Chapter 10

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One month later
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"Hey, little freak faggot!" A voice called out, and I turned around from making my way to the dorms from the training centre. I'd stayed late, to be awarded with a surprise to tell the boys. Team 55 (who were currently on watch-out), were standing there, sneering.
"Got no one to protect you now, have you?" Steve spat. "I told you I'd kill you, and I mean it."
"You want to try that?" I smirked, knowing that Harry would see what was going on. When he was reading, he would sit in the window, and he'd promised to read some extra material until I got back.
"Well, yeah." They threw something at me, and I caught it effortlessly. It was the amulet.
"Oh, no." I drawled. "Whatever am I going to do now?" Their faces turned confused. "Don't look even more stupid than you already do, it's quite hideous."
"You need to learn some manners." They stalked over, but I just watched them, not even dropping the amulet. "No fellow fags to save your little neck."
"Shame." I inspected my nails.
"You going to try running? Like the coward you are?" Steve challenged.
"You want me to run? Scared?"
"You wish." Xavier Whiteberry hissed.
"You managed two words. Honestly, I'm impressed. You've reached new levels." I eyed them with no fear.
"Stupid tw*t!" Steve lunged at me, but there was a crack before he even got within a metre of me, and Steve went flying, blood streaming after him.
"I must have missed. My hand's too dirty to try again." Liam stared after him. "What a shame."
"You know, Li, I think my eyes are going to burn. We should go." I grinned at him.
"They are hideous, aren't they?" Liam smiled back, and we both turned, walking back to the dorms. Footsteps ran after us, and we both neatly sidestepped the attack without glancing over our shoulders, letting the four of Steve's team members fall to the ground.
"I'm so glad they're in the other dorm." I sighed as we went up in the lift.
"I don't know, there's still a bit of a smell." Liam said dryly as he unlocked the front door, making me laugh.
"Hey, babe." Harry walked over, giving me a kiss. "Li, thanks."
"No problem. Hand's filthy, though." Liam's eyes sparkled with amusement as Harry kissed him as well. "Where's Nialler and Z?"
"Here. Niall went to grab a book, I think." Zayn came out of his room. "You're doing him good, Lou."
"It's useful stuff." I giggled, stretching out on the sofa, muscles aching. "When will he be back?"
"Soon, why?" Zayn asked as they sat down as well.
"Nothing." I knew I was giving something away by the wide grin on my face, but I kept my lips sealed.
"You've got something really exciting to tell us, but you're going to make us wait? You're cruel." Harry rolled his eyes, leaning his head on my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his curls as we waited, until the door opened and Niall came in, taking in our faces.
"What's the surprise?" Niall sighed exaggeratedly, taking his shoes off and putting them by the door.
"Well, Mr. Banks might or might not..." I broke down into laughter, glee making my voice crack.
"What?" Liam prompted.
"He thought I was good at archery."
"You're fab, babe." Harry looked up at me proudly.
"So..." Zayn asked.
"So, I may or may not have been offered a place in the team for the nationals?"
"Really?" They all gasped, and I nodded.
"That's amazing!" Liam smiled.
"Told you, you're really good." Niall said softly, giving me a hug.
"When's that?" Harry asked.
"February." I grinned at the floor, happiness surging through me.
"I'm so proud of you." Harry murmured as he pulled me into a huge hug.
"Thanks." I giggled, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"You'll do amazing." Zayn told me. "I don't need to be a prophet to tell that."
"You'll need your own bow. Why don't we go to the city at the weekend, and you can choose one?" Liam offered.
"I - I can't." I looked down at my hands, playing with them.
"Why not?" Niall asked.
"I don't have any money." I sighed.
"Well, we'll buy you one." Harry said simply.
"You can't do that!"
"If we buy one anyway, we won't use it, so you might as well have it." Zayn smirked, kissing me as though to finish the discussion.
"But, they're probably really expensive..." I complained.
"The really good ones are, but you don't need a professional one just yet. A fairly good one will be around three hundred, but that's fine. We can all chip in." Liam said thoughtfully. "Bet, if we pulled a few strings, we could get a better one for the same price. I think Lela owes me still. That can be her repayment."
"Three hundred what?" I asked.
"Pounds, of course." Harry smiled up at me.
"Like, normal pounds?"
"We don't have a different money system, it'd be too much work." Niall told me.
"B-but that's loads!" I gasped.
"Not really. We don't spend a lot." Liam looked up sharply at me from where he was texting. "Lou, I never got your phone number, did I?"
"I don't have a phone." I said. "Damn, I didn't have clothes until I got here."
"We're going shopping." Harry declared. "Whether you like it or not."
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So, when Saturday morning rose, I found myself awoken early by Zayn. "Get up, Louis, we're going out, remember?" Zayn kissed me, trying to get me to wake up.
"Five minutes?" I pleaded, holding my arms for a hug. Zayn smiled down at me, but didn't give in.
"I'll get you out by force." He warned.
"Uh..." I rolled over, stretching. "Two minutes."
"Nope." Zayn wrapped his arms around me, lifting me from my bed and carrying me to the lounge.
"Looking adorable, Lou!" Niall laughed as I glared, ruined by the fact I was still half asleep.
"You're too cute." Liam laughed. They were all in their onesies as well, so I wasn't too far behind schedule.
"I'm not cute." I yawned, as Zayn sat down with me in his lap.
"You are." Zayn smirked. Instead of arguing, I flopped down onto his chest.
"Here." Harry walked out of the kitchen, holding a tray with five mugs and a huge stack of toast on it. "I'll bring out everything else in a moment." Niall jumped up, going to help him, as Liam and Zayn got a plate each, Zayn handing me one.
"Wake up, sleepy head." Zayn pressed a kiss to my hair. "You know how good Harry's cooking is."
"Yeah..." I mumbled, blinking sleepily. "I'm awake..."
"How come you're so tired, Lou?" Harry asked as he walked back into the lounge, carrying a tray with some bowls on. As he set them down, it was revealed that they were tomato, mushroom and beans. Niall was carrying another, with plates of egg and bacon.
"Nice, Haz." Liam grinned. "So, Louis... Why?"
"I was reading last night."
"Did you have a nightmare?" Harry asked, concerned.
"You were all asleep." I defended myself. "I didn't want to wake you up, not when we were going out."
"You could have just got into bed with one of us." Zayn rested his head against mine comfortingly. "Now, get off my lap, sit down, and get some food down your neck."
"Sorry." I rolled my eyes, taking my plate and trying to wake myself up as we ate.
"What do we need to get today, apart from Lou's bow and phone?" Liam asked.
"Clothes, as well." Niall piped up. "I don't think any of us has much left."
"Probably Louis's birthday present as well, and maybe some Christmas shopping." Harry's eyes flicked over to me. "Almost eighteen."
"Shut up." I rolled my eyes. "You're only sixteen, you should respect your elders."
"I'm almost seventeen!" Harry whined.
"Tell yourself that." Liam laughed.
"How are we getting there?" I asked.
"We'll hire a car. Or some form of transport." Zayn told me. "Loads of people go down to the city by the main road, so there's always something free."
"Well, let's try and be out by eight. You've got just over half an hour to pretty yourselves up." Liam finished his breakfast, getting up and stretching, before he went to his room.
"Dress comfy. We could be walking a lot." Harry advised.
"Don't worry. If it gets too much, I'll just nap on your shoulder as a cat." I smirked.
"Trust you." Harry left to his own room, as did Niall, Zayn and I moments later.
I got changed into a white t-shirt and red skinny jeans, and put a beanie on, so I didn't have to style my hair too much. After brushing my teeth, I made my way out. Harry and Liam were waiting in the lounge, Harry leaning on Liam's shoulder.
"Hey, love." I sat down next to Harry.
"Hey, Lou." Liam and Harry both said.
"I think Zayn's -" Niall walked out.
"Doing his hair." We all filled in.
"It's a worthwhile procedure!" Zayn yelled from his bathroom.
"Keep telling yourself that!" I shouted back.
"We're leaving in five, Zayn." Liam called out. "So hurry up!"
"Sorry!"
Sure enough, Zayn appeared exactly five minutes later, his hair in a perfect quiff that was destined to get ruined by the slightest breath of wind. "Let's go!" Harry got up excitably, putting his shoes on and practically bouncing out of the door.
"Why's he Team Leader?" Liam sighed.
"Because." Niall laughed. We all filed out of the door and into the lift, before heading downstairs.

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