"Margo, how do you always end up here around twelve o'clock?" Ashton asks me as we walk into their house.
I shrug, not exactly knowing what to say as a response to that. "I don't know, I guess my brain just wants me to come over at twelve o'clock."
When we enter the house, Michael, Luke and Calum are sitting in the living room on their phones.
"Guess who's here." I smile, tossing the bag of snacks over the back of the couch before leaning down and kissing Calum on the cheek.
"Oh speaking of you," Luke jumps up, clicking on his phone quickly. "Michael Bublé mentioned you in his recent interview."
This causes Michael to nod as well, turning to me. "Yeah he was talking really highly about you."
I smile softly as I walk around the couch, taking a seat beside Calum.
"Why aren't you having a big reaction? He's amazing!" Michael gives me a confused look and I laugh.
"I talk to his family a lot. He's worked with me on a few songs and we're good friends. Its the same thing as if one of you guys were to mention me." I shrug and they stare at me with their jaws on the floor. "Are you guys forgetting I'm one of the biggest stars of our generation?"
"Who all are you friends with?" Calum asks, looking down at me and I let out a sigh.
"I've met All Time Low, Evanescence, Thirty Seconds To Mars, you guys, Zendaya, Nicki Minaj, and a lot of movie casts. Name someone and I've more than likely met them." I shrug, pulling out my phone. "I can show you their contacts in my phone too."
"So what I'm hearing is you can message Billie Joe Armstrong and schedule a time for you guys to get brunch?" Luke asks, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah, pretty much." I shrug, reaching into the bag I previously tossed onto the couch and pulling out a water bottle. "I don't understand what the big deal is. Michael is really nice and his music just makes you want to fall in love, y'know?"
"He said you were really intelligent for your age and you helped him write like two of his songs." Luke reads the article to me and I smile.
"I should get in touch with him again. We haven't talked in a while."
———
"Alright we really have to take a break, my lips are going numb." I giggle, pulling away from Calum and leaning against his headboard.
"Do we really have to? I've got a few more hours in me." He pouts and I sigh, tilting my head.
"Let's just talk for a while, deal?" I ask, holding out my hand for him to shake.
"Deal." He responds, interlocking our pinkies and kissing my hand. He smiles softly as I roll my eyes, trying to suppress my own smile.
"What do you want to talk about?" He places his hands onto my thighs and I look up at the ceiling, thinking of a topic.
"How about we ask each other questions? Like the small things that people never really talk about." I shrug and he nods, rubbing my knees.
"Alright, you go first." He smiles, agreeing with my plan.
I crawl up beside him on the bed and lay down, thinking of a question as he lies down as well.
"What's your favourite planet?" I ask, my voice holding a light tone that I only speak in when I'm with him.
"Wow, already hitting me with the hard ones. I don't know, Jupiter, I guess." He shrugs and I frown, catching his attention. "What's with that face? Do you not like Jupiter?"
"No, it's not that, I just wanted you to be more elaborate with your answer." I roll over to look at him, realizing he's already facing me.
"Okay fine, what's your answer to that question?" He asks, studying my face.
"Pluto, and not just because I think it's cool, but because I relate to it." I answer softly, looking at him. "I know that sounds weird, but I really do mean that. Like, I understand what it's like to be pushed away and have people look at me like I'm unwanted." I explain further and he reaches his hand up, pushing my hair out of my face.
"You're not unwanted."
I feel butterflies fill my stomach, accompanied by a feeling of content. Not exactly with his statement, but with this. With us.
"Yeah, your turn dummy." I sigh, not moving a single inch. He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, deep in thought.
"What still excited you? Like, to this very day it gives you excitement unlike anything else." He finally asks and I smile, already planning my answer.
"The sky, crystals, oversized clothes, people talking about stuff they're passionate about," I begin to list things without thinking and he looks at me, his lips curving into a smile. "small flowers growing out of the cracks in pavement, thunderstorms, music, seeing people I love, late night walks, trips to the store, cold weather," This is when I notice him watching me closely, causing me to stop talking. "What?"
"Nothing, keep talking." He shakes his head, the smile still present on his face.
"I don't want to, I'm scared I said something wrong. You're looking at me weird." I cover my face with my hands and he rolls over, pulling my hands away.
"What do you mean, weird?" He laughs, raising his eyebrows as if he's confused.
"I just mean no one has ever looked at me like, that, before and I don't know how to feel about it." I study his eyes, realizing there's no sign of judgement or irritation.
"What's one last thing that makes you excited?" He asks softly, breaking the silence as our breathing syncs together.
"Dandelions." I smile softly and he sits up, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I remember you used to sit outside and pick dandelions after school." He smiles and I sit up as well.
"Yeah, dandelions and daisies. Dandelions are actually great for making wishes." I smile and he looks over to me.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, I read somewhere that if you wish on a dandelion then it'll come true." I explain and his lips curve into a smile.
"What did you wish for? All those times outside the school. What was going on in that head of yours?" He asks, shifting to where his full body is facing me.
"That's for me to know." I look away, my cheeks heating up.
"What will it take for me to know?" He asks softly, his voice barely above a whisper, yet holding so much power.
"If I tell you it won't come true." I shake my head, still refusing to let my secret out.
"Oh c'mon, you must've gotten at least one of your wishes to come true by now." He pouts, placing his hands onto mine and interlocking our fingers.
I want to tell him, but I also don't. If that makes any sense. I feel like he won't judge me, but I can't jinx it.
The wish still hasn't exactly come true.
"Well, I wished to have long hair." I lie and he tilts his head in a manner for me to realize he doesn't believe me.
"You're lying, your forehead scrunches up when you lie." He runs his thumb across my forehead, my muscles relaxing under the touch.
"What if I give you hints? That way, I'm not exactly telling you, but I'm still giving you a way to figure it out." I propose an offer and he grins like an excited child.
"Deal."
"Okay, first hint, it's something that isn't materialistic." I toss out the first hint and he begins thinking. I can nearly see the gears turning in his head.
"Alright, give me another one." He finally speaks up after a few moments of silently thinking.
"It's something you probably won't guess." I shake my head and he frowns.
"Way to have faith in me." He crosses his arms over his chest and I laugh.
"I'll believe in you when it comes to anything, except trying to figure me out." I grab his arms and he sighs.
"Fine, but I'm not giving up. Give me the next hint."
"It's something long-term, possibly." I give him another hint and he nods.
"Possibly? That sounds intense." He looks at me as if he's trying to figure me out. "What could you possibly have been wishing for?"
"I guess you'll never know." I shrug, already knowing he won't leave me alone about it until I tell him.
He may never guess it though.
Because all those evenings I spent in the field of dandelions, I spent so much time wishing for different things.
Whether the wishes were used for things like a different body or more confidence.
A few of the wishes were even wasted on things like a new house, all in good reason at the time though.
Despite the wide variety of wishes, a specific wish never changed.
One that caused me to wish on every single dandelion in that field despite the slim chances.
Despite the little to no chances of me being with him, since I never spoke to him. Or even his remote friend group for that matter.
Yeah, we had class together, but I never even caught their attention. Or the times we would almost get grouped together, but the universe somehow worked in their favour and paired me with a different group.
We had potential to be friends. Maybe I never talked to anyone and I was rarely even at school given my home life, but there was potential there.
I study his stance as he talks aimlessly about something I couldn't recite to save my life.
He's radiating a certain emotion I can't identify. It obviously exists, but it's not one I recognize. I study how his eyes squint when he laughs and he reaches out to touch me somehow at all times.
He's the type of person that attracts others, despite if he wants to or not. He seems as though he would be friends with everyone he would come in contact with.
He has such a welcoming and loving nature while I'm rather closed off and hesitant.
I guess he notices me staring at him because he stops talking and smiles. "What are you thinking about?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing, I'm listening to you talk." I shake my head, laughing nervously.
Everything with him still feels surreal.
"What if we found a field of dandelions around here and made a few wishes?" He offers and I feel my heart flutter, skipping a few beats.
"I don't know if there will be any around here." I shake my head, not exactly sure that his plan will work in our favour.
"What if we worry about that later and right now you tell me what you're thinking about." He leans forward, resting his hands on my hips.
"Nothing, just dumb stuff." I smile, failing at my attempt to hide it as I try to get out of his grasp.
"I don't believe youuu." He mocks me in a song-song voice. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing is wrong, that's what's weird." I finally give in and he leans back.
"Oh?" He asks, a bit confused. "Why is that weird?"
"Because something is always wrong, but when I'm around you I just feel like- I don't know." I shake my head, changing my mind about explaining my feelings.
"Hey, don't shut me out, you do know. How do you feel bubba? I pinkie promise I won't tell anyone." He holds out his pinkie and I wait a few moments before finally interlocking mine with his.
"I feel like I'm witnessing something, or feeling something that I'll never ever feel again." I watch him closely as he genuinely listens to what I'm saying. "Like the rain in outer space."