Chemistry (L.T.)

Chapter 15

Alexia POV

I go back downstairs and spot Leah. Harry, however, is nowhere to be found. Still frazzled from my encounter with Louis, I make my way towards my new found friend. 

"Leah?"

"Oh hey Alexia, did you find the bathroom okay? It can be a maze up there for sure!"

"Uh ya..is Harry around?" I ask shyly, figuring if anyone knew why Louis Tomlinson seemed to know his way around the Styles house it would be Harry.

"He actually just had to step out for a minute.  Had some family business to attend to.  Are you all right, you look like you've seen a ghost. "

"Well, I just saw Louis Tomlinson upstairs in the hallway,  I wondered if Harry knew  he was here."

Its now Leah's turn to turn pale and I can tell by the look of surprise on her face that this was the last thing she expected me to ask. 

"I...I don't know why he would be here.  That seems very out of the ordinary, but perhaps he was looking for some Chemistry help? I'll let Harry know you saw him." 

Although Leah's answer is given with plenty of confidence, I have some suspicion due to her reaction when I asked.  I decide to leave it, that kind of question is something that I would ask the culprit himself.  If he ever showed up to work on our project. 

I give Leah a smile, and decide since the open house is winding down it was as good a time as ever to head out.  Besides, Niall had wanted to get together tonight and I couldn't help but admit that I was excited to spend some more time with him. 

"I think I'm gonna head out Leah, but it was really nice talking to you.  I'll look forward to our coffee date!" I say and give Leah a hug. 

"Thanks for coming! I'll do Harry's job since he ran off." We both laugh and agree that we would meet up later this week. 

As I leave the Styles' mansion, I shoot Niall a text.

Just finished my open house.  Wanna meet up? :)

He replies within seconds.

Of course! See you in a few!

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Louis POV

I storm down the stairs not even caring if I were to draw the attention of the sea of nerds that are below me.  Lucky me, not a single one looks up.  Well, except for the one that I need to see me, he looks at me straight in the eyes. 

"Harry." I say in a voice low enough to avoid catching the attention of the entire room, but with enough force that he knows that we need to talk.  I see Leah give him a sideways glance and I can tell that they are upset I interrupted their little get together. 

"Louis" Harry lays a firm hand on my arm.  "Let's go outside"

I let Harry half drag me out of the house and once we have rounded the corner to the backyard, I let him have it.

"What is she doing here?" I almost growl.  I feel my fists clench, and although I would never hurt Harry in a million years, to an observer it would look as though I was about to beat him to a crisp. 

"Louis, calm down, I told you she might be here.  You were the one out of place for the record."  As much as I hate to admit it, Harry is right.  He had told me that the open house was happening and it he hadn't even had to say it for me to make the connection that she would show up.  Of course she would, that too good, smart--- "Louis, what happened, I don't even know what happened to make you so upset"

"I saw her, she was upstairs and she saw me" I say.

"And did you say anything to her? Why you were there?" Harry prods.

"Of course not Harry.  The only person who knows outside of your own family is Leah, and she's practically family anyway." I sigh, frustrated by Harry.  He had never fully understood why I chose to keep my situation a secret.  Maybe that stemmed from the fact that he had always known who he was, and had been confident in his personality.  Harry never doubted himself, or worried about fitting in.  So he didn't understand how detrimental something like the truth would be after I worked for so long to achieve the sense of belonging I now had- at least externally. 

"So let me guess, you acted like your typical douschebag self and then ran down here?"

I sigh.  Harry knows me too well. "Yea, pretty much mate. Did you plan this?" I ask, knowing that Harry and Leah always had tricks up their sleeves, especially since they shared a strong dislike for Erica. 

"No, Lou.  But I kinda wish I had.  When I sent her up there to use the bathroom, I honestly forgot you were even there."

 "Wow" I say.  Sometimes I think Harry thinks of me as more of a chore than an actual friend. 

"What is going on between you and her, you never let girls get to you and Alexia gets under your skin every minute of the day?"

Harry brings up a good point.  I was not the type of person to care that a girl saw me somewhere, or that she was dating some soccer player that I knew was maybe not the best boyfriend.  I didn't let people that meant so little to be get under my skin, but yet here I was once again venting to Harry about the same girl.  There was something different about her..and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  Alexia just....I stop myself before I go to that thought.  That was something I wasn't going to even admit to myself and most definitely not to Harry.

"Nothing." I respond coldly.  "She is just one of the most annoying people that I've ever met." But I was having trouble even convincing myself that this was the real reason. 

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