TWO

"Eleanor and he are a couple?!" Niall almost choked at his coke, eyes wide open. Harry just shrugged his shoulders. She was one of those girls everyone admired because she looked so pretty. She had long straight shiny hair. Her skin looked like pure honey. The perfect smile and stuff like that.

That kind of girl that could have any guy in the world, she wouldn't even have to try. Harry watched them share another kiss, chewing on his fries, they didn't even taste good. Ugh, why did it even bother him that they were a couple?

"So?"

"I don't know I am just surprised. He's only one day here and she's already on him."

They must have been a couple before. Harry once heard her and some of her friends talk about a boy she started hooking up with. Made sense if it was him. Otherwise, it wouldn't surprise Harry if they didn't know each other before. It wasn't that unusual for Eleanor and her squad to manipulate the new kids to stick around with them.

"So, are we going to hang out after school?" Niall asked after a while of silence. The three boys used to hang out really often after school but Harry got the feeling it would maybe change this year. They had a lot to do. Harry just got his first job at the bakery and Zayn joined the football team. And then there are the college applications. Harry wanted to apply to a few more. He would go to Harvard anyway but, just in case.

"Can't, I have practise today." Niall gave Harry a hoping look "Niall I don't know if you forgot it but we're brothers. We hang out all day."

God. Why was he like that? He is such an idiot, that it made Harry chuckle. "Right."

To pay they had thrown all of their money together. None of them was rich okay? But together it worked out. Damn how happy Harry was about the job at the bakery he is supposed to start on Thursday after school.

He glared one last time over to Louis, Eleanor and her friend. He was leaning on his elbows across the counter a huge smile on his face while the brunette girl talked gesturing with her hands. The blonde girl just stood next to them texting something on her phone and chewing gum.

As the three boys left the diner Harry could feel Louis' eyes on him. It made him feel a little uncomfortable so he just walked quickly through the door. "Ugh, why is it so hot out here?" Niall put on his Ray Ben's that he was really proud of, he saved his money so long to get those. It was early June. Last few weeks the weather was perfect (not too hot but not too cold to wear a shirt.)

Harry was grateful that Niall's car's air conditioner was working. Because last year it wasn't and they had to drive with the windows down all the time, which was disgusting because of all those bugs and it wasn't even working, it was hot anyway.

****

Cold air blew in Harry's face as he unlocked the door to his home. His mom had bought an air conditioner to keep the house cold as she said. It wasn't really necessary because she was at work all day anyway and Harry had told her he didn't need it. The door closed loudly behind him.

"Nialler?" He yelled walking straight over to the fridge. Harry had one period more than Niall which was why he was home just now. Since Gemma left for college again they had to cook by themselves or buy take-outs but they already did that for lunch. "Yes Harrold" He sassed walking downstairs. He knew that Harry exactly how much Harry hated being called that way.

He rolled his eyes at the blond boy closing the fridge again "Sandwiches?" Harry wasn't in the mood to cook today. Usually, he liked cooking but he had too much bothering in his mind. "Sandwiches." Niall agreed and started getting all the needed stuff together.

They sat crisscross on the couch in the living room watching some rom-com one of Niall's classmates had suggested to him, it was about five teenagers sitting in detention.

"I don't get it. They only know each other one day and they are already hooking up?" Niall took another bite of his sandwich. Harry just shrugged, well they were locked up in a room all day. But it was still some sort of weird.

"Did Anne call you?" Niall has the same dad as Harry but a different mom which is why he calls her by her full name. She never had a problem with that. "No, but I think she's sleeping at the hospital today and coming home after her night shift." It wasn't unusual that she doesn't come home for a couple of days.

He and Niall sometimes visited her at work bringing some takeouts so they could eat lunch together, like when they were younger, in the private nurse room that smelled like hand sanitiser and elastic gloves. But it was always funny, Niall and he used to jump on the small beds and played the floor is lava. Oh man, how he missed those times.

As older they got as less they visited her because school days got longer and lunch breaks shorter. They have grown up, well.. physically. Mentally they were still those little boys playing childish games and laughing at everything. But they were also always there for each other and talked about everything.

Except for today. Harry laying on his bed staring at the ceiling, his arms crossed above his head and the only thing he could think of was that weird Louis guy staring at him. And why the hell he called him curly. Yes, obvious because of his hair but somehow it bothered him. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone buzzing in the back pocket of his jeans.

"Hello?" Harry didn't even look at the screen. The other side of the line was a feminine voice "You don't sound as excited as I hoped." She said sassily. "Gemma" Harry sat up and eyed himself in the mirror he had a smile on his face. "I didn't expect you to call."

"It's my brothers first day of senior year. So yeah of course I call." She seemed excited. It made Harry chuckle.

"How was it? Any new people?" She asked the same two questions every year and he told her every time "Good" and "nope" but that wouldn't be true. This year there were two new guys and one of them he couldn't get out of his head. The way he talked to the teacher and his whole appearing screamed trouble. No, he didn't need to tell her everything.

"It was pretty good actually, Niall and I got into the same classes-"

"Oh god the poor teachers"

"Oh shut up Gems, were not that annoying"

She burst into laughter "If it helps you in some way."

They have talked for hours, about her college life, Harry's new job, the applications he took, and that there were intact new people at school but he hadn't talked to them. Harry ended up sitting on the ground leaning against the side of his bed it was quite uncomfortable. Why was he even sitting there? God, how his back hurt when he got up again.

****

Harry rolled on his side as he heard the loud alarm sound and turned it off. He felt so tired that he was thinking about skipping the first lesson. He groaned into his pillow before he threw the sheets off of him, the sun was already lighting up his room. Eyelids heavy on the way to the shower, he met Niall who was also just in his boxers. They fistbump as they walk past each other.

Harry took a good warm shower, washed his hair, brushed his teeth, and shaved. Then he threw on a dark grey t-shirt that hung loose down his shoulders, some skinnies as he did always. Those were ripped ones Zayn had given him once. Some curls brushed his forehead, he fixed that with a little hair clip. How ashamed he had been as he wore those for the first time but honestly he liked them and no one had the right to tell him not to wear them just because he was a guy.

Today Harry and Niall drove in different cars because Harry had his first day at the bakery after school. It was already Thursday. The whole week passed so quick. Harry had already crossed everything off of his to-do list. Well except for the first day of work but that will be crossed soon too. A good feeling spread in his chest.

Nothing interesting had happened this week. That new kid Louis seemed to not give a fuck about rules he almost got suspended for smoking in the washrooms and skipping a lot of lessons. Even tho Harry (for some reason) wanted to know more about him, he decided to stay away from him instead. Because like already said he was trouble.

He parked his black car in his usual parking lot right next to Niall's grey one. He already went a half hour earlier than Harry, he said he had to do some stuff. Whatever that meant. He stopped the engine and took his backpack from the passenger seat, as shit-

Louis was walking straight up to his car. What now? He couldn't just hide and pretend he didn't see him. It was too late anyway the boy already knocked at ten driver's seat window. "Hey Curly, one of those weird teachers told me that I should stay with you the day."

What? No. Harry looked confused at him. "Who said that?" Hopefully, it was just a joke, there was no way he could- no, just no. He got out of the car. Louis stood in front of him looking up, he wore a black loose tank top which showed some of his tattoos. God, please let this be a joke. Harry headed his way straight up to the entrance.

"Where you goin'?"

"Directors office."

"Ugh. Why that?"

Louis tried his best to keep up with Harry. The hallway was filled with people. Loud and smelling like sweat.

"Would you maybe slow down a bit?" Louis sounded annoyed. Harry stopped and Louis almost bumped into him then he continued walking, a little slower than before. They reached the director's office and luckily it was empty just the director.

"This is a joke right?" Harry asked. Mr Johnson, Around 30 years old pretty young for a director. He wore a suit every day. He looked up "Mr Styles please sit down." He gestured for Harry to take a seat. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What is going on here?" It was a weird feeling to sit in the director's office he never had to before he never had gotten a yellow or red card he never skipped and his grades were good too.

"Well." He cleared his throat and sat down on the edge of his table. It made Harry kind of nervous. He started spinning his rings around his fingers like every time he was nervous. "You're my best student, you always do your homework you're never late."

Harry looked up. Yes, right and that was the whole point he wanted to stay the best student. He needed to. "Listen this school is the last chance for Louis Tomlinson."

"And what has this to do with me?"

"He already got a red and two yellow cards. We need you to help him with his behaviour and grades."

"Isn't that your job?" Anger built up in him. He didn't have time to babysit this little bad boy.

"Yes but I hope that someone his own age could reach out to him, he doesn't listen to us."

"I'm the whole opposite of him this is not going to work out. I need to stay good at school to get into college."

"What about a deal? You help me and I will put in a good word for you at your application for Harvard."

Ugh. This was a strong deal the director knows exactly how much Harry wants to go to Havard. And it was his opportunity.

"Fine." He said sighing quietly and nodded. Great, now he had to deal with this little bad boy. He rolled his eyes in annoyance.