It hasn't even been an hour yet when Louis and I get asked to leave the library for singing How to Save a Life too loudly. We studied for about ten minutes and pretty much acted stupid the rest of the time. We exit the library together, still chuckling about the whole situation.

"You're an idiot," Louis expresses, covering his mouth to muffle his laughter.

"Me?" I challenge, "You were the one trying to sing four octaves higher than your voice can actually go!"

Louis let out another loud, adorable laugh, tossing his head back. I just smile at him.

"We're both idiots, then."

I nod in agreement. We reach the exit of the building and Louis peers over at me expectantly, "Are you going to your's?"

I shrug, "Suppose I haven't got anything else to do."

"You should hang out with me so I don't have to go home," He suggests sheepishly, as if not sure what I'd say.

I smile. "I'd love to."

A returning smile plays across his lips, "Great. Where to?"

I hum, "I dunno of anywhere particularly fun in this town."

"Show me around Holmes Chapel, honorary citizen." Louis decides as we begin ambling down the pavement and away from the school building. I lift an eyebrow at him.

"Haven't you lived here for, like, three years?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "But I still haven't been around, y'know? I think the most Holmes Chapel-y place I've been is that cute little bakery down the road."

"I applied for a job there last week, but I haven't heard anything back. I don't think I'm getting a job."

Louis shrugs, "Maybe they're just taking their time."

"Maybe," I agree, stopping at a cross-walk. "What would you like to see, tourist?"

"Hmm. Somewhere that's like... Special. I'm not being very descriptive but I think you know what I mean,"

"I think I do, too. C'mon,"

I drag Louis down to the park that's across from a strip of businesses. He gives me skeptical glances as we trot passed the child-inhabited playground but I tell him to trust me. I take him to the wooded area skirts the park. I wasn't allowed to explore it's wonders until Mum finally let me when I was nine. After that, it was hard to get me away.

I lead him through the foliage where a small clearing is found. I grin, taking in the breaths of the clear air and bright blue sky, the familiar and picturesque scenery of my get-away place comforting me immediately. It's always been my small little vacation spot from all the things that go on in my life.

I turn to Louis, awaiting his reaction. I watch as his gorgeous blue eyes scan the area. A small grin creeps onto his thin lips, and he gives me a side-glance. "This is horrendously cheesy."

"Yeah, you love it."

Louis rolls his eyes and we continue our descent further into my unofficial domain. We have little to no conversation as I lead him down the man-made trail, admiring the various species of plants and small noises created by the nature that surrounds us. It is a bit weird of a thing for a seventeen-year-old boy to enjoy so much. It's not like I'm a huge eco-friendly fanatic; I just enjoy the simplicity of nature sometimes. It's just trees and the sun and bird's chirping. It's nice to forget that anything else exists.

When we make it to the stream, I look at Louis over my shoulder. "I won't drag you any further, I promise."

He chuckles "Is this what all kids in Cheshire do for fun, then?"

I shake my head, seating myself on a large rock beside the stream, which has a surprisingly fast current. "Only the cool ones."

Louis joins me, collecting a few stones and tossing them into the water. I glance at him again and the fact that I'm in my favorite place alone with Louis Tomlinson finally sinks in. I watch in awe as he tries to hit a frog, not sure how I managed to befriend him but elated that I have. I've had this dopey crush on him for so long; and he's finally here with me.

"I know this is pretty boring and stupid," I announce after snapping out of my thoughts. "But I absolutely love this place. I like to come here and explore. Gets my mind of things,"

"I never said it was stupid. I'm only surprised you didn't drag me to the secret entrance of a strip-club or your basement to have some beer that you stole from your mum's liquor drawer. It's different."

Louis turns his face to meet my gaze. The color of his eyes pop with the natural light of the sun as opposed to the artificial ones inside the school. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful blue. My stomach churns with the warm feeling I always seem to get from him. "You're different."

I allow the giant grin to stretch my lips. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Louis nods, smiling back, then looking back out at the water. "You're so genuine and nice and funny. I feel like a real person around you,"

My heart swells about four sizes and my mind goes into Is this really happening right now mode. I play it off however, "You're quite an individual, too. You're a great person to just kind of sit and admire what you're like,"

Louis laughs. "I'm a double train-wreck, Love."

"I'd use the word spontaneous."

"Good word," Louis approves, letting me get lost in his eyes again. "I'd say you're just perfect."

I can feel heat rising on my cheeks. I shake my head. "I'm definitely not perfect-"

"No, no, listen; you're hot, you're smart, you're funny, you're not an ass. And you're hot. That's as perfect as anyone can get in high-school," Louis defends his argument.

I just smile at him, doubting that he actually means that but ecstatic and giddy nonetheless. "By those standards, you're perfect, too."

Louis grins. "Well, yeah, but I am not smart, and I am an ass."

"Please," I say, "You're very smart or you wouldn't be in advanced placement anything. It's hard to get into those classes. And if you were an ass I wouldn't have dragged you to my secret fortress of solitude. You're one of the only person at this school who hasn't made me feel like an outsider for being gay, either,"

"There's nothing wrong with being gay." Louis promptly shoots back. "Nothing at all. You like who you like, y'know? People shouldn't be able to tell you that it's wrong just 'cause they're the same gender as you."

"You're preaching to the choir, Lou."

He let out a sigh and a sort of silence settles over the pair of us for a few moments. Louis interrupts it again, asking in an unsure tone, "Harry... Can I tell you something?"

My interest is peaked immediately. I won't lie, in this moment I'm patiently waiting for him to come out to me. "Yeah, anything."

Louis chews on his bottom lip, staring straight ahead. He doesn't say anything for a while and I scrunch my eyebrows together, asking if he's alright. He releases another long huff and looks at me. He simply shakes his head. "Never mind,"

I frown. "You can trust me,"

"It's honestly not a big deal. It really isn't," He assures, trying to put on a smile.

I sigh, "Fine, but if you decide you wanna talk about it I'm all ears."

"Let's just talk about something else," he requested and laid back against the rock.

Talk we did. He and I spent much more time than necessary together just talking. That's all we did, but it felt like so much more. I wish it never had to end. Being with him and watching him open up more and more as the time passed was the best thing I've experienced in so long. I've felt trapped in this hopeless place for as long as I can remember, but I finally found an escape when I'm alone with Louis.

I know he doesn't feel the same about me, but it's like nothing else exists when we're together. Kind of like being back in the woods, but much greater. It's only him and his ridiculously long eyelashes and his laugh that sounds like bells chiming and his exemplary skin. I swear to God, I could fall in love with this boy.

We start to have more study sessions more often after this. He even blew off football practice one time. His parents were livid, but we had a good time messing about on the play-ground at the park.

Despite the unalienable joy I relieve from being near him that nothing can take from me, I do find it challenging to grow closer to him. He's had four girlfriends now. All of them he's broken up with for stupid or suspicious reasons. The way he acts around me and even some of the things he says make me feel like I actually have a chance, but then he's showing up with a new girl. I just never know.

_

"Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry," Zayn repeats my name as he runs towards me in the corridor. I furrow my eyebrows as he barrels into me and grabs my shoulders. "The drug-dog his here and I have a pound of weed in my locker."

I widen my eyes, "Then go take it out!"

"I can't! They're taking her around before they let anyone open their locker. My dealer just got caught,"

I let out a frustrated huff and pinch the bridge of my nose. "You're going to get expelled."

"I know, okay? I'm freaking out! What do I do?"

I've never seen Zayn actually panic before. He's usually so zen, even when he's sober. I just shrug my shoulders, "I don't know, lad, if you can't go get it real quick you better pray to every religion that the dog doesn't sniff it out for some reason."

"I'm going to jail again." Zayn almost whines, falling back against the wall. His shoulders slacken, a visible indication of his helplessness.

All of the students are either in classrooms or against a wall, curious as to who's going to get busted. Everyone already had their speculations considering Zayn and Liam reek of cannabis constantly. But, it's always fun to watch people's life get ruined, isn't it?

"What's going on?" Liam asks, perturbed when he reaches us. Zayn's got his face covered by his hands so I assume he's not going to answer.

"They brought in the drug dog and Zayn's not clean."

Liam's brown eyes swell to a size I've never seen. "Oh shit, neither am I,"

I drop my jaw, "Are you joking right now?"

"Well, I have a bottle of vodka and a pack of cigarettes, will that get me busted?"

"I think you're safe."

"Well I'm not!" Zayn exclaims in a loud whisper as if offended that we'd forgotten him momentarily.

"Are they checking by your locker right now?" Liam inquires in a soothing tone.

Zayn just nods his head. "They're in the 300 Wing or else I'd be grabbing it,"

Almost on cue, we heard the loud barking of the German Shepard down the hall. I crane my neck around the corner to see the dog scratching at Zayn's locker. My heart drops for him.

"I'm sorry, Zayn." Liam sighs, giving him a sympathetic look.

Zayn shakes his head. "I'm gonna run."

"Zayn," I warn, "You can't just escape this."

"Whatever, Yoda. See you later."

Neither Liam or I stop him from darting off and out of the building. I release an angry sigh and look to Liam. "That idiot,"

"I know," Liam agrees, watching in pity as the uniformed men clip Zayn's lock off and began their search inside the compartment. "Who keeps pot in their locker?"

"Obviously not a sober person."

I swallow a lump in my throat as two officers step towards the group of kids that congregated in our general vicinity. The women of the pair scans her eyes along a packet of paper on a clipboard. I know I've done nothing illegal, but I'm still terrified of getting in trouble for simply being affiliated with Zayn.

"Do we have a Zayn Malik here?" The other announces in a husky voice. Everyone falls silent and begins glancing at one another. The man stands there for a minute, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "C'mon, lad, make my job easier."

"I think he's absent toady." Liam spoke up over the terrifying silence. I didn't protest; only stood there frozen with my hand wrapped tightly around the strap of my book-bag.

"How convenient," The policeman dry chuckles.

I nearly jump out of my skin when the first bell rings. The officers wave us off and all of the students scatter like mice to get to our first period class. When I enter the room Louis comes up to me.

"Did your friend get caught?" He says in a low voice.

I probably shouldn't, but I vent to Louis a lot about Liam and Zayn's substance abuse. He listens and it feels good to get it out to someone. I do feel bad about complaining about my friends, however.

I nod my head, half dismal and the other half indignant. "Yeah, he left six ounces of pot in his locker."

Louis tosses his eyes around his skull. "That bloody idiot."

"I wish he didn't get himself into that."

The corner of Louis' lips turn downward, "I know... I don't think he gets that his stupid decisions effect the people he cares about, too."

"He doesn't care," I say definitively. "He just does what he wants to do. Always has."

The second bell rings and everyone sits down. Louis' gives me a pat on the shoulder before we join everyone and begin the writing prompt on the board. I find it extremely difficult to pay any kind of attention.

_

"Wait, so Zayn's been to prison before?" Louis asks. Despite the whole drug-bust, I'm feeling incredibly content because Louis joined Liam and I for lunch today. He came over to our table and everything.

"Yup," Liam affirms. "He and his cousin got caught spray painting the underpass downtown."

"Oh, wow," Louis raises his widens his eyes.

"He was just kept over-night, but his mum had to pay a really heavy fine. She grounded him for a full month. I'd've just killed him." I explain.

"He's not answering my texts. God only knows where he is." Liam says with a frown. "I wish he hid it better."

"I wish he didn't do it at all." I reply, earning an eye roll from Liam.

I shift in my seat, accidentally bumping Louis' knee. He was sitting sort of close to me anyways, so it didn't take much. Before I could apologize, he rams his knee against mine harder. I wince and continue the little game we've started. It goes on for a few moments unnoticed until Liam ceases his rant and lifts an eyebrow at us.

"Would you two stop flirting when I'm trying to talk to you?"

Louis and I both chuckle sort of nervously. He's blushing and I find myself smiling wider. "I just can't help myself, I suppose. Continue, Liam." Louis shrugs.

"Right then," Liam says, giving me a wink. I think I'm blushing now.

Today Mum's home for dinner and I'm fixing the divine feast of spaghetti. I haven't had a proper conversation with her in about a week; she's been so busy working since Dad forgot to send his child support check on-time.

She walks through the door and immediately releases a long, forlorn sigh. I give her a half-hearted smile. "Dinner's ready,"

Mum smiles back weakly. "Thank you, Sweetheart."

I hum in response and scoop the noodles into two separate bowls as she kicks her shoes off and sets her purse on the counter.

"Disney?" I ask.

"Always Disney," She replies, grinning as I hand her a steaming bowl of the pasta with a fork. We migrate into the living room and I put The Lion King into the DVD player.

"How was school?" She inquires between bites.

I sigh. "Today was not a good day. Zayn got caught with marijuana in his locker."

Mum's eyes almost exceed their sockets. "What?!"

I nod, still crestfallen about the event that took place earlier today. "I'm sad for him, but pissed at him."

"Wow," she blinks, still trying to comprehend the information presented to her. "I had no clue you boys were doing that."

"I've never done it," I promise her. Mum lifts an eyebrow my direction.

"Don't lie to me. I know how peer pressure works."

"Mum, I can barely inhale the air around them when they do it. There'd be no way I could smoke anything with my asthma. It's hard to even catch my breath skating sometimes."

"Alright, I believe you. It's just surprising that Zayn would do that; he was so kind and cute when he was younger."

"High school screws people up." I say.

"It's a shame, really. Zayn has chosen a very bad road to go down. I'm just happy you're not associating yourself with drugs."

"Not even interested. Anything that can alter the chances of me getting out of here is a hell no. I want to be successful in life."

"That's my boy," She proudly exclaims and pinches my arm. "Speaking of boys..."

I roll my eyes. "No-"

"How are things with Louis going?"

I just shrug, shoveling heftier fork-fulls of spaghetti into my mouth. Mum glares at me. "I will take your food away and make you sleep under the stairs."

"Fine," I sigh. "Actually pretty good. We're kind of close now. But he's still got revolving girlfriends."

She scrunches her nose. "He just needs to date you instead."

"If only."

"By the way," Mum suddenly said, setting her bowl down on her lap and looking at me with an unidentifiable expression. I couldn't tell if it was guilty or sorry. "Your dad's coming down to visit next week."

I immediately let out an aggrieved groan. "I don't want to see him."

"I know you don't, but it's your sister's birthday and she really does. Just, please be civil. Please?"

"I'm always civil," I grumble.

"Thank you,"

I am very unhappy about seeing my father, who I don't even like to refer to as my father. He doesn't act like he wants to be involved in my life, so why should I act like I want him to be? I know it's petty and I should be the gracious one. I just don't want to be kind to the man who abandoned me and my mum. I have too much pride. I guess that's one thing I inherited from him.

He and Gemma have always had a stronger bond, so it was easy for her to forgive him. Then again, she had moved out by the time he met his new wife and left us. I was the fortunate one who got to feel the punch in the gut and watch Mum go through it all, too.

Seeing how bad it hurt Mum was the worst part. She's an immensely tough person emotionally; it takes a lot to really get to her, and she was an absolute wreck. Dad's still her one and only. Knowing of her unrequited love breaks my heart. It also baffles me, considering my mum is the most wonderful person in the entire world.

When this all happened was the first time I had ever seen her cry. She would vent to me, and also ask me how I felt about things. That's when our relationship became particularly strong. The closer I grew to Mum, colder the shoulder I gave to Dad. Seeing the way he devastated Mum and feeling the way he devastated me just gives me a hard time being any kind of cheerful about seeing him. Divorce sucks.