Eccedentesiast || Larry

25. Emotional

Warning: mentions of rape.

H

Harry wakes up in a room that he doesn't remember falling asleep in with a migraine. He remembers absolutely nothing last night, which is understandable, because he definitely drank. But the after part is hazy.

He looks down and- shit. His clothes are gone. He's not wearing a shirt nor pants, just boxer briefs. There are even bruises that resemble hickeys all over his hips and abdomen, and he assumes there are some on his neck, too. What the hell happened last night?, he wonders, face laced with confusion and concern.

He hears crying in the corner, and he instantly recognizes who it is.

"I am so, so sorry," Annie sniffles, pulling her knees up to her chest on the small desk chair. She looks so vulnerable, so innocent, so...not herself.

"Huh?" He asks, because he can't quite form coherent sentences and he's confused as hell right now.

"I was going to do it, I really was, but I- I just couldn't. I mean, you're somebody's son!"

Harry furrows his eyebrows together. "What are you talking about?"

"I almost raped you, Harry! Jesus Christ."

Harry's chest contracts and his face pales. He doesn't understand why anyone would want to do that to him, to anybody. Just the idea is repulsing. Forget about the fact that he has a thing with Louis, just forcing sex upon anyone is a sick and terrible thing, and Harry can't believe it almost happened to him. Consent, Harry believes, is the number one rule for anything. Even in the damn Social Contract, it states that those who are governed have a right to resist Government... or something like that. Harry's mind was somewhere else when the teacher went over that last year.

"Why...?" is all Harry can say as he stares at Annie with a horrified expression. He pulls the bed sheets up to his chest, suddenly feeling too exposed and too vulnerable.

Annie stands up and starts to pace the room.

"I don't fucking know, that's the thing. I just... I saw you and that actor guy at the hospital, and I-"

"Wait, me and Louis? Where in the hospital?"

"Au bon pain, where I work," she says, looking at him for a moment before returning to her pacing.

He really should have seen that coming.

"Anyways. My father, he taught me that gay is wrong, it's a sin, and that I should never ever be caught with another woman or so help me. But the thing is... I'm gay, Harry, and it hurt me so much to see you two together. I want to be able to be seen with girls and have them meet my dad and just everything. That doesn't excuse what I did- or, almost did, I know, and I am so sorry. But I guess I thought that taking out my anger on you would solve everything.

"When you were busy in la la land while I made your drink, I slipped some kind of drug into it...just the one, though. The other three were clean, but I guess the extra alcohol gave it a little kick?" Annie explains, running her fingers through her straight hair and slumping back down into the chair.

Harry feels like crying. He was drugged and nearly taken advantage of, he has a good enough reason to let tears fall from his tired eyes. And so when they do, he lets them. He lets his body convulse with sobs and he lets his hands come up to cover his face. He lets Annie watch him and he lets her cry, too, because she has a good reason as well.

"I want-" Harry pauses. What does he want? He wants a lot of things; world peace, breakfast, some water, the end of world hunger, straight A's, etcetera. But he really just wants to go home. "I want to go home."

Annie nods. "I'll go get Luke."

As she regretfully sulks over to the door, she hesitates when her body is nearly outside. "I'm sorry..." she whispers, her cheeks stained with salty tears and her lips cracked and dry.

Harry doesn't even look at her. He doesn't look at Luke either, who has no idea why Harry slept over or why Annie did the same, or why Harry has this empty, unforgiving look in his eyes.

-

(Kiiiiiind of a filler, not really. this problem will only cause even more problems later on, as you will read in the next two or three chapters. who else hates annie as much as i do right now?

HARRY IS FINE. HE WAS NOT RAPED!!!

i just want to remind you all that it is best to be mad at the characters, not the author. so don't yell at me. yell at annie or louis or harry or anybody else you want.

unfortunately, this book is over half way finished! i think there will be about 10-15 more chapters, and the next five or so will be angsty and sad and just ugh. but once that's over, everything will basically be happy and cute and UGH.)

EDIT: once again 2018 me is cringing at all of this, sorry guys. i'm not going to rewrite anything because i don't have the energy or desire to.