Hide and Seek

Final Chapter

There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion. - Edgar Allen Poe

"What's going on?" Zayn shoved through the growing crowd that was situated at the end of a road

only a few ventured up.

"Can you see anything?" Niall nudged his arm and Zayn shot him a look.

"What's got you guys hooked?" Louis came through the threads of spectators who were shoving

him aside. Phoebe was perched on his hip and sleeping peacefully on his shoulder.

"That kid who lived up there?"

"Yeah." Louis shields Phoebe from a yapping dog he wanted to kick.

"The one with the hot sister."

"I know which one, Niall." Louis rolls his eyes. "What the fuck about him?"

"Dunno, actually." Niall laughed, earning him a punch to the bicep. "People started looking so

why shouldn't we?"

"Hey, Marie. Look who it is." Zayn suddenly spoke up, cigarette tucked between his moist lips as

he puffed and exhaled.

Louis watched the girl appear from beside her brother, waved slightly before everyone's attention

turned to the house at hand.

He gasped when he saw the door flying open, two armed officials battling to descend the patio

steps with a resisting younger individual. He was screaming and kicking, not far from throwing

himself around to get free.

"Poor fellow." An elderly woman chats to her partner.

"What's wrong with him?" Another says and Louis finds himself listening to them rather than

Zayn.

"Whacko, that's what he was. I heard his own mother had to call the Sheriff because he was going

on about some stupid story."

"Where did you hear?"

"Officer Reese was on his radio. Honestly, I don't know why they didn't have him shipped off sooner."

Louis zoned them out too and observed the frantic actions of the boy who was struggling against

the door of a cop car. Bad idea, he thought. He knew the family who lived up there, because his

mom was good friends with the wife of that house. Anne Styles.

He never spoke to any of them because of the son, Harry, being a little on the questionable side.

He always twitched and never smiled, only came into town when he absolutely had to and was

also schizophrenic. He remembers Harry Styles from middle school but they were never mates or

something of the sort. Harry liked having no friends.

As if sensing that he was being thought about, Harry looked up. They weren't standing too far

away but the police tape served as a healthy enough divide between them. Especially when

Harry's gaze found Louis and stared him down. Louis didn't know what to think or whether being

incoherently frozen was a good thing. He gave the boy a tiny smile before walking away with

Zayn who was tugging on his jacket.

"Did you hear about Harry from up on Lost Lake?" Louis' dad walked in with his new briefcase

later that night while Louis sat scribbling on the counter.

"Huh?"

"Poor Anne." Louis' mom entered with a smile and kissed his temple sweetly. He grumbled

something but let it go. "He's in detention until they figure something out."

"Detention?" Louis raised his eyebrow but didn't look up, his tongue was jutting out in the corner

of his mouth.

"Yeah. His disorder made him create a mental reality so intricate that we couldn't talk him out of

anything. Are you friends with him, Louis?"

"No." He frowns. "Why? Should I be?"

"Just asking. Ever meet with him?"

"I don't have a reason to."

"Oh okay. Go to bed and stop defacing what I've worked hard for." She smacks the back of his

head playfully and he slides off the stool lazily.

"Hey, Louis?" His mom calls from the stove just when he's about to escape.

"Hmm?"

"Wanna come with me to the station tomorrow?" She wasn't entirely happy with her request

because the worry lines on her forehead were back.

"Gonna set me up with a psychopath?"

She laughed half-heartedly. "Shut up and go to bed. Be up at seven!"

Harry threw his weight around in the interrogation room. He wasn't allowed to leave or

communicate with anyone until tomorrow when a solution would be decided upon.

Sheriff Tomlinson promised to bring him to Harry since it was his only request. He'd oblige and

go along with every nonsensical demand from the officials if he would be allowed to speak with

Louis.

Harry saw Louis earlier that day, lost in to crowd to everyone but him. Harry wanted to go to him

then but he was useless in the painful grasp of the men holding him back. Louis couldn't have

forgotten him, they love each other. He knew Louis was just a little nervous about what his friend

would think, that's why he walked away. He loved Harry. He had to because there's no way

Harry was alone in feeling this way.

He saw Louis in every moment of every mood. He'd seen every side to Louis and gotten to

protect him from what was evil in the world. Could Louis be his as he was moments ago? Harry

was certain of it.

He'd just have to wait.

Harry didn't know it was all in his head. He couldn't distinguish between fact and fiction because

that meeting with his doctor had permanently emptied his attention span. He chose to take the safe

route and make everything real, even when they didn't happen.

After seeing Louis for the first time at the police station, Harry had grown protective. It wasn't

obsessive, it was his way of expressing his love. Louis had soft blue eyes and such perfect skin.

His height made Harry's heart melt and his smile made Harry crumble to disaster. Everything

about Louis shouted fragile and worthy of protection.

He wondered constantly ever since, if Louis wanted to be his friend too. His partner.