where your heart is

dos

Chapter 2

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places." - Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell To Arms

Sam still isn't back when Louis wakes up the next morning for orientation but it's not like he minds the peace. She brings a certain level of chaos around with her, everywhere she goes, kind of like an aura and Louis is glad to be free of it for a while. After breakfast at a steely seven o'clock, he plugs his laptop in beside the toaster and scrolls down the college network, less than surprised to see his feed littered with photos of Niall Horan's big bash.

Everywhere Louis looks, there's pictures of the Irishman downing shots, filling his mouth with squirty cream, pouring beer down his arsecrack and doing a cartwheel over a pool table.

Right.

So this Niall Horan bloke is who Liam's chosen as his new best friend.

Right.

He debates sending Liam a text mocking his more-than-probable hangover, but ultimately decides against it, knowing that any snark directed Liam's way could possibly lead to him thinking Louis is overreacting, and that's the last thing Louis wants, especially now that he's settled in a tiny dorm with a dick on the wall. He's on thin ice as it is.

So, instead, he puts his laptop away, lets out a deep huff, and heads on down to orientation.

Walking to the main hall, Louis feels like he's pretending to be a college student in a fucking coming-of-age movie. The setting is so perfect it's mockable-- rolling green lawns, sandy brick buildings, the sun blissfully shining down and kids everywhere with backpacks.

Louis shuffles his hands further into his pockets as he walks, trying desperately to fit in. Look at me, a stock photo of a freshman. Everyone around him seems so much more casual, like they've got this whole college thing sussed from back to front. Louis hates it way more than he should.

There's literally everything here-- an acapella group, a painting-by-numbers club, a basketball team, a pottery unit-- and it's so....cliché. Louis can't help but smile at the exaggerative nature of it all.

Next to the science club stand, Louis recognizes one of the girls Hallway Boy was chatting up earlier-- handing out leaflet upon leaflet upon leaflet advertising the annual fair.

When seeing Louis: a boy with glasses, a dark blue hoodie, and a long fringe, her eyes practically light up with delight, and she's thrusting a leaflet his way before he can even start to protest.

"Hi! I'm Jana!" She beams, lipgloss sparkling in the sunlight. "I'm part of the SFSUSFA-- The San Francisco State University Science Fair Association! Would you like to become part of changing local life as we know it? Our fundraising activities include fun runs, relay races, bake sales, marathons, charity donations, choir groups--"

I'd rather peel my skin of with a toothpick, is what Louis thinks.

"No thanks. Not really my forte." Is what he says, and is scootering off away from the girl before she has chance to say anything else.

Jesus.

He ends up signing up for chess club, of all things, feeling almost as if now that he's here, he may as well do something moderately sociable. Yes, it's nerdy as fuck, but it's not like he could play

any team sport, now, could he?

Plus, chess relaxes him. It doesn't involve a lot of interaction, or a lot of talking or, you know,'team spirit'.