The Water Boy (Narry) [Alternate Version]

Chapter 2

He lets out a groan, keeping his eyes tightly shut as the stinging pressure in his head pounds against his skull. It's only just happened and Harry already knows that the other boys are laughing at him. There's no way he's going to be able to stand up straight away, but he sort of wants to so this embarrassing moment can end more quickly.

"All right, all right, back away from him." He hears the coach, who's name he doesn't remember, call out.

Then he hears the same voice closer to him than before speaking to him, "Well, in all my years of coaching I can't say I've seen a lad actually fall from tripping over his own feet."

As much as Harry can't stand the dirty smell of the grass anymore, he continues to keep his face hidden. He's sure nobody has seen someone at a football tryout trip over the ball before even getting far enough out on the pitch.  At this level only boys who are actually good at the game should be trying to get a spot on a team. Harry's just the new kid who made a promise to his dad because the man believed Harry could actually do this. This is why he didn't want to be doing this. He's a natural born klutz and he's going to be remembered for doing this forever. He'll be the joke of the entire school even after he's gone.

Harry doesn't quite remember the actual fall. It all happened so fast, but now he has the aches and pains as the physical reminders that he's awful at attempting to be athletic. He feels the scrape on his ankle from the trip, his wrists are sore from attempting to catch himself, his stomach feels like it's been punched, and his head is throbbing. He doesn't think he has the strength to even push himself up.

"You'll have to sit up and get to the nurse. The athletics nurse isn't in today, so I don't have anyway to call for a wheelchair. I'll send one of the boys with you because I'm not sure if you'll make it." The coach lightly joked with him and Harry doesn't find it funny one bit.

Even with the aching in his body, the sound of all the other boys laughing seems to hurt Harry the most. The physical pain will wear way and eventually heal in its time, but the laughter he will always remember - and he'll feel just as he does right now each time he thinks back to this moment. He doesn't want this.

"Tomlinson, you'll walk up with him." The coach says.

"Yes, sir." Louis answers before kneeling down next to Harry, placing a gentle hand on his back. "Not gonna lie to ya, mate, but they'll be taking the piss out of you for awhile." Louis tells him.

Harry can only respond with incoherent mumbles.

The coach and Louis both help Harry stand up.. Louis drapes Harry's arm across his shoulder while his own arm wraps around his middle to keep him upright.

As they begin to walk, Louis aiding him along, Harry can hear the laughter and chit-chat slowly start to fade away. The coach tells everyone to put their attention back on the drills.

"At least there's no bloody nose. I got hit in the face during a match once and there was a lot of bloody coming out of my nose. Quite embarrassing for me at first because you never want to be the one looking like an idiot." Louis seems happy to tell him all about it.

Harry doesn't know if he's suppose to feel better once hearing it. He doesn't want to nod either because of the piercing pain he's feeling right now. It's a bit hard to focus and he's actually starting to scare himself because he's thinking he actually gave himself a concussion. That will really make the rest of the guys make fun of him. The new kid can't just trip and fall on his own two feet; he also has to give himself a concussion as well. 

"You're not talking too much. Do you want to take a break from walking?" Louis asks, glancing down at their feet before looking to Harry again. "Your walking's not too bad so, at least there's that." Louis stops walking.