Look at the cute cover @extraodinary-harry made

there are only 10 more chapters of this book 😱

Warning: usage of vulgar words such as slut and whore. (I don't approve of using these words but it's for the storyline)

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Liam moves before anyone can react. He backs away quickly, muttering sorry over and over again. Louis stares at Harry with wide eyes, running towards Liam with shaking hands.

"Liam, uh, well." Louis doesn't know what to say. Harry is faster. He strides past the younger lad and places his hands on Liam's shoulders.

"Don't say anything. Please." Harry begs, his fingers clutching tightly at Liam's shirt roughly.

"I—"

"Liam, please."

Liam shoves himself away from Harry, smoothing out his ruffled shirt and sparing one last glance at Louis who was still frozen by the counter.

"I'm not making any promises." He says, turning to leave, giving Harry a fallacious smile before leaving completely.

"Shit, we're fucked." Harry says, running a hand through his hair.

"Haz, Liam is my friend. I'm sure he won't say—"

"He's obviously not a very good friend. He's going to say something. I just know it." Harry mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm so fucked."

****

"And this is the stage you'll be performing on." Simon says, motioning to the stage behind him. Louis looks around, eyeing the competition solemnly. Three girls, three groups, three over twenty-fives, and three boys. He will never stand a chance against them.

He continues to follow Simon around, until someone shoves past him, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor with a thud.

He looks up and sees Liam glaring down at him. Louis huffs and stands back up, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Louis asks. Liam looks towards Simon before gripping Louis' arm and dragging him to the back of the group. The smaller boy winces at the pain but follows him nonetheless.

He could see Zayn raising an eyebrow at them before walking towards them.

"You're fucking sick, that's my problem." Liam seethes. Louis' eyes widen and Zayn inhales sharply.

"Liam!" Zayn whispers, completely caught off guard. Liam was always so kind and this was off putting.

"I'm sorry but it's true. I mean, we had to work our asses off to stay in this competition and all he has done is let the judge fuck him to get through! He's disgusting! He shouldn't even be here! He's done nothing to deserve this!" Liam retorts, his voice rising. Tears pool at Louis' eyes and he wipes them away with the sleeve of his–Harry's–sweater.

"I deserve to be here just as much as you do." Louis whispers, barely audible. At the moment he feels ten inches tall. He feels like everyone is looking down at him, gawking and judging.

"Bullshit. So it's true then? You let him fuck you just to stay in the competition?"

"No! We haven't–we haven't had sex!" Louis says in disbelief. Zayn places a hand on Liam's chest, whispering something to him, trying to calm him down.

"No, Zayn! Fuck, get off of me!" He pushes Zayn away and moves towards Louis, gripping him by his shirt and pushing him against the nearest wall. Louis lets out a yelp, flinching when his head hits the wall roughly.

"You're a slut. I bet you do this to everyone. I bet you let Zayn fuck you just so he wouldn't say anything. And I bet—"

"Liam, enough! He didn't do anything!" Zayn shouts, gaining the attention of the group ahead of them. Simon pushes past the group and strides towards the three boys.

"Is there a problem?" He asks. Liam pushes Louis to the floor and turns around.

"No. Not at all." He says, walking past the small boy who stayed on the floor, muttering a quick, whore, under his breath.

Louis whimpers and stays on the floor for a second. Zayn kneels beside him, ushering Simon away, telling him it's alright.

"Are you okay, boo?" He asks. Louis sniffles in response. Zayn sighs, cursing under his breath before helping Louis up, pulling him into a hug. Louis lets out a choked sob, hiding his face in Zayn's neck.

"I'm going to kill him." Zayn mutters, rubbing Louis' back softly, "Babes, don't cry. It's alright."

"A-Am I a s-slut? For falling in l-love?"

"No, boo, of course you're not. Listen, I know you feel something strong for him and I guess you guys just met at the wrong time and place but whatever you feel is up to you. Don't listen to Liam. He's just an asshole."

"I d-didn't do anything wrong. W-Why does Liam hate me? H-He was s-so nice." Louis stutters, wiping at his eyes. Zayn sighs and pulls Louis away so his face was inches from his.

"Exactly. You didn't do anything wrong, babes. He just doesn't understand. Now come on, we don't want to keep the others waiting." Zayn says, kissing Louis' cheek quickly. Louis nods, wiping at his eyes again and clearing his throat. He fixes his glasses and follows Zayn back to the mass of people waiting for them. Liam and Simon were nowhere to be found.

"Where'd Simon and Liam go?" Zayn asks one of the girls.

"That Liam guy said he had to tell him something." The girl says and shrugs. Louis freezes, hands clutching at Zayn's shirt roughly, his knuckles turning white.

"He's gonna tell him. Zayn! I-I'm gonna get kicked off!" Louis cries, fresh tears coming to his eyes. Zayn shushes him, rubbing circles on his lower back with his thumb.

"Calm down, babes. It'll be okay."

Just then, Liam and Simon reemerge from a room to the side of the stage. Simon looks stricken, running a hand over his face as he looks through the crowd, eyes landing on Louis. And Liam.

Liam looks smug.

Louis swallows thickly as Simon approaches him, gripping him by his arm and pulling him away without a word. He's dragged into the same room he came out of and the door is closed behind him.

"So Mr. Liam Payne told me some substantial news." He says. Louis' hands are shaking so he hugs himself in efforts to conceal his fear.

"L-Like?" Simon doesn't waste a beat.

"Are you having an affair with Harry Styles?"

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writing Liam as a bad person is vv hard because he's my sweet little cinnamon apple.