Hollow - LS

2| Hope

2| Hope

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"I loved you at your darkest." - Romans 5:8

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Hope

Noun

A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

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Louis felt eyes on him before he even walked into the building. He was beginning to walk out of his mother's car when he felt someone watching him. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting someone to be standing there. But there wasn't anyone there.

"Everything okay?" His mother's voice caused him to turn his head back. He gave her a small smile with a nod. "I'll be back to pick you up in two hours."

"Okay." Louis nodded, closing the car door.

He watched his mother drive off, and once she turned the corner, he let out a sigh. And during that entire time, he still felt the eyes on him. No one else was in the parking lot, so he shook it off, and began his walking. Once inside, he shook off his jacket, laying it over his arm.

"It seems like everyone is here." The sponsor said. "If everyone will take their seats, we may begin."

Louis found the seat he had last empty, and he found gratitude that it was empty. He sat in the chair, placing his jacket around the back of the chair. He looked around the room, seeing all the familiar faces, and noticed Harry. Slouched in his seat, with the signature beanie on and a bored expression on his face, he stood among the rest. But he never looked up at anyone.

It was obvious that Harry wasn't the most sociable out of them all, and yet Louis couldn't understand why Harry would put that bread in his jacket pocket. Especially when every time he talked to Louis, it was almost like he hated doing it. Either way, Louis was grateful that Harry did that. And also grateful that his mother never found out. 

During their dinner, she got a call and had to leave the room. Leaving Louis alone eating in silence, thoughts swarming around in his brain. But at least he had the bread to make the evening more bearable.

Louis was back to the present, noticing everyone found their seats, and were waiting for the sponsor to begin.

"I noticed that though most of you talked last week, even when it wasn't your turn." The sponsor gave Harry a pointed look, and earned an eye roll in return. "But a selected few didn't. And I would like to begin this session with giving a chance to those few to have a moment to talk. Whether they are new to this group or not." He glanced for a brief moment in Louis' direction. "I just want to make sure everyone has a chance to say what they are feeling or what is on their mind."

The room grew silent. Louis wasn't planning on speaking first, and by the looks on the other people's faces, neither were they. But nothing shocked the sponsor or anybody more when Harry raised his hand. The sponsor motioned for him to begin speaking.

"Hey," he sent a short salute to everyone. Everybody was about to say hi back, but Harry began to speak again, silencing everyone. "I really don't have anything new to share, but I thought I would agree with what the sponsor said." Louis noticed the sponsor widen his eyes and open his mouth to say something, but Harry began to speak over him. Again. "The support group won't work unless you say shit." He gave a look at Louis. "And some people seem to have more to say than others. Right, bread boy?"

Louis chocked. Everyone's gazing went directly towards him when they noticed where Harry was looking. Louis was turning red while Harry was smirking. "Oh, don't be shy now." Harry taunted. "I thought I would just give you a little push."

He leaned back, waiting to see what Louis would do. And in that moment, Louis didn't know what to do. But apparently his legs knew for him. Because in the next second, he was no longer sitting in that chair, but walking outside. 

He walked directly into the cold air, forgetting his jacket. He cursed in the cold wind. Louis made no movement to go back inside to retrieve the jacket, but he noticed the sponsor moving things along through the windows. He wrapped his arms around himself ad sat on one of the benches.

Somewhere deep inside him, he knew Harry was right. He had problems that he never said out loud, but he never expected Harry to announce it in front of the other people. Especially when it wasn't even his business. He may have given Louis the bread, but that didn't mean he had the right to speak about him when he didn't even know him. But he thought he had that right. And instead of Louis standing up for himself, he walked outside. Without his jacket. 

He frowned, noticing how immature that might have been, how foolish he was to think coming to these support groups was a good thing, and hopeful that Harry and him had somehow called a truce with the bread. Louis looked up to the sky to see dark clouds forming over him. He continued to look up, and somehow missed track of time because he almost missed someone calling out for him.

A small part of him was hoping he would see those famous curls, but a sting of disappointment went through him when he saw blonde locks instead. He sent a small smile to Niall, which ended up getting a bit bigger when he noticed the jacket in his hand.

"I-I thought you would want this," he shyly said.

"Thank you."

Louis grabbed the jacket out of his hands, and welcomed the warmth as he wrapped it around him. He turned to look behind Niall's shoulder to see some of the other people beginning to walk out. How long was he out here?

As if hearing his thoughts, Niall said: "The sponsor decided to end the session early today."

Louis met his warm eyes and nodded. The conversation seemed to be over when he saw Niall walk away and get into a car. He was watching it drive off when he heard a voice behind him.

"Don't have the balls to stand up for yourself during the session, but you do have the balls to let them shrivel up in the cold air. Explain to me how that makes sense."

Louis got up, getting a bit dizzy from getting up that fast. He was angry, and one look at Harry's amused expression made it even worse.

"Don't you have someone else to bother?" He spat out.

"You're cute when you're mad." He observed.

Louis tried to ignore the comment and focus on the reason he was talking to him. Maybe then, his cheeks wouldn't try to grow a different shade.

"Why? Why bother me? What did I do?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Nothing." He simply said.

Louis opened his mouth from shock, and then tried to find words to respond, but Harry didn't give him the chance because he was already speaking again.

"I'm just tired of seeing people like you. Thinking you're all high and mighty. Expecting the world to move according to your needs, and not ever experiencing anything dark in this world." Harry bit out. "Selfish."

Louis snorted. "You don't know anything about me and don't pretend like you do. You think I'm all high and mighty? You have no idea what I go through on a daily basis."

Harry looked over his shoulder, eyes darkening. "Think about what you just said as you get into that BMW."

Louis paused and held his breath, turning around to see his mother waiting for him. He had no idea what to say, and it seemed like Harry didn't care enough to listen because he was already walking away. Whatever Louis was planning to say got caught in the wind. He walked to the car, getting in. Once buckled, his mother began driving off.

"How was it?" She asked.

Louis muttered something that would please her, but focused his attention elsewhere. Maybe it was the cold wind or the dark sky he was focusing on. But in reality it was him focusing on the dark figure walking through the cold weather. Alone.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Have a good day (: