With Open Arms

A First Friend

Niall starts school at the same time as Liam and Harry do; the school uniform smarter than the one at his last school complete with a navy tie and grey blazer with an emblem on the breast pocket. He rolls his shoulders out uncomfortably as Louis' car shudders to a stop in front of the high school.

"Do I have to wear this thing?" He asks, hooking a finger inside of his shirt collar and tugging on it.

The man turns to look at him from the drivers seat with a small smile. "Afraid so. You need to ask for your schedule at the reception, and if you need anything at all, find Harry or ask a teacher to call home. Okay?" He says softly.

Home. Niall isn't sure whether he thinks of the house that he's been staying in as that just yet. It's still temporary.

Home isn't supposed to be temporary.

He huffs and rolls his eyes at the spiel that has been wound off to him a billion times over at this point, it seems, before nodding. He can feign annoyance all he likes...deep down, there's no disputing that he likes the way the men look out for him.

Liam stays in the car when he and Harry climb out, off to his school just a little further away.

Louis leans across to poke his head out of the window. "Have a good day, okay?" He says.

Harry smiles and nods whilst Niall takes a shuddering breath and waits for the car to drive away before he turns to face the daunting building.

It's big and white and almost sterile looking. Like a hospital. He wants to grimace at the thought. Hundreds of kids wearing the same uniform as he is bustle past and head towards the entrance; most of them huddled in groups with smiles or frowns or groans at the prospect of the summer being over.

He draws his bottom lip in as he eyes some of the passers by, wary of any guys bigger or stronger looking than he is.

Harry smiles reassuringly at him. "Don't be worried. It's not a bad school," he says softly.

Niall frowns at that, masking his expression and straightening up a little, rolling his shoulders back and grasping onto the straps of his rucksack tightly. "Not worried," he grumbles.

He can tell the older boy doesn't believe him but he doesn't take it to heart. He doesn't believe himself at this point.

And it seems so dumb. He's faced things much worse than school. So much worse. Yet here he is with his heart doing somersaults in his chest and his palms all sweaty from anxiety.

"I'll help you find your form room once we get your schedule. But then I'll have to go to my own classes so just try and find me if you need me," Harry says as they head into the building.

He can feel a few eyes on him but they glance away quickly when he glares at them. It smells like a hospital, like a newly cleaned bathroom or something.

He wants out already and he's barely stepped inside.

Every other school he'd been in has been different to this. Uniform rules weren't so strict and the teachers didn't care. There would be fights in every hall and the entire place would be filthy.

This place is none of the above. A lot of people seem to walk by him with their noses in the air.

"Is everyone here so stuck up?" He mumbles as Harry leads him over to the reception desk.

Harry laughs at that and shakes his head. "Most of us are normal," he says, and Niall just glances over his shoulder warily once they get to the desk and the receptionist prints his schedule. Harry takes it for him, eyes scanning over the paper. "Okay. You're in G116, that's Geography. So if you head down this hall and then turn right, it's the door that says 116 on the front," he explains.