Graduation (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 5: Lecture Hall

Chapter 5: Lecture Hall.

[Writer’s P.O.V.]

The weekend passed without major incident. Harry was constantly knocking on Liam’s, Zayn’s and Niall’s doors to ask if they had seen, found or spoke to Louis, but they were just as mystified as him as to where he was. Zayn and Liam invited their girlfriends over on Sunday and there was pizza, but Harry was definitely quieter, almost down in the dumps. Niall noticed and felt bad for him. It wasn’t like Harry.

Louis had holed himself up in his grotty room and cried for most of the weekend. He had realised in the short space of a few days that he liked a boy who was completely different to him, he had confessed to that boy how he felt about him, and was on the cusp of something great when he kicked a football into his beautiful face. Louis called his mom and cried down the phone but she couldn’t quite pick out the trails of the story because he only told her bits and pieces. He was barely ready to admit to himself that he liked a boy, let alone his mother. She would have been supportive, no doubt, but it’s not something you drop out of the blue sky. There’s a lead-in, and it wasn’t the right time.

Monday morning was bright and sunny when it finally arrived. Louis had been kicking a football around by himself on the deserted pitch when dawn broke. He had barely slept over the weekend. The boys had a big lecture today straight after breakfast. Lectures contained the whole year group (140+ bodies) in a big theatre and there was no room for conversation, jokes, quips or digs when you’re sitting in tightly packed rows with two hundred other students taking notes. Louis pondered furiously for endless hours overnight about how to deal with the awkward situation. Harry probably thought he was an utter twat by now, so maybe it was best to just keep a low profile? Louis thought about not turning up, he thought about apologising, he thought about visiting the boys (which would have been the better option), he even thought about leaving the degree! He was convinced that he had ruined everything so in his sulk he had decided to stay out of the way.

Harry slipped on his skinny jeans, sheer shirt and boots in the rays of sun coming in through his veiled window on Monday morning. He looked into the mirror as he tied his hair into a bun and crunched his stomach muscles to calm down the swopping butterflies. His facial injury was long gone… and he was now utterly desperate to talk to Louis Tomlinson.

Harry was one for a good ponder and he had time to process events over the weekend: a brave soul had come to Harry out of nowhere with his heart in his hand, and this brave soul was sassy, fit, supportive, funny and caring (from what Harry could gather anyway). Harry was a softie and knew that he would be careful with whatever else landed in his hands. The signs were good so far that the curiosity was mutual...

Wait, what?!

Harry told himself not to be so serious; I mean, they hadn’t even had a proper conversation yet! But his caution wasn’t working. The urgency that had bubbled up over the weekend to open a conversation with this boy was far too strong now. Harry had to let Louis Tomlinson know as soon as possible that his injury was okay, that he knew it was an accident, and that he still wanted to meet up to chat. It made his blood rush to his crotch just thinking about it.

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Louis entered the huge lecture Hall early on purpose that morning (having decided to go after all) so there were very few people there. He ran stealthily across the stage and sat on the very far end of the front row so he was hidden away and could make a quick exit by lunchtime.

The minutes ticked by and the theatre became full with bustling bodies and chatting voices. No wonder the lecturer needed a microphone! Louis had his eyes on the entrance the whole time as his skin was burning up with prickly humiliation. The three boys had been lovely to him - as had Harry - and he had repaid them by kicking one of them in the face and not even apologising. It was only now did he realise his mistake by sulking over the weekend - he had come off looking really bad.