Although starting senior year at a new school wasn't ideal, Harry was grateful for the escape from the drama of his previous one. Walking to school in the rain, he tried to convince himself the weather wasn’t an omen. He pulled his sweater tighter, lowering his head against the wind. He’d decided to keep to himself, to ride out the year without attracting attention.
Reaching the school, he headed straight for the principal’s office, needing to collect his schedule and other information.
“Harry Styles?” The woman behind the desk stood, extending her hand to shake his.
He took her hand, striving for composure as her skin met his. If it were up to him, no one would ever touch him. Ever. “That’s me,” he replied, forcing a smile. The school day hadn’t even begun, and he already wanted it over with.
“Someone’s supposed to meet you here—he’ll show you around. What do you think of the school so far?” she asked warmly.
“I haven’t seen much yet,” he offered with a forced laugh. “But I’m sure I’ll love it.” A lie, but he wanted to make her feel good. Her smile widened.
“Wonderful! Perfect timing, here’s your guide now,” she said as a blonde boy walked in. “Harry, meet Niall. Niall, Harry.”
“Nice to meet you, mate,” Niall said, extending his hand.
Harry reached forward, grasping Niall’s hand, focusing on keeping steady as the familiar jolt of pain surged through him. He gave Niall a quick smile. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to meet many more people. He was starting to feel nauseous from the constant contact. “You too,” he replied politely.
“Alright, boys, have a good day. Harry, if you ever need anything, you can always come to me,” the secretary said as Harry followed Niall into the bustling hallway.
“Thank you,” Harry called over his shoulder, weaving through the crowds, keeping his eye on Niall’s bright blonde hair bobbing ahead. Niall walked quickly, and even with his long legs, Harry had to rush to keep pace.
“Keeping up, curly?” Niall asked, glancing back to ensure Harry was still behind him.
“Yep,” Harry replied as they entered the classroom for their first period.
“We’ve got the same schedule—that’s why they had me show you around. It must be weird coming to a new school so late, isn’t it? Don’t worry, though, I’ll introduce you to my friends, and I’m sure they’ll love you. They love meeting new people—I hope you like them, though. If you don’t, you don’t have to hang out with them, don’t feel bad, but I’m sure you’ll love them,” Niall rambled on, settling into a seat at a table in the back.
“You never breathe, do you?” Harry laughed, taking the seat next to Niall.
Niall laughed with him. “I guess not, but you’ll get used to it.”
Harry didn’t reply, leaning down to pull a notebook from his backpack. More students flooded into the classroom. Two boys took seats across from them and Niall.
“Hey, lads,” Niall said, turning to Harry. “This is Harry. He’s new.”
Harry looked up at the two brown-haired boys, offering a small smile.
“I’m Liam, and this is Louis,” one of them said, grinning widely. “You might get us mixed up at first—a lot of people do, so don’t feel bad.”
Harry nodded politely, laughing along with the joke, but as his eyes met the second boy’s, he knew he wouldn’t mistake him for Liam. The boy’s bright blue eyes studied Harry curiously, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward into a wide grin when he caught Harry staring, causing Harry to blush and look down at the table.
“We’ve got all our morning classes with Niall, so we’ll be around. We’ve got maths in the afternoon, though, so you two will have to survive without us,” Louis joked, his gaze fixed on Harry. Throughout the morning, Louis’s eyes felt like weight on Harry’s skin. Louis didn’t seem to notice his effect on Harry, though—he just continued talking, blue eyes twinkling when he laughed.
Throughout the morning, Louis and Harry kept stealing glances at each other. Louis joked with Liam and Niall, narrowly avoiding the teacher’s attention a few times. Every time their eyes met, Louis smirked, and Harry blushed furiously. Harry tried to focus on the teacher’s lesson, but Louis sitting across from him was a constant distraction.
The first class passed quickly. All four of them were in the same second period, so they walked to class together. The three friends joked with each other, and for some reason, Harry couldn’t suppress a smile. Although he hadn’t planned on making friends, he hoped he could someday find friends like them.
He was grateful for Niall’s welcoming nature, but knew today would be the extent of it. The boys were nice enough, but Harry was certain they wouldn’t want him around all the time. They made an effort to include him in their conversations, but he knew it was just politeness. No one truly wanted to be around him. He knew that. Still, he was thankful for their tolerance, even for a little while.
When lunchtime finally arrived, Harry wasn’t sure where he was supposed to go. Did they want him to sit with them? Niall and Liam headed toward a table in the corner of the cafeteria, but Louis noticed Harry lagging behind.
“You coming?” he asked, tilting his head toward his friends.
“I guess,” Harry stammered, quickly adding, “If you guys want. I can find somewhere else to sit. I don’t want to bother you.”
He saw the curl of a smile on Louis’s lips. “Don’t be stupid. Come on.” And with that, he headed toward his friends. Harry followed, a warmth spreading through his stomach. He pushed the feeling down. He couldn’t afford any feelings like this right now.
Although his mother had warned him not to tell anyone, the real reason he’d changed schools was because people at his old school found out he was gay. He’d hoped people would accept him for who he was, but he was wrong. His friends stopped talking to him, and people started harassing him in the hallways. The insults and violence came from everyone, but the football team dealt out the worst of it.
Harry couldn’t risk repeating that experience. He knew he had to keep his head down and finish this year, then he could be himself. He was sure he could handle one year flying under the radar. He looked at Louis across the table, popping fries into his mouth and laughing with Niall. He could handle flying under the radar as long as he could suppress the warmth in his stomach. He could handle it as long as he didn’t drown in those blue eyes.
“So, Harry, do you play any sports?” Liam asked, pulling Harry from his thoughts. Harry shook his head. “Neither do we, so you’ll fit right in.”
Liam almost made it sound like Harry would be spending more time with them. The boys started talking again, and Harry was content to just listen. He liked to observe people. He didn’t like being the center of attention.
Louis’s eyes crinkled at the edges as he flicked water at Liam, bringing a wide smile to Harry’s face. Louis looked smug and happy as he jumped up from the table and ran around them as Liam chased him. Harry laughed along with them. He’d never felt this comfortable, this safe.
The boys didn’t pressure him to talk, but still made an effort to include him. He realized suddenly how badly he wanted to keep hanging out with them. He figured he might as well get it over with. “Hey, Niall,” he blurted out.
The blonde boy raised his gaze to meet Harry’s, already smiling. “What’s up?”
“I don’t want you to feel obligated to keep hanging out with me just because you had to show me around today,” Harry admitted.
Shock spread across Niall’s face, taking Harry by surprise as he nervously anticipated his reaction. “Harry, oh my god! I honestly would have brought you to lunch with my friends if I didn’t like you,” he exclaimed, reaching across the table to squeeze Harry’s arm lightly. Harry flinched as Niall’s skin brushed his, but the other boy didn’t seem to notice. “I can’t speak for Liam and Louis, but I definitely want to be your friend. If you want to be my friend, I mean.”
Harry thought it over for a second, reconsidering his plan. He considered lying to Niall—telling him he didn’t want to hang out after today and that he could find friends on his own. But he glanced up at Louis and Liam laughing across the cafeteria and just couldn’t do it.
“I would love nothing more,” Harry replied dramatically, grinning. Niall grinned widely, happy to see the more relaxed side of the curly-haired boy.
“Great, then you’ll have to come to my house on Friday night. It’s our tradition—the three of us always hang out on Fridays. Well, now the four of us.” Niall looked ridiculously happy, and his smile was contagious.
“I’ll be there,” Harry heard himself saying before he could think it through. He looked up to see Liam and Louis arm wrestling across the table. He had to squash the butterflies in his stomach that appeared every time he looked at Louis. Harry knew better than to reveal he was gay. He’d learned his lesson.
Louis was about to beat Liam, but he glanced over at Harry. Harry kept reminding himself that Louis was probably straight. As Louis’s bright blue eyes met his, though, a part of Harry desperately hoped he was feeling the same way.