Young & Beautiful

“This is the darkest it’s ever been.” He swallows, feeling the hollows of his heart. “Niall. …I
honestly have no idea what to do.”
There’s a heavy silence, filled only with the throbbing of Louis’ veins and heart and soul, students
laughing as they pass by their windows, chiffon glinting in the morning sun. Everything’s too
bright.
“Fuck, Lou,” Niall suddenly curses under his breath, wincing. And the words are agitated, filled
with emotion. Filled with…a lot more than the situation merits, coming from Niall.
Louis looks up, startled, only to see Niall rubbing a hand over his face, the knuckles wrapped
around his phone now white.
“What is it? What’s going on?” he asks cautiously, feeling his heart picking up pace in a new way
because he didn’t realize until now how off Niall is. Instinctively, his mind drifts to Harry.
Something’s wrong with Harry. Something’s wrong and Niall knows.
Niall stares at him for a long moment before he finally opens his mouth, seeming hesitant.
Something Niall never is.
Louis feels sick. (Well. More sick.)
“Listen. Lou.” And his voice already sounds wrong. Louis swallows. “I know there’s a lot of shit
going on with you right now. And I’m sorry everything’s so fucked up and you’ve had a bad
morning and you’re upset with everything going on with Harry... But.” He sighs, turning to face
Louis, eyes guilty. “I’m gonna need you to forget about all that for the day because there’s…
another issue.”
Louis blinks.
Wait. This isn’t about Harry? For once in his life there’s an issue that isn’t about Harry Styles? He
almost feels relieved. Almost.
“What is it?” he asks tentatively, mind whirring. And then—“Oh fuck. I’ve missed me lectures,
haven’t I? Fuck, that’s what this is about, isn’t it? Am I expelled? I fucked it all up, haven’t I? I’ve
been a shit student this term. I’ve got good marks though. They can’t throw me out if I’ve got
good marks!”
“No, no, it’s nothing to do with that,” Niall says carefully and somehow that makes Louis only
more terrified, because Niall is watching him so intently. He pauses, searching for the right words.
Which is very significant because this is Niall. Brash, unapologetic, blunt Niall.
Louis is petrified.
“Your mum called this morning.”
Louis’ jaw twists, just barely. “Surprise.”
“Yeah. We’ve been…well, we’ve been talking quite a bit lately.”
“Weird.”
Niall laughs, shaky. It sends another terrified spike through Louis.
“Yeah,” he replies, emptily. “But, see. She didn’t know how to tell you. She’s been asking me to
because…well, we’re mates, you and I. And she thought you’d rather chat with me about it—“