" I'm only up when you're not down. Don't want to fly if you're still on the ground"
NAOMI'S POV:
Friday 10:00 A.M.
First date with Josh is in about 10 hours. I want to go to Canyon Moon obviously and I also have work. Other than that I'm free.
I woke up really early from nerves,and I already ate and got ready for the day.
What should I do?
All of my friends are working right now.
Well, I don't know what Harry's doing...
He's probably busy though.
I could call my mom, but we've already talked twice today because she called me once to talk about Blake's engagement. Then I called her again because I wanted to talk to her about my date and I forgot to talk about it beforehand.
Then I here a buzz from my phone. I pick it up to see a text from Harry.
Harry: Hey
Me: Hi
Harry: Whatcha doing?
I audibly laugh out at the cute text then start typing again.
Me: Nothing, why?
Harry: I'm not doing anything either, wanna do nothing together?
Me: I'd love to
Harry: I'll be there in like ten minutes, and bring your ukelele please
Me: Why?
Harry: In case of an emergency.
Me: Okay... See you in a bit
Harry: See you
I put my phone down and grab my tote and ukelele plus it's case and put my things by the door. Then I head into my bedroom and check my outfit in my mirror just to make sure I look okay.
The outfit:
I think my outfit is okay, so then I check my makeup to make sure it's not messed up and it looks okay as well. So I head back out to my living room and wait there. I grab my phone and pass time.
After a few minutes I get a call from Harry.
"Hey" I say right after I swipe to answer.
"Hey, I would've come up and knocked but I don't know which apartment you live in. But I just wanted to let you know that I'm here." Harry says through the phone.
"No, I figured. You're fine. I'll be right out."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
I grab my things and head out of the door and down the stairs to the parking lot where I see Harry standing outside of the car leaning on it waving to me.
His outfit:
"Hey!" I say as I wave.
"Hey sunshine, how's it going?" He says taking my ukelele from me and putting it in the backseat of his car which already has the top down.
"Good... And how is Mr. Styles?" I say with suspicion because he seems a bit off.
"Fine. What would you like to do today?" He says with a smirk.
"I don't really know, give me a second to think." I say racking my mind.
I go to grab the door handle to get in but Harry was too fast and grabbed it before I could.
"Ha! Too slow." He says opening the door and gesturing me to get in.
I chuckle and shake my head. Then I lean over from inside the car and open up his door before he even had the chance to get to it.
"You know what Naomi..." He says shaking his head with a chuckle. He couldn't get frustrated by it but he definitely liked being the more chivalrous one and I made it impossible.
"Ha! Too slow." I say repeating his words.
"Okay, now let me think of something." I say as a place my hand on my chin.
I rack my brain for cool places,but I really haven't gone anywhere around here that was amazing that I would want to take Harry to. Well... He's already been there... But it was amazing...
"Lets go hangout at whatever that gardeny place was-"
"Cornelia Street?"
"Is that what it's called?" I ask.
"You do mean that dirt road surrounded by all of the trees and flowers right?"
I nod.
"You liked it that much?" He asked. Not in a judgmental way, it was like he was happily suprised.
"I don't know there was just something about it."
"I get it." He smiles.
"I always liked the name Cornelia. I had a big thing for learning about Rome when I was in school so that's probably why."
"I didn't even know the name was Roman I assumed it was just the name of a flower. I bet you were good in school." He says with a chuckle.
"Well it is a flower too, and eh I learned what I thought was cool or important. And the rest of the stuff I learned temporarily so I could use the information with tests then throw it out. I only really did well with three subjects in my entire school life." I say in honesty.
"And what were they?" He says pulling out of the parking lot finally.
"Music, Literature, and French."
"Oh you speak French?" He says looking over at me.
"Yep, do you?"
"No, say something..." He says with a smirk.
Well if he doesn't know the language...
"Tes yeux sont trop jolis." I say with a smile.
"You think I have pretty eyes?" He says with a smirk. He faced the road but his eyes were looking at me and my rosey cheeks and clammy hands.
"You are such a damn liar." I stare out of my window to avoid his gaze.
"Harry Styles under arrest for lying about not being able to speak French and for having the prettiest god damn eyes on the planet. I can see the headline now." He chuckles out and I give his shoulder a shove.
I sit there for a moment and chuckle through the embarrassment then look over at him for a second and realize something on his shirt. My heart shaped glasses were clasped to the neckline of his shirt which reminded me to get into my tote and give him his back.
"I totally forgot, sorry." I say as I hand them to him.
"You know what, I would say to keep them but then it wouldn't be a sun swap because the last pair we had on were each other's. But if I take those back then it would be a sun swap." He says then he takes his back and gives me mine.
"What the fuck?" I ask having no clue what he just said.
"Just give them to me." He says with a grin and I just smile up at the golden sun.
We sit there in a few moments of silence where I realize that he looks troubled. Like he has something sad on his mind and now that there was silence and nothing to distract him,he was consumed by it again.
"Hey, what's wrong? And please don't say nothing."
"Naomi we're having a fun day I-" He gets cut off by me.
"No, I'm having a fun day and your sad. And I want us both to have a fun day. So tell me what's on your mind and maybe I can help." I say wanting him to feel better.
I don't ever want him to not be happy, that thought doesn't sit well with me.
"It's just I don't know..."
"Hey, if you don't want to say anything to me that's fine. I get it. Just know I'll be glad to listen anytime, okay?" I say not wanting to push him.
"No, you've told me some personal stuff about you and I want to be able to do the same thing with you."
I don't say anything and just listen to him as he talks.
"This morning I woke up and couldn't stop thinking about my stepdad. I never told you,but my mom and dad divorced when I was seven. My stepdad past away a few months ago. I was very close to him... Anyway, this morning when I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened I decided to write a song." He says with pain in his eyes.
I'm not going to ask him any details because that would be extremely insensitive considering how much just that portion I know took out of him. But I do have to ask one thing.
"What's it called?"
"Ever Since New York. I'll play it for you sometime... Then you'll get the whole thing, but for now let's just... Be free like last time. Here." He says trying to put a smile on then handing me his phone which is already on Spotify.
"Do you have anything in mind?" I ask taking the phone.
"Play your favorite." He says having a real smirk this time.
I like playing songs I like for people. But I don't like playing my favorites. Because what if you share your favorite things with someone then they hurt you? Then now something that was once your favorite thing has a tainted memory with it. Trust me i know from experience. I'm not saying I think Harry will hurt me, but I've always had this fear with anyone. The only person who really knows my favorite things besides my mom is Emma because I know I can trust her. I think I can trust Harry too but I haven't known him as long and i-
"What's wrong? You totally wondered off." He says looking over at me.
"Oh nothing um I just was wondering what your favorite song is. So what is it?" I say playing it cool.
He squints at me then turns his eyes back to the road.
"Suspicious... But to answer your question I don't really know. I have a lot. You know what just shuffle all of my songs and see what happens."
I do as he says then I hear Paradise by Coldplay. Fitting for where we're going I think.
"Okay well that's just perfect." I say satisfied with the song choice and set down the phone.
Harry smiles and turns up the song.
He makes a few turns and I finally start to remember my surroundings a bit more and everything is looking familiar.
We're getting close to Cornelia Street.
I close my eyes and tilt my head to the sky listening to the long opening of the song.
"I love the instrumental of this song." I say speaking what's on my mind.
"What do you look for in a good instrumental?" He asked like he needed advice.
"Um I really like anything with some good strings or trumpets. Oh and don't forget about a good guitar solo and some deep piano chords. And you can't forget a simple acoustic guitar plucking moment. Synth! Synth done the right way is amazing. Those don't all really go together but I like all of those things."
"Good to know." He says putting his hand through his hair .
The lyrics were about to start.
"When she was just a girl she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach" I sang out.
Then I point to Harry.
"So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes." He sang with a low raspy voice which sounded absolutely incredible.
Then he pointed at me. To be honest I would rather listen to him but it's only fair.
I do the piano part in the air which made him laugh than I began to sing again.
"When she was just a girl she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach and the bullets catch in her teeth" I sing to the sky.
Then I point back to Harry.
"Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly every tear a waterfall." He sings in the same low raspy way as before.
Then he points to me.
"In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly" I look over at him and he's doing drums on the steering wheel of the car.
Then we both sing.
"And dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise She'd dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise"
"As always we sound damn good." Harry says with a grin then he makes a right onto Cornelia Street.
No car, no person is there. I mean it is kinda out of the way and all so it makes sense.
"Should I just pull over and we can look around?" He asks slowing the car down.
"Yeah that sounds good." I say taking off my seatbelt.
The car comes to a stop and I grab my tote while he undoes his seatbelt. We both get out of the car and he locks it. Then I grab my ukelele from the back of the car and carry it with me for about two seconds then all of the sudden Harry was carrying it for me.
"You gotta let me do something. I let you open your door." He says with a skip in his step.
"Fine." I say with a chuckle.
For you to help you invision Cornelia Street:
"Ah just like how I remember it." I say breathing in deeply as we walk.
He chuckles and continues to walk with me down the road.
"Why wouldn't you tell me what your favorite song was back in the car?" He says curiously as we stroll.
"Oh I um I just didn't know how to choose just one,you know? I have a lot of favorites." I say simply hoping that was a good enough answer for him to drop it.
"Yeah I get it, so tell me just one of your favorites. I already know about It's Been A Long Long Time, but I had to dig. You didn't just tell me. Why?" He says looking over at me while I stare around at the beautiful rainbow scenery.
"I-I don't know, I guess I was just embarrassed about being a Marvel fan." I make up quicky.
"Nah, your a pretty confident person when it comes to certain things. And I think your confident enough in that to not care if you're a nerd." He jokes. "So why won't you tell?" He says continueing this god awful conversation.
"I just hate choosing." I sigh out.
"Lie. But if you really don't want to answer it's fine." He says looking back at the path infront of us.
"It's not that I don't want to answer,it's that I can't choose." I say in defense.
"Mhmm."
Just then I get a text. I grab my phone from my tote and see that it's from Josh.
Joshua: Hey! How's your day been today? And are we still on for tonight?
He's so cute.
Me: Hey! It's been really good! How's yours? Yes we're still on and I'm really looking forward to it. =)
Josh: It's been okay,but it'll be a lot better when I see you tonight. I'm really looking forward to it too ;)
Me: See you later alligator
Josh: In a while crocodile!
I chuckle and put my phone away again.
"Sorry about that." I say trying to hide my blushed face.
"It's okay, why are you all blushy and shit?" He says with a chuckle.
"Oh god..." I say putting my hands over my face.
"No,no,no don't hide." He says taking my hands off my face.
"It's Josh." I say with a guilty chuckle.
"Ah the friend from work... Or is it boyfriend?" He says trying to figure out the situation.
"Well I don't really know yet. Our first date is tonight..." I say through a small grin at the thought.
"You nervous?" He says as he fixes his hair.
"Eh, a little. We've known each other for a while so I'm not too too nervous. I thought about telling him about all of the music stuff I do... And that's what's making me nervous." I saying looking towards my feet.
"Well if that's what you're worried about than you have nothing to be worried about. It's amazing what you can do Naomi." He says gently.
"Thank you, but he's known me for so long. He always thought I just wanted to settle down and be a teacher my whole life I think. What if that's who he wants to be with and not the real me?" I say realizing fears I didn't even know we're there.
Maybe that's why I never made a move.
I start walking a bit slower.
"Hey, Naomi listen to me. Then you'll know he's not the guy for you. And that's the worst case scenario. Best case is he'll like you even more for it. No matter what it'll be alright." He says putting his hand in my shoulder and talking a bit more gently.
He's right.
"You're right. Thank you." I say feeling like a thousand pounds were just lifted off of my shoulders.
"No problem. You really are an overthinker, aren't you?" He chuckles out.
We keep walking along the street until I notice a small path in the grass next to the street that seemed to go down some sort of meadow.
"Oh, hey let's go down there!" I say excitedly and I start to jog down the path.
I hear him chuckle from behind me then I hear quick footsteps leading up to me.
We stare around for a moment taking in the rainbow cherry scented paradise then sit down onto the grass.
It's so fitting for me that it smells like cherries...
"Remember how you asked me what's my favorite place I've ever been to?" I say laying onto my back to look into the sky through my rose tinted heart glasses.
"Yeah..." He says laying down as well.
"Well I think this is one of them." I say with a smile.
"Me too." He says looking up into the golden sun surrounded by bright blue skies.
We lay there for awhile in silence. Then I look over at him and he seems sad. Like earlier in the car. He seemed happy a few moments ago. What went wrong?
"Hey..." I say looking at it him as I sit up into my elbows. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He puts a fake smile on his face.
"Lie. But I won't push if you don't want to talk about it."
I lay back down and close my eyes. The bright sun kept my skin warm and it made my heart happy. Another beautiful day.
"Around the same time all of the stuff happened with my dad, I had a girlfriend. Her name was Scarlett and she was the worst. I gave her every part of me and she just played mind games with me and used me. I loved her so much and she saw me as some bad boy you see on the cover of a magazine. We were in New York together because she told me she wanted to go for a trip, and I was an idiot who would've done anything for her so we went. Long story short, while we were there I got a call from the doctor telling me things with my dad weren't great and that I should get there within a few hours so i could see him. But he was in London and I wasn't going to be able to make it all because of my stupid self listening to her. But I figured I have to try right? So I tried to buy a plane ticket but there were no more for the flight I needed to get on. I tried pulling strings but it was too much of an ask considering how immediate I needed it. So... What happened happened. Then I broke up with Scarlett. And I was so sad for so long. But I felt like I needed to be that way. And now I'm starting to be happy again and I feel like I don't deserve it." He sounded so broken.
"Of course you deserve it Harry. Your father would want you to be happy." I say while getting onto my elbows again and looking at him.
"Naomi..." He says looking anywhere but at me.
Then I look into his eyes.
"Hey, you deserve to be happy. The storm is over now." I say gently.
"I just don't know..." He says so unsure.
Then a thought popped into my head. I needed him to listen. And what's better to listen to than music?
I get up and grab my ukelele out of it's case. Then I sit down next to him again.
"The idea I have in mind would be better on a piano,but this will have to do for now." I say as I start to play some chords.
"What are you doing?" He says confused with his brows furrowed.
"I'm writing you a song, now I need to concentrate for a second." I say closing my eyes and continuing to play the chords.
I don't know what his face looks like at the moment but I hope he doesn't mind me writing him a song.
"When it rains, it pours
But you didn't even notice..." I sing now being able to think of the right words to say. I don't need to concentrate as much anymore so I open up my eyes.
I feel so comfortable right now.
" It ain't rainin' anymore
It's hard to breathe when all you know is..." I sing out gently to him.
"The struggle of stayin' above the risin' water line." I feel a good rythym happening now so I sway a little for the next part and look down at the ukelele.
His lips were parted in awe and he looked so shocked. I smile at the overwhelmed face then continue.
"Well the sky has finally opened
The rain and wind stopped blowin'
But you're stuck out in the same old storm again..."
This might be my favorite song I've ever written.
"You hold tight to your umbrella
Well, darlin', I'm just tryin' to tell ya..." I sing out then look up around us at all of the beautiful colors. Then at him.
"That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head..." I sing looking into his eyes again.
It was scary, but I really needed to get my point across and I wanted him to know I meant it.
He had watery eyes but he blinked it all away and rubbed his nose.
I smiled at him then looked around. I wondered if he was able to enjoy the beauty of the place we were at. It's obviously understandable if he can't considering the internal war he has going on. But I want him to be able to look around and enjoy life. I don't want him to feel like he should be sad anymore.
"If you could see what I see, you'd be blinded by the colors.Yellow, red, and orange, and green, and at least a million others..." I sing out looking at the different plants and flowers surrounding us.
He was swaying now.
"So tie up the bow, take off your coat, and take a look around..." Then I motion with my eyes that he should take a look around because he hasn't taken his eyes off of me yet...
"'Cause the sky has finally opened
The rain and wind stopped blowin'
But you're stuck out in the same ol' storm again
You hold tight to your umbrella
Well, darlin', I'm just tryin' to tell ya
That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head." When I sing I feel the breeze through my hair and I take in this beautiful moment.
Just me,Harry,and my ukelele.
It was so simple but so perfect.
"Oh, tie up the bow, take off your coat, and take a look around..." I sing out and think to myself.
What's something he needs to hear?
"Everything is alright now." I sing out looking into his eyes again then I finish it with the final chord.
The song needs some stuff but I thought it was pretty good for now.
"What'd you think?" I say putting down the ukelele.
"Naomi... I.... Thank you." He says and a single tear rolls down his face and he quickly wipes it away."That was beautiful. What will you call it?"
"I think Rainbow." I say with a grin.
Honestly I could cry right now knowing that the song I wrote brought him that much emotion that he would cry. The fact that he likes it makes this moment that much better. I'm holding back a full on sob.
The song also brought something out of me. Which was the fact that some of the things I sang were some things that I would've wanted to hear in my darkest moments. But I never heard them. But he should get to hear them.
"I know it's a long shot,but did it make you feel at least little better?" I say hopefully, I don't like the thought of him being sad."But be honest, don't just say yes."
He stares at me for a second then a real grin came across his face which made me smile in return.
"How could it not?"
We just sit there for a moment and take in this nice warm feeling of hope.
That's what the song was. Hope.
You can't take away that kind of sadness immediately,but you can give someone hope.
"Thank you. Like really, thank you." He says sincerely.
He's now sitting in front of me with his elbows resting on his bent knees. He started looking around.
"You don't need to thank me for something like that." I say staring at a sunflower that was next to me.
"Yeah I really do... Hey, I have a question..."
"Shoot." I say laying back down to look at the clouds.
"So, you don't share the music you write with anyone right?"
"Nope,why?"
"So, when you write songs for people you don't let them hear? Like what you just did for me"
"Well to be honest I've never really written anyone a song. I mean I wrote my mom one... And I wrote a few back in the day for my highschool boyfriend... And I let them hear them... But since moving here to actually make it a career I haven't written a song specifically for someone." I say in realization.
"Oh well in that case I'm honored." He says with an arrogant smile.
I chuckle and shake my head.
"I guess it just didn't go well most of the time when I would,so I stopped. But at the same time no one here really inspired me to write a song." I elaborate.
"I have two questions..." He says with his brows furrowed. "What happened when you would? And what about Josh? You haven't written one for him?"
I didn't even think about Josh.
How come I haven't written a song about him yet?
"Well, when I did for my mom she was of course flattered, thought it was cute, and loved it. I was like twelve. But when I did it for my boyfriend he would just tell me things I should change about the songs and things he didn't like. And I honestly don't know why I haven't written a song about Josh." I answer honestly.
He told me about his ex and his dad. This was the least I could do.
"Well doesn't he just sound like a dick." He says sounding annoyed.
"Oh he was, that's why I broke up with him." I chuckle out at the comment.
"Josh isn't a dick too, right? Like, is that the reason you haven't written him a song?"
"No, Josh is the best. I think maybe the reason I haven't yet is..." I racked my brain but couldn't find the reason. "Well... I honestly don't know actually."
"So it's gonna be forever,or it's gonna go down in flames..."
"Sorry." I say as I swipe to answer the call.
"Hello?"
"It's Friday, aren't you coming in?" Emma says from the other end of the line.
"Oh um well I'm hanging out with Harry right now-"
"Oh my god really? Well if you don't come I don't blame you, but if you do you better bring him bitch!" She practically yelled that last part.
"Let me see, I'll let you know so you have time to prepare yourself."
"Okay!"
"Bye"
"Bye"
"Sorry that was Emma." I say putting my phone down.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, she was just wondering if I was gonna come to Canyon Moon like usual."
"Oh that's right, Fridays are always at Canyon Moon. I remember that." He says matter of factly.
"I'm flattered." I grin.
"Mhmm, anyway I loved that place. Could we go?" He says like a child wanting to go get ice cream.
"Of course, I love the place too. Plus Emma really wants to see you again." I say raising my eyebrows up and down.
"Doesn't she have a boyfriend?" He awkwardly chuckles.
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. You're still Harry Styles and she's still in love with you."
"Okay then." He laughs out.
"Before we go can we look around a little longer? I just love this place." I say gazing behind us where the road is.
"I was thinking the same thing."
We both get up and I grab my bag and ukelele. Then Harry comes up to me and takes the ukelele.
"Everytime? Really?" I say looking up at him with a chuckle.
"Yep, really." He says putting his lips in a line while nodding.
I shake my head and start walking through the meadow back up to the road so we can continue to walk down it.
Once we reach the road, we head down the way which we would've gone down if we didn't head to the meadow instead.
"So why is no one ever here? Do you know?" I ask looking around still not seeing anyone.
"I don't know really. It's out of the way I guess. Plus there are quicker roads you can take to get from point A to point B than this. I think only farmers really use it." He says with one hand holding the ukelele and one in his pocket.
"But it's so pretty."
He smiles and I fish around in my tote to find my strawberry lipstick because my lips are getting dry and it's a pet peeve of mine.
I find it and put some on and notice he's watching.
"Do you want some?" I say holding it out to him.
"No I'm good." He chuckles and runs his hands through his hair.
We walk and continue to take in the beautiful sights of this place for a few minutes in silence.
"What's your favorite flower?" He says out of the blue.
"I've never had one. They are all kind of just pretty looking flowers and I never could understand how someone could have a favorite. But now being here I would definitely say a Sunflower."
"Why a sunflower?" He says with a grin.
"Well, I love the golden yellow color they are plus they just seem to really pop out at the eye here, you know? And I remember from when I was younger my dad told me about sunflowers one time..." I think about my dad and I planting flowers in our backyard when I was younger.
We were about to plant the sunflowers next and I accidentally stepped on one. I laughed being a seven year old and he didn't get mad, but he did tell me I should respect them more because...
"Sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty and longevity. Much of the meaning of sunflowers stems from its namesake, the sun itself. He loves to garden."
"Your dad sounds cool." He says looking around at the sporadic sunflowers. Then he walks over to one and picks it. Then he walks back over to me.
"Here you are." He says handing me the flower.
"Why thank you Harry." I say taking the flower with both of my hands.
"And what's your favorite flower?"
"Eh well... I don't really have one, but I love the song Kiss From A Rose by Seal. So I'll say a rose I guess." He chuckles.
I chuckle back and walk over and grab a pink rose.
"Here you are." I say giving him the rose.
"Why thank you Naomi." He says copying my words.