Above the Crimson Sky (Sequel to Beneath the Midnight Sky)

IX. Hangovers and Habits

           

Saturday came and went with many headaches. Zayn woke up feeling his head pounding but somehow content. He pulled Louis' blanket up to his chin and took in the vanilla and Armani smell he has grown accustomed to love. He didn't recall passing out in his roommates bed but he wasn't going to complain.

(iMessage) to Louis 11:45 a.m.

Zaynikins: Good morning
Zaynikins: how r u feeling
King 👑 Lou: good morning bff
King 👑  Lou: ugh h about u
King 👑 Lou: Party too hard?
Zaynikins: always
Zaynikins: want me to come get you today
King 👑 Lou: Harry's getting me tomorrow <3

Rolling his eyes, Zayn set his phone beside of him and tried to sleep off his hangover.

******

Louis sat the dining table trying to have lunch. He arranged his plate in perfect symmetrical order. On one side laid carrots, celery, and broccoli. On the other side was strawberries, grapes, and pear slices. He counted the calories to a perfect decimal and tried to will away the intrusive thoughts. He obsessively cut the vegetables and fruit into smaller portions and spread them around on his dish. Then, he separated the pieces by color. Afterward, he proceeded to order them in odd and eccentric ways.

Lottie became awestruck at the effort that Louis was making to distract his thoughts. "Bub...."

"Yeah?" He asked obliviously.

"What are you doing?" She giggled nonchalant.

Louis felt his cheeks become hot. He pushed the plate away and put his hands in his lap. "Sorry...." He muttered. "You think I'm weird, don't you?

  "A little. I'm just trying to understand your method of eating is all. Can you explain it to me?" Lottie encouraged as she pushed the plate back to him. Immediately, Louis began to break the pieces down even more. Lottie placed her hand on top of his and held his hand still. "I can tell this is hard for you but I'm here to make you feel validated."

Shaking his head, Louis replied "Mom told you to say that didn't she?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I do. I may not know what you're going through but sometimes I hate my body too, you know? I just love food and I never could do what you do is all. It's a little fascinating."

Louis gave Lottie a fake smile. He placed a piece of broccoli in his mouth. He tried counting the chews as a distraction but it was a failure. He instantly spit it into a napkin discretely in which she didn't seem to notice.

"I just figured, you know, you'd be starving after yesterday. You couldn't keep anything down."

"I am," he admitted.    "Excuse me..." he said as he got up from the table and ran toward the restroom.

Lottie tried to follow him until she heard the lock click on the doorknob. Louis began to tickle the back of his throat until he made dry heaving noises, hunching over with stomach cramps vomiting up mostly tea with small tinges of blood.

Standing with her arms folded, she scoffed. "Louis, we were just bragging about you yesterday. What is this?"

"Please don't tell anyone, Lottie," he said recalling this same conversation with Zayn weeks earlier. "It's just a one time thing. I guess all that sickness yesterday triggered me a bit..." he lied. "I won't do it anymore. Please sis!"

Lottie thought a lot before speaking. "Ok, ok. I promise!" She said in defeat. The guilt inside of her causing an internal war. "But only if you can finish your plate."