Social Casualty

eleven

"Thanks," Harry nods to the person working the register. He carries the bags in his arms, nudging the door open with his shoulder. He could just walk to the store from how close the house is, but he needs the car room to put all the bags in.

He just makes it to the trunk to drop them in when someone calls his name. He turns, and his stomach drops. "How are ya? Haven't seen ya in a while," Keith slaps a hand on his back. It's only him, Randy, and Jerry. They all wear friendly smiles, but it's nothing kind towards Harry.

"I uh, yeah, I'm good. Just been a bit busy lately is all," he laughs it off with a shrug.

Randy leans against the trunk of his car, "Heard ya moved out?"

Harry nods "Yeah, I uh... I had to get outta there," he tries giving a laugh, but it doesn't come out. Keith drags his fingers along the top of the car as he walks around it.

"Where'd ya move to?" he stops, dropping his arm. "Haven't seen ya around at all."

Harry bites his lip and nods, "Yeah, uh, it's not as close," he watches Keith circle back around. They seem to close in on him, but that could also be the anxious feeling in his gut talking.

"Where to? Huh?" Randy gives his arm a shove.

Harry crosses his arms, "A little ways across town, s'all-"

"Cross town?! You's know all them greasy dicks live cross town, yeah?"

"I- it's not totally cross town! There ain't no other places sellin!" he leans back against the car.

"Bet he's livin with them too, huh?" Jerry jumps in, nudging Harry a bit too hard, and swings his arm around his shoulder. "Yeah? You into them now? Better be treated like them too, huh?"

And no, because Harry knows exactly what that means. He doesn't think there's anyone in town that didn't know what it means, no matter which side you're for.

"No," his voice drops. "I-I swear. I'm living with some guys but they're not from the other side," he wants to punch himself after saying it, but none of them seem to accuse him of being gay like he feared.

"Yeah? Who is it, then?" Keith crosses his arms. He doesn't look amused.

"I... you don't know 'em," the trunk hood feels hot against his hands, but in the moment it's the only thing keeping him from freaking out.

"Harry!" all four of them look to the side. Randall's giving him a wave. "Wanna give us a lift to the house?" Bobcat smiling on his side, as always, until he sees who's with him. His eyes get all big and he pushes Randall into the store.

"Friend's of yours?" Harry looks back and shakes his head. "That's a straight lie," Keith wears a smirk, and Jerry comes out of nowhere and punches him in the gut.

"C'mon, don't be a bitch, Harry," he shoves his shoulders. Harry trips against the car, and gets flipped onto his front against the hood when he gets a punch in the face. He can feel the heat in his face where his skin busts open on his cheekbone.

He coughs and spits blood on the ground, "Why are you even on this side of town?"

Randy ducks down to where he's bent over, "We can do whatever we want," he knees his stomach and pushes his head away. He's really no bigger than Harry,  but then again Harry's not a fighter. "Come on, get up now," he steps back and stands expectantly.

He already feels weak enough, but pushes himself up from the hood of the car. Keith's instant blow to the face knocks him straight to the ground again. His hands burn on the street, scraped and stinging. His head feels light, and when he blinks his eyes open there's blood on the asphalt under him.

Harry flips over onto his back. The sun blinds his sight until he blocks it with his hand. "Please, what do you want?" he tries getting up, but Jerry kicks his leg out from under him before he's barely a foot off the ground. Harry groans. "C'mon, I never did anything wrong!"

He feels dizzy the next time he gets up, and this time they let him. He leans back on his hands against the car to keep from falling. Bobcat and Randall emerge from the store, out of the three other boys' vision, and go running down the street. There's a few guys there that they seem to run to, but he doesn't realize one of them is Louis until they all come running back.

"Hey! What the fuck you's doing!" his voice is like music to Harry's ears. Louis rushes over, his face hard as he stands in front of Harry. He's shorter than all three of the others, but he still delivers on intimidating people.

Randy doesn't look impressed, "Seein an old friend," he smirks. "This just how we play around."

Dean and Boozer join his side, "You're on the wrong side of town," Dean crosses his arms.

Louis hooks Harry's arm around his shoulder, and stands him up. He helps him to the car, and takes the drivers seat for himself. Bobcat and Randall slide into the backseat. Dean and Boozer fend for themselves. They end up leaving without
a scratch.

"Who were they?" Randall watches the road disappear behind them.

Harry's nearly passed out in the passenger seat, drained from the events and his body taking an escape route from his pain. Louis grabs Harry's hand with one hand on the wheel, but Harry just lolls his head to the side and cringes. "From my side."

"Nah, we're you're side now, Har," he kisses his knuckles and pulls the car into the driveway. "Go get ice and the first aid kit," Louis nods to Randall. He helps Harry out of the car and inside. All the guys in the house rush over to see what's going on.

"There gonna be a rumble?" it's hush all over the house. Dean and Boozer could be starting something as they speak, but Louis calls everyone into him and Harry's room while he cleans up his wounds.

"I don't want any of you's startin up shit. No one fights unless it's to protect yourself. Stay clear of em all for now," he cringes when Harry hisses at the alcohol against the cut on his cheekbone. "Not too bad, Har. Too small for stitches," he rips the bandage package with his teeth, and carefully sticks down a bandage.

"Why ain't we just gonna rumble it out like normal?" Stanley leans against the door frame.

"We can't," Harry's voice sounds gruff and worked through. He wipes dried blood from under his nose, but it doesn't do anything. Louis moves his hand away.

"Let me do this," he mumbles and wipes a wet cloth where the blood is. He knows it'll take a proper shower to wash it all off from his face, but as much as he can get, he will. "No one but Gemma knows that he's living with a bunch of greasers, nonetheless involved with one. So it's a bit suspicious if we all suddenly show up fighting for him if they all just think we're strangers to him."

Bobcat scoffs, "That's bull."

"Yeah but it's true," Dallas juts in. "Makes sense."

Harry turns on his side and curls up, "As long as I'm not getting beaten every time I get groceries."

Louis frowns at that and nods at the boys to shuffle out of the room. He smooths back Harry's hair, and climbs up to lay beside him. "I won't let that happen again," he nuzzles his nose against the back of his neck. "You're with us now."

-

i don't have any explanation for why this update is so late. id like to say that i don't have any time to do it but i do i've just been taking up other stories but i WILL finish this if it's the last thing i do!! xoxo