Two Roads ≫ l.s

9

A/N: Okay the same trigger warning kind of applies to this chapter as it contains mentions of abuse again please take care thank u ily

Of course, this private freedom was short-lived. It had only taken a small giggle of Louis' to catch Kylie's attention, resulting in me losing my place with a longing glance over to Louis, and sitting on the edge of a cushion beside Zayn and Perrie, which, to be honest, was quite pleasant as I hadn't talked to them since yesterday evening.

"But you've got to play something tonight, Harry." Zayn urged. "I can't leave everyone hanging after what I've told them about you."

"Brilliant." I replied sarcastically. "So now I'm going to have to live up to your expectations?"

"What's wrong with my expectations?" Zayn smirked.

"Zayn, please, I can barely pla-"
"Oh come on, it's not like they're X Factor judges. They're not going to buzz you off."

"So you think I'll get through to the finals?"

"Oh, Harry..."

"Don't vote on that." I pointed to his phone. "Calls only cost 50p from BT landlines. Mobiles considerably more."

"Thanks for reminding me."

"Votes made after closing time won't be counted, but may still be char-" "Okay, okay, I get the message." He rolled his eyes, as Perrie chuckled. "So what song are you going to play to us?"

"Not Sweet Home Alabama." Perrie chimed in, after hearing one too many versions of that song at her Guides camp.

"Oh, no." I screwed up my face, considerably fed up of that song after being the one playing one too many versions of that bloody song. "No, I was thinking something a little less tedious than that."

"The Maine?"

My eyes flickered to Louis, a pang in my chest suddenly taking me by surprise.

"Nah." I worked to keep my voice smooth.

"What about the Workday Release?" Zayn suddenly suggested, the idea snapping up into his head. "You always used to play them."

I felt a smile break out onto my face at the suggestion. "Yeah..." I answered. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea."

"The Workday who?" Perrie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my god, they're cutest band ever." A pale girl sitting next to Perrie suddenly piped up, her bright green eyes, outlined with winged eyeliner, flickering to me for half a second.

"Oh, you'd know." Perrie chuckled. "You listen to everything."

"Everything?"

"Sophie, you listened to an album you found on the floor in HMV." Perrie reminded her with a smirk. "Your music taste isn't exactly selective."

"Oh, that was one time." She rolled her eyes.

"And the time you took a portable CD player into school in Year 9 and borrowed a pile of Mrs. George's music." She paused. "Did she ever get them back?"

The Sophie girl chuckled. "Only the ones I didn't like."

"Sophie!"

"What?" Sophie scoffed jokingly. "She never listened to them anyway."

"So you took the role of being the personal charity shop, did you?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

Perrie tutted, rolling her eyes again, turning to me. "Have you met Sophie?"

"I have now." I gave her a friendly half-smile, which she returned. "You're the one with the guitar, right?"