Wildflower

"How is the temperature outside?"

Lulu shrugged. "So, so. Why?"

I came out of our joint bathroom and stood in front of her. "Because I didn't know if I should change out of my skirt or not. But the Olympics take place inside right? So it wouldn't really matter?"

She shook her head. "I'm like eighty four percent sure it's inside." With a nod, I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped on my boots. We had to get ready early so we could leave with the guys. A few hours before the closing ceremony was supposed to take place and they were going in for a sound check. Lulu was going for a more casual look whereas I went for the more dressy casual. Is that a thing? Dressy casual?

"COME ON, GIRLS!" Niall shouted. "IT'S TIME TO GO! HOP TO!"

We hopped up and hurried downstairs. Everyone was already out the door while Niall waited for us. We climbed in the black SUV that was waiting for us. The one in front of us took off and ours followed. It didn't take me long to realize that I was sitting beside the one member of One Direction that I wanted to avoid. Lulu was sitting on my other side and Niall was sitting in the passenger seat. Why did it always have to be my luck?

Niall, Lulu, and the security guard who was driving us started a conversation while Harry and I kept quiet. My mood went downhill as soon as I realized who I was sitting beside. So instead of pushing my mood off on everyone else, I stared straight ahead out the windshield. I felt Harry's gaze on me every now and then, but paid him no mind. His words echoed in my mind at least twenty times a day.

"Yeah, because an adult has to rely on their parents for a house to stay in and to pay all their bills, and buy them a car and give them anything they want. I'd say you take care of yourself alright."

Not everyone could make millions before they hit the age of eighteen. Not everyone can be perfect. Not everyone can be Harry Styles. "I'm really sorry," he whispered in my ear. I jumped away at the sudden closeness. Lulu gave me a side glance, before leaning forward and shooting Harry a nasty glare. He didn't back down though. He shot her one right back.

"Back off, Harry," she whispered. Niall and their security guard were engrossed in a conversation about the newest season of The X Factor to realize there was a mini argument brewing in the backseat. "Mind your own business, Caroline," he whispered back.



"I don't want to be here anymore," I commented. Lulu looked up from her phone. "Okay, let's go." I stopped her.

"You stay," I instructed. "I talked to my Dad earlier and he sent the private jet over, so I'm going home early."

She nodded with a sigh. "I'm sorry he ruined it for you."

I chuckled. "It was stupid on my part to think he wouldn't." It wasn't even ten minutes into the closing ceremony and I knew for a fact the normally busy streets of London would be bare, so instead of getting ahold of one of their security guards, I left Lulu with a tight hug and made my way outside the big stadium to hail a cab.

When one of those black cars pulled up that were basically a staple for everything British, I almost started clapping. And of course, I took a picture. It took us all of ten minutes to get to Niall's and five more for me to get my bags packed. A normally hour ride to London Heathrow, took us thirty. And by the time we got there, I handed the driver my card and told him to give himself a tip. Once he had it swiped, we thanked each other and said our goodbyes. Now to remember the gate my dad told me to be at.







I flagged down one of the men on those golf cart things. "How can I help you Miss?" He asked. I grinned. "I was wondering if you could take me to Gate A1? I'm not from around here and I have a tendency to get lost in busy places like this."

He nodded, patting the seat beside him. "Yes ma'am! I'll put your luggage on the back for yeh." He tossed my luggage on the back of the cart and took off as soon as he got back in the driver seat. We made small talk as he drove, weaving in and out of people. "So where are you from?"

"I'm from the US," I answered. "Missouri to be exact."

A big grin appeared on his face. "You have the St. Louis Cardinals right? The, uh... the baseball team, yeah?"

I nodded. "Yes sir! Best baseball team around those parts. You like them?"

"I've seen a game or two," he replied. "They're pretty good from what I understand." We talked for the rest of the five minute drive and when we reached the gate I thanked him and bid him goodbye. I went up to the desk and thanked the lords above that I didn't have to wait in line or go through security.

"You must be the special passenger we have riding with us today?" The lady at the desk spoke. With a grin, I nodded and said, "Yes ma'am." She scanned my ticket and handed it back to me. "Thank you. Have a nice day."

"You too, hun!" A quick walk down the tunnel and I was inside the private plane. My bags were put in the corner between the small couch and the wall. I turned my phone on airplane mode and slid it in my purse. My purse mini suitcase was tossed in the seat beside me. I avoided the window seat like the plague which is why I threw my purse in that one. The window shade was pulled down and ignored.

"This is your Captain speaking, and we're getting ready to take off, so if you could please put your seatbelt on, we can start take-off." I pulled the belt over my lap and clicked it together. A few minutes later and the plane was taking off.

Adios London.



Family was a constant in my life. It didn't matter the time or the day, if anyone needed anything we called each other. We spent every major holiday at my Gammy and Uncles. We had all our birthday parities-slash-dinners there. We were a tight knit family. And I wouldn't have it any other way. But right now, I just wanted to spend time with someone other then my family. So I got a hold of the cute Sonic carhop, Josh. He told me he got off in ten minutes, so I waited for him to get off and get to my house.

"Veve, there's some boy here to see you!" My mom hollered. I hopped off my bed and went barreling down the stairs, straight into the entryway. There stood Josh in all his tattooed glory. I greeted him with a smile and a hug. "Hey!"

"Hey." He chuckled. "So what's up? Whatcha wanna do?"

"Well, we can't hang out here because my moms baby sitting kids are down for naps, so maybe we could go for a drive? Or fishing? Or a water park?"

"Is it weird that I've never been fishing?" My eyes grew in size and my mouth dropped. "You've never been fishing? And you're nineteen?" He nodded. And that was what made up my mind. "Ma, we're going fishing! Can you call Tata and tell her?"

Tata was my moms sister, Lucy. When I was younger, I couldn't say her name right, which blows my mind because Lucy is the easiest name to pronounce, but I ended up calling her Tata and it stuck. Her and her husband had a huge farm and it had several ponds on it. They let me go whenever I wanted and I used it to my advantage when I needed some alone time.

"Yeah, but she won't care," she replied, walking out of the kitchen and into the entryway. She took a sip of her Sprite and looked at Josh. "Who are you?" She was like this with every new friend I brought over. She was weird like that. He got nervous all of a sudden making me want giggle. I did my best to muffle it.

"I'm, uh... I'm Josh. Nice to meet you ma'am." He held out his shaking hand, waiting for her to grab it. When she did, they shook hands. I decided to break the awkward moment and save Josh from any embarrassment my mom had planned for him. "I hope you have your fishin' clothes on, 'cause we're going fishin'." With that said, I grabbed his arm and pulled him outside and into the garage.

"Just ignore her," I said. "She's like that with all my friends I bring home."

After we got everything loaded in the back of my car, I shut the trunk and turned to him. "Now, do you have any problem with cow patties?"



"Do you happen to have a clothes pin in your car?" Josh questioned. I barked out a laugh. "Aw, what's wrong? The smell of cow shit bothering you?"

He flipped me off. "I didn't think you were serious when you asked me if I had a problem with it! I couldn't tell if you were joking or not!"

"You have much to learn, Young Padawan."

As I pulled my fishing pole over my shoulder and flicked it out into the one, my phone went off. It was Lulu's ringtone. As soon as the loud guitars, drums, and singing met my ears, I knew I messed up. Today was Wednesday which meant she was coming home early and I was supposed to pick her up at the airport. Shit.

Let me feel you, carry you higher
Watch our words spread hope like fire
Secret crowds rise up and gather
Hear your voices scream back louder—

I didn't even bother saying hello. "I'm sorry!" I exclaimed. "I completely forgot!"

"Where are you?"

She sounded outrageously mad. Uh oh. I really messed up. "I'm fishing at Tata's pond. J—"

"Which one?"

"The one like, right behind her house." My eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"Because I'm heading there right now. You got extra poles?"

I nodded. "I tossed them all in our car. Wait, who brought you home?"

"Your dad figured you would forget, so he had a car waiting for me," she explained. "It's been god damn awful with you. London was fucking awful after you left."

"Um why?" I reeled my line back in when I didn't get a bite and laid the pole on the ground. Josh was a few feet away and struggling to reel his line in. It got stuck in some brush a few feet out. He jerked on it and stumbled back, tripping on a rock that almost sent him flying backwards. "Josh, watch yourself!" I shouted. "Don't snap the line. I'll fix it in a sec."

"Is that the one person I think you're talking about?" I can hear her smirk over the phone. She's been pining for me to get with him ever since we left tour. She said I needed a distraction and that he looked like a pretty good one. Those weren't her exact words, but they were along those lines. So I settled for rolling my eyes. "Yes, it's the person you're thinking about," I replied.

"Good."

"I gotta go, he's about to snap Gav's line. See ya in a bit." I hung up and hurried over. He stood there with a glare on his face. "I'm not a country guy for a reason," he grumbled. "I mean, look at me!" With a shake of the head and roll of the eyes, I pulled my Muck Boots up a bit and made my way into the water.

"Aren't there snakes in the water?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but as long as you don't bother them, they won't bother you." I quickly got his line out and held it up, motioning for him to reel it in. "Why, scared?"

My smirk and teasing tone didn't go unnoticed. "Fuck off."

"Some other time, yeah?" My response must've stunned him because he was quiet for a few minutes. The sound of tires on gravel met my ears. Josh and I both looked over our shoulders. Lulu was driving my moms car and as she got closer, I took notice to another person in the car.

Harry.

For the love of fucking god. "What? What's wrong?"

"Did I say that out loud?" He nodded. Now I need to explain, but the very short version. "My ex who cheated on me is in the car with Lulu and he's the reason I left London a week early. Long story short, he said some really hurtful stuff while we were there. And I don't want anything to do with him."

It didn't even take him two seconds to reply. But when he did, I wanted to lay a big fat one on his smackers. "I'll pretend to be your boyfriend, if you want." My grin must've been enough of an answer for him because he grinned too. Two car doors opened and closed making him look over his shoulder. With a smirk on his face, he quickly leaned down and pecked my lips.

"What the hell?" I whispered. He subtly motioned behind us with his head. "Your ex was looking."

By the time Lulu and Harry reached us, Josh had gotten a phone call and walked off to take it. Lulu looked overjoyed, from seeing us kiss no doubt, and Harry didn't really have any emotion on his face. Mission accomplished.

"Who was that?" And now he speaks.

"Her boyfriend," Lulu answered.

The look on his face was one I had never seen on him before. He wasn't one to let his emotions be displayed for everyone to see. Nor was I, and I think that's one of the reasons we got on so well. But this look, it struck a nerve. The sadness in his eyes. The frown. The pale skin. It was different. And I didn't know what to do. Lulu noticed and kept looking between us. She sent me a look that said 'remember what he did and don't do something stupid.' I loved Harry, I did. And I would always be there for him, but right now was one of those moments where I couldn't.

"Yeah, because an adult has to rely on their parents for a house to stay in and to pay all their bills, and buy them a car and give them anything they want. I'd say you take care of yourself alright."

He didn't love me. And he never would. I loved him and I always would. I would always be there for him, but I highly doubt that he'd be there for me. So I had to take that into consideration right now. Harry Styles wasn't good for me. He cheated on me and he hurt me and there was nothing that could make me forget that. I thought he might've been my knight in shining armor, but he was just a player in tin foil.

Harry Styles was no good for me.