Vindictive

7

   The front door opened, and in walked Harry and Zayn. Lauren and Camila who were schlumped seconds ago, sat up alert. "You guys must be devastated! I am so sorry about Louis," Lauren said. She wrapped her arms around Zayn, and Camila was already comforting Harry. Zayn let out a sigh, and when they broke free from the bone crushing hug, he placed his bags down. "We have to stay here for a few nights, the cabins still off limits," Zayn explained.

"I thought you guys would be in hysterics..." Camila pointed out when Harry made his way to the almost empty refrigerator. "We are devastated. Do you think we haven't cried? I'm still shaking," he displayed his trembling hand that was grasping a water bottle; it's contents sloshing around. "I'm just in denial, you know, we got into that arguement, and that was the last I spoke to him.." Harry's voice was shaky. "Come on, I think you need rest." Camila took his hand, and led him into his bedroom.

    Lauren sat down beside Zayn who was staring at the blank televsion. "Do you think you're gonna be okay?" she asked her boyfriend as she soothingly rubbed his upperarm. Zayn turned to her, and nodded. "I just... he's actually gone. This all of a sudden just turned into the Summer from hell." Lauren didn't say anything, she just leaned on his arm.

    "So, when's his funeral?" Lauren knew that probably wasn't an appropriate thing to say since Louis' only been dead for two days, but she wanted to pay respects to him, although she didn't know him that well. "In two days.." he let out a sigh and closed his eyes. She could only imagine how Liam was holding up. He was the one who found Louis' body, and to top it off that was his flatmate, so he was going home to nightmares and an empty nest.

  It was later in the evening, Harry and Zayn had gone out for some drinks to numb the pain. "Where are you going?" Camila asked Lauren. "Where are we going is the proper question. Put on some shoes, I already called a cab."

"Wait, what?" Camila asked, but before she got an answer she was slipping into flip flops. "I texted Liam earlier, and we're going to see how he's holding up."

"Lauren, he's not holding up well I'm sure. He found his best friends body floating face down in a pool. Now he's in an empty apartment.."

"Camila, he needs company, all of his friends are doing their own grieving." Before her best friend could say anything else Lauren's phone started to ring and it was the number from the cab company. "They're here."

   They knocked on Liam's door, and Lauren shivered. It was as if she could sense Louis' spirit. A few seconds later the door opened, and Liam stood there, his eyes were pink and puffy. They couldn't even imagine how he managed to pull himself together. "We're so sorry," and with that they both wrapped their arms around him. He didn't say anything, he just sniffled.

    They followed him into the apartment, and it was filled with cardboard boxes. "Are you moving?" Camila commented. Liam took a seat. "No, I want to. But this is Louis' stuff, his family has asked me to pack it up. I'm not sure what they're going to do with everything," Liam looked up at the sky. "God, why'd Louis have to be such a damn drinker. The coroners say his blood alcohol level was through the roof.." Camila looked at me with shock written across her face. "But when I left Louis said he was sobering up." Lauren explained.

"I guess he decided to drink some more. You know, I knew I should have stayed the night there. I could have kept him away from the alcohol, and away from the pool..." Lauren reached over and placed her hand on Liam's giving it a squeeze. "Don't ever blame yourself." Liam's phone started ringing, and he grabbed it. "It's Louis' mum, I better take this." he walked out into the hallway.

    When Camila heard his voice disappear far down the hall, she turned to Lauren, her face was pale. "You were right Lauren." she said. Lauren rarely heard those words in the same sentence. "Go on.." she probed.

"Liam just said that Louis' blood alcohol level was through the roof and that in the drunk state of mind he was in, he thought it was a good idea to go back in the pool and swim."

"Yeah, I know poor Louis... that has nothing to do with me being right."

"Alcohol. Remember when I was leaving after I got my phone, and Perrie was walking toward the house with a bag of liquor, and she said, "Going to drink my problems away, maybe have a dip in the pool." LOUIS WAS HER PROBLEM AND THE DIP IN THE POOL WAS DROWNING HIM. She likely befriended him, got him drunk again, and when she saw he was at his weakest, she drowned him." Camila was hoping her theory wasn't overthought, she'd never want to wrongly accuse someone for something as serious as murder, but it was making sense to her.

"Camila, you're brilliant."