I Once Knew || l.t.

Prologue

I tugged at my hair in frustration as the boy I loved stood before me, teary eyed and breathless.

Louis tried out for the X-Factor, and barely got through. He was paired with four other boys who were nearly just like him, and I was happy for him. Immensely happy. However, the more Louis and the boys performed together & made video diaries, the more I realized that he was getting famous.

My boyfriend was getting famous. Judging by the many fan girls who were stalking his twitter, I knew that I was going to be the girlfriend that everyone was going to judge. 

I didn't like fame.

All fame ever did to people was change them, and this was going to happen to Louis one way or another. 

I knew that he and I weren't going to last much longer with the media watching our every move. This fame thing wasn't me, and I don't want to risk my privacy. 

Just by the way everything was starting to turn out, I knew...I had to break things off with Louis. 

"Don't do this, Liz," he begged while pacing the floor in front of me. "What happened to forever? What happened to that promise, Lizzy? We're supposed to have forever," he croaked out.

"Louis," I begged with an ache in my chest, "You know me. You know that I can't do this or handle any part of what is to come. You're getting famous--famous, and you know I didn't want that in the first place."

"So what?" he stepped towards me. "I'll get famous. It's not that big of a deal-"

"It's a huge deal, Louis!" I shouted. "You have great fans, and that's fine by me. But what I'm worried about is what the media will make of our relationship. Have you seen the shit that people say about a celebrity and his or her significant other? They say terrible things, Louis! I don't want to be that couple that will be watched every single minute of the day."

"We'll battle through that together," he said, softening his tone. "No one can say anything that will break us apart. What matters is that we know the truth. We are the ones who will prove the society wrong."

I shook my head to stand my ground. "No, Louis," I sighed and placed a hand on my forehead, indicating that this conversation was already getting tiring--this had been our third argument this week. 

"I'll figure something out," he bargained and moved closer to me, removing my hand from my forehead and gripped it as he rambled on with countless suggestions, "we can have dates at home, we don't have to go out in public! If we do want to go out, I'll make sure to wear something casual and on the low key so that no one will recognize me! We can make this work! We can still have forever if we just try."

"Oh my god, Louis," I mumbled in frustration and tugged my hand out of his grip. 

Fear flickered in his eyes as I pulled my hand away and he began tapping on his leg as if he were trying to figure out what to say or do. "Umm," he began again and said, "I can try to talk to the managers about this. We can find different ways to-"

"Look, Louis, If you are going through with this X-Factor thing, then I'm out." 

He stopped talking immediately and stepped backward, looking at me with such hurt in his eyes that pierced my chest like a knife. 

Right then and there, I immediately regretted the words that tumbled out of my mouth. It was way too late to take them back now.

He let go of the breath that he had been holding and stuttered, "W-what?"

My heart began to race as I tried to fix what I had just said. "I'm happy for you. Please don't take this the wrong way," I began, "I am glad you tried out, and I'm glad that you got through with four other....nice boys. But I didn't think this through about all the fame and the sick media. I know who I am and I know that this won't work out, Louis, I just...physically can't be the girlfriend of a celebrity." I bit back my tears.