The Sound of Rain (A Zourry AU)

Chapter 1: This Is Not Going To Work

I decided to upload all the chapters I have of this story so far. For the purpose of this story, Lottie is older than Lou.

Woo, hey Nicole, this chapter goes to you cuz you already retweeted the link hahaha.

I woke up on my fifth day of prison. This was hell. Absolute hell. It was a Saturday, so this was my first weekend in captivity, which is how I thought of my life. I don't know what my mother was thinking. After she was done yelling at me and laying down the rules, she then look concerned. Her face fell and she looked genuinely worried.

 "Why did you do this…?" she asked in a quiet voice.

 I shrugged. "I just was tired…" I answered just as quietly as I could.

 Her face became emotionless. I almost didn't recognize the look in her eyes. That was crazy, right? Yeah, it was crazy. She looked so disappointed in me. That quickly went away, though. Then she just looked pissed.I honestly don't think I'd ever seen my mother looking so unbelievably mad.

 Honestly, though, I didn't care. Who did she think she was taking everything away? She couldn't do that. Who did she think she was to have so much control over my life? Okay, Mom, keep tryin'. See how well this works for you. Because I promise I will not play by your rules.

 Try as I might, there was really nothing I could do to not play by her rules. There was someone with me at all times. I wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom without a buddy. A teacher escorted me to every single class. I was still able to eat lunch in the cafeteria, but there was a teacher always there. I felt so trapped.

 It lasted for two weeks before I just couldn't take it anymore. I could not live my life in the shell that my ignorant mother had created. I mean, seriously? I wasn't doing anything bad. It's not like I didn't care about my education. I wasn't trying to rebel, not really. I was just tired of life. I mean, how bad was that? I didn't think it was too horrible.

 "Mom, we need to talk," I told her as soon as she walked in the door from work.

 She rolled her eyes. "Okay, what?" This was how she talked to me now. Like she didn't even know me, like she didn't care. It hurt on some level. I'm your son, Mom. Treat me like I am. I hadn't done anything that bad! I just didn't go to school for a little while…

 "This is not working. This cocoon you have put me in against my will." I crossed my arms as if it made my point.

 She raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?" she snapped. "Do you think I like having my son pretty much on probabtion? No, I really don't. But when you do things like this, they have repercussions, Lou."

 "No. Do not call me that. Obviously they have repercussions! But damn, Mom! I didn't kill anyone! I don't deserve this! All I did was not go to school! Big freaking deal!" I hadn't meant to raise my voice. I swear I hadn't. It just happened.

 "Do not raise your voice at me, Louis William," she said, towering above me and taking the mother role instantly.

 "Oh, so saying my middle name makes your command more effective? Think again." I told her mockingly, raising my eyebrows right back at her.

 And suddenly she stepped back. Her eyes became filled with worry. I felt my heart start to beat just slightly faster at her worried expression. Then I noticed she wasn't looking at me, but behind me. The smirk I had been wearing slipped off my face.

 I turned around just as the back of Mark's hand slammed down on my eye. I stumbled backwards and my mother shuffled out of the way so that I fell against the door. He got me right in the face and I swear I smelt alcohol on his breath.

 "Did you hear your mother? Don't raise your voice at her and you sure as hell won't be talking to her like that again. Understood?" he spat in my face.

 I moved out of his way and my hand automatically found my now throbbing eye. Son-of-a-bitch. There would be a bruise. How was I supposed to cover that up? "I am not staying here," I stated before leaving the room.

 When I got to my room, I shut the door and leaned against it. My eyes were burning and tears were falling from them. "Dammit," I cursed under my breath, "Go away. Stop crying." I slid down the door until I was sitting on the floor with my knees up. And I cried. Mark had never shown any aggressive qualities before. Not physically, at least. Sure he yelled at Mom and me sometimes, but that was completely normal. He has never raised a hand on either of us. Not to my knowledge.

 After about an hour, I was still sitting on the floor. I had stopped thinking. My mind just couldn't form thoughts anymore. I heard a knock on my bedroom door and my mother's soft voice saying, "Lou?"

 "Didn't I say not to call me that?" I muttered. Clearly I said, "What, Mom?"

 "Can I come in?"

 I stood up and opened the door, but made no move as to let her in my room. I didn't say anything, I just raised my eyebrows. Crap, that hurt. I winced and my mother gave me a knowing look.

 "It's swollen. Can I step in?" I rolled my eyes and sighed in frustration, though I did step aside to let her in. She walked over and sat down on my bed.

 She looked down at her hands while saying, "I think… I think you should go stay with Lottie."

 Lottie was my older sister. She was twenty-four, and she had been my best friend until she moved out when she was eighteen. She lived a few hours away now, though.

 "I think that's a good idea. I can't stay here, Mom. I can't."

 She nodded and looked genuinely sad. "Call your sister."

 I did. After I explained everything to her, she agreed. She said Mom and I were both right. I couldn't stay here, even if hell froze over. Plans were finalized. I would move in with her that weekend. That was fine with me. That gave me two days to pack everything, but I took that Friday off from school while my mom un-enrolled me on that Thursday.

 Friday evening rolled around, and Lottie showed up at the house with a U-Haul for all my stuff. I said goodbye to my mother, and tried to slip out the door without seeing Mark. I assumed my mother had told him, but I had avoided him like the plague.

 I was just about to step out the door when I heard his voice behind me. My heart stopped. "Think you can get away that easily?"