Retaliation (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 9

Louis flipped through the channels on the TV. Harry had gotten into town today, but when Louis tried to reach him, Harry told him he had to do something first.

It bugged Louis. He wanted to talk to Harry or at least meet up with him. He wanted to talk to him before the trial.

Harry had said he'd contact him whenever he was free; no call yet.

Louis checked his phone for the millionth time that night, nothing yet. It was nearing seven pm. He turned his attention back to TV sighing.

Not much later, the front door opened and his dad stepped through. Louis felt the tension as soon as his dad took one step into the house.

His dad stepped fully in and shut the door behind him. His mom wasn't home, working a night shift tonight. The room fell silent, besides the low volume of the TV.

Louis spoke finally, "Shop closes around six. Why are you home so late?"

His dad gave him an odd look and hung his jacket up. He sat on the couch opposite of Louis, not answering.

It was silent for a few minutes longer until his dad finally spoke, "I avoided coming home."

Louis' eyebrows rose at that and he asked, "Why would you ever do that?"

His dad frowned and said, "Because I knew you'd act like this."

Louis looked to his dad and tilted his head to side. "Act like what?" He asked sarcastically.

His dad looked to him and frowned more and said, "Exactly like that."

Louis shrugged and said, "I always act like this."

His dad sighed, aggravated, and asked, "So you pout all the time?"

Louis shrugged again and said, "I will if it means you'll actually talk to me like your son."

His dad blinked for a second, gathering his thoughts. He asked, "When I have not treated you like my son?"

Louis opened his mouth but his dad held a hand up adding, "Besides the past."

Louis closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes at him. "Oh, I don't know. At work maybe? Blaming me for everything and saying I'm doing it on purpose?"

His dad gave him a shocked looked and said, "Louis, you're at work! I can't give you special passes just because you're my son! While there, you work for me! I have to act like a boss!"

Louis stood up abruptly and asked, "Then why drag into the arguments there that I do it because of a gang?! Have you forgotten the past!"

His dad stood up too and said, "No I haven't. You know how hard it is to break away from old habits, Louis? A gang is no different. You spent your whole high school, probably middle school too, career in one! You can't honestly blame me for thinking you went right back into one, can you?"

Louis glared his father down. He said lowly, "But you can expect me to think you've totally changed as a father? How am I suppose to know that you might not actually still hate me?"

His dad raised his voice a little, "Because if I hated you I would've fired you! I wouldn't be talking to you right now!"

Louis threw his arms in the air and said, "But you won't listen to me either! That's all I want from you!"

His dad laughed a little and Louis watched perplexed. His dad laughed a little more and Louis asked in a harsh tone, "What?!"

His dad laughed a bit more and said, "Well, you have my attention! Go ahead, tell me what you want to tell me."

Louis rolled his eyes and crackled his fingers' knuckles one-by-one on his side. He licked his lips and said, "I'm not doing it for a gang. That's behind me."

His dad nodded and Louis looked up to meet his eyes. He added, "I'm not doing it all actually." His dad's eyebrows rose at that and he added quickly, "It's all Eleanor. She wants revenge for what I did on the stage."

His dad nodded and asked, "So you want me to believe that a girl, who is your ex, wants revenge on you?" Louis nodded and his dad added, "And did all that damage but none of us noticed?"

Louis' posture faltered a bit and said, "She came up to me after every incident and handed me an object. Like the brick you said I didn't put behind the tire. I did but she grabbed it."

His dad asked, "What about the other incidents? How I am suppose to believe you're not just making this up?"

Louis threw his arms in the air and said, "Because it's the truth! I would explain every incident but we'd never sleep tonight!"

His dad crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "Do you have proof?"

Louis' arms dropped to his side and he whispered, "You don't believe me."

His dad shrugged and sat back down saying, "No matter how much you said you changed, I've always known to be cautious around you."

Louis clenched his hands together in tight fists, gritting his teeth. His dad ignored it, turning to the TV.

Louis grabbed his cellphone and flung the door open and said, "I'll show you. I'll prove it," and walked out the door slamming it.