for not bringing an umbrella. The blonde boy looked helplessly out into the car park, watching as his friends climbed into their vehicles and drove themselves home in the torrential downpour. He was screwed. He had to walk home in the rain and his tattoo wasn't supposed to get wet just yet.

Niall braced himself for the onslaught of vicious raindrops stinging his skin, but it never came. For when he stepped out from under the awning, he was immediately covered by an umbrella. An arm wrapped around his waist and he was immediately guided towards a black Range Rover.

Looking up in confusion, Niall was met with the blackened face of Liam Payne. Of course, the thought to himself. Liam just smiled, opening the door for the blonde boy and ushering him inside. After Niall climbed in, he shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. Not a word was spoken between the two as Liam started the car, shifting gears and pulling out of the parking lot. It wasn't until they had left the school grounds that Niall had gathered up the courage to try and make conversation.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. Niall knew he was a nobody, his existence meant nothing to the older boy, other than the bet.

"I like you,  Niall. You're different." Liam replied, making a turn and heading towards the subdivision where Niall lived.

"You're using me, I'm nothing but a way for you to earn some extra cash." Niall argued, convinced that he was to remain forever alone. No one could love, let alone like, someone like him. He was the weird boy with the trust issues, the one that had too many piercings, the one that couldn't feel anything unless it was physical pain. He was a freak, what did Liam see in him that he didn't see in himself?

"I'm sorry." Liam whispered, defeated. "I'm sorry you think that way, but its not true."

"Excuse me?" Niall exclaimed, completely outraged. "I believe it was you who said 'I bet that I can find all of your piercings by the end of the season.' I know your type, Liam Payne. You're putting up a pretense of liking me so that you'll ensure yourself a win. If we're going out, then you're bound to find them all sometime."

"My type? And what exactly is my type, Niall Horan?" Liam gritted out, pulling into Niall's neighbourhood and stopping his car on the curb.

"Pompous assholes who feel the need to control every aspect of their lives, and even other peoples'! You think you can have anything you want, Liam. But in truth, you can't. You'll never have me because I deserve better. I don't deserve someone who only wants to be with me because of a bet, I don't deserve someone that practically rapes me in bathroom stalls and at parties. I deserve someone that'll treat me properly, someone that'll bring me presents just to say they were thinking about me, take me out on dates randomly because they felt like it, and make our first time together special because they wanted it to be good for me, not just them." Niall took a deep breath, calming himself, before he continued.

"I deserve someone who loves me, regardless of my flaws. I deserve someone who won't use my flaws against me, someone who'll appreciate everything I have to offer. And you, Liam Payne, are not someone who can give me what I deserve." And with that, Niall unbuckled his seat belt and exited the car. He didn't care about his tattoo getting wet, he didn't care about ruining his school books or his backpack, he didn't care about getting entirely soaked, he didn't care about how much of a tosser he looked like as he ran down the side walk in the rain, crying his heart out. He didn't want to admit just how much he wished Liam could give him what he deserved. He just needed to get away from the black hole that was Liam Payne.

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"Harry, please. Let's not fight about this." Louis begged. He didn't like how a simple conversation had turned into a large argument in a matter of minutes.

"I don't want to fight either, Louis. But you need to see that you're wrong! Liam isn't good for Niall, he'll only hurt him!" Harry fumed, pacing back and forth in Louis' bedroom.

"Harry, I'm not denying that, but this isn't a right or wrong situation. How are we supposed to help our friends if we can't stop arguing?" The older boy didn't want to fight with his boyfriend, he just wanted to help Liam and Niall. The curly haired boy stopped pacing, moving to sit next to Louis on the bed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, wrapping his arms around Louis's shoulders and pulling him close "I didn't mean to get all worked up. I want things to work out for Liam and Niall, I do. But I just think that Niall has poor taste in guys."

"How can you say that, Haz? Liam is your friend." Louis inquired, nuzzling his head into Harry's chest.

"I don't tolerate people that have no regard for others' feelings." Harry bit out. "Liam's made his decision, now he has to suffer the repercussions."