TEN

He didn't come. Of course he didn't. "And now please be quiet and do your work." 'Your work' was a fictional text about future plans. Harry's consisted of finishing school, going to college, work, house, family, and so on. Under the category family, he wrote them, instead of she like he used to, Harry was openly bi. Nobody seemed to have a problem with that. Luckily, everyone knows how some kids his age react to that.

His text was already finished, so he just wrote some stuff down (into his journal) listening to his favourite playlist on shuffle. He was always the first to finish any kind of work. That's why he deserved that stupid place at Harvard. While flicking through the pages Harry found the one Louis drew on, it was spread over with those smiley faces and some sketches that looked like tattoos. He let his finger slide along the stronger lines, they were pretty good actually. How long did he have it?!

Exactly at this moment, Louis took place next to him. Speak of the devil. How did he even come in? Harry quickly turned the page trying to cover up the fact that he was admiring Louis' sketches. "You're late."

"You forced me to come, you didn't tell me when, Haz."

"Whatever. Lewis" A smile of satisfaction appeared on his cheeks. 1-0 for him. To his surprise, Louis brought a pen. Not bad for the start. And to be honest, it made Harry relax a little, he was pleasant. "What does she want?" Harry would never get used to his accent. "A text about our future."

"Okay." He took his pen and started writing, not saying a single further word. Harry just sat there, staring in confusion. What? After a half an hour passed, Louis dropped the pen, leaned back and smiled proudly. The sheet was completely filled. Wha-? Uhm okay? Harry didn't know what to say, to be honest.

"What are you listening to?"

"None of your business."

"Oh okay, I get it." He exhaled deeply, tapping his fingers onto the table, somehow it made Harry nervous. "Let's make a deal."

Harry drew his eyebrows turning to face the other boy. "A deal?" He asked, unbelieving raising one eyebrow. "Yes, Harrold a deal." God, please no more deals. He couldn't even accomplish the one from Mr Johnson. Well, maybe he could. "If you stop calling me that."

"Fine." Exactly what he thought he- said fine?!

"What deal?" Harry frowned.

"I do whatever you ask for, homework, stay here and all that stuff. If.."

"If...?"

"If you stop being such a boring person and start enjoying yourself." Why would he want that?

"I'm not boring."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Did you cross everything off of your list already?" Louis asked, eyebrows raised.

Harry flicked through his journal searching for today's list as he heard Louis chuckle. "Exactly what I expected." Ugh, Harry threw an annoyed look in his direction. "Just because I plan my life, it doesn't mean that I'm boring."

"Sure, whatever you say big guy." Harry was just about to throw something sassy back as Ms Adams interrupted them. "For the last few minutes please exchange your work with your partner." In less than a blink, Louis leaned over and snapped Harry's paper. "I guess we are partners now." Great. Ugh.

Louis' text was actually good, Harry expected something like: 'I will try to skip school as often as I can, annoy my teachers and especially Harry so I get suspended and can carry on doing whatever I do when I'm not at school'. But he had planned some pretty smart things for his future. He wants to study psychology??

It was the weird silence between them that made Harry feel so incredibly awkward. And maybe the fact that Louis was reading his personal future plans at the moment.

"Okay enough." He broke the silence taking his paper back. Louis' eyes tingled on his skin. "Harvard, huh?", hearing it from his mouth made Harry so angry, he had to clench his teeth to keep it inside. "I said enough." Louis lifted his legs onto the table. "So what about the deal?" To be honest, it would make everything a lot easier, but he didn't trust Louis. What would assure him that Louis would really keep his side of the deal?

And what was his imagination to make Harry 'enjoy himself'? It was in general a stupid thing. "No." That was all he said until the end of the lesson. Louis had tried a few attempts to tingle an answer out of him. But now the day was finally over, and Harry on his way over to Niall and Zayn.

They asked for something from the O.p.s, hopefully Louis wasn't working today. It was still a little rainy, which reminded Harry of yesterday, when he drove Louis home and spent a whole hour trying to get all the water of the passenger seat. Anyway, it was noon already and the diner empty (which was unusual at this time) just a guy behind the counter smiling nicely.

It wasn't Louis, it was some new lad named Luke, well, that was what was stitched in the right corner of his shirt. "Hey, Harry right?", he asked as Harry reached the counter. "Uh, yeah hi", he stuttered wondering how the guy knew his name. "I'm Luke we go to the same school." He explained noticing Harry's wondering look. He had never seen the black haired boy in the hallways before.

"Yes, right", Harry lied through an awkward smile. He had never seen him in his live before. "Alright, how can I help you?" Luke's smile was bright and shiny it reminded Harry of Louis somehow, even through he had never seen him smile truly before. Always just that cheeky, sassy smirk of his. Well there was this one time when he and the boy went to the diner the first time and- Harry cleared his throat as he caught himself staring. He took his order and waited about an half hour.

Sitting on one of the benches sometimes talking to Luke. "And you are a friend of Louis?" He asked stuffing everything into a brown bag. "Uhm I-", ugh, "yes". He must have seen them in the halls or in class together. Ew, Harry couldn't believe he said yes. Hopefully the year would pass by quickly, then he never has to see Louis again. Never. Only senior year. "Where is he by the way?"

"He took a day off. Something at the hospital, I don't know, that's all he said."

Right. Jay was allowed to leave today. It turned out she had a fractured leg, Anne had told him. And that she is a kind of clumsy person, she was often at the hospital because of stuff like that. This time she tripped and fell down the stairs. Pretty badly.

However, Harry was happy that she was doing better now, Louis mood had been pretty weird lately. Not that he wasn't weird before, it was just... he acted strangely, that was all. Maybe it would get better now. And even if not - he didn't care. At all. He shook the thoughts away while unlocking the seatbelt. There was a car parked in the driveway of Zayn's House that Harry didn't know. Was there somebody else coming? Niall said it would only be him and Zayn.

It turned out to be Liam. Niall and he had grown really close friends since the beginning of the year and he got on well with the other lads as well. 

"I told you I would win." Liam smiled proudly, putting the cards back into the package.

"Yes of course and you didn't cheat at all."

"I didn't Niall, I swear."

Either way, Harry lost, poker had never been his game. But he had learned a lot about Liam, he was co-captain of the footie team, however he managed that since he was only two months at their school, he must be really good at what he was doing. He was already living alone and- which was probably the worst part- he was friends with Louis. For what reason ever, he was so nice, kind and Louis was just... not.

"So should we eat now? It's late already." Liam asked getting up from the sofa. "Sure let me get some plates." Zayn disappeared into the kitchen. Also, Harry got up cleaning the huge table placed in the middle of the living room. "Z. Your friend is here" Doniya, Zayn's sister shouted. She was the oldest one out of three. But Waliyha and Safaa were only rarely at home because they went to some elite college hours away.

"Let him in," Zayn yelled back, setting five plates onto the table. "Didn't Niall tell you?" He asked after he saw Harry's in questions scrunched face. "He told me you were fine with it." At this moment Louis entered the room. This was going to be a long, nerve-racking night. The cheeky smirk on the lad's face showed.

It was awkward, Harry could tell. Him and Louis throwing annoyed looks at each other while Liam and Zayn tried to keep a conversation going to avoid silence. "How is it going with Eleanor by the way?" Liam asked taking a bite of his cheese pizza. Louis just shrugged.

"Good." Didn't seem to be his favourite topic, Harry wondered why.

"Niall? What the hell? How much do you wanna eat??" Liam pulled him out of his thoughts. And watched Niall open a third pizza carton with wide eyes.

"Uhm?" He mumbled through a full mouth. All five lads started laughing and even Louis chuckled. And to Harry's surprise, the rest of the evening went pretty good too, no sassy comments about his outfit, the way he talked or things he did. Louis acted as a normal teen does around their friends. They all agreed on watching 'Hangover' turned out not to be best choice.

"Why did he sleep on top of the roof?" Sure, he was drunk, but he could atleast-

"Better than sleeping in a random room you don't even know." Louis, who unfortunately sat right next to him cut his thoughts off.

"At least I'm not that stupid to get drunk at school."

"Ok so we don't talk about either of this anymore okay?" He was clearly annoyed, finally, the places were switched. Oh, was he embarrassed about it? Poor Louis — Harry thought and carried on amused, "Oh, imagine he has to drive him home and he acts like a child and totally embarrasses himself."

"Okay, Harry, I got it." Louis hissed getting up heading towards the kitchen. "What is going on?" Zayn asked looking just as confused as the other boys. Harry just shrugged. Niall nodded into the direction Louis left. As if he wanted to tell him to look after the boy. Harry got up growling annoyed, rolling his eyes. Oh for god's sake.

Zayn's house was huge, so was the kitchen, a huge counter in the middle, surrounded by huge cabinets, all white. And Louis infront of the fridge. "You good?"

"Perfect" He answered not even looking in Harry's direction. Good. Harry was just about to walk back to the livingroom as Louis stopped him. "You want to get into Harvard right?" Harry freed himself from Louis strong grip around his wrist. Hissing a "Yes."

"Then take the deal." There was a while of silence. Louis was really small, he had to slightly lift his head to be able to look into Harry's eyes.

It was the strange feeling in Harry's belly that made him take a step back.

Okay even through the evening had been better than expected with Louis, he was still an asshole. And nothing would ever change that. "I will do everything you ask for if you do the same."

"Why?"

Louis shrugged biting his lip, "It's fun."

"And you need me." He added.

"I don't need you."