Freak [Zianourry] - COMPLETE

Chapter 15

"Hey, how're you feeling?" Liam and Harry walked back into our rooms, where Niall and I were having a cuddle session on the sofa.
"I'm okay as long as Niall's hugging me." I murmured.
"I think I can only heal the pain, but not make the actual poison of the alcohol disappear." Niall grinned. "He was bloody smashed."
"Thanks, Ni." I rolled my eyes.
"At least you remember what happened yesterday." Harry laughed, taking his shoes off and putting them by the door, coming and sitting on my lap, giving me a quick kiss before he settled down on my chest, arms around my waist.
"Where's Zayn?" Liam asked.
"Went to hand in his essay." I yawned. "About the mystery of dwarves or whatever it was."
"Stinger." Liam hummed. "I'm going to take a shower."
"Want me to join you?" Harry asked cheekily, a bright grin on his face.
"You can if you desperately want to." Liam laughed, going into his room. Harry paused a few moments before getting up.
"I'm going to see if he hits me if I go in." Harry giggled before creeping down the hallway, Niall and I staring after him amusedly.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Zayn smirked from the doorway where he had come in. "Liam'll kill you."
"How'd you know?" At this question, Zayn stared at Harry blankly. "Oh... Right."
"I sometimes fear for your education." Zayn said dryly, putting a bag down on the coffee table. "Managed to nick some beer if anyone wants some."
"Definitely not." I shuddered, making them all laugh loudly.
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Five months later... July.
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"Louis, a word, please." The headmaster asked as we walked down to the training centre one lunchtime, chatting merrily.
"I'll catch you guys there." I grinned at them, going over to the headmaster. "Yes, Sir?"
"I'm not sure if you are aware of the rules here, but every junior - that is, everyone under twenty three, such as yourself - must go back to their legal guardians every summer. I'm aware you do not have a strong relationship with your guardians, but I ask you to remain there for the summer." The headmaster stared at me sternly, yet sympathetically as fear rose up from my stomach, locking my throat.
"M- my boyfriends -"
"Unfortunately, their parents are not your guardians, and, if they were, it would make any romantic relationship with the four young men illegal." He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tomlinson, but that's final."
"Fine." I whispered, already planning to give my bow to one of them to look after it, as I knew it would be destroyed at the first opportunity if I took it back. Tears built in my eyes, fear bubbling in my stomach as I ran over to the training centre.
"Louis?" They asked, concerned, as I shot past them, not meeting anyone's eyes, just heading to the dressing room. My archery team, Josh, and a few other boys I didn't know were talking to them, but I completely ignored everyone. "Louis!"
A hand touched my shoulder and I snapped, spinning around. "Get the f*ck off me!" I screamed, making everyone fall silent. Trying to regain my composure, I turned back around, but a sob escaped me as I walked swiftly across the room.
"God, Lou, what's wrong?" Liam stopped me in my tracks and I broke down, sobbing into his shirt.
"T-they're making me go back." I cried.
"To...?"
"To her." Harry's face morphed into shock at my words, but everyone else's remained confused.
"They can't do that! She abused you! She lit your hand on fire last time we went!" Harry stuttered. Everyone's faces darkened. "My mom would happily let you stay with me."
"Same." Niall, Liam and Zayn chorused.
"Something about guardianship, they've already ruled that out. Would - would you take my bow? She'd ruin it." I took a deep breath, wiping my eyes.
"I can take it if you want, Louis." Finn offered. "I've got a shed full of bows and the right kit, if you trust me enough."
"Really?" Relieved, I took another breath. "I don't want to take it back with me."
"It's the least I can do." Finn's eyes were sympathetic.
"Louis..." Trixie trailed off. She'd become my best friend, and looked upset. "Why don't you just send her to jail? As soon as anyone found out about the abuse..."
"I'd be forced to be put up for adoption or some weird sh*t like that." I spat. "Why can't I just live by myself?"
"You could." One of the boys, Drew, I think, spoke slowly. "My dad's a lawyer..."
"And?"
"And, by section 13 of the act of..." He started mumbling under his breath, staring at the floor thoughtfully. "Give me the five days, and I bet I could."
"You could?" My boyfriends all grinned, and I felt a bit of hope in my heart, but crushed it.
"I'll see. It's not a promise, the law is a tricky thing." Drew shrugged, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I'll ring him now."
"Go get dressed, Louis." Kat smiled. "You've got a good archery practice to get in."
**********One hour later**********
"My dad's looking into it." Drew walked over to me as Finn had us perfecting longer distance shots.
"And?" I asked eagerly.
"We've got one week left of school." Drew sighed. "In that time span, it's unlikely, I have to admit. But, he's trying."
"I can't thank you enough." I breathed.
"I know how you feel, mate." He smiled at me. "Trust me, I'd rather try than not."
"Thank you!" I called as he walked away.
"You might be able to take your bow yourself." Finn grinned at me. "Chop, chop!"
"Sorry!" Laughing, I nocked another arrow, sending it flying into the bullseye. "Yeah!"
"You're getting really good." Finn praised. "Trixie, what on earth was that? Arm straight, girl!"
"Sorry!" Trixie giggled.
"Everyone's apologising today! Not good enough! Bows down, three laps, GO!" We all groaned, putting our bows down and trudging over to the track. "Hurry up! Anyone slower than me can do an extra twenty!" Then, we all panicked, sprinting for the track and starting running as Finn joined us. He was a very fast runner, so I morphed into a poodle, racing alongside him, pushing myself faster as I did so I went ahead.
Three laps later, a very exhausted poodle was panting just over the finish line. "Right! Everyone but Louis, get running! I'm counting!" Finn yelled, making them all complain. "If you haven't got a shapeshifting or speed mutation, tough! You still won't in a competition, or real life!"
"Finn! I'll pay you!" Nick complained.
"Go!" Finn shouted. "Twenty minutes, or you can do fifty!" They all took off running, jumping over my poodle form. "Louis, shift it, or you can do ten." I raced off the track, curling up on the sidelines. "Is a poodle necessary?"
"Looks a lot like archery." Harry smirked, sitting down beside me. "Why don't you go practice that weekly trick thing you do?"
"Fine." I mumbled shifting back into a human and picking my bow up, walking twenty feet away from the targets, before I nocked my arrow. Then, I flipped over, shooting upside down as I did. The arrow smacked into the black, making me growl.
"You're doing fine, Louis." Liam appeared beside me. "Besides, not many people can do a backflip at all."
"I learned to get out of the tree I slept in." I muttered, nocking another arrow. "It'd be a pain to climb down otherwise."
"You're not going back there." Liam sighed. "I promise you, Louis, you'll be out within the week."
"Five days, or I have to go. There's no option, it's the rules."
"Rules are made to be broken." With a bright smile, he disappeared again.
"I've finished." Trixie panted, wobbling over fifteen minutes later. She seemed shaky, and extremely out of breath. The others were still attempting to get round the track, but they were very, very tired. "I honestly don't think Kat's going to make it. Finn set this one challenge a step too far."
"For a reason." Finn said darkly behind us, making Trixie jump. "You think, in the real world, everything's going to be fine, just because you're tired, Trixie. It is about brains, intelligence, outsmarting the enemy. Louis did way better than any of you. The slower you start off, the harder you have to work to achieve a bigger goal. Trust me, Trixie, this is just the start."
"Why so serious?" Curiously, Trixie examined him.
"There's been an incident in the city, and I'm not letting that happen to any of you." Finn sighed. "You're going to find yourselves at the peak of your fitness by the end of the week."
"Great." We both huffed, making a grin appear on Finn's unusually grim face.
"What happened in the city?" I asked, making Finn tense up.
"It doesn't matter, Louis." Finn smiled, but we could both tell it was forced as he walked over to the track.
"I've never seen him so upset." Trixie said sadly. "It's scary."
"What happened, though?" Thoughtfully, I tried to remember any reports, but I couldn't see anything on the news over the weekend.
"I don't know." Trixie whispered. "But, it's got to be bad. Really bad. Finn wasn't even fazed when there was the bombing, but to get him so jumpy over something that wasn't reported..."
"Something has been hidden." I narrowed my eyes. "I'm going to find out what it is."
"Louis, it could be dangerous!" Trixie gasped. "Don't get yourself into danger!"
"I won't, trust me." I smiled encouragingly. "I've got Thursday afternoon off, I'll find out then."
"Be careful. I won't tell anyone." Trixie had a slight frown, but smiled back nevertheless.
"I will, Trix. Don't you worry."