The Brother I Never Wanted (Larry AU)

Chapter 12

Hey, guys!! :D

How are you all? Sorry about the random updates. I've been trying to keep a constant update schedule, but clearly I am failing . . .

I'll try to keep my updates as close to one week as possible, but we will see. I know how frustrating it is to get into a book and then have the author not update for months. I'm really trying not to be that author lol.

Anyway . . . That picture though ^^^ I laughed way too fucking hard at that when I found it. It's beautiful.

Haha. Enjoy.
- Sparks <3

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"Mr. Tomlinson, could you spare a few moments?

The swarm of students around him file out, obnoxiously loud as they gossip and whine on about today's lesson. A couple of them shoot him snickers as he passes, obviously having heard their teacher call him aside, and Louis rolls his eyes irritably. This has been happening to him all day. It's nearly the last week of school and his teachers have been pulling his aside, beaming about how good of a student he is and how they're so proud of their most impressionable student. Apparently the news of his scholarship has gotten out. It's honestly kind of tedious. The praise was nice at first, but it loses meaning when all of them say the same thing.

Louis shovels his books into his bag and scoots in his chair under the desk, nudging up his glasses. As soon as the door at the front of the room closes, the air is engulfed in a warm silence that's pleasing to the ears. This is his last class of the day thankfully, so he just has to muster another speech before he goes to footie practice.

"I think I can spare a few moments," he mutters, weaving his way between the desks to the front where his teacher is sitting calmly in his chair, one leg crossed over the other.

He's a balding man of about fifty with silver hair and a scruffy beard that makes him want to take a razor to it while he's sleeping. He always thought beards were horribly gross with how bristly the hairs are and how easy it is to get food stuck in it. A little stubble is something he can live with though. In fact, he thinks he looks more mature with a light dusting on his own chin, but full on beards make him cringe. His teacher lowers his small glasses, sharp grey eyes peering over the rim and a small smile decorating his lips.

"Ah, Mr. Tomlinson. Doing alright? Are you excited about the fact school's almost over? I heard you got a full ride to London University. That's very impressive."

Louis hums out a soft sigh. "That's correct, sir. I'm going to be a Chemistry major."

His smile deepens. "That's quite the ambitious career, Louis. You must be very proud." Louis nods. "Good. You've definitely earned it. You're a diligent worker, and I thought I'd congratulate you. I can't say I won't miss one of my best students."

It's always the same. Always the same meaning, same words - just in a different order. Louis wonders how much trouble he'd get in if he rolled his eyes right now. Probably not much. As they all say, he's the "best". It genuinely doesn't help his case of being at the very bottom of the social chain at school.

"Thanks, Mr. Hurley. That means a lot." Louis throws in a fake grin just to sugarcoat it. "I can dedicate some of the success to my amazing teachers."

Mr. Hurley places his glasses back on his nose and sits forward, rifling through the papers on his desk. The smile is still present on his face, and when his fingers stop on a stack of papers, he knows what's coming. He groans softly. Thankfully, he doesn't catch it, pulling out the top packet from under the rubber band and offering it out for Louis to take.