Waves of Green & Checkmates || Larry Stylinson

Chapter 4: High

By the time it's Saturday evening Louis managed to get a lot of work done.

After his semi-successful call with Roza yesterday he had lunch with Oli at their usual café while explaining the situation to his friend. He just recommended him to sit it out and wait for her to come back.. Oli is sure sooner or later she will explain the situation to him but Louis is way too impatient to just do nothing and wait. Then they had another two hours of a tutorial lecture. He was home late but apparently this time it was his turn feeding the cats. After the trouble with the phone call he had totally forgotten the note he wrote for Harry but as he was busy in Rozas kitchen, opening cans, wiping the counter and the floors, he saw it still lying in the same place where he put it Friday morning.

But as he entered the flat the next morning the note had disappeared and once again the cats had been fed already. Louis is surprised about how he always manages to miss him. Maybe he should start getting up earlier. But at the same time he can't complain about the litter box being clean and the cats being nourished.

Later Oli came over and they worked on their presentation for their Empirical course. Like Roza advised him to, they used her apartment for that. The luck was on their side because the sun was out all day. They enjoyed the golden sunshine warming their faces and providing some vitamin D that they clearly missed over the winter. During their lunch break they even sat on the balcony. It is still just the middle of March so it gets cold sitting outside for too long with just a hoodie but they enjoyed the mildly cool but sunny air which was really good to regain some energy and freshen up the thoughts.

Spring is probably his favourite season. While sitting outside enjoying a coffee and some sandwiches Oli brought with him, Louis realised for the first time that the days are finally getting warmer and brighter, the trees are starting to form sprouts again and the birds are chirping their spring anthems. People seem to be happier and everyone is feeling the spring fever.

But now that the sun has set long ago he finds himself standing in his bedroom getting ready. It's nothing new. They do it all the time. Go out, grab some beers after work, smoke some pot. But now that he knows he might not only meet up with Zayn but with Harry too, he feels different somehow. Nervous is not the right word for it but maybe unsettled. He picks out a polo shirt. The one that is more for special occasions. Louis wonders why some clothes get their time to shine only on special days. Well, to Louis, this is totally not a special occasion but just a chance to start wearing this navy polo shirt more often.

Right before leaving he puts on some cologne and checks his reflection in the mirror one last time. Zayn texted him earlier that his shift ends around ten. They both need around half an hour to get to their bar so ten minutes to ten he takes the tram into the city centre. On one of their first night outs, when they first moved to Amsterdam, they got a little bit too drunk and got lost but eventually ended up at the bar Lost in Amsterdam. It started off as just a fun joke between them but now it has established itself as their go-to sentence to get drunk: 'Wanna get lost in Amsterdam?'.

He is the first one to arrive at the lounge, so he already orders a tap beer and finds them a table at the end of the room. It's a Saturday night so naturally the place is fairly crowded but it's still cosy and not too loud. The bar has a bohemian and rustic vibe to it with acorn benches, bohemian pillows and maroon wooden tables. It is lit in a dim light, mosaic lamps hanging around the walls and there is a small cactus, a candle and an ashtray planted on every table.

"Oi oi!" A few minutes later a familiar voice calls out to get his attention.

Louis looks up from his phone and stands to hug his mate.