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“You can't make me!” Louis yells at his younger sister with his hands over his ears.
Louis will not be pushed down and forced to go out and buy tampons, it is humiliating. He doesn't mind so much that he has to buy the things, he is way past the point of caring, but it's more of the fear of friends from school finding him. It hasn't happened yet, but it will.
“C'mon Louis! I actually need these! Like, it is an actually necessity! Plus, I'm not going to leave this bathroom unless I have protection!” Lottie shouts through the bathroom door to Louis.
They've been arguing for quite some time and Louis just hopes that she will eventually give up and just inhabit the bathroom. It's a losing argument, Louis knows, 'cause soon enough she will call their mom and he will be forced out the door.
Louis just sighs out loud, “Tampax or Playtex?” he asks in defeat.
Lottie can be heard squealing in delight.
The drugstore has little perks to it, like the candy at the checkout aisle, or the slushie machine that no one watches. Louis usually just goes to the drugstore for the fun of it all. The endless gum flavors, the easily stolen cigarette packs, this store does not care. It is almost a kind of happy place for Louis, a place that welcomes him to its facilities.
But, it seems that as soon as Louis has to buy these...things, the store is daunting. The possibilities of outcomes are endless. Maybe his teammates will be there and he will become a laughing stock, maybe he'll grab them and make everyone think that he is getting them for a girlfriend, maybe someone will rob the store and then laugh at him with their ski mask on.
Okay, one of those isn't very likely. But it could happen!
Louis shuffles to the aisle marked, FEMALE CARE, and shyly walks to the correct section of boxes. He discreetly grabs the correct box, as this isn't the first time he's been forced to do this, and tries his best to not bring attention to himself.
When Louis is walking over to the checkout, he spots the cashier, a really hot guy from his school, Harry Styles. Oh god.
Louis stops in his track and hides into the card aisle, pretending to find interest in the birthday cards. Maybe if he busies himself long enough, Harry will change shifts and Louis is in the clear. So, Louis makes it his mission to read every single funny card in this aisle.
Louis makes it to the third row down before he gets a text from his sister, reminding him of the urgency of the situation. Louis just admits defeat and gives a final prayer to god before he dies from embarrassment.
It helps give Louis some time to prepare himself, as when he gets in line Harry is calmly explaining to an old woman that her coupon doesn't work. Louis also gets some time to admire Harry, something he can't usually do in school without his classmates commenting.
Harry is quite the heart breaker, as in he doesn't date anyone and that breaks everyone's hearts. His dimples and green eyes pull you in, his kindness and sense of corny humor makes you stay. He doesn't play any sports, Louis remembers the day that Harry tried out for the football team. His legs can't function well with a ball and everyone just has to sit and admire his inability to play a regular sport.
Louis was the first to start the unofficial Harry fan-club, a group of girls that sit together at lunch and just talk about Harry's features and what he had said or done that day. Louis is the only boy of the group, but the girls reassure him that he can only be a flaming bisexual. Louis will definitely not be mentioning this to the girls, too humiliating.
Harry usually hangs out in his own little group of friends, only further singling him out as above everyone else. He is often seen at the games with his sister, looking too cool to be there. Louis has spoken to Harry's sister more than he's spoken to Harry, considering Gemma's wavering relationship status with the team captain.
Gemma only ever seems to talk about Harry when she is around, as if she knows how much Louis stares at him. She probably does, Louis is shocked that nobody has commented on his excessive staring aside from his little group of fellow fan girls.
Harry finishes up with the lady and bids her with a sweet “good day”, and Louis' heart rate picks up. He is only a few feet away from his untimely death, something he didn't think would happen so soon. He thought things like this only happen in the back of teen magazines in the “totes embarrassing tales” section, not that Louis reads them or anything. Louis calmly walks up and places the box and a pack of gum on the counter, the gum as a way to deflect the situation.
Harry sees the items, then glances up at Louis. Louis is almost pink at the sudden attention from Harry. Harry pops out his dimples and shows off his pearly whites to Louis.
“That time of the month?” Harry comments while ringing up Louis' purchases.
“They're not mine.” Louis defends.
“Don't worry, I've got an older sister.” Harry reassures him.
Do you sell chocolate?” Louis sidetracks, he's sure that Lottie will want some.
Harry chuckles and points to the giant display of chocolate bars behind Louis. Louis blushes and quickly grabs a random bar of chocolate. He throws the bar onto the counter before stuffing his hands into his sweatshirt's pockets.
Harry's eyes light up, “It's my favorite!”, he says and rings up the added item.
“That'll be 8.46.” Harry says to Louis, bagging the items.
Louis holds out a tenner and grabs the bag. Harry rings in the bill and hands back his change and receipt.
Louis decides to do something wild the last minute, he reaches into his bag and grabs the chocolate bar. He holds it out for Harry, “Take it.” he says with more force than intended.
The way that Harry's eyes light up, Louis would be willing to give him all the chocolate in the world to see it again. Harry politely takes the bar and nods at Louis.
“Have a great day, Louis.” Harry tells Louis as he exits the store.
Louis didn't think that Harry even knows who he is, he only nods at him and scurries out of the store.
When, Louis thanks Lottie later, she doesn't even ask why.
Louis goes to school the next day, dreading every second of life. His eyes are ready to close at any second. Cara seems to get this, as she only joins Louis in the contest for how long a person can sleep in homeroom without getting yelled at.
Cara is an honorary member of the fan club, considering her lack of interest in all things male. The club decided to let her in due to her tight friendship with the one and only, Harry Styles. She tends to join Louis at the skate park and they've struck up quite a friendship. They both love all things against the rules, and tend to never pull pranks on each other. So long as Louis attends the occasional fashion show she is coerced to model and Cara attends at least one footie game.
Cara and Louis manage to sleep on their desks for twenty minutes before their teacher yells at them to pay attention. Cara hands Louis a discrete cup of tea in a Styrofoam, sealed cup. Louis is about to thank Cara for the surprisingly nice gift when she points her thumb over her shoulder. Louis looks over her shoulder and sees Eleanor smiling and waving at him.
Louis awkwardly waves back before hiding from her behind Cara. That girl needs to learn what being homosexual means. Cara and Louis both share a deep sigh at the ignorance of the people around them before mutually drawing on the desks in sharpie.
Louis manages to drag himself through the majority of the school day, until he gets to his favorite period, gym. Now don't be confused, Louis hates all things exercise that isn't football. But Harry is in his gym class, and Louis gets to see him run around and be goofy for almost a whole hour. Louis also gets to see him change every now and then, he doesn't complain.
Louis slowly walks into the locker room, where most of the guys are changing and talking about sports, typical masculine things that the guys find it necessary to talk about while getting nearly naked. None of the guys seem to care about Louis being gay anymore, they all shared the sentiment that wandering eyes happen to any guy.
Some guys are just stupid.
Louis quickly changes and sits next to his little group of rejects, all of them refusing to change due to “sickness”, a.k.a. all of them are constantly hungover. Louis only briefly stops talking to glance at Harry taking his shirt off.
The guys are apparently playing some type of dodge ball game today, oh goodie. Stereotypical team-picking exclusion can happen. Luckily, Louis' status as a footballer places him as an active teammate.
After the whole process, the teams are set up and ready to go. They both stand on opposite sides and wait for the whistle to cue the action. The whistle blows and the hyperactive teenage boys go wild. Louis is more strategy, he doesn't just throw the ball as hard as he can hoping to land someone in the balls. He looks at the weakest links and attacks from there. He is so into his throwing at some point, he doesn't notice a ball being thrown at him.
Harry seems to have noticed the ball and screams at the tops of his lungs, “I will save you!”, toward Louis.
Harry takes a flying leap in between the ball and Louis, making the ball hit him. Harry dramatically collapses on the ground and the whole class erupts in laughter.
Harry appears to be smiling up at Louis from the ground, and Louis tries his best to keep his composure to a subtle smile. He helps Harry get up and Harry winks at him while walking to the sidelines.
Harry walks up to Louis later in the locker room.
“You're welcome for saving your life.” Harry says smugly to a still-changing Louis.
Louis tries to stay cool as he knows that Harry can see his bare stomach while he changes into his shirt. Louis gets himself together and smiles up at Harry with the most charming smile he can muster.
“Thank you. I really felt that my life was in danger.” Louis banters back to him. Harry smiles at this.
“You know, I think you owe me now. From saving your existence and all.” Harry says, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the lockers.
“I remember giving you a whole chocolate bar, I'm pretty sure that we're equal.” Louis counts back, relaxing a bit.
Harry smiles wide and shakes his head at this.
“Your life is worth than a chocolate bar. I think you owe me some of your time.” Harry suggests, almost as if he is hinting at something.
“Dear god! Just go on a date with him Tommo!” Louis hears a guy in the back of the room shout.
All of the guys start laughing, Harry yelling back at him for 'ruining the mood'. Louis didn't notice that everyone else had been watching their exchange. He blushes and looks down to the ground.
“Yes.” Louis says quietly.
“What?” Harry asks, turning his head to face him.
“I said, yes. To a date.” Louis says to Harry.
A few of the guys in the room start to wolf-whistle and Harry grins wide and nods.
“See you after school then.” Harry says before heading back to grab his stuff.
The girls at Louis' lunch table go wild at his story.