I love you to the Circinus Constellation and Back

Chapter thirteen

Louis had to return to the kitchen after the talent show to clean it for a punishment for punching Nick. Harry really wanted to go help him but Joel wouldn't let him, claiming it was Louis' punishment, not his. So instead Harry trudged back to the cabin, right arm slung over Liam's shoulder and left arm around Niall's. The four boys laughed with their arms draped over one another, and didn't let go until they reach the door of the cabin.

The boys all slumped onto Liam's bunk and wrapped themselves in his large, fuzzy blanket. Harry wished Louis were there because it felt like a moment Harry would remember forever.

"Alright guys. We need to start planning out how our friendships will last until next year." Niall voiced the thought all the boys were having.

Liam shifted. "Well I live in Wolverhampton."

Zayn squeezed in closer to Niall because he was slipping off the edge of the mattress. "Yeah, and I'm from Bradford."

Niall nodded. "Okay. Well both me and Harry live in Holmes Chapel."

"Wait ... then how do you have an Irish accent?" Liam asked.

Niall nodded, having to have answered this question a lot in his life, and looked at Liam. "I was born in Ireland but moved to Holmes Chapel when I was six months old and was neighbors with Harry. My parents and brother all had strong Irish accents so I picked up on it at home. Then we moved back to Ireland for two years when I was five so when I came back the accent just kinda stuck."

Liam nodded. "Yeah, I was just wondering because I can tell your accent is Irish, but its like, a British Irish, if that's even a thing."

Niall laughed. "Now it is."

Harry waved his hands trying to get the boys back on the topic. "Well its only about an hour from Wolverhampton to Holmes Chapel and like an hour and a half from Bradford to Holmes Chapel so we could like see each other on long weekends or something."

All the boys nodded, happiness coating their eyes, before Zayn spoke up. "What about Louis?"

"Well he lives in Doncaster and that's about two or so hours away, a little far from Holmes Chapel." Harry sighed, realizing yet again that it would be difficult to see Louis during the school year.

The boys all shrugged, their hopes lowering slightly, but of course Niall couldn't stand to not smile. "Guys, come on! Zayn is an hour and half away, Louis is only a half an hour further. That's not that bad. We might not be able to see each other on every long weekend, but during holiday breaks we definitely can."

Liam, Zayn, and Harry picked up on Niall's optimism and smiled, agreeing with the blonde lad, but they all seemed to know how difficult it was going to be to see each other.

"And besides," Niall piped up again, "It's not like we live in the 20s. Ever heard of group chats!?"

The other boys started laughing. Leave it to Niall to have the smart ideas.

"We'll exchange numbers when Louis gets back." Liam decided and everyone nodded.

That's when it dawned on Harry – he hadn't gotten Louis' number yet. That felt a little weird.

* * *

Harry didn't know how he ended up in Zayn's bed.

Louis still hadn't returned when it was time to go to sleep and Harry was already practically unconscious. He remembered that he tried to climb the bunk ladder, but his legs failed and he ended up on the floor. The next thing he knew, he was under covers in a bunk much closer to the floor, looking across from Louis', and before he had time to question it he was out like a light.