no homo // larry stylinson ⚣

Act I: Scene Seven

ACT I
— Scene 7 —
P O V :  L O U I S

Grace was sat on my bed, her chin in her hand, while I rummaged through the clothes in my drawers. Trousers, socks, t-shirts. Everything was a jumbled mess. I wasn't a particularly organised person. If clothes ever went through the wash, they'd almost immediately be thrown in a random drawer. I wouldn't be able to find that certain item for ages.

I had three piles. Clothes to bin, clothes to donate, and clothes I wanted to bring with me to London. As I sorted through my stuff, I noticed that the "donate" pile was the largest. I had quite the strange fashion sense when I was a teenager.

When Grace was actually helping me pack, she found one of my most treasured outfits from when I was nineteen. It was possibly the most awkward outfit ever to be put together, but I used to love it so much that it was folded neatly inside a paper bag.

"Holy shit," Grace laughed, "Louis, I just found the most attractive outfit on earth."

Since it had been a few years since I wore it, I wasn't sure what she was talking about. "Let me see," I pleaded. Before I knew it, she was giggling and running through the hallway with this bag. "Wait, one minute!" she screamed, before locking herself in the bathroom.

I sighed and went back to my room. What was she up to now?

Only a few minutes later, I heard hysterical laughter from the bathroom. "What the hell are you doing in there?" I shouted. She replied the same way she had before, "Wait a minute!"

Before I knew it, she came out of the bathroom and ran into my room. She wore red trousers, a blue and white striped shirt, and suspenders. My mouth dropped. We both started laughing so hard that tears left our eyes.

Grace started pulling on the suspenders and dancing awkwardly, which was strangely accurate to how I used to. I used to show up to frat parties like that, Jesus Christ.

"Take that off right now and throw it in the bin," I said to Grace.

Grace's bottom lip stuck out, "Aww, no! You can't get rid of this goldie. At least keep it for the memories."

I sighed, "I guess."

"We should have a fourth pile, for all of the clothes I can keep and make fun of," she said. "It would be a great conversation starter with my new roommate!"

I cringed, "You know what, why don't I bring it with me. I don't need any more embarrassment."

---

It was getting late, and Grace and I were finished packing. I had filled up three suitcases and one small bag. My room looked so empty, and all that was left was my bed, desk, dresser, and bookshelf, which all belonged to the school. I wouldn't be needing furniture anyways, because the flat I bought was already furnished. I'm glad I chose a furnished flat, because my interior decorating skills were awful.

"Is that everything?" Grace asked from the kitchen, where she was preparing supper.

"I think so," I shouted back, putting my hands on my hips as I stood back to admire the sight in front of me. A part of me liked the minimalistic look that was left, and I made a note to myself to decorate in a similar way in my new house. It felt like, the fewer decorations and clutter in my room, the calmer and more at ease I felt.

I walked to the kitchen as Grace was setting the table.

"Pizza!" I exclaimed as I inhaled the familiar scent. Grace chuckled, "Since this is your last meal here, I wanted to make it special."

I smiled and thanked her as she put our plates down and sat at the table. As we began to eat, a particular memory popped into my head.

"Grace, remember that time in freshman year when we went to that pizza place," I started. Grace started to laugh, covering her mouth so the pizza wouldn't fall out.

"And we forgot to pay?" Grace pointed her finger at me excitedly at the memory. I nodded.

Grace swallowed and continued, "And then they banned us from the store, what a shame. I liked that place."

I grinned, "Your pizza is much better, though," I pointed out, shrugging playfully. She smiled, agreeing.

"And at least I can put vegan cheese on my pizza here. I got tired of cheeseless pizza quite quickly," Said Grace. I nodded.

We ate our food in silence until Grace spoke up again. "I'm really going to miss you, you know," She said solemnly.  I sent her a weak smile.

"I know you will, and I will too. Just remember that whenever you need me, I'm still here. Not physically, but I'll make sure to text you every day and call you every once and awhile," I promised.

She nodded and we both finished our pizza. When we were done, she pushed her plate full of uneaten crust towards me. It was just like in that very pizza place from freshman year. The day I found out Grace doesn't like the crust. More importantly, the first day I truly felt at home in Newcastle, the place I would be leaving the next morning.

We finished our food, putting our plates in the sink without talking much. Both of us were so lost in our thoughts. Finally, Grace spoke up, "Louis?"

"Yeah?" I asked. "Can I sleep in your room tonight? It'll be like a sleepover!" She exclaimed, sounding like a kid given candy.

I chuckled, "Sure, just don't steal the blanket."

We got into our pyjamas and got ready for bed. I had a long day ahead of me, so I knew I needed to get a decent amount of sleep.

We both slipped into the bed and talked for a bit. Soon, we were so exhausted that we both drifted off to sleep.

---

"Well, that's everything," I said, closing the trunk. I squinted up at the sky, where the sun shown through the grey clouds. There was a soft breeze sweeping the air, not uncommon in a British summer day.

Grace placed my coffee in the cup holder: An iced coffee from Starbucks, my favourite.

I huffed, thanking her. She grinned, trying to look happy despite the redness in her eyes. We stared at each other for a few moments, and I could feel my vision start to blur with tears. She finally chuckled, wiping her eyes and stretching out her arms for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. We stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away.

Grace helped me load my things into my trunk, and I climbed into the driver's seat.

"Text me when you get there, and don't forget to update me on everything," She said, tears starting to fall down her face. "Don't worry, I will," I reassured her, giving her a sad smile.

We said our final goodbyes, and soon I was on the road.

AN: Ok pretty uneventful, yet essential chapter. Louis is on his way to London... I wonder what will happen next... 👀
— Ava and Melina