Zayn’s Perspective:
“Look, kid, I’m going to take his money one way or another. You get Zayn, and I’ll beat the shit out of both you and this little fairy when he’s not around anyway.” The voice was low, gravelly. I turned to Liam, who shrugged and pointed toward a cluster of students. Moving closer, I recognized the speaker. A familiar irritation flared. Louis smirked, and Jack turned around, slowly lowering a smaller boy. The kid snatched his bag and bolted. Louis offered a silent thank you, and I nodded, simmering. Why would he intervene for a stranger? Unless they weren’t strangers, and that was the key. I’d have to press him later.
“So, why were you picking on that kid, Jack?” I asked, adopting the tone Niall called my “scary voice.” Jack’s face was pale. “Look, man, I’m not looking for trouble. Forgive and forget?” he stammered. I chuckled, shaking my head. “Just leave them alone, and we won’t have a problem. You know Louis is my friend, and you know I’ll beat your fucking ass if you hurt him.” I let the threat hang in the air, a smirk playing on my lips. He nodded rapidly, then took off down the hall.
“Hey babe, what was that about?” Niall asked, nudging me. I shook my head. “Louis stood up for some kid I’ve never seen around school, and he mentioned my name.”
“Wow, he never stands up for anyone, and he rarely mentions your name when he’s in trouble with an asshole.” Niall said, surprised. “Yeah, I know. I don’t know who that kid is, but we need to find out. I don’t need some headache kid getting Louis into trouble more than he already does.” I said, frustration tightening my jaw. “Good thing we have study hall now. Wanna walk around, boo?” Niall asked. I nodded, and we started walking. Still talking about nothing much, we headed outside as the next bell rang. Both of us had study hall in this period, so we kept walking, the conversation drifting aimlessly. We reached our usual spot under the old oak tree and saw Louis sitting alone, staring at his phone.
“Hey Loubear,” Niall called out. Louis looked up and waved. “So, what was that about?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.
“He was going to hurt that kid,” Louis said, his voice flat. “But you never stand up for anyone besides yourself… so do you know him or what?” I pressed. He shook his head. “Not really. He’s new. Today is his first day.”
“So, you don’t know him, and he’s new here. What are you, and what did you do with my grouchy Loubear?” Niall asked, his pout a familiar sight. Louis laughed, a sarcastic edge to it. “It’s me, okay? I don’t know, I guess.”
“What?! Are you getting a boyfriend soon?!” Niall shrieked in my ear, making me wince. Louis burst out laughing at the remark, but it felt hollow. “No fucking way, man,” he gasped, catching his breath. “Just because we had a moment or whatever doesn’t mean we’re getting together. I don’t even know the kid.”
“Look, mate, you really should learn to trust someone else besides us,” I said, trying to steer him back to a reasonable place. “I barely even trust you guys,” he retorted, and Niall’s half smile dissolved into a full frown. I grabbed Niall’s hand and sat down next to Louis. “Look, just because you barely trust us doesn’t mean you can’t let someone else in. You need to learn to trust people, Lou. I know that what happened—” I stopped, watching Louis’s face. He stood up abruptly, grabbing his bag and turning to face us.
“Look, I’m over it, okay? I’m not hurting myself anymore, and I’ve got people who care about me,” he said, his voice tight. “Just because they treated me like that doesn’t mean I’m going to break. I’m fine.” He added. Niall and I exchanged a worried glance, then he walked away.
“He knows we won’t hurt him like they did. Why doesn’t he trust us?” Niall asked, his voice laced with frustration. I shook my head. “I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.”