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Poison

Chapter 18

Gennys POV
I rush to catch up with Louis after class, practically chasing him down in the hallway.
"Louis!" I gasp out as I reach his side. He looks at me warily as I catch my breath.
"What Genevieve?" He asks blandly.
"Please can we just forget about last night?" I beg and grab his hand, he doesn't pull away which I take as a good sign.
"I don't trust him Genny," Louis sighs, referencing Harry. "I don't want you around him."
"Okay," I say immediately. It shouldn't be a problem to stay away from Harry, I don't even want to be near him in the first place.
"Okay," Louis gives me a small smile and presses a kiss to my nose.
The rest of the day is a blur of classes and curious stares. The news of what happened seems to have spread like wildfire and I've been hearing some rumors that are so beyond the truth that it's ridiculous. Some people are saying that I gave Harry a blow job when Louis walked in and the only reason Louis forgave me was because I agreed to give him head. It's disgusting what people come up with. None of them even know the real story so I wish they'd just back off. The accusing glares I've been receiving are enough to ward me off alcohol for life. People are calling me a slut but Louis is trying to put the rumors down, using his popular status to do so. Unfortunately I have suspicions that Harry is the one who's been spreading them so it's like pouring a drop of water on a wildfire.
I throw myself on my bed at the end of the ridiculously long day. The hours of being called slut or having guys ask me if they could get what Harry had was exhausting. My phone ringing forces me up and I answer it without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?" I answer, pressing the cool metal to my ear.
"Hey GG," Liam's voice answers. "It seemed like you had a rough day."
I groan in response and he chuckles.
"Wanna go get some ice cream and talk about it?" He suggests.
I immediately perk up at the prospect of ice cream and agree, hoping the deliciousness of strawberry ice cream would help distract me from the drama of my life.
Liam's car pulls into the driveway and I leap down the stairs, not even bothering to wait for Henry to open the door for me.
"Hi Liam!" I say cheerily as I slam the door shut behind me.
"Hey GG," he grins and begins the drive. "You seem in better spirits than I expected."
"Ice cream tends to have that affect on me," I admit and he smiles.
We drive in silence, the bright atmosphere I entered the car in slowly fading as we drive through the snowy London streets.
We pull up to a small ice cream parlor, the place looking nearly deserted.
"Are they even open?" I question, looking at the dark shop warily.
"Just come on," Liam says with a smirk, pulling me from the car and up to the building. The bright candied colors adorning the building brighten up the otherwise dreary day and make me smile. Liam pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and fumbles with them for a moment before jamming one into the lock and opening the door.
"How do you have a key?" I ask curiously as he leads me out of the cold winter air and into the slightly less chilly room. He flicks on the lights and the parlor is basked in a warm yellow glow, illuminating the retro decor. I run my hands along the red vinyl booths and take in the small tables with cast iron chairs stacked on top of them. Liam goes behind the counter and his hands instantly become busy with something I can't see.
"I know people," he explains with a smirk. I slide into the booth closest to him and watch as he produces two plastic bowls filled with ice cream.
"There isn't much to choose from," he apologizes and hands me a bowl and a pink plastic spoon.
"This is my favorite!" I exclaim in surprise as I take a bite of the chilly cream, savoring the sweet strawberries. "How did you know?"
"Wild guess," he smirks and begins work on his bowl of vanilla.
"So seriously how do you have a key to this place?" I ask immediately through a bite of ice cream.
"My parents own it," he says with a shrug and my eyes widen.
"Seriously?! That is so cool!" I say.
"Not as cool as having grandparents who could buy the world," he points out and I blush.
"Technology isn't as cool as ice cream," I say with a smirk.
"That's debatable but I'm glad you think ice cream is cool," he says with a smirk mirroring my own.
The lull in conversation offers Liam a moment to breach the subject I can tell he's been wanting to, and he takes the opportunity. "How was your day?" He asks tentatively, repeating the question he asked earlier.
I sigh and take another bite of ice cream to delay my response. "Bitter sweet," I finally reply.
"Whys that?" He asks with puppy dog eyes.
"Well I'm glad Louis forgave me but the rumors..." I confide, not bothering to finish my sentence. Liam nods understandingly and looks at me with sympathy.
"People will forget about it soon enough," he reassures but I shake my head.
"I know that it will blow over but whenever people think of me now all there going to say is that I'm a slut. I didn't even know it was Harry!"
"Alcohol tends to have that affect on people," Liam mutters and shovels a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.
"Do you think I'm a slut?" I ask softly, staring at the bowl in front of me instead of the guy across from me.
There's a moment of silence where the question hangs in the air before he answers.
"Of course not," Liam reassures me softly and his hand reaches across the table to encompass mine.
"Why not?" I ask, staring at our entwined hands.
"Because you're a good person," he explains easily. "I've already told you that."
"That's different though," I say and meet his gaze with my own. "Being a slut is different from being a bad person."
Liam turns my words over in his head before answering, thinking about what he was going to say in response. "I think that you made a mistake, and Louis knows that you regret it and that's all that matters. Anyone else's opinion about you is irrelevant, including my own. But I don't think you're a slut because if you were than Harry would have already gotten into your pants."
"I usually wear skirts," I mutter dryly and Liam cracks a smile.
"Well than he would have already gotten up your skirt," he teases. "And from what I can tell, he hasn't."
"Louis says I need to stay away from him," I admit shyly and Liam squeezes my hand lightly.
"I hate to say it but I'm going to have to agree with Louis, Harry is bad news," Liam says with a shrug.
"Aren't you two friends of some sort?" I ask with furrowed eyebrows. I've seen them hanging around each other quite a bit but I don't like to judge people based on who their friends are.
"We tend to run in the same circles," Liam says with a shrug. "But I'm here for you Genny."
"Thank you," I say softly and he nods before getting up to throw away our empty bowls.
"You ready to go?" Liam asks and helps me out of the booth. I nod in response and we leave the bright parlor. The moment the door closes behind us I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It's as if the burdens of today have been left behind me in the once again deserted shop.
~
The days following pass by in a blur. Louis and I have begun to spend so much time together that it's like we're attached at the hip, and I love it. The events of the party are slowly fading to the back of the gossip mill and so are lingering feelings Louis had over them. We've fallen into a schedule. He picks me up for school, we eat lunch together, and he takes me home where we watch movies and hang out before he goes home for dinner, and then we talk on the phone every night until we both decide it's time to get some sleep. Then we wake up and repeat the schedule all over again.
Just thinking about him brings a smile to my face, he's been so sweet and caring. I've talked to him about my old school and how things were so much easier when I felt like I actually fit in and he's been understanding and so great about everything. He even admitted that he's glad I was forced to go to public school or we might not have met. He's told me about his parents and the messy situation that is his family. His dad was cheating on Harry's mom with his mom at the time that him and Harry were both conceived. Louis's dad knew he loved Louis's mom and decided that it would be better for everyone if he left Harry's mum. It's such a strange situation especially since Louis said that his mom and Harry's mom are on good terms, they exchange recipes and stuff like that.
outfit
I wrap my arms around myself as I walk through the snow to the parking lot, Louis wasn't feeling well today so I had to get a ride from Carlson. I search for the black Mercedes when my phone starts to ring from my pocket.
Carlson: Your grandfather needed me for business, I can't pick you up.
You've got to be kidding me. I reread the text just to confirm that I am yet again stranded at school. I look around for Liam, hoping he will come to my rescue again. Unfortunately I don't see him or his car, he must have already left. I think about calling him and asking him to come back and get me but I don't want to bother him with it. I sigh and sink to the curb as I text Carlson.
Me: when would you be able to come get me?
I guess I'll just have to wait here until someone can pick me up. I really should get a license over here. I can drive perfectly well in the states, different sides of the road shouldn't be too big of a deal.
Carlson: it'll probably be another hour or so.
Me: could you send Henry or someone to come get me?
Carlson: unfortunately not miss.
I groan and set my bag on my lap as I sit on the curb, watching as the last few cars straggle out of the parking lot. I guess I'm stuck here for another hour.
"Do you need a ride?" A familiar voice asks from behind me. I turn to see Zayn standing with his hands shoved into the pockets of his dark jeans and his smoldering eyes looking at me curiously and I immediately blush. Of course the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on would be the one person to offer me a ride.
"Uh no," I shake my head spastically. Oh god I'm humiliating myself. I feel the blush in my cheeks deepen and the corner of his flawless mouth twitches up in a smirk.
"You sure?" He asks and runs his fingers along his bottom lip. Oh my god how long have I just been staring at his lips? I force myself to look up at his eyes instead and am met with a smoldering look that isn't any better than his hypnotizing lips.
My mouth opens slightly to give an answer but no sounds come out. Say something Genny! He probably thinks I'm mentally impaired and can't talk to people normally. "Uh yeah," I finally mutter and whip my gaze away from his perfect face to stare at my hands in my lap.
I wait for him to walk away but he doesn't, instead he sinks to the ground next to me.
"W-what are you doing?" I stutter out and look at him with wide eyes. His lean figure stretches across the pavement, making the dull sidewalk seem fit for a photoshoot instead of just the feet of high school students.
"I'm going to wait with you for your ride to get here," he shrugs with the answer and looks at me curiously.
"Oh that's really not necessary," I gush out and shake my head vehemently. I can not spend an hour with this man for fear of losing my sanity. I can't speak properly in front of him for two minutes and now he's planning on staying here with me for sixty? Hell no.
"Sorry darling, I was raised as a gentleman," he replies with a small smile that makes my insides melt.
Why is he so attractive?!?!?!?!
The only response I can get out is a noncommittal "um" that makes him smile and me blush even deeper. I pull my knees to my chest and stare straightforward, hoping that if I focus enough on the passing cars I'll be able to forget the perfect human being lounging next to me.
"So Genny how've you been?" He asks lazily.
"Good," I say, still staring straight ahead.
There's a moment of silence before his voice washes over me. "Do I make you nervous?" He questions, his voice low and husky.
I shake my head no when on the inside I'm screaming fuck yes.
"Then why won't you look at me?" He asks and I feel one of his long fingers trail up my spine, making me shiver. I force myself to look into his deep eyes boldly and he smiles genuinely.
"You have truly stunning eyes," he observes warmly and I feel myself smile involuntarily.
"Thank you," I reply softly before looking away again. I feel like if I stare at him too long my panties will just fly off without my volition and I've already made one mistake with Louis, I don't intend to make another.
"Actually," Zayn muses. "Everything about you is stunning."
I blush and stare down at my lap, I don't want him to see how much his sweet words are affecting me.
"Thank you," I practically whisper. It's only my third encounter with this guy and the last time I spoke to him I could barely keep myself upright, and this time I'm ready to rip my panties off at a moments notice. Louis told me to stay away from Harry but maybe he should have told me to stay away from Zayn.
"You know it's really no trouble for me to take you home," Zayn says softly.
"It's okay," I stutter out. "You can go if you want."
Zayn scoffs and I turn to look at him in shock. "I would never just leave you out here alone, especially since it's already getting dark!"
I stare at him with wide eyes. I guess not only is he a sex god, he's also a gentleman. Holy shit.
"Now that I think about it," Zayn muses. "It would be the polite thing for you to do to just accept my offer to take you home, because I'm either going to wait here with you until your ride shows up or take you home anyways."
Despite my better instincts telling me that being alone in an enclosed space with Zayn was an extremely bad idea, I find myself nodding along in agreement to his request, causing a slow smile to spread across his face.