number 12. (l.s.)

Chapter 3.

T H R E E
-The game-

Louis quickly grabbed his phone, and put it in his pocket, before he walked down the stairs. He quickly waved goodbye to Scarlett and Dan, who gave him a sincere smile and waved goodbye too. Louis stepped out of the house and saw a black car outside, with loud music radiating from it. Louis figured that must be Brian's car, and with the lights flickering, he was sure.

Louis really did look forward to the game. This entire week he did things the way he always did. He got himself an empty table at lunch break, so he would sit alone. He sat alone at as many classes as he could and didn't really talk to anyone. Even though Scarlett and Dan had said that they didn't want Louis to leave, he still didn't know what to trust. How could he know they were speaking the truth? He couldn't, so he had to be careful.

Careful like always. He didn't know who he could trust. Perhaps not anyone. Louis didn't trust people easily, not at all. Trust was always violated in his past and he figured he wouldn't make the mistake again. Louis did promise Scarlett and Dan, if he felt like talking or to speak up his mind, he'd come to them. They said they really want to help him if something was not alright. Louis just nodded, but knew he probably wouldn't. He also didn't necessarily think trust was something good. Trust could always be violated, in the negative way. For instance, if you trust someone, it hurts even more when they hurt you — it would have a big impact on you, it would make you feel weak.

He didn't like the feeling of weakness.

Because that was how he thought about it. Trust is a weakness, emotion is a weakness, or at least, eventually. He didn't want to be hurt again, it could break him and Louis hated his vulnerable side. Or at least, he did, because as soon as he figured what vulnerability could do to him, he got rid of that side. Don't trust anyone. Don't let anyone in. That was how he prevented getting hurt.

Once they walked in the school, quite a bunch of people were there, which amazed Louis as he looked around with widened eyes. "Is it always like this?"

"Yeah, but if the game is important for the school, it can be even busier,' Jack grinned.

"You just go up those stairs, and you continue walking, just straight ahead. You go to your right and see gray, wooden stairs. Up there, you can find a spot,' Brian explained. Louis nodded in understanding. "We have to go now, because in five minutes we meet up with the team. I hope you like it."

Louis nodded again, and started walking the way Brian said he needed to go. He only walked the first steps up the stairs, when he saw a familiar person, a few meters away from him, who he needed to talk to. "Wait!" Louis called out.

The face turned around, but as she saw him, she turned around again and started walking away from him. "Please, wait!" Louis called out again. She didn't stop. "Juliet, stop!"

"Oh, why so? So you can yell at me again?" She asked, not sounding angry, just a little sad.

"No, I mean, I didn't me—"

"You literally said not to talk to you again,' she said, rubbing her arms.

"I'm not going to yell at you," Louis pressed his lips together in one straight line, waiting for an answer.

"What changed your mind to be nice instead of a twat?" She asked.

Louis was slightly amused by her choice of words. "Because I promised myself I would be nicer, at least now, because I know you didn't deserve it,' he said finally, after thinking about the question. He wasn't even sure about it, and he didn't know where the answer came from. He wouldn't consider himself nice to people, but something about Juliet's personality made him feel secure, as an old friend he met again.
He knew he they eventually wouldn't be close but just someone to talk with.