Wildflower

“Thif if fhe beft 'fhetti efer," Niall spoke with a mouthful. I had no trouble understanding him. I was used to my brothers and guy friends talking with their mouths full of food. 

I chuckled. "I'm glad you like it." Lulu handed him a napkin and pointed to his face. He had sauce everywhere. 

“This really is good guys. Thank you," Liam spoke. “Guys what do you say?" He sent the boys a look that reminded me of the look my mom gave me and my brothers when we were supposed to say thank you. For the short time I've known him he seems like the one who keeps all the boys in line. Sort of like a parent would their kids. 

"Thank you Veve and Lulu! It was scrumptious!" Louis all but shouted. I smiled my deep dimpled smile. I loved when people liked my food. “Thank you," Niall mumbled before shoveling more in his mouth.

“Thanks. It's nice to have a home cooked meal after eating out all the time." Zayn was so polite. Maybe it was the accent that made him -and the other four- that much more likeable. I was a sucker for British and Irish accents. “I loved it, thanks," Harry said. 

“No problem," Lulu replied. She stood up and threw her napkin on her plate. “Since we cooked you guys can clean up."

That got them all moaning and groaning. They all tried the puppy dog eyes and pout, but we stood our ground. Their pouts almost worked! Key word almost. I was seriously a second away from caving. Lulu had to look away. So that left me to send them all my stare that Zack and Christofer said could scare the devil himself. 

“Fine," Harry whined dragging out the ‘i'. His floppy curls bounced as he moved around. “But only because you worked so hard on our meal."

I snorted. I'm sure that's why they did it. It was now almost nine so I told everyone I was gonna go to bed. It had been an exhausting day. Signings kept you on your toes. I don't know how the boys did it.

As soon as I got in our room I flopped on the bed face first and fell asleep.


Someone was shaking me. My first reaction was to hit the person so that's what I did. 

“What the hell Veve? That hurt." British accent. “Get up." I cracked open my eyes to see a blurry figure leaning over me. After I rubbed my eyes I saw it was Harry. The fuck?

“How the fuck did you get in here?" I asked in a mumble. I heard Lulu mumbling in her sleep, something about the evil elf biting off her ankles. I don't know about that girl sometimes. 

A smirk appeared on his face. “Told the maid this was my room and I locked myself out. She let me in." He could charm a grumpy old lady. Hell he could probably charm the president into letting him sit in the oval office. 

“Whatcha want?" I sat up and looked at the alarm clock. It was only five thirty in the morning. “I couldn't go back to sleep," he answered simply.

“So you thought you'd come wake me up?" I asked with raised eyebrows. He nodded and said, “Wanna go to Starbucks?"

Starbucks. My one true love at this ungodly hour. I could never turn down Starbucks. In the blink of an eye I was up and rummaging through my sharpie covered suitcase.

“Go wait outside. I gotta change." He followed my orders and went out to the hall. I quickly got changed and grabbed my phone and credit card; stuffing both in my bra. Didn't have anywhere else to put them and I didn't feel like carrying a purse. I made sure to put the room key in there too so I could get back in without having to wake Lulu. When I opened the door and walked out I ran into Harry. His hands gripped my hips to keep me from falling. I ignored the shivers I got when he touched me and stood up. 

“Ready to go?" I asked, trying to act like I didn't just almost fall on my ass. He nodded and held out his arm toward me. I shook my head with a chuckle and hooked my arm with his. 

As we silently made our way to the elevator I couldn't help but stare at him. The way those handfull of curls stuck out from under his grey beanie and framed his face made him look more childlike. The way his green eyes sparkled in the lights above us. The way his tongue darted out to wet his lips. His dimples, oh those dimples. Every time they flared up I swear a heart broke somewhere in this world. 

It made me wonder who he got his looks from. Did he get his eyes from his dad? Or his dimples from his mom? Or his curly hair from both of them? I always wondered that about people. I got my blue eyes from my dad, my pin straight brown hair from my mom, height from my mom, personality from my mom, and give 'em hell attitude from my dad. He taught me the first ten years of my life to go after what I wanted. That's how he got to where he is today. Now my mom, she gave me a majority of my traits. Like her height; I stand at a whopping five foot two while she stands at five foot four. I'm shorter then her and I hate it. She calls me oompa loompa all the time just to get under my skin. My brothers got their height from our dads side of the family; Kohl stands at six foot six just like our great great grandpa and Gavin stands at six foot four just like our great grandpa. My dad was only five foot ten. He got his height from his moms side of the family. Kohl and Gavin had a hell of a time making fun of my height. I was called every name in the book. 

The ding of the elevator broke me from my thoughts. That scared the shit out me. I took a deep breath trying to calm my irratically beating heart and stepped in the elevator never once breaking away from the tall British boy beside me. As the annoying elevator music played softly I sighed. Stay awake for the coffee Veve, I thought to myself. Stay awake for the coffee. 

“Let's play twenty questions," he spoke. I looked up at him with a raised brow. He just shrugged. “Nothing else to do."

“Okay," I replied. “Favorite band?"

“The Beatles." He didn't even have to think about it. “Favorite song?"

“It's a tie between Wildflower by Tom Petty and Hey Jude by The Beatles." He grinned when I said the last song. “Any birthmarks?"

Again with the smirk. “Yeah, two. You got any?" 

“Yes siry bob. I gots three." We arrived at the lobby and made our way out of the deserted lobby save for the front desk guy. He hailed a cab like a pro and told the cabby to take us to the nearest Starbucks. 

The ride there was silent. When we arrived he paid the cabby and grabbed my hand, and pulled me into the the near empty coffee house. There was a girl who looked to be in her twenties working behind the counter with a guy that looked the same age. A few business men sat at the tables sipping coffee and typing away on their smart phones. I already knew what I wanted. I always got a vanilla latte but today I wanted to try one of those cookie crumble things. 

“What do you want love?" Harry asked leaning down to speak in my ear. I jumped at his sudden closeness. “Um...a uh, venti cookie crumble mocha frappuccino and raspberry scone. And a venti cafe americano and two red velvet whoopie pies for Lulu." I ignored the butterflies I got when he called me love.

He nodded and stepped up to the counter, still holding my hand might I add. The girl behind the counter loudly chewed her gum and looked bored senseless. That was until she set her eyes on Harry. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew the size of basketballs. Oh shit. Please dear god tell me she's not a fan. 

"You....You're H-Harry St-Styles," she stammered. Harry flashed her a polite smile and said hello. “Can I have your autograph?" She managed to ask that without stuttering. Bravo Starbucks chick. 

“Sure thing doll," he replied. Does he call every girl he meets by pet names? He signed a napkin and put two x's below his name, then gave her our order. I grabbed my credit card out of my bra and went to swipe it but his large hand stopped me. “Don't think so. I'm the guy, I'll pay."

I narrowed my eyes up at him. “That only applies on a date Harry. This isn't a date," I stated. He handed the girl a fifty, ignoring my statement. Ass. 

With a huff I walked away and sat at one of the tables, taking out my phone. I should probably check to see if I've heard from my mom or anyone back home. There was indeed a few texts from a one Christofer Drew, some from my mom, brothers, and Zack. I'll read Christofers first.

Touring with a boy band? Really? Since when did you willingly go on tour with the devils creation? They look like they raided my grandpas closet.

They didn't dress like old men. I think they looked rather dashing. Their style was one guys from back home would be too chicken shit to wear. I ignored the rest when I saw they were drunk texts, rambling on about stupid stuff and typed my reply.

Shut up. :p I didn't willingly go, my dad forced me. He didn't even tell me who they were. HEY! I happen to like their style! They look sexy! 

Did I really just say that? What in the world is going on with me? I quickly replied to the other texts and slipped my phone back in my bra along with my credit card. 

“Did you really just put your stuff in your bra?" I looked up to see Harry staring at me. He had raised eyebrows and a faint look of shock on his face. 

I nodded. “Yeah. Where else would I put it?" I questioned. He went to reply but the guy called our names. Harry had gotten the guys drinks too. It was hot chocolate since they didn't like coffee, but at least he was nice enough to get them something. I held the bag filled with my scone and Lulu's whoopie pies and one carrier that had three drinks and Harry held the other that had four. 

“Let's go shall we?" I followed him out the door and slid in the cab that was sitting by the sidewalk. Ten or so minutes later we were making our way into his hotel room. Thankfully no paparazzi was outside the hotel so we didn't have to worry about getting mobbed. 

“This room being quiet is scary as fuck," I mumbled. I'd learned over the few short days of this tour that the five boys of One Direction were not a quiet bunch. So when their hotel room was as quiet as it was now, it was scary. Harry's deep chuckle met my ears. I sat the carrier on the table and grabbed my drink and scone. 

“Wanna sit on the balcony?" I silently followed him out to the balcony that gave you a view of the big buildings in Chicago. We sat down in the chairs and sipped our drinks. “Tell me about yourself. Like where you're from and all that."

Might as well. Got nothing else to do. I swallowed the piece of scone I had in my mouth and washed it down with a sip of my frappuccino.

“Well my full name is Veronica Ryan Slaughter. I'm seventeen but I'll be eighteen on June nineteenth with my birthday twin Lulu. I'm from the small town of Joplin, Missouri, the place where dreams are made." I laid the sarcasm on thick on the last part and even added a cheesy smile. 

“Any brothers or sisters? Or a boyfriend?"

“Two older brothers. They take the overprotective older brother bit to a whole new level. I'm surprised they didn't come with me on tour. Watch, they probably put a fucking bug or some shit in my suitcase and phone." He sure wasn't subtle about the boyfriend thing was he? “And negatory on the boyfriend. Haven't had one in a while."

And it was true. I had been dating Christofer a few months back but we decided we were better off as friends. Plus he just turned twenty one last month and my brothers didn't like that their seventeen year old sister was dating their twenty one year old friend. Didn't fly with them.

“What about you? Got a girlyfriend?" I wasn't embarrassed to ask. He was good looking and a girl had the right to know. 

He smirked. “No, I don't have a girlyfriend." 


Harry and I had sat on the balcony for a few hours. That was until a one Zayn Malik came out for a smoke. I said a quick good morning and hurried inside not wanting to be tempted to take one from him. I wanted really badly to quit. After having my moms dad smoke around me my whole life I acquired a taste for them you could say. When I was fifteen I hung around my brothers all the time. Christofer was the one that let me have my first cigarette at that age. Although when my grandpa passed away from lung cancer a year ago, I told myself I was going to try my hardest to quit.

Instead of staying outside and being tempted, I went inside to hang out with the others. I know Lulu and I told ourselves we wouldn't get close to these boys but in a few short days it was like we were best friends. They reminded me so much of Zack and the guys. And we were still here hanging out with the boys at noon.

“Hazza!" Louis yelled. “What's Veve's cell phone number? 

Harry was two feet away from him. Harry shrugged and kept chomping on crunchy Cheetos. Louis then went on to ask the rest of the boys and Lulu what my number was. Lulu being the bitch she is gave it to him. I'll get her back. She won't know what's coming. Let the war begin. 

Louis skipped off after he programmed my number in his phone. A second later my phone started ringing loudly. It was Louis.

Hey jude, don't make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her--

“Jelly Jigglers male strippers. We strip because we care. This is Mr. Long Dong speaking," I answered in a deep voice. Lulu and the boys started cracking up. I waved at them motioning for them to be quiet. I wanna see how long it'll take him to realize it's me. “Do you want a private show? Any specific stripper you want? Black Lavender is on a special. You pay for an hour and get the second free." 

“I...uh, I...this--"

I couldn't hold it in any longer, I busted out laughing. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. The door to Louis's room swung open and he sent me a glare. “That was not funny!" He shouted. 

Harry stopped laughing long enough to tease him. “Mr. Long Dong wants to know your answer Lou."

Louis stuck his tongue out at him. “You are cruel people!" He stomped over to the couch and dropped down in his spot beside Harry where he proceeded to punch him in his thigh. “Dead leg!"

Harry let out a groan and put his hands over his leg. Dead legs hurt like hell. Zack did them to me and Lulu all the time. But we dished it right back. We were like one of the guys. 

All of a sudden I remembered something. “Holy burrito balls with wings!"

My outburst shut everyone up. I grabbed my phone out of my bra and typed in my password. And yes it was jailhouserock as in Elvis' song. I loved Elvis. He was one of my favorite singers. Today was March seventh which meant in seven days it would be the fourteenth. 

"It's almost the fourteenth." Lulu stared at me for a second with her mouth hanging open, then gasped loudly getting on her own phone. She clicked a few things before once again looking up at me. “It is! Where's our stop on the fourteenth?"

Zayn checked his phone. “Indianapolis, then Detroit, Akron, Pittsburg, New York City, so it'll be Boston. Why?" 

Lulu and I smirked at each other before turning to look at the guys who all wore looks of confusion on their faces. “It's international condom day!" We shouted together. 

They all had a faint blush on their cheeks. We weren't those quiet girls who didn't like saying words like condom or penis. We said 'em, and we said 'em loud and proud. Harry and Zayn came off as the type of guys who were the same way we were, but they still got embarrassed when we said stuff like that. Harry not so much since he said it sometimes too, but you get what I'm saying. 

“How do you know that?" Niall asked, brushing off his embarrassment. 

"It's common knowledge. Duh," we replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “And-And it's international ask a question day!" I exclaimed excitedly. 

I'll have to make me and Lulu shirts. We'll have to embarrass the shit out of the guys if we go out in public with them. Oh what a fun day that'll be.

“Sammy Adams--" Lulu started, but I cut her off.

“Lazy boy! Matty Trump!" 

“This is no time for singing Veve." She slapped me like Gibbs did DiNozzo on NCIS. “As I was saying; Sammy Adams, get ready for us 'cause here we come!"