"I'm just like you"

2

"Are you sure Louis?" Eleanor asked. She had a serious tone she didn't often use and that worried Louis more. "Elly, what could go wrong? I mean...I just have to write some songs and I'm sure at least one will be about you" he said, to make Eleanor change topic. But it didn't work: that girl really cared for him. "You could be too tired...you could stop eating, I don't want it to end up like when you had to work with that band of your childhood...you could be overloaded by work..." Eleanor listed. He sat down on the couch and she came near him. "Louis, I'm sorry but I just want you to be happy..." she said. Some gratitude tears came up to him but he gulped to send them away. "I know, El. I want to be happy too. I just think that, right now, I don't have any reasons not to be" he said, trying to stop my voice from cracking. She nodded. "I'm here for you, LouLou, if you need any-" she paused because Louis was kissing her.

"Whoa mate, you are, like, the artist that releases more albums per year!" Niall said. Louis was a the pub with his best friends: the Irish Niall Horan, the American Liam Payne and the Pakistan Zayn Malik. He had known them since high school and had a band with them too, but then the stress became too much and the boys, who were just 18, split it up. "Is it good?" Liam asked cautiously and Niall looked at him surprised. "I mean, dude, isn't it...too much?" he asked again. ignoring Niall. Zayn nodded in agreement and Louis sighed. "I-I don't know guys...I really want to write those songs and Simon told me I had to make an album, I mean...what is the difference? I would have made it anyway in a year, so-" "That's the difference, Louis! The time! You need to relax, take time for yourself, find yourself a girl..." interrupted Zayn. "Or a boy" said Niall, but he was already drunk, so probably he didn't say that on purpose. Louis scoffed. "Well guys, now I really have to go, El's waiting for me-" "El" repeated Liam, with a disgusted tone. "Dude, does that girl really make you happy?" he asked, like he couldn't believe it. Louis nodded and then spoke, with an offended voice. "I just don't know why you all keep thinking so bad of her when she makes me so happy and helps me so much!" "It looks like she is friend with Simon" Zayn replied, obviously. "And?" "And?! That man will be your ruin, man, believe us" Zayn said. "But what did El do? She is just too sweet to hate someone" Louis asked. "I promise you: you'll find someone you really like and you'll have to leave her" Liam said, solemnly. Zayn nodded serious, but Louis laughed. "What is this, a story? Come on Niall, tell'em" Louis said and looked at Niall, who looked confused but nodded. "Yeah" "Yeah what?" "They're right, Lou, you'll find the love of your life within the end of the year!" he affirmed, excited all of a sudden. "I already have met El" he said. "But you still haven't met him" Niall shouted, then fell off his chair. Liam laughed and helped him stand up, while Zayn looked at Louis. "I think maybe Niall could be right" he said dead serious, then walked away, helping Liam bringing Niall at home. Louis sighed. He didn't care about what Niall had said, but he had a horrible sensation about Simon and his working for him. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a noise: the typical noise of someone who enters the pub, so Louis turned to see the figure. He saw a tall man who was looking with disgust in his eyes at everyone in there, and even if he wore some casual clothes Louis could tell they were very expensive and that was probably the reason of his arrogance. Louis turned again to face the wall and keep thinking, but he felt a chair banging on the floor and some angry words that would have made Eleanor wrinkle her little nose. Louis had thought enough for one night so he stood up and went over at the man, "'Vas happening here?" he asked. The barman turned and sighed with relief. "Oh, Louis, thanks God! He is a famous singer, you know...leave this place or his security guards will have to deal with you!" the barman said, trying to have threatening voice. The mysterious man laughed. "Aww, you have a knight, don't you? But you know, your knight here..." while the man was saying so, he came dangerously near Louis' face "...he doesn't want me to leave, do you, babe?" he asked, softly running his forefinger over the tanned skin of Louis' cheeks. The barman opened his eyes even more. "Say what?" he asked. Louis was slowly blushing and he didn't know why he still had not pushed away the man's finger. "S-stop it" he tried to say. The man laughed and Louis could swear his laugh was the most beautiful sound. "You sure about that, babe?" the man asked. Louis felt a shiver run though his spine and his face heat up. "Louis! You know this man?" the barman demanded, looking at him with an accusing look. Louis paused: what could he say? He should have said the truth, he knew that, because if he didn't people would have talked about him and his new boy, and El would have known it...at the same time, he didn't want that, whatever it was, to end. "Yeah" he answered "he's an old friend of mine, he always likes playing with people this way, don't you..." Louis faltered, but the man chuckled again. "I actually do, yeah, Louis" he said, saving Louis and gaining an angry look from the barman. "Well, Louis, tell your friend he'll have to pay everything" he ordered. "Put everything on my count" Louis replied wearily. Then he hold the man's arm and dragged him outside. 

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Louis asked. The man chuckled, then looked at him with curious eyes. Eyes that, by the way, were making Louis' head dizzy.  "So you didn't like it?" he asked. "I don't care-" "Well, I hope we'll see each other again, Louis" the man interrupted him, then began to walk away, as if nothing had happened. "Hey!" Louis called. "At least tell me your name!" he shouted. The man turned and smiled brightly and thousands of butterflies began to fly in Louis' stomach. "I'm Harry" the man simply said, then walked away, maybe forever.