Burning Skies » larry

Chapter 4

The first time Louis saw Harry, there was one word that came to his mind: delicate.

The boy had been standing alone in the party, back pressed against the fences. He'd looked so out of place with his legs twisted toward each other, his mop of curls messily falling over his eyes and curling over the sides of his face. His skin was pale, shining in the moonlight, eyes wide and attentive. He looked fit in his button up shirt and skinnies, but what caught Louis' attention were the black cotton gloves covering his hands.

The moment Louis spoke to him, he'd immediately changed his mind. No, the kid wasn't just delicate. There was a strong current brewing beneath the boy's skin, a magnet pulling Louis to him. Energy was coiled, buried deep inside him. Louis felt it all throughout their conversation. He sensed the usual buzzing of energy he always felt around those like himself. Harry's energy was just far more powerful.

His aura was also tangible—the moment Louis' hand touched his skin when he tried chasing after the boy was an experience Louis hadn't felt before. There was a sudden zap of electricity running through his veins. He'd been so taken aback that when he looked back up, Harry had already left.

He was powerful.

Louis had always had a talent for spotting those like himself. Harry wasn't any different, as a matter of fact, Harry had been much easier to notice. Usually, Louis needed more time with a person to truly decide if there was something special about them, but with Harry, all he'd needed was that one meeting at the party.

Louis hadn't lied to Harry either, when he told him he didn't make friends. Louis often saw himself as a shadow amongst bright lights, he often saw himself as someone who liked to keep to himself. Except, when it came to Harry, he was surprised to learn that he didn't want to sit this one out.

Driving Harry home that rainy night from school sealed the deal for him. Harry was a mystery, a special and powerful one. Louis' head practically spun with all the coiled up power in Harry's fingertips throughout their trip. He could feel his power so strongly, and he wasn't even using it. That was when you knew you were in the presence of a powerful mutant. Louis would be damned if he let someone else handle him.

Come Monday morning, Louis had made it official with Katrina the other day when he'd visited her. Harry Styles was his assignment.

Louis parked his car and climbed out, immediately met by Zayn who was leaning against his motorcycle, looking every bit like a stereotypical bad boy. He fell into a step beside Louis as they walked toward the main doors.

"Good weekend?" Zayn asked, removing his sunglasses and tucking it on his shirt.

"Alright." Aside from working as a part time mechanic at his friend Joe's garage, Louis didn't exactly have a productive weekend. He'd begun researching Harry Styles, had tried to find out a little bit more about him through social media sites. The problem was, Harry didn't exist on the internet. No Instagram, no Twitter, nothing. He was left with no choice but to look around Harry's friend's accounts—a third year named Niall Horan. He was fairly active on Twitter. Louis discovered why he'd ditched Harry last Friday through a tweet—his grandmother apparently had a mild stroke.

"And you?" Louis asked Zayn as they entered the cafeteria. Mondays were usually calm in terms of classes and academics. Louis and Zayn had just gotten used to spending mornings at the school cafeteria for breakfast, so they decided to continue their little tradition in their last year at Abbington.

"It was interesting, actually." Zayn began as they fell in line to order. Louis looked at him over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Remember that kid I helped out last summer, Jacob? He had a relapse."