The Fires of Spring (Larry AU)

f i v e

"What the fuck is a ShaBam?"

Harry smiles and says, "Niall drags Liam every year, I'm sure you'll go, too. See you tonight." Then Harry turns on his heels and is heading back to the teacher for an individual session.

Louis huffs and goes back to stamping.

He decides Harry is a beautiful fucking spawn of satan, and that's all there is to it.

****

When school is let out, Louis heads to the parking lot to find Liam leaning by Niall's car while Niall is talking to Olly.

"Hey," Louis says as he approaches. "What is ShaBam?"

"Where'd you here about ShaBam?" Liam asks as he unlocks Niall's car.

"Harry told me. He assumed I was going." Louis jumps into the backseat with Olly, as Niall and Liam claim the front seats.

"Oh, well-" Liam suddenly cuts off, and sniffs rather loudly.

"What is it?" Niall asks, looking frightened.

"Niall." Liam scolds, "Were you smoking pot today?"

Niall cringes into his seat and frantically starts shaking his head. "No, no. I don't know what you're talking about."

Louis takes a whiff and he can smell nothing, and he looks to Olly to see he is just as confused as Louis is. But Liam's faces scrunches together and he says, "You've been acting weird lately, Niall. Who have you been hanging out with?"

Niall huffs and yells, "No one! It's my car, so drive!"

"Stop yelling!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Anyway," Louis says loudly. "What is ShaBam and are we going?"

Niall snorts. "Of course we're going."

Liam nods. "It's like this thing all the kids do before spring break. You realize you came a week before spring break? Not a good decision. Anyways, yeah. It's down at the lake. It's, like, a bonfire and I don't know. It's fun, I guess."

"You guess?" Niall screeches.

Liam rolls his eyes. "You practically drag me every year."

"That's what Harry said." Louis pipes from the back. "But on a more interesting topic, why are we not talking about the fact that Harry likes me? He likes me and I like him."

"How do you know that?" Olly asks.

 "Because last night! I tried to tell you guys, I did. Liam here didn't believe me! I told you that when I left the club Harry told me that he likes me and he wants to have like a relationship with me and feed me food or whatever."

Liam rolls his eyes. "Louis, Harry just isn't the best person for you to date. Like, I know I'm not one to judge or anything. But. We've known Harry longer than you have. His family isn't stable at all."

Louis stares at Liam in disbelief. "Seriously? You can seriously say that? Liam if you haven't noticed, my family isn't exactly put together. Neither is yours."

Liam slows the car down. Niall and Olly lean back as if they are trying to shrink back and stay out of the conversation. "What?" Liam asks quietly.

"I have a broken family and so do you. You can't just act like nothing is happening, it's been happening for seven years now, Liam."

"Get out." Liam stops the car and unlocks the door.

"Are you serious?"

Liam nods tightly and Louis looks to Niall in panic, but Niall looks just as scared as Louis feels Louis shakes his head and hitches his bag over his shoulder, then slowly climbs out of the car. As soon as Louis slams the door, Liam speeds off down the street.