The X Factor

Chapter 9-Week 6

"I did it!" Louis shouted while he came running into the bedroom.

Harry looked up from his graphic novel.
"Did what?"

"I broke up with Hannah." Louis said and threw himself on the bed.

"Yeah?" Harry said with a smile.

"Yes." Louis confirmed and came crawling further up in bed so he was face to face with Harry.

"How did she..." Harry began but was silenced by Louis' lips.

Soon they were full-time snogging and it was getting heated.
"Breakfast! Oh, I'm sorry." One of the staff members said and hurried out the door.

Harry and Louis looked at each other and started to giggle. Oops! They hurried down to eat breakfast. It was Saturday so they had the whole day to themselves and Harry was planning on using it to kiss Louis. They had just finished eating when someone came up to Louis to inform him that Simon wanted to talk to him in his office right away. Louis exchanged a confused look with Harry.
"Just me?"

The staff member confirmed it. Louis kissed Harry's cheek before he stood up to go to Simon's office.
"I'll be back soon." He leaned in to whisper in Harry's ear. "And then we're gonna make out."

He winked at Harry before he walked away. Harry looked happy and excited. Being around him gave him butterflies big as bats. The effect that boy had on him. He never in a million years thought that Harry was interested in him like that. He was just the luckiest guy alive. To be honest he had a little more than a crush on the guy but they had time to explore their feelings for each other. He would tell him when the time was right.

He knocked on the door to Simon's office and someone (probably Simon) shouted "come in!"

He wondered what Simon wanted to talk to him about? And why him only? He couldn't recall that he had done something wrong? He took a deep breath before he opened the door.
"You wanted to see me, uncle Simon?"

"Ah, yes. Close the door behind you, Louis. Please take a seat."

Louis did as he was told and walked over to one of the chairs opposite Simon's desk and sat down. Simon stared at him for a while before he started to speak.
"I'm gonna cut right to it. It has come to my attention that someone has seen you and Harry kiss. Is this correct?"

Louis didn't like his tone. He gulped nervously.
"Yes, we like each other." He answered truthfully in a small voice.

Simon let out a snort and looked disgusted.
"That has to stop right now. Do I make myself clear?"

Louis' mouth fell open.
"What? Why?"

Simon rolled his eyes at him.
"I can't have two fags in a boyband. I have great plans for you. Your fans are young girls."

Louis winched at the word fag.
"So?"

"So, they are under the illusion that they could be your future girlfriends. That will sell records."

"I think you're underestimating girls, Sir. I think they will be happy for us." Louis replied. He had never felt so small in his entire life but he had to defend himself and Harry.

"You're just a young boy, Louis. I'm a man and I know what I'm talking about. Don't make me kick you out of the band. I can do that."

"With all due respect, Sir, you can't decide who I can love or not." Louis answered with a shaky voice.

"Love?" Simon snorted. "You're too young to know what love is. You two will never last."

"You can't possibly know that and it's up to me and Harry to find out. I'm sorry uncle Simon. I'm not gonna break up with Harry. You can't make me do that. Then you have to kick me from the band instead." Louis answered on the verge of crying.

Simon stared at him for a very long time.
"Fine. You and Harry can do whatever you want in private. Make sure no one sees you." It looked like he wanted to puke from the thought of what those things would be.

Louis walked out of the office feeling absolutely destroyed. He had to get out of here. He needed his mum! He ran to the nearest subway station and went to the train station. He was lucky. There was a train leaving for Doncaster in ten minutes. He bought a ticket and got on it.

Back in the X factor house, Harry was starting to get worried. Louis had been gone for a long time. He walked around looking for him but there was no sight of his favorite person. No one had seen him when he asked around. This was strange. He asked someone on the staff to check if he still was at Simon's. Ten minutes later there was a commotion and he managed to pick up what it was about by eavesdropping. Louis was missing! He ran to the bedroom to get his phone and tried to call him but Louis' phone was on his bed. Harry was starting to freak out. Where the hell was he?

In the meantime, Louis had arrived in Doncaster and took a cab to his home.
He knocked at the door and broke down crying as soon as his mum opened it. She stared at him in surprise and immediately pulled him in for a hug. She managed to get him inside and just held him while he cried his heart out.

As soon as he had calmed down enough to be able to speak Jay looked at him in concern.
"What happened, sweetie?"

Louis took a deep breath.
"I like Harry. I think I'm gay, mum."

Jay smiled at him.
"That's wonderful, sweetie. Harry is such a sweet young man. I'm happy for you. But why are you crying? Doesn't he feel the same way about you?"

"I'm pretty sure that he does." Louis said and bit his lower lip. He tried to wipe away his tears.

"Then why are you so upset?"

Louis hesitated. He couldn't tell his mum about what Simon had said because she would march right up to his office and call him out on all the hurtful things he had said and then Louis wouldn't be a part of One Direction anymore. He didn't doubt for a second that Simon wouldn't take action. He couldn't do that to his band members and he didn't want to leave the band. This was his dream.
"I'm in a boyband. There can't be a gay guy in a boyband." He answered cautiously.

His mother furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief.
"Where on earth did you get that idea? That's preposterous. Your sexual orientation has nothing to do with your ability to sing. Did someone say this to you? Tell me who it was and I swear to God that I will sue the living hell out of that person. There's nothing wrong with being gay, sweetie and no one is gonna tell you differently."

"No one said that!" Louis immediately said. This was what he had been afraid of. But his mum's words made him feel better. She excepted him unconditionally and she would fight for him. "It's just, we're a boyband mum and our fans are girls. What if they don't like us because Harry and I are in love?"

"Don't worry about that. I bet they will think the two of you are really cute together and think of all your fans who are struggling with their sexuality. You could help them." Jay said with a smile and hugged her son again.

Louis felt much better. He could do this. There was no way he would give up Harry. They just had to hide for a while. They weren't even together yet. They had time to figure it out. The phone rang and his mum answered and he heard her say "he's here." Oh, they were looking for him. He had just taken off. Harry must be really worried about him.

He returned to the X-factor house later that evening. He didn't give anyone a better explanation than that he got really homesick. He could see that Harry didn't believe him. He would have to talk to him about what Simon told him but for now, he just wanted to hug him close while they fell asleep in the same bed.

Friday's performance went well. The theme was Elton John songs and they killed it with their version of Something about the way you look tonight. They got the votes they needed to get through to the next week.