Take Me Home

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Louis was up early knowing that he had to go to school without Niall and that he and Liam were supposed to be going to speak to the head teacher to try and sort everything out.

Niall was fast asleep beside him still, curled up into a ball with his face pressed into the pillow. He chewed his lip as he remembered what the boy had told him last night, about how Keith would punish him. He knew that Liam didn't know, and he knew that he had to tell him because Keith shouldn't get away with it and Niall shouldn't have to always be scared.

So Louis gently climbed over the sleeping blond, then tucked him in properly like Liam always did, pulling the quilt up to his chin. He quickly changed into his school uniform, before heading downstairs to the kitchen where he found Liam and Zayn. Zayn seemed to be at the home much more often lately, because he was doing night shifts a lot more now. Louis was glad, he loved to have Zayn around.

Harry was sitting at the counter when he walked in, laughing at something Liam had said. Zayn was sipping on his coffee and scrolling through his phone.

Louis padded up to Liam and tugged on his arm gently.

Both Harry and Liam looked at him.

"Hey sweetie, good morning. You okay?" Liam asked, kindly.

"Um," Louis glanced around and then back up to the man. "Can I speak to you?" he whispered.

Liam smiled at him, taking him by the hand. "Of course," he told him, then waved at Harry. "Won't be a minute, Haz."

Liam led him into the sitting room, where the twins were watching TV. Louis didn't mind the twins being there. They were only really little so they wouldn't understand anyway.

"What is it, hm? If you're worried about school today then don't be, we're going to get this all sorted out, I promise."

Louis nodded at that, sitting on the couch beside the man. "It's not that. It's about Niall," he whispered, suddenly feeling guilty for telling. Niall didn't tell Liam on him.

Liam seemed to sense the turmoil and gently rubbed a hand up and down the boy's back. "What about him? Has something happened? Is this about yesterday again?"

He shook his head. "No. He - he told me somethin' at bedtime last night. A-and I don't wanna be a snitch, and I don't want him to be mad at me, but I think I hafta tell a grown up."

Liam watched him for a moment before taking both of his hands and squeezing them gently, nodding. "Well...if someone is in trouble then you should always tell an adult. It doesn't make you a snitch if you're helping somebody. And sure, Ni might be a little upset, but it won't last, not if you're helping him."

Louis chewed his lip. "He's not in trouble anymore. It's about before he came here," he began, unsure.

Liam frowned, worried. "Go on, sweetie. You can tell me," he said.

Louis relented. "He said that Keith was mean a lot, a-and that he hurted him. And - and he never sleeps on the bottom bunk 'cause he's scared of being trapped. 'Cause Keith used to lock him in a cage when he was a bad boy, and he wouldn't let him out for hours and hours," he blurted, looking up at the man with wide eyes.

"A cage?" Liam asked, his own eyes wide.

"Yeah. One for dogs."

Liam sighed, hating that the poor kid had been treated that way. "Thank you for telling me, darling. Zayn and I'll talk to him later on, hm? Don't you worry about it, okay?"

Louis nodded, feeling relieved. He only hoped Niall wouldn't be too mad at him for telling. "Okay," he said.

He prayed that he had made the right decision.