The Drive-In | l.s.

chapter 3.

how strange to dream of you
even when
i'm wide awake.

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"He's straight." Rue said. Harry's coworker and closest friend. She was perched up on the counter, knees bent, as she listened to Harry's encounter with Louis from the night before. She was listening to Harry go on and on about their meet as she applied a shiny gloss to her lips.

"No."

She paused and looked away from the mirror,  leaning her head towards Harry. She smiled the mirror now dangling from her hand. "Harry."

"Doesn't necessarily mean he's straight. Just cause girls interest him doesn't mean only they do."

Rue made a face, "You're right, sorry. I won't ruin your crazy fantasy."

Harry rolled his eyes as he reached across her legs and grabbed a piece of licorice. He nibbled on it as his friend went on about how the previous night went far better for her than it did for him.

"Wait, wait, wait- why was he in a stall if all he did was take a piss?" Rue asked to which Harry only shrugged. He had been so focused on the fact that he was actually in there that he hadn't realized Louis didn't even use a urinal.

Thank god he didn't, poor Harry would have had to been taken out on a stretcher.

"I could really go for a cigarette right now," Rue groaned as she leaned over and fixed her stockings, pulling each one up to her knee. "Grab me a pack, will ya?"

Harry hesitated, as he was about to protest and tell her they weren't good for her, but of course he didn't want to offend his friend. Giving her a soft smile, he stood and went to fetch her cigarettes. By the time he returned, another voice had joined Rue's.

"Oh, Harry, this is my friend Luke. We were just talking about you."

Harry furrowed his brows as he walked up to the two. He immediately recognized Luke, the good looking blonde boy. Harry wondered if he'd ever seen a kangaroo up close and if so, did he have a photo of it to show Harry.

The boy was from Australia, Harry looked it up himself.

"Friend. I'd be more if-"

"If you had a vagina." Rue finished for him.

Harry tuned out of their discussion as something else now had his attention. Louis was walking over towards them, cigarette hanging from his lip, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket.

His usual messy mop of hair was gelled back slightly, giving him more of a cleaned up look - despite the slight stubble evident on his face. Only one single strand of hair escaped the gel and dangled across his forehead.

"Luke," Louis called out as he walked up to the three. "You ready to go?"

Rue shot a look at Harry.

"Yeah, hold on. Rue here seems to think i'm not worthy enough of her." Luke joked, as he leaned against the counter, turning towards Louis.

Rue simply rolled her eyes before she, as well, turned to face the older boy. "I'm gay."

Harry admired Rue for how open she was with her sexuality. He would be lying if he said he didn't envy her for it, because for some odd reason, being gay just wasn't accepted. That's why Rue's confidence in her sexuality always confused Harry. She was always talked down on for it.

Harry couldn't name one other person who he knew was gay. They either weren't, or they hid it well. Harry had been hiding it his whole life. Rue has been hated for it her whole life.

That's why they really only had each other. Rue was the only one who knew truly who Harry was.

"Hey, you're that kid from the toilets." Louis said, catching Harry's eyes.

"Oh." Harry groaned, flushing, as he mentally slammed his face into a brick wall. "God, thats so embarrassing."

"What, how?" Louis laughed, knowing exactly how.

Harry wondered if the universe was out to get him because fuck. He wondered if the universe was homophobic.

"So," Rue started, turning to the side - her legs dangling from the counter. "Where you off to?"

"We're meeting up with these two girls who invited us back to some party." Louis spoke just before taking a drag from his cigarette.

Harry couldn't help but watch as Louis lifted the cigarette up to his mouth and placed it between his beautiful thin, red lips. Harry was going to look away, really, he tried, but he just couldn't. How could he possibly not look at the way Louis' eyes fluttered shut with each inhale and the way his jawline tightened with each pull.

"Gross." Rue rolled her eyes.

"Oh, no wonder you're all... nicely dressed." Harry said softly, immediately pulling his lower lip between his teeth. His face flushed as Louis met his eyes, furrowing his brows with a small smile across his face.

"You think i'm nicely dressed?" He asked, cocking his head. Harry couldn't tell if he was weirded out or not.

"Yes, well, different. You always dress nice, just more now? Not bad different."

"Harry just means you clean up nice," Rue interrupted, saving him. "Right?"

Harry's cheeks turned to a darker shade of pink. Taking that as his sign to keep his mouth shut.

"Rue, why can't you be more like Harry? Why don't you compliment me, huh?" Luke butted in.

Rue rolled her eyes, the two immediately going into their own argument, bickering at one another. Harry looked down at his feet as he could almost feel Louis' eyes on him. He didn't dare look up so he found interest in his shoes instead.

Harry had always felt pretty confident in himself when it came to Louis - when he wasn't around, of course. He would always talk about the numerous things he could do with him or to him and vice versa, but with Louis there, he couldn't even say a word without turning into straight mush.

The only thing stopping Harry and Louis from getting anywhere at this point, was Harry himself.

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