Numbers (Louis Tomlinson)

Chapter 8

"Go ahead, then. Come on in." Mum tells Louis, who is still leaning against the door frame. He does and takes a look around our house, seeming to notice every detail and picture hanging up on the walls. Mum grabs his attention again, "You can take off your shoes and I'll hang up your jacket."

He's hesitant to slide off his white Keds and varsity jacket but he does, revealing his outfit. He's wearing a simple and feminine polka-dotted denim button up shirt, and just plain gray sweatpants. To be honest, it's a pretty cute outfit. I love when guys dress that way for some reason, I guess the regular jockey jersey and baggy jeans doesn't really appeal to me. But this outfit is nice and refined, not too fancy but perfect for a casual event. My mother however eyes him for a second and I can basically see her thoughts floating in the air; is he gay? I laugh to myself, what a twist that would be.

"Would you like a drink?" My mother asks, already heading to the kitchen. "I have water, orange juice, black tea---"

"I'll take the tea." His eyes light up, his tongue quickly ghosting over his lips. It wasn't too of an abrupt answer but just unexpected. I don't know much guys who like Yorkshire black tea, it's not exactly a popular drink among our generation. Can't blame him though, its one of my favorites too.

"Would you like a snack too?"

"No thank you."

"You can sit down in the dining room," Mum turns around for a split second only to look at Louis and I, "Elle, show him the dining room."

I huff, "Follow me."

I lead him down the hallway of old photos and plastic plants until we reach the final destination, the dining room. It's just like any other room in our house, very cherry wood and tan colored curtains and cloths. Nothing different. Louis looks at the empty chair, Sarah's chair that is, and seats himself. I gasp to myself before turning around and focusing myself. Relax, Elle. It's just a chair.

"Is something wrong?" Louis asks from behind my back. I turn to meet his eyes and shake my head, heaving a bit. As long as I don't tell him, he won't know. As long as I don't tell him, it's okay. Louis turns his head to striped red and brown tablecloth, adjusting it so it curves around the table perfectly. He then replaces the centerpiece and place mats into position.

"Force of habit?" I chuckle.

"Yeah." He sighs sheepishly, sitting up tall.

"Me too." I admit. I refuse to tell him I have a serious case of obsessive compulsive disorder, but I think stating a "me too" like that hinted at it. I take a seat diagonal from him. I'll let my mother sit closest to him, I don't need that huge waft of Tom Ford cologne present. He looks down at his wrist, tugging his sleeve over a spotted dark spot. Ink.

"Was that a tattoo?" I furrow my eyebrows at him. His cheeks slowly turn pink.

"No. Scar." There's a hint of something in there. Quite furtive it sounds. If it was a scar, then what was it from? And why wouldn't he want to show it to me?

"Oh, I though it was a tattoo." I mumble, leaving my volume quiet for my head to think.

"Why does it matter?"

"Well I just didn't think you would have one."

"Why not?"

"You don't seem like that kind of person..."

"Do you not like tattoos?" He bites his lip in concern. Why? I don't know.

"I just think it's plain stupidity. It's permanent ink on your body, you can't erase it."

"I think that's the point---"

"It's a stupid point. Why would you want to make your body a canvas, it's not. Tattoos aren't art, they're plainly random marks on your skin."

"Oh."

It must be a tattoo. He must not want me to know since of the way I talked about it.

My mother walks in with a tea cup on a plate, setting in front of Louis, "Are you sure you don't want anything else?"

"I'm fine." Louis murmurs, pressing the tea cup to his lips. I watch his Adam's apple sip down the liquid.

"Okay, so what's been going on lately?" Mum says sitting in the seat next to him, briefly looking down at his own seat like I did.

"Nothing much different than five years ago. I'm attending university now of course, I have a job..." Job? I turn my body away from them, standing and walking to the close front door, grabbing my backpack. Getting out a pencil and my math textbook before setting it back on the dining table. Louis briefly glances at me before continuing to converse with Mum.

"...yeah it's a good job. It has a good wage and it's fun. I love mixing and editing the tracks, I just wish it was longer hours. I find myself bored in my dorm half the day since I put all my classes straight in the morning and start my job at 11. But for now it still gives me free time, which sometimes I need." Louis finishes talking leaving me to question the previous conversation. Mixing and editing? Maybe he's a DJ.

I start studying my notes and textbook to fill out a packet given out in class, still eavesdropping their conversation.

"Excuse her, she doesn't know how to be polite." Mum shakes my arm.

"Mum, I really need to finish this. I'm still listening." I lie. Louis rolls his eyes and gives me an acid smile.

"Okay. So, I thought you moved away a few years ago. Did you not?" Mum ignores my attitude and continues to talk with Louis.

"Well I did. We moved to Leeds but I moved back so I could attend college here. Since they didn't have a very good college, I thought I didn't want to go to another city except for Doncaster since I know this city more than others. So that's why I'm back."

"Oh, I see. So how are your sisters? Do you get to see them very often?"

"Well yeah, Leeds is only about a forty-five minute drive from here so I go over every other weekend to see the girls and Mum."

"Oh, that's nice. So do you just live in the dorms here or do you have a flat or something?"

"The dorms."

"Oh, okay."

I sit my head up, "How are the dorms?"

"Oh, they're okay. Of course they're really small though. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I'm thinking about the local university you attend but I'm looking at one across the country, it'd be far but the one here isn't as high academics I've heard."

"Really?" A dent is formed in his cheek, he must be biting it.

"Yeah." I shrug, returning my eyes to my textbook.

"Will you move back when you graduate?" He carries on.

"Probably not. It'd be really difficult." I tilt my head, it's my time to question him, "Why?"

"I'm just curious."

Sure, whatever you say. You'll miss me.

Louis finishes up his tea silently but in a pleasant way. Mum takes away his plate and cup and tells him goodbye before Louis leaves.

"Could you be anymore ruder?" Mum starts yelling at me as soon as I start trying to climb upstairs.

"I could. Would you've liked me to?"

"Do not use that tone with me."

"Okay, mother."

"Why can't you once in a while be nice, especially to a sweet boy like him? You could end up dating him if you'd just be the tiniest bit kinder!" Her words make my literally stop dead in my tracks.

"Shut up." I snap, "I don't want to date him, I don't want to date anyone, so just bug off because I literally will never try being nicer."

"Well, why not?"

"Because somebody has to be the villain."

She doesn't respond to that remark.