32. Black Ops

I stand up from outside the markey when Liams van rolls up. I slap my hand across my butt a few times to clean the dirt off before I sit down in Liams car. "When your Mum called me," Liam says as he drives down the road without letting me put my seatbelt on first. "She told me Nialls Mum called her and that Niall isn't well. She said that he's been moveed back to the hospital I think that he stopped breathing for maybe three minutes before a nurse saved him." I didn't freak out when Liam was telling me this, I was staring at him probably looking angry, but I was focused. I wouldn't be able to see him even if I forced Liam to drive me to the hospital and be a cliche and run past the receptionist anyways. No one would really ever do that. Anything close to that, they would try NOT to get caught instead of not giving a care.


"I'll call him when I get home." I look down at my lap, rubbing my thumb over the screen. "Harry," Liam says with care. "Hm?"


"Please don't cry. I just cleaned the inside today." Liam rubs the dashboard. I pick my head up and laugh, and he smiles at me. "Whoa, you're actually smiling. Haven't seen that smile in a long time." I lower to a chuckle and look straight ahead. "Like when we went on that rollercoaster," Liam looks at me to see if I remember. I was my first time ever on a rollarcoaster and Liam took me to it, and it was only last year. (in the video, its th smile he has when liam asks him whats the currency of italy)


"Do you mind if we pick up Louis? And then you can come over to mine and we can play ps3." I sigh out of my nose and lean my head against my hand, which is propped up against the door. "Yeah, we haven't all hung out in a while, yeah? Hows  your scar?" 


"Yeah well we all were busy with our own stuff, but now I think we're getting bored. It looks so rad, I'll show you at Lous." Liam, absentmindedly, places his hand over his shirt where the scar is. Louis' house took an extra seven minutes until Liam leaned towards the door, lift his up and point to it. "Ew, its actually looks pretty gross." I make a face and lean closer for a better look. I sit back in my chair and get the chills. "I think its cool," Liam presses his chin down on his chest so he can see it. "Louis would agree with me." I lean over and honk the horn, and Liam slaps my arm. "There are people sleeping." He scolds.


I look back out the window and watch Louis close his door with his little sister Felicite on his hip. "She was gonna tell on me if I didn't bring her, and I promised her I would get her a juicebox two days ago." Louis buckles her into her seatbelt and then buckles himself in. I was going to complain that Liam waited for them and not me, but then I remember Felicte. "Hi Felicite," I turn in my seat and smile at the four year old. "Hi Harry." She smiles. She looks adorable in her purple pajamas and half messy hair, and slippers and big thick jacket.


"Did you close?" Louis leans foward and puts a hand on my shoulder just as Liam steers off. "Yeah." Louis gruffs and sits back. "Lets go to Target then." Liam mutters something along the lines of, "You wankers better be giving me some gas money." I heard and I laughed to myself before Liam turned on the radio and changed the station to something more appropriate, yet still fun. 


I wanted us to all stay together when we got to the market, but Liam walked off immediately and Louis started directing Felicite to the juiceboxes. Which, by the way, I think is stupid for him to bring her since its ten, nearly eleven. But, she's always been a night owl. So she won't be tired until midnight, maybe. Louis tells me all the time he'll go in their room to check on them, since frequently he hears the other twin having a nightmare, he'll catch Felicite reading or drawing or watching TV in the living room. Shes just so cute and innocent.


It feels like I've walked and down the food aisles ten times before I finally spot Louis and Fel, and I strut over to them, still in my work clothes. "Where's Liam?" I ask. "I don't know." Louis says. "or there's Strawberry Kiwi," Louis points to another box. Fel keeps looking up and down them. "I want this one." She points to the box that says GRAPE. "Damn it, I was hoping you wouldn't choose that one." Louis mutters and snatches the box off the shelf. Felicite covers her mouth and giggles, watching her feet as she walks.


"Is that all you want? Nothing to eat?" I ask her and hold my hand out. She looks up and takes it. Her hand is so small! "Ummm, I don't know." I look at her with wide eyes. "You don't know,"


"i don't know!" She repeats and laughs, looks up at me and raises her hand like that emoji. "You must know what you want to eat! Like. . . Do you want a pretzel? Candy? Crisps?"


"A pretzel." She says after I name a few things. "Pretzel it is." I lead her towards the food counter by the doors. "A pretzel, please." I take out my wallet. "Salted or unsalted?" The girl asks. "Uh," I look down at Fel. "Unsalted?" I ask. She nods her head. "Unsalted." I hand her three pounds and thank her when she hands it to me in paper. I hand it off to Felicite and then go to cashe register three where Louis and Liam are separately checking out. I stand behind Liam and put my own things on the counter. Fel stands next to Louis and eats her pretzel.


"Thank you, Harry." Fel hugs me with when we are to the car. Her pretzel is already gone and she hugs my legs and presses her head on my thigh. "You're welcome babe, want me to take that?"


"Yes, please." She hands me the paper the pretzel was in and I crumple it up in my hand. I didn't know what to do with it because its not like there are trashcans in cars, so I hold it until we get to Louis' house. Plan change: it would be more responsible to go there than Liams.


"Save some for your sister." Louis orders once he gets the box open and hands Fel one of bags. She  takes it to the living room and sits in the recliner,  pulling Louis' ipad in his lap and turning it on. Her feet are dangling over the edge and she swings them slightly; an adorable sight to watch forever.


"What game-"


"Black Ops." I interuppt Louis and sit on the couch. He looks over his shoulder with a scolding smirk and says, "Okay." Liam sits next to me with a controller and hands me the red one. Louis sits between Liam and I with his black contrller while Liam has the blue one. These are sort of our designated controllers any time we game together. Unless we're at Liams. Then the green one is mine.


"Wait, we forgot the Jarritos." Louis bolts up and runs to his garage. Jarritos is a Mexican Soda, and its really good. He only ever gets the orange ones and the strawberry ones. I like the orange ones better, but then  again, those two are the only ones I've ever tried.


"Okay, we're all on a team." Louis and I both look at Liam, who plays innocent. He's the ruthless one who wants to play to fuck shite up. "Fine, jesus." He mutters and rolls his eyes. He hates it when we're all on one team, but Liam is better than the both of us so if we play on separate teams we wouldn't have fun, being annihilated and all. "Someone cover me so I can go hide in the other house." Louis says during the countdown. Liam follows him and I stay outside to shoot the Bots coming out of the house and backyard.


"Damn it," I whisper under my breath when i die. "I hear about Niall." Louis brings up. None of us, not even me, look away from the tv. "Yeah, I'm gonna call him--SHITE!" I ignore Louis' forecefull shush as I pause my game and pull my phone out of my pocket. I doubt he'll be awake, though. Its almost midnight.


Liam leans back against the couch and watches me with his mouse a little open. When I take the phone away from my ear, I look at him and shake my head. He gives me a sincere shrug and sits back up. I decide to leave him a voicemail. "Hey, Niall." I unpause my game because someone is shooting at me. I kill him. "I hope you're okay. I'll be stopping by tomorrow before work, if thats okay and you'll be awake. I work at four. Call me when you get this. Kay, bye, Little Accident." I drop my phone from my shoulder and quickly press the end button. "Little harsh Har." Louis says. "Its an inside thing." I respond back and follow Liam to the backyard where all the enemys are spawning.


"I SAID COVER ME!" Liam yells when he dies and Louis and I simultaneously shush him, Louis covering his mouth. Liam tears his hand away and glares at him. "Shutup." He says. Louis gives him an astonished look, and looks at me like "I'M being the loud one?!" I smile and chuckle and look back to the telly. "Suitcase, cover your ears." Felicite looks up and sets down her third juicebox, and places her hands on the side of her face. "You're a fucking wanker." Louis turns to me and I start laughing. "What the hell did I do?!"


"You got me killed!" I shake my head and say whatever, and then Felicite uncovers her ears. "Can I have another one Louis?" Felicite asks. "No, you'll wee yourself. Have something to eat  to even it out." I look at Lou with furrowed eyebrows. "Thats not a thing?"


"Well I'm making it one." Way to bring back your "Sass Master from Doncaster" attitude. You twit.


"Liam, there's someone behind." I warn. From the corner of my eye I see Liam turn around and immediately see him, aims and shoots. "Thanks."


"How come you never help me like that?" Louis nudges me with his knee. "There's someone running up to you." I bite my lip so I don't smile. Louis turns and starts shooting at the red car, and it blows up and kills him. Louis drops his controller and starts pounding on my right arm, and I tell him to stop over my hard laughter. Liam's laughing too until he shouts there's only thirty seconds left. "Screw you." Louis mutters and then all three of us kill as many people as we can until the time is up.


Liam won. Of course.


Felicite goes to bed then, after she finishes toast and Louis helps her brush her teeth. He tucks her in and checks on his other sisters before he returns down stairs. He flashes us a thumbs up and goes to the kitchen for a cheese stick. "I'm done. Lets watch The Office." Louis turns the play station off and Liam wines. "It gets hot fast." Liam still doesn't want to stop, but Louis has the reigns since we're in his house. "I should have brought mine." Liam crosses his arms and leans back into the couch. I get up and sit where Felicite was previously sitting and I open up my Swedish Fish.


In a weird position on the recliner, I turn my eyes over to Louis and Liam. Liam's on the floor with his hands on his chest and Louis laying on the couch with a blanket over him. I glance back to the TV and take a red fish out of the bag, raise my hand slowly, and throw it. It hits Louis in the head. He reaches his arm up and feels for it, and when he finds it, he blindly throws it back. It hits the wall next to me and I smile. I throw another one, and it hits his leg. Dang it. He throws it back and again, it hits the wall. Now Liam lifts his head and rolls his eyes back to Louis and then looks at me to see whats going on. I throw another fish and finally hit him in the face. "Would you stop!" Louis takes the fish and throws it at me, looking this time, and it hits my chest. i just laugh and turn to the telly.


"Annoying." He mutters and lays back down. Liam chuckles breathiely  and lifts his water to his mouth. I get up and pick up the fish and pop them in my mouth. "Thats gross." Liam makes a face. "You're gross." I come back and sit with my leg under my butt. Its two in the morning, I see when I check my phone, and look at my Instagram. Niall posted a selfie four hours ago (which goes to show you how often I'm on social media); he's laying down  on the hospital bed and its a close up photo. His eyes are so blue through the screen, and he's sticking his tongue out. The caption says "Oi oi!" with three emojis next to it. It already has forty five likes, so I decided to be the forty sixth. I grin a little and look at how much life he's trying to have, but if you look closely in his eyes, you can see the struggle. I know he knows and its depressing, probably, the both of us.

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