RUMOURS {AU}

Chapter 4

Ugh, Tuesday. Complaints seem to have become a common part of Carla's mornings.

Louis, on the other hand, despite being extremely tired, is bubbling with excitement. He's excited because tonight he's playing for the firsts in football, as they're short of players. He normally plays in seconds, which, on the scale of things, is very good. He's the only guy on the team who's still in school, and only a few from the thirds are in school. So to be playing firsts is an amazing feeling and feat.

Carla is attending the game, and Louis is also excited for her to see him play. It won't be the first time, but he, for some reason, wants her to see him, even if he makes an absolute fool of himself.

The two meet outside as usual and walk to school hand in hand.

"You know, I think many people are already suspecting something between you and I." Louis says, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Huh?" Carla asks, utterly confused.

"You know, like, they've seen us walking together and whatever. I mean, apart from at school, we don't do much or anything to hide our relationship. You know?"

"Hmm." Carla hums in understanding. "What are you getting at?"

"This may sound as if we're a gay couple." Louis starts. "Okay, that sounded weirder than intended. Anyway, my point is, maybe we shouldn't hide anymore. Like, you have to have seen it. People in our year are going against the so-called law. We could too."

"We could. It would stop the rumours of you being a player." Carla agrees. "Because you certainly are not one."

"I know." Louis chuckles smugly. "Seriously, though. Do you want to?"

"Of course!" They both smile, Louis doing a little victory dance. Carla laughs at her boyfriend, her best friend. She finds herself so lucky to have her best friend as a boyfriend. Or her boyfriend as her best friend. They tell each other everything and always have. The trust that's there is massive, so they honestly have nothing to worry about.

Louis sings a random song quietly as they walk and Carla silently marvels his amazing voice. Louis

They reach school, though the only difference is that they don't part. They keep together, hands tightly clasped. Not many heads turn, only those of the pair's friends. Their friends' mouths drop in shock, Ella and Natalie running over from Carla's friend group. Two boys, Harry and Niall, from Louis' friend group also make their way over.

"WHAT?!" A loud shout of question is voiced. The couple shrugs.

"Niall, Harry, this is Carla, my girlfriend," Louis shoots a quick glance Carla's direction to silently ask 'how long have we been dating?' Carla nods, indicating to tell the truth. "Of three years." All four of their friends' mouths drop.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

"But, how?" Carla and Louis both chuckle. Not including the pair, Carla's best friend would be Ella and Louis' would be Harry.

"We just kept it a secret... Yeah." Carla explains.

"Why?" Harry asks, and Louis winces. He can hear the pain in his friend's voice, obviously feeling betrayed.

"Well, I don't know. We only told our families. I guess we just didn't want the whole school to know. You have to understand we were scared of the reaction. I mean, look what happened with Percy and Jessica in ninth grade." Louis says, recalling the time where both Percy Danielson and Jessica Adams got a strict telling off from the teachers and the equivalent of a legal restraining order put on them whilst on school property. The teachers certainly didn't take it nonchalantly when they caught the duo intimately making out behind the sports shed. Let's just say that those two simultaneously and insouciantly left the school for the public secondary school in town.