Student Athlete

6

It's October now and homecoming is just around the corner. Normally, Louis'd find homecoming lame and wouldn't go, but he's a senior now. He figures that since it's his last year in high school, he might as well do everything. 

The only other time he went to homecoming was freshman year. Everyone else was going and it was their first event as high schoolers, so Louis decided to tag along. Worse decision. His mom stuffed him into a scratchy suit and he ate questionable finger-food. He ended up meeting Stan there and they hit it off quite well. Louis'll admit that maybe that's why he doesn't like the night too much. Homecoming was pretty much Louis and Stan's first 'date' together. 

"So, who're you taking to the dance," Louis asks. It's lunchtime and Louis' gotten used to having Harry around at this point. He still gets a few butterflies, but it's not as bad as before. His crush hasn't gone away at all, though. 

"I'm going with Leigh-Anne. You know the one," Zayn answers. He takes a bite of his lunch and smirks knowingly at Louis. Louis knows that Zayn's been crushing on Leigh-Anne for a while now. Louis' glad that he's finally got up the nerve to ask her out. 

"She's the one with big curly hair and nice eyebrows," Harry asks. 

Louis inhales a bite of his lunch and almost chokes. He's never heard a guy specifically notice a girl's eyebrows before. Sure, Louis' heard other girls point out girl's eyebrows, but he's never heard it come out of a guy's mouth before. Louis figures that complimenting eyebrows seems nicer to do than a girl's ass or boobs though. 

"Yeah? I don't really notice her eyebrows, but I figure her's are nice? She's got a nice ass, though," Zayn comments. Case in point. "What about you, Louis, who're you taking to the dance?" 

In all honesty, Louis hasn't thought about it. Of course, he wants to take Harry. Louis' not entirely sure if he's going to be able to work up the nerve to actually ask Harry, so he figures that he should have a back-up plan. He hasn't picked out a back-up plan yet either. Louis knows that if he doesn't tell Zayn something, then Zayn'll pick one of Leigh Anne's friends and that's the last thing Louis wants to do. 

"Probably your mom," Louis teases. Louis catches Harry smile out of the corner of his eye. Zayn grumbles and flips Louis off. Getting flipped off is totally worth seeing Harry smile. Louis laughs and leans into Harry slightly. 

"Fuck off, dude. Seriously, who're you taking? I think you two should go. You got those secret looks going on and can I feel you guys eye-fucking each other. Even if you both try to deny your secret feelings for one another, you can go just to fuck with Stan," Zayn jokes. 

Louis knows that Zayn's only half-joking. Zayn knows not to push Louis too much and make him uncomfortable, but this is Zayn's way of telling Louis he needs to just ask Harry. Zayn does have a point, though, taking Harry would piss Stan off a lot. Louis' not sure if he wants to piss Stan off. He's abusive and manipulative and Louis'd be lying if he said Stan didn't scare him a little. 

Now or never. Even if Harry says no, then Louis can pretend like he was joking. He sucks in a breath and dramatically gets on the floor. He plucks a flower out of the ground and holds it up to Harry. Louis' glad that nobody comes out here, so nobody'll see him. 

"Will you, Harry Styles, be my date to the homecoming dance," Louis asks. He pushes his voice up an octave and winks at Harry dramatically. Harry goes along with it and pretends to think for a little bit. 

"Hmm, the thought's nice, but no," Harry says. He shrugs and turns around coyly. 

Louis grabs his chest as if he's been shot. Under the dramatic acting, Louis does feel like he's been shot. He tries not to take the rejection hard as he stands and takes his spot next to Harry again. He hopes that Harry just said no jokingly and didn't actually mean it. Maybe Louis'll ask Harry in private later. 

"So, Harry, you taking anyone to the dance," Zayn asks. Harry blushes and looks down. Louis' heart drops. 

Who could Harry be going with? Harry always jokes about not having any friends, so how's he managed to find someone to go to homecoming with? Louis' mouth goes dry and he shuts down. He can't believe it. How could someone beat Louis to it? 

"Oh, Mr. Styles got himself a date! Well, who is it? I'm assuming it's not a girl," Zayn teases. Harry rolls his eyes. Louis wants to leave the conversation altogether, but he'd be lying if he said he's not a little interested in who Harry's taking. 

"Just some guy," Harry replies. 

"Gonna have to start calling you Mr. Styles the Manizer now, huh? Taking random guys to dances with you," Louis sasses. He bites his lip after the comment slips past him. He doesn't mean anything by it, but he can hear the snide undertone laced in his words. He's a little bitter, he'll admit. 

Harry glances at Louis with a heartbroken expression. They hold eye contact for a couple of seconds before Harry turns back to Zayn and messes with the front cover of one of his textbooks. "Ed Sheeran," Harry answers. 

"Ed Sheeran? Fruit Loop? Hmm, didn't expect that one," Zayn jokes. Louis can tell that Zayn's trying to lighten the mood, but it's not working. They sit in silence for the rest of lunch. 

When the bell rings, Harry's the first to dash off. Louis can see Harry wipe his eyes as he re-enters the cafeteria.