Hide and Seek

Chapter 9

Louis' POV

"Why'd you bring the sociopath?" Zayn doesn't care to mask the uncomfortable horror in his

voice. Okay, so maybe Zayn didn't extend a warm invitation to Harry.

"Will you shut up? He'll hear you." Marie has topped Zayn's anxiety, speaking through her

clenched teeth that form a plastic smile.

"He's not Satan. He can't hear you from all the way over there." I comment nodding in Harry's

direction, across the room standing beside an empty chair and looking everywhere but at us.

"Says you." Zayn chuckles and I bump his arm with a little force.

"Louis, the guy is the talk of the town right now because of what happened at the station. The

cops are too scared to take him in." Marie covers her mouth with her plastic cup as she speaks.

I smirk. "Yeah, I know."

"It's not funny. Harry's dangerous and we don't like you living up there with him-"

"Speak for yourself." Niall suddenly decides to intervene where he is not welcome. "I think Louis

living up there is a wonderful opportunity for him. To, you know, mature. Woah! Who brought

the entertainment?"

Niall is gesturing towards Harry in the kitchen, still statuesque and keeping his eyes glued to his

shoes.

"Don't antagonize him, Niall." I warn. "Bad idea."

This town has a sick, twisted fascination with people who were different, out-of-the-ordinary as

they say. Harry was a toy of some sorts to them, but his means of coping proved to be too much of

a damaging streak so they need to rid this town of his presence.

"Oh relax! Tonight's his last night, I hear." Niall answers me and Marie looks as if she might be a

corpse.

"Maybe." I say.

"Have you and the deranged murderer bonded? I'm sorry you gotta lose your only friend there,

mate."

"Are you drunk?"

"Not yet."

"Go get drunk, Niall. Leave me alone."

He waves briefly before disappearing into the arriving crowd of familiar faces. It's always familiar

faces, no one new ever came to town so we always knew the regulars at these parties. The DJ

turns the volume knob a little too high when he's testing the sound, and it blasts my ears painfully.

Marie covers her ears and Zayn swears the guy behind the table.

"Turn that down! You want to deafen us to death?!" He snaps and the DJ obliges.

I laugh when the ringing disappears and I pick up my cup from the counter top behind us. I yawn

unexpectedly and rub my arm, flinching when I apply a little too much pressure to the spot that's

bruised.

"What the Hell happened to you?" Zayn's eyes widen like he's holding a winning lottery ticket.

"Eh. Banged my arm somewhere." I shrug.