Chemistry (L.T.)

Chapter 33

Alexia POV

I pull away from Louis, sensing the change in temperature from being pulled away from his chest. I stare at his eyes for a moment, my own bloodshot eyes reflecting out of his crystalline ones.  He doesn't say anything and I don't either for a minute.  I feel my emotions begin to return to somewhat of a balance, almost as if his presence had a calming effect on me.  

"I should probably get back to my room. Marie will wonder where on earth I've run off to." I say slowly, hesitant to let this moment pass and return to the time where Louis and I acted like the other didn't exist.  I begin to stand, feeling my legs shake below me. I pull my sweatshirt down to cover my waist, and reach down to pick up my backpack that I had thrown beside me.  

Louis stands beside me, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as well.  He stands there awkwardly for a moment as though he isn't sure what to do next. "I guess I'll head back then." I say, trying to give him the hint that he was okay to leave. 

He doesn't move.  "Can I walk you back?" His voice quivers as he says this and I watch his eyes shift to the ground nervously, his foot kicking around a rock on the rough, gray asphalt.  

"You don't have to do that." I look at him softly.  "I'm not going to like fall onto the ground crying again or anything." I try to stifle a small awkward laugh, but Louis doesn't crack a smile.  

"It's not a problem.  No one should have to be alone when they are upset." He looks off distantly, as if he is having a flashback of his own.  I nod accepting his company and we begin to walk towards my residence hall slowly.  

I keep my head down as we go, not wanting anyone to see me in the state that I am in.  Not wanting anyone to ask if I was okay.  Louis doesn't say anything either, but he walks beside me.  His shoulder inches from my own. There was something comforting about knowing that someone was walking next to me, hearing the soft thump of our feet in synch as we walked across the pavement.  The walk seemed longer than it ever had before, and I began to quicken my pace.  Louis notices but stays silent, only widening his strides to keep in line with my own.  

When we arrive at my building I expect Louis to stop and go his own seperate way.  Instead he reaches for the door and pulls it opening, holding it for me as I walk through the doorway.  We walk the stairs to my room, stopping at the door for a moment.

"It will be okay Alexia, I promise" Louis says with the most sincere smile I've ever seen his lips form.  Its not sarcastic, its not judging, its just full of comfort.  Out of no where I feel his arms reach around me, my head once again nuzzled into the warm chest of his grey sweatshirt.  

I pull away, and somehow only have the strengh to pull a humble thank you from my lips.  

"Anytime" He says and I reach to open the door.  "I'll see you later Alexia"

"See you later" I smile softly.  As I step inside the door, I see Marie sitting at her desk, earbuds poking out of her ears, the soft buzz of music coming from them.  She glances up at me at first and then returns to her books.  But a moment later her music is pulled out of her eyes and her full attention is on me.  

"What's wrong? What happened?" Her voice full of concern.

I sit down on my bed and Marie plops down beside me.  I sigh.

"Nothing really." She looks at me unconvinced.

"Your eyes are bloodshot and puffy, something's up." I guess it was just as obvious as I had feared. 

"I just had a breakdown after I got my Chemistry test back. I think I had just built everything up so much over the past few weeks and then not doing well on that was like the tip of the iceberg."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks soothingly.

Did I want to talk about it? After sitting with Louis I wasn't feeling as badly about it anymore.  I'm sure the panic would return, it wasn't something that I could just forget about it.  But I had come to accept it, almost like a sense of calm had come over me.  Was that all from Louis?

"Actually, I kind of already did." I say. Marie is silent for a moment, and even though I'm not looking at her, I can imagine her face scrunched up with confusion, with three prominent wrinkles forming on her forward.  

"With who?" She asks.  Did I want to tell her the answer? Would it only confused me more than I already was?

"Umm...Louis actually"

"You let Louis talk to you? You talked to Louis?" Shock fills her voice.  After the night at Niall's party and the events following I had told Marie that I would not speak to Louis again.  

"I didn't ask him to or anything but he just came after me when he saw that I was upset and he just sat there and I don't know I'm just more confused than ever about him Marie."

"What's to be confused about Alexia? Its obvious that he is a good guy.  You just had to dig a bit to uncover the treasure." 

"I know but..."

"What guy volunteers to take you back home when your wasted just to make sure you get home okay, or to check on you just because your face looks upset? I think he has demonstrated that he's not just some ass trying to mess with you Alexia.  He is actually caring, and if I didn't know any better I'd say he cares about you." She looks at me with those eyes that only a good friend can.  The kind of eyes that say that they know they are right and that you should just listen to them already. 

"I know I was wrong about him.  I've been wrong about everything." I say, and I feel my voice begin to crack again.  Marie gives me a hug and I feel my heart rate begin to slow again. 

"Then start being right about something, be right about Louis Tomlinson."

***************

A bit of a fluff chapter but I have some exciting things planned for the next few! 

What should Alexia and Louis's ship name be? Any ideas?

Thanks for reading and voting!