Chapter Text
Louis was a city boy. Born and raised in the lap of luxury. He was an only child, so his parents spoiled him growing up. They both worked very hard, leaving Louis with nannies most of his life. Instead of being showered in attention, he was showered in gifts. Holidays on cruises and only the best private schools. He didn't mind one bit, he liked it like this.
He was a good kid as well. Hardly got into trouble at school. Kept his grades decent. Threw parties like any other teenager when his parents were out of town, but he never burnt the house down, so he would say he was a good kid.
You could say Louis was spoiled. Got a brand new Audi for his sixteenth birthday along with a family cruise to the Bahamas. He couldn't complain, he had everything he wanted and expected no less.
That's why today was so special. Today was his eighteenth birthday and he was finally legal. Could drink and go to clubs, have proper adult fun. Maybe they would take him on the cruise he had been hinting at. They had a casino on board and an open bar, what more could he ask for?
Louis groaned when he heard his alarm clock going off. He had half a mine to hit snooze and go back to sleep, but today was special. He rolled out of bed and checked his phone, shutting off the alarm, he could already hear rustling downstairs, his mum surely making breakfast for the special day. He smiled and went on with his normal morning routine, having a wee, brushing his teeth, taking a shower, rifling through the closet for something to wear for 15 minutes, getting dressed and going downstairs.
Louis smiled as he jogged down the stairs. "Morning, mum!" He greeted as he walked into the kitchen, kissing her cheek. She was making a his favorite chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and blueberry muffins. It made his stomach growl in anticipation.
Johannah smiled and flipped a pancake. "Happy birthday, Lou." She said and ruffled his hair. "Big day today, hmm? Your dad and I were thinking of taking you shopping later, how does that sound? You'll surely need a change of wardrobe for where you're going." She said and handed him his plate.
Louis got excited at the mention of a change of wardrobe. So they had a trip planned for him. Preferably somewhere warm. Bahamas? Bora Bora? God, he loved the beach. "Yeah? That sounds exciting, where am I going?" He asked as he set his plate at the kitchen bar, moving to make a coffee with their Keurig machine.
Johannah bit her lip and cleared her throat. "Well your dad and I have been talking a lot about it. We think you should get out of your comfort zone. Meet new people. Get out of the city." She said and glanced over at him. "There is this very nice farm in the country. The family is very nice and they have a son a wee bit older than you. You'll be staying with them for the summer." She told him. She knew he wouldn't like it at first, but she was afraid the city was beginning to get to his head. They hadn't always been rich, she knew what it was like to struggle and she wanted Louis to have this life lesson. He took the things he had for granted and she wanted him to see first hand that everyone's life wasn't so easy.
He furrowed his eyebrows together when he heard the word farm, not even listening to the rest as he tried to process this new information. "I thought I was going a trip, not going to do charity work." He rather rudely and sat down with his coffee. "M'not going to some smelly farm with stinky animals." He said simply and his mother sighed.
"Louis, you're going and it's not charity. Your father and I paid a lot of money to be able to send you there and you need a wake up call." She said and sipped her own coffee. "You'll like it if you give it a chance." She said and Louis scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Mum, you can't be serious?" He said as he stared at her. "You're serious." He said in realization that he wouldn't be able to get out of this. "Do they even have running water?" He asked and Johanna chuckled softly, giving him a small nod. He let out a loud sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, but M'not helping out and I get to bring my laptop and all that." He told her.
Johanna nodded and held her hands up defensively. "Never said you couldn't. Just try to get some sun. Close your eyes and pretend it's the beach. Just instead of the smell of salt water, it's horse shit." She laughed and Louis' jaw dropped. "You're the worst!" He laughed and shook his head. "Not going outside." He told her and she rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Lou. Stay inside the whole summer. Maybe if you ask nicely the boy will teach you how to ride a horse. You like those." She said and he perked up.
"They have horses? Like real ones?" He asked. He had always wanted to go horseback riding, but that was hard to do in the city. The closest he had been to one was seeing it at a petting zoo.
Johannah smiled, "Not too bad now is it?" She joked, which made the boy smile slightly. Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible. Plus it was only for the summer. He could get through that.