All Those Missing Pieces; Niam & Larry *Completed*

CHAPTER 15 (?)

CHAPTER 15

~Louis~

   Leam was standing in front of the large wall display of wrap around collars. Her brown, short hair was sticking up in all directions and she was chatting with Niall, who kept picking up and setting down collars. It was like they couldn’t find the perfect one, and Niall wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfection. I was standing in front of the ID tag machine, tapping in my phone number and contact information. A couple of shapes popped up on screen and I turned and yelled over my shoulder, “They have a tag in the shape of a microphone!” I shouted, making sure Leam could hear me. All she did was flash me a thumbs up behind her back and I clicked the green, YES, with my thumb nail and tapped my foot impatiently. I waited for the metal ID tag to slide out from a slot in the red machine, and I dipped my hand inside, capturing the piece in my fist. In then I turned around just in time for Harry to barrel into me shouting,

“YOU WONT BELIEVE WHAT I FOUND!” He was practically jumping with excitement as he pulled me past the row of cat food and made an abrupt right turn. I mentally prayed that Niall kept an eye on the little girl as Harry stopped suddenly. I rammed into him, smashing us together because he stopped so abruptly. Fighting the blush I feel rising I clear my throat and look at Harry, pointing at a sign. It read, ‘Personalized Collars, ready in half an hour,’ in stocky white letters on a black board. “Leam! Niall! Zayn! Let’s get a personalized one!” He screams and makes excited motions with his hands. The rest of the group slowly arrives, Leam looking kind of sickly under the lighting. I feel a thunking in my chest when she runs her hand through her hair. It comes back with a large clump of brown hair stuck to it, and Niall brushes her hand off with a frown tilting his features. I fight the warm stinging of tears.

“What Harrah?” Liam asks, putting an arm around Leam who looks extremely, dangerously close to tears.

“You get to pick what gets put on there!” Harry says, jabbing his finger towards the sign, “I think we should put-“

“A carrot, a mirror, a spoon, a four leaf clover, a cat, and a pair of thick glasses for me. It symbolizes everyone,” As if to emphasize her point she takes of her thick rimmed black glasses and uses the side of her shirt to clean the glass. She smiles winningly, but her face looks kind of green and I remember to make sure she takes her pills.

“And now, if we could do this I think I need to be going home. I don’t feel so hot,” Harry smiles rushedly, running up to the counter and telling the woman the order while she jots it down on small orange pad. I realize with a pang she said home but don’t say anything about it.

“Leam, let’s go pick a color and a sweater, yeah? A bowl and some treats and stuff.” I tell her, taking her hand and Zayn takes her other and we walk towards one of the isles with her hands swinging aimlessly on either side of her.

Shuffling into the isle Leam looks critically at several sets of matching bowls before turning towards Niall and saying, “Niall, go find a bag of food and treats, yeah?” The blond boy smiles kindly, nodding his head and steering himself towards a different isle. “Zayn, will you get some toys?” She asks, putting a hand to her forehead. I’m grateful that Liam is carrying the puppy with him. Zayn shoots me a worried glance and I’m sure my concerned face mirrors his own. I give a curt nod and Zayn hurries away and I wait patiently for her to decide.