Wildflower

"Why is he here?"

"Who; Harry?"

I snorted. "No, Satan."

Lulu shrugged, flicking her pole out toward the water. Her and I had left Josh and Harry to fin for themselves on the other side of the pond. We fished pretty much every weekend during the summer, so we knew where to go to catch more fish.

"He was at the gate when I got there," she replied. "He somehow got a ticket and was allowed on the plane. I tried to tell him you wouldn't want to see him and that he was the reason you left, but he didn't listen." Before I could say anything, she did. "And what's this whole cute Sonic guy kissing you thing?" She wagged her eyebrows at me.

"He just kinda did it." I shrugged. "When he found out Harry was with you, he just did it."

She smirked. "He likes you."

As I rolled my eyes, I felt a tug on my pole. I lifted up on it and started reeling it in as fast as I could. Lulu took notice and laid her pole down, getting her pliers ready. "Is it a big one?"

"Feels like it," I answered. "It's fighting it." It took me a few more seconds to get it reeled in, but once I did, I used Lulus pliers and pulled the hook out. "Let me take a picture!" She exclaimed. "It's your first big Largemouth Bass of the year!"

I held it up by its mouth so she could take a picture. It looked like the cliche picture everyone took when they caught a fish, but I didn't care. I was going to shove that in Kohl, Gavin, and Zack's faces. They never caught any Bass out here and it made them so mad. Before I kept the fish out of water any longer and killed it, I tossed it back into the murky pond water.

"Send me—"

"What the fuck, dude?!"

Mine and Lulu's attention was now on Harry and Josh across the pond. Josh was stalking toward Harry. I don't know what it was, but I dropped my pole and took off running. Maybe it was the look of death on Josh's face or the clenched fists at Harry's sides.

"What the fuck is your problem, man?" Josh exploded. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Harry took one look at him and swung. His right fist connected with the left side of Josh's face. Lulu let out a loud gasp that sounded much like mine. My legs moved faster with each step. Josh stumbled back a few feet, but caught himself before he fell. He rubbed his jaw before hauling off and tackling Harry.

"HARRY!" I screamed.

"SONIC BOY!"

By the time we got around the pond, they were rolling around on the ground fighting. It was practically wrestling, to be honest. Without wasting another second, I did my best to grab a hold of Harry and pull him off of Josh. He tried to push me away, but with me having two older brothers, I was used to stuff like this. So I pulled with all my might and finally got him away from Josh. Lulu helped Josh up and held him back, while I held Harry back. I glared up at him.

"What is wrong with you?" I questioned. "You could've hurt him!" All he did was scoff. I wanted to hit him. Right in his chest.

"He's fucking crazy!" Josh exclaimed. Lulu told him to shut up and then proceeded to push him back to where the cars were parked.

"You can't do that shit, Harry," I said. "You can't just come here unannounced and start throwing punches at people. That's now how it works."

"The only reason you're pissed I'm here is because he's your new boyfriend."

A sigh emitted from me. "I'm not dating him, okay? He said he'd pretend to be my boyfriend to make you jealous. And from what just happened, I'm taking it, it did."

Now it was his turn to sigh. "Well yeah, it made me jealous. I care about you, Veve. And I know you care about me."

"I don't—"

"I know you love me." My eyes were casted downward to my Muck boots. "And I love you too."

There's no denying the way my heart sped up when he said those words. Who knew three simple words could do so much to one person. But I needed to remember what he said to me back in London.

"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."

I shook my head. "You-You can't just say that. Why did you say that?" He grabbed my face, forcing me to look up at him. His touch still sent chills down my spine, even if I tried to deny it. His touch, his look, his pretense could do things to me. Things that I couldn't explain. And I knew he knew it. And I knew he did it just to do it.

"Because it's the truth," he mumbled. His thumbs rubbed against my cheeks. "I love you, Veronica. And nothing's going to change that."

Tears pricked my eyes. He couldn't do this. Not now. Not ever. I couldn't handle this. I couldn't listen to this. I had to leave. I had to go somewhere, where Harry wasn't. So instead of saying anything else, I turned and started walking away. And surprise, surprise, he started following me. He called after me and tried to stop me. As soon as his hand grazed mine, I shot away like he was on fire.

"Veve, stop."

"Veve."

"Will you bloody fucking stop?"

"I think you need to rethink what you're saying and lower your tone," Josh spoke. I got in my car before I could hear anything else. A few more things were said before Josh climbed in the passenger seat. Lulu forced Harry in the other car, then went and gathered all the fishing poles and other supplies. I turned on the radio and took off.

"I don't know how you da—"

"I'm not in the mood to talk." And with that, I turned the radio up louder. Mumford & Sons was my pick of poison.

You heard my voice I came out of the woods by choice
Shelter also gave their shade
But in the dark I have no name

So leave that click in my head
And I will remember the words that you said
Left a clouded mind and a heavy heart
But I was sure we could see a new start

So when your hopes—

"Can I ask you something?"

I sighed. "Not right now. I'm sorry for ruining this, but I really just need to be alone. I'll take you to your car at my place. I'm sorry."


Without a word to anyone, I went on a short road trip. A short road trip to a town not even ten minute from Joplin. And I had one certain house in mind.

"Yo, where you at Douchebag?" I spoke into my phone. Dayton snorted. "I may be a douchebag but at least I ain't a bitch," he responded.

"Bitches make things happen," I replied. "Now for real, where are you? I'm in the mood for Shakes."

"I'm at Ian's. Come get me, I want free ice cream." He hung up before I could say anything else. I made a legal U-turn and headed in the other direction. Ian lived in the new subdivision a few miles North of where Dayton lived. His family was well off, so of course they had a huge house. It took me five minutes to get to his house, but when I did, I realized I wouldn't just be buying two large concretes, I'd be buying at least five.

Dayton was only a year and a half younger then me, so naturally we grew up together. We spent an ungodly amount of time together. We were more like siblings then we were cousins. That's just how our family was though. We were one big close knit family. So it wasn't uncommon for Dayton and I to hang out on a regular basis. All three car doors opened and all four boys hopped in. I knew Ian, but not the other two. So I did what any normal person in our family would do.

"Who are you guys?" The car was put in park and I turned around in my seat. Dayton rolled his eyes from the passenger seat and made no move to introduce us, so Ian took the initiative. "That's Erik and Adam. Guys, that's Dayton's cousin, Veve."

Blonde guy was Adam and Mousy brown haired guy was Erik. They waved and greeted me with their own form of greeting.

"Hey," Adam greeted.

"'Sup," Erik greeted, giving me a little head nod.

"Hey," I replied. "You guys good kids?"

Dayton sighed. "Really, Veve?"

I shrugged. "What? I gotta play the protective older cousin. I'll do the same with Bug and Kade."

"Yeah, but I'm almost seventeen." That made me laugh. More like snort, to be honest. "And?" I questioned. "I'll do this when we're both wrinkled and grey."

Ian interrupted our little spat. "Can we go get some damn ice cream? I'm starving!"

I let out a sigh, turning around in my seat. "Fine. But we're listening to my music." That pulled groans of displeasure from Dayton and Ian.

"We ain't gonna listen to that One Direction bullshit," Dayton stated. I rolled my eyes. "I had to listen to that crap for months on end. I'm not about to play it in my car." The aux cord was plugged in to my phone and the setting on the stereo was changed before I started searching for a song. I had a specific playlist for when I was with my brothers, Zack, or Dayton, so I went to that and hit play.

Snapbacks and tattoos
Snapbacks and tattoos
Nice whips
Fly chicks—

"Next." Dayton hit the next button. I may have also liked the playlist I had for all of them. But don't tell them that.

I can spell sober...
I'm a smoker...
Fredo a drinker, Tadoe off molly water
Sober, my bitches stay sober
Sober
Damn I hate being sober
I hate being sober

Damn I hate being sober, I'm a smoker
Fredo was drinking, ain't said I want molly water
But we can't spell sober
Ballout roll up, when we roll up bitches be on us
All the hoes they love smoking, and love drinking
Anti-sober, for no reason
Cause we can't spell sober
Ya know us, we smoke strong boy, watch me roll up
Cause I can't spell sober

On my tour bus we get dumb high you's a floor, boy
Fredo got a hangover he toting a Cobra
Last night he was shooting shit up like O-Dog
Reesy rolling, Tadoe got hoes on mollies
Chief Sosa, Ballout—

"So are you like, buying everyone's ice cream?" Ian asked. We had arrived at Shakes and I had parked. We made our way to the front of the building so we could order. Only Ian would ask that. "It doesn't matter to me. I've got enough money," I replied.

He nodded and went up to the window, giving the girl his order. The others gave their orders and then I gave mine. "I want a large cookie dough concrete with extra cookie dough."

"Is that all?" I nodded and handed her some money. It was a hundred, seeing as that's all that I had on me at the moment. Dayton let out a low whistle causing me to look at him. "What?"

"Them One Direction asshats give you that money?" I let out a loud laugh.

"Why would any of them give me money?"

He gave me a look that screamed 'are-you-kidding-me'. "Uh... Maybe 'cause you were shackin' up with one of 'em. And the others are like, your best friends."

Erik and Adam's heads quickly turned in my direction. They had to have given themselves whiplash. Both their mouths dropped open. I'm surprised they didn't drop their ice cream or get choked on a bug that flew in their mouths. Was it really that hard to believe that I could date a famous person? I mean, am I not good looking enough? Do I not meet some secret standards or something?

"You fucked someone from a boy band?!" Erik shouted.

Oh. My. God. Why God, why? In public, really? There had never been a time when I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, as much as I did right now in this very moment. It took a lot to embarrass me, but everyone knowing about my sex life was one of the things that did. Especially people I didn't know from Adam, no pun intended, and people I barely knew.

"I bet it was the one with the blonde hair," Adam spoke up. "Am I right?"

"I'm not talking about this with—" I was cut off by my phone.

But do not ask the price I paid,
I must live with my quiet rage,
Tame the ghosts in my head,
That run wild and wish me dead.
Should you shake my ash to the wind
Lord, forget all of my sins
Oh, let me die where I lie
'Neath the curse of my lovers eyes—

Ian looked over my shoulder, making me quickly move my phone out of his line of sight. He smirked. "It's some guy named Harry."

Erik put a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. "What's he look like? She got a picture of him?"

Ian snatched my phone and showed Erik and Adam. "Oh that guy," Erik spoke. "I heard he's been sneaking around with that Taylor Swift chick."

"Dude," Dayton said slowly. "What?"

I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt when Erik said that, because it did. I had no clue he was talking to Taylor Swift. If I had, I wouldn't of went to London. He would've been cut out of my life a long time ago.

Erik shrugged. "My sister is obsessed with Taylor Swift. She feels the need to announce to everyone when a new article is posted about her." The other three shook their heads, but Dayton stopped short. He must've noticed the change in my behavior because he grabbed the phone from Ian and answered, putting it on speaker.

"'Ello? Veve, babe, listen. I'm really sorry—"

"Harry, right?" Dayton spoke.

"Uh...yeah. Whose this?"

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "Now you listen, and you listen good, I ain't about to let you get away with fucking my cousin over again. You broke her heart once and you aren't gonna do it again. She knows you've been talking to that Taylor Swift wanna-be country singer."

"But—"

"There ain't no buts about it. She flew to London for you. Now I know Veve like the back of my hand and if she didn't have feelings for you she wouldn't have flown halfway across the world to see you. And that's just what she did. She flew over there to see you. Not anyone else. You. So go ahead and keep talking to that wanna-be, but just know that if you do that, you'll lose the only good thing to ever happen to you."


"What's your plan?"

"Before or after I eat this whole package of Nutter Butters?"

Gavin happened to be walking into the living room at that exact moment and started making a pig sound. I tossed a throw pillow at him. Lulu rolled her eyes at our antics and went back to eating her bag of white cheddar popcorn.

"For real, V," she started. "What's your plan?"

"Plan for what?"

"Harry."

I shrugged. I didn't know what I was going to do to be honest. "I don't know. Move on I guess."

"I agree with that decision a hundred and ten percent!" Gavin exclaimed.




Dear Harry,

I know I should probably be doing this over the phone or on Skype or something other then a letter, but I feel like a letter could better express my words and what I'm feeling. It's taken me a while to write this and it's been weighing on my mind for weeks. Read this letter to the very end and don't put it down until you have.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing the world. You're doing things you've never done, and more importantly, you're doing something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

You're my mistake and I'm moving on. I'm moving on to my next mistake.

All the love,
Veve xoxo

"She moved on," I mumbled.

"What're you mumbling about, Harry?" Niall questioned. I handed him the letter to read. His eyes scanned the piece of wrinkled white paper.

"She's not coming back, Niall," I whispered. "She moved on."