~~*~~
Molly Pierce
"Look who can finally fucking park," Harry's voice calls from beside me in the car.
I backhand his thigh playfully, turning off the vehicle, "I'm an amazing driver now, right?"
I'm supposed to meet Zayn still, which I've secretly not been excited for. We're just going to walk around a little park, catch up on our pasts, and talk about several other things. Harry gave him the details of the location, and now it's time to meet. I have no clue how long this is going to last, but since I'm terrible with conversation, I'm hoping not long.
Strangely enough, I ended up being the one who drove us to the park. Back in my bedroom, Harry managed to find a book that he liked off my shelf. He laid on top of me for maybe an hour, reading it silently to himself. He hasn't put it down since, so I had to take us here.
He grips the side of the book's cover, keeping his attention buried on the pages. Sunglasses shield his eyes, but even through the shades, I can tell that all of his focus is on the book.
He looks up momentarily, "You managed to get us here alive, so I'd say you're pretty solid."
I know he's paying barely any attention to me, but I still groan out in frustration, "Do I have to talk to him?"
He drops the book into his lap, tilting his head at me like the answer should be obvious, "He'll be here for a while. You're gonna have to talk at some point."
"You're right," I sigh, and it pains me to admit that. I unbuckle my seatbelt, opening my car door. I expect him to do the same, but he stays. I furrow my brow, asking, "Aren't you coming? He invited you too."
By this point, the book is already back up in his hands. He purses his lips, shaking his head, "The poor guy has probably had enough of me. I'll jus' sit in the car in case you need me."
"You need to come with me, though," I groan, dipping my head back into the car. "I'm terrible at making conversation like this."
"And you think I am? Every time I talk to Zayn, I can't help but say something bitchy," he admits. "I'm an asshole to him."
I examine his facial expressions, determining one thing, "You just want to sit in here and read that book, don't you?"
He smiles, "That, and the fact that I don't want to put the guy through any more of my bullshit."
"What happened to romance books being junk, huh?" I test, snatching the book from his hands. Harry may be rude with his sarcasm sometimes, but at least he can hold a conversation. If he's there, then I'll be fine. I'll lose it if I have to talk to Zayn alone.
He narrows his eyes at me, clenching his jaw as he regains possessions of the pages, "Can you blame me? It's a good book!"
"Can you put it down for like an hour, please? I really don't want to talk to him without you," I try to bargain with him.
He sighs, pondering a decision. After a couple of seconds, he comes to one, "You've got this, Mols. If you need me, I'll be right here," he nods reassuringly, "It'll only be worse if I'm there. I'll hover over him constantly, and he'll feel less comfortable taking. You need to just go alone."
I know he's right. It isn't necessarily ideal to have two guys you've been with in the same area. It'll make things more tense, and Zayn will probably be worried that he's going to piss Harry off, but I still want him there, even just as company.
We both look over, noticing that Zayn's already standing in the middle of the park. The sun's setting, so the area is a little dim, but I can still see him pretty well. His hands are shoved into his pockets and he's pacing around, expecting me to arrive.
"Don't make me drag you over there," Harry continues, motioning me off.
"Y'know what, it's getting kind of late," I nervously figure, quickly trying to climb back in the car. "Maybe we should do this tomorrow."
He reaches over, but fails to block me from sitting down in the seat, "No, Mols. Just go. I promise you, I'll be sittin' right here when you're done. I won't leave."
He sets his hand down on my thigh, softly rubbing it as encouragement to leave. I think about the situation for a couple more seconds, but I finally cave, "Fine, but if this goes terribly, I'm blaming it on you."
"Go right ahead," his sarcasm grants me permission. "I'd love that."
I try not to let my frustration build as I step out of the vehicle. I toss the keys over to him, and they hit the back of the book cover, dropping into his lap. He gives me a half grin from behind the pages, and I roll my eyes.
"I'll be back soon," I tell him. Hopefully.
I walk down the little sidewalk, praying that this doesn't backfire on me. I get why Brooks brought Zayn here, but holy shit, he should've warned me first. I would've liked that a lot better. He has terrible execution.
I approach Zayn, giving him a smile. I can't grasp the fact that he's standing right in front of me. I was 16 the last time I saw him, and in a couple of months I'll be 22. It's weird. I see him as an old friend, which gives me some worry, because I have no clue how he sees me.
"Is he staying in the car?" Zayn inquires, noticing that off in the distance, Harry is still sitting in the passenger seat, his nose buried in that book.
Unfortunately. I nod my head, "Yeah, he's just... a little busy, I guess."
I really want to leave. This is enough conversation for me.
"He really must not like me," Zayn laughs, playing off the fact that he's secretly a little hurt by his own statement.
"That's not true," I quickly shake my head. "He was just unprepared to ever see you, that's all. Give him a couple of days, I'm sure he won't act as mean."
We start to walk down one of the paths, and every part of me just wants to run back to the car and leave. I sound so dramatic over this situation, but I honestly don't know how else to feel.
"No, I don't think he's mean. I like his humor," Zayn compliments, interlocking his fingers behind his back as we carefully step. "I just hope I'm not reading him wrong. One day he may not be joking."
"It depends on how long you're staying," I answer honestly. The longer he's here, the better Harry will feel around him. Except, I don't even know how long he's here for. Feeling clueless, I inquire, "Do you even have a plan for that?"
"Nope, which I hate," he shakes his head. I knew it. "Brooks tricked me into coming down here without a plan, so it looks like I'll be paying for a hotel room somewhere near here until this is all situated."
"Oh, don't go through all of that trouble," I briefly assure him, feeling a little guilty that Brooks tricked him. "Harry wouldn't mind you staying at his house. If he complains too much, I'm sure I can hide you in one of my guest bedrooms, too."
He grins, "We'll see."
We walk in silence for a minute or so before I decide to jump the conversation elsewhere, "So... what have you been up to since I last saw you?"
"Not much. I stay in an apartment down near Long Beach," he explains briefly. "Before Brooks called, I had quit my job spontaneously, so I was looking for somewhere else to work. Other than that, I'm doing just fine. I have friends I hang out with sometimes, but I'm mainly by myself. I had a girlfriend, too. Ended things almost a year ago, though," he fills me in, "What about you? Brooks gave me some details, but not many."
"Up until recently, I've been doing nothing important. Niall moved about three years ago, so I've been stuck with Landon ever since," I respond. I pause to think about his summary of his life, and it almost astounds me. He really has just been doing his own thing.
An apartment, a job, a group of friends, a girlfriend- he's had everything situated this whole time.
"Is Landon still as horrible as I remember him being?" Zayn leans over curiously.
"Worse," I let out a painful laugh. "He's actually the reason I met Harry, though."
"Really?" He sounds intrigued. "What happened?"
"Yeah, it was on my 18th birthday," I remember back to the date. "Landon ruined it, and so I spent the rest of the day out on that old dock near my house," I can tell he recognizes the place, "Harry found me there, and now here we are... going on a trip tomorrow."
He seems to dismiss everything else that I just said, only focusing on the last part, "Going on a trip tomorrow? Aren't you supposed to be here, clearing his name?"
"No, that's what the trip is for," I quickly clarify. "We're going to his old town, seeing if we can find anything there to help."
"Does anyone else know about this?" He raises an eyebrow.
"We plan on telling them tomorrow. We would've invited Niall and Sakura, but somebody has to stay back and run Lethal's," I run him through a brief explanation. I'll probably end up getting Brooks to watch Taz again. He did a good job last time, and since there isn't a secret to hide any more, he'll probably end up doing it for less money.
"Isn't going back there dangerous?" He doesn't seem to be certain about the idea. "I mean, what if someone recognizes him?"
Truth is, neither Harry nor I have thought all of that through. We'll probably end up disguising him in public, and we'll try to avoid crowds. We also won't stay in the same area for long, and I'll do most of the talking. Him and I can plan this out on the way home tonight.
"It's risky, but if his old car dealership still has everything in it, then we can probably find some evidence that proves his dad guilty of something," I shrug my shoulders. "It's worth a shot. Harry can't keep going around nameless for the rest of his life."
That last sentence is a little ironic, considering I called him nameless, while also referring to him as Harry.
Tonight I have been trying something new. Back in my bedroom, he told me not to worry about the risk of calling him Harry in front of the wrong person, so I'm going to trust him. For as long as I can, I'm going to only address him by his real name. Not H or Hot Shot. Just Harry.
So far it's been working, but I'm also praying I never screw this up.
"Where are you guys going to stay?" Zayn walks a little bit ahead of me, eager to learn more about the trip.
"I haven't thought about that yet," I shrug my shoulders, realizing how unprepared we are.
He laughs at me, "God, Molly, you have to plan these things out. You've got to know where you're staying overnight, how much extra cash to bring, how long the drive is-"
"Okay, okay. I get it," I sarcastically roll my eyes. "If you're so good at planning things, then why don't you just figure it all out and come with us?"
That was a joke, but it certainly didn't come out that way.
Strangely, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Neither Harry nor I could put a hotel room under our names. My parents would find out about it, considering the money I'd be spending is theirs, and he'd be in jail if he told them his. We need someone else to be the front face of our stay. And it makes sense for it to be Zayn. He'd be able to tell if his parents worked with Harry's, judging by evidence in the office, and he can use his name without risk.
"I know you're kidding, but if you want me to, I can," he tilts his head to the side.
Harry's going to kill me, but I smile. I'm too nervous to say no and it could be beneficial, "Sure, yeah. You can come with us. It's no problem."
"Great. I know how to find cheap places to stay. I could get us rooms and put them under my name," he's clearly thinking the exact same way I am.
"Only if you're okay planning all of that out."
One thing that I remember about Zayn is that he likes to have things organized. Whether it's his bedroom or a hypothetical trip, all of the details for it will be well thought out and clear. Harry's going to kill me for letting him join in, but I'm trying to think on the brightside. He knows how to plan a trip in advance, unlike both Harry and I- who are spontaneous and probably would've gone back to his old town with zero idea of what to do.
"Are you sure you want me to go?" He reads my face, determining that I'm a little uncertain. "I don't mind staying here either."
"I'd have to double-check with Harry, but I'm sure he'll say yes," I lie, rubbing my shoulder anxiously. "We need someone there who will actually plan ahead. Neither of us are really smart about things like that."
He chuckles, "I know. I remember you'd always go places without a plan. It's nice to see nothing's changed."
The irony of his words makes me want to laugh. During the time that he's been gone, Landon's managed to tear down every part of my old-self. The confidence, the fun. This time last week, if Zayn was telling me this exact same sentence, I'd disagree. I would say that I'm not as confident or as optimistic as I was back then, but now I've managed to regain that. A lot more is still left to take back, but I really am starting to feel like that again.
"Can I ask you something?" I change the subject, slowing down the pace of my walk, and ridding my face from the smile that had formed.
"Yeah, go ahead," he nods, clearing his throat.
"Why'd you never get back in contact with anyone from here?" I ask, "I understand why you moved, because of what happened with your parents, but you could've visited some. Up until today, I never fully knew what happened to you, so it would've been nice to have you around to clarify sooner."
"I think it's weird that you never found out what happened," he shrugs, pursing his lips, "but to answer your question, I don't know why I never called. Guess I just wanted to get as far away from this place as possible," he pauses to let out a brief laugh, "No other place that I've traveled to is like this town, y'know? Everywhere else is far better."
"Well, the second Harry's proven innocent, he and I are going to live somewhere else," I let the thought flow through my mind. We initially planned to stay in town, but now I want to travel to a different state.
Just the thought of it, him and I in our own home miles away, sounds amazing. We won't need that big of a place, because we'll have everything we need. I'll be out of my parents' house, away from Landon, away from Kouver. He'll be safe, away from harm.
"Nobody in their right mind willingly should want to stay here," he expresses his feelings regarding the town. "It's too divided. I don't think there's any place like it."
"You'd be surprised at how many people want to stay," I mutter, mentally surveying the long list.
"I bet they're all rich assholes, who are only happy to stay, because they won't have an ounce of power anywhere else," he calls them out, and strangely he's right. "The Reeves family, your parents- they've got a decent amount of money, that's for sure, but nobody else outside of this town cares as much about them as they think. They're all inside of their little world here. I can't remember the last time a new family moved in here from a different area. That's not normal."
"Well, clearly you don't miss that place at all," I cross my arms, swaying myself as we walk.
"It's not just that," he shakes his head. "I just feel like it's odd. I mean, nobody has decided to move to Kouver, in what, a couple of years?"
"It's because Landon's dad is working for the town. He's not putting enough effort in to fix both sides, so people don't want to stay here," I try to explain. It's something that needs to be fixed, but I don't see where this conversation is headed.
"I seriously doubt that's the only fucking reason," he scoffs.
"It probably isn't, but there's not much I can do," I sigh. "I just want to help you out, clear Harry's name, and leave."
"What about Brooks?" He inquires. "Are you going to visit him once you leave?"
My eyes widen, I hadn't thought about that. Zayn knows how close I am with my brother, so I should've seen this question coming.
I clear my throat, "I mean, I'll try to visit as best as I can, but once my parents find out where I'm going, I don't think they'll be too happy with the idea of seeing me," I pause, finding myself a little sad at the thought. "He'll be 16 soon anyways, and he'll probably convince my parents to let him go to college, so in about two years I'll get to visit him regularly again."
"I doubt they'll let him go. They don't think he needs it," he shakes his head. "You could've gone to college, but they told you no."
"Brooks is a lot smarter than me. If he wants something, he'll find a way to get it."
---
We continued to talk for maybe over an hour, catching up on lost time. Our conversations primarily centered around old jokes we had and activities we used to do together. I will admit that the further it went on, the more comfortable I got. Some awkwardness was still present, but for the most part, it disappeared. Once we ran out of things to talk about, Zayn said his good-byes, hugged me, and left. There wasn't much more to it.
Now, as I reflect on the night, I still feel the same as I did prior to it. Zayn, despite our history, is still just an old friend. I don't see how anyone, no matter if they're from my past or future, can compare to Harry. There are plenty of great people out there, including Zayn, but none of them are like him.
Somehow, I've managed to turn my entire night with Zayn into thoughts about Harry, but I'm not even angry.
Except, I am a little nervous to break the news to him that I invited Zayn on our trip.
It could go terribly wrong.
I get back to the car and spot him through the window. He's laid back in the driver's seat with his nose still stuck in that book. I try to gain his attention, but fail, so I quickly slide over to the passenger side.
Considering he was in the passenger seat when I left, and there's now a bag of sour candy on the dashboard, I put two-and-two together. I let out a playful groaning, snatching the bag of candy over to my hands. I take one out, tossing it into my mouth, "You seriously went somewhere to get food? What happened to not leaving?"
"Hey, I was hungry and there was a gas station less than a mile away. You would've done it, too," he snatches the bag back, replacing it in my hand with a full one. "I even got you a bag. Unless you don't want it-"
"Nope, I'll take it," I bring it closer to me before he can snatch it back. Without saying anything, I rip it open, snacking on the candy.
"You're alive, so I'm guessing the conversation went well," he tilts his head to the side, lifting his seat up. He pauses briefly to remove a water bottle from his cup holder. He unscrews the cap, taking a swig of it. He must've bought that too.
"It went alright. You're going to regret not being there, though," I murmur my last sentence, trying to find the right way to tell him what I did.
He starts the car, shifting it into reverse to pull out of the parking space with his book still in his lap. The second he hears my sentence, he freezes. He knows me too well, "Christ, Mols. What'd you do?"
"Nothing terrible," I make sure to word my explanation carefully. "I just... brought something up that I shouldn't have."
"I hope you realize that could mean a number of things," he expresses with worry, pulling out of the lot.
"I know, I know. I'm just trying to find the right way to say it," I pause, bracing myself. I let out a long exhale, giving myself enough time to read over my options. Once I manage to give myself a breather, I admit, "I mentioned to Zayn that we're going back to your old town."
"Oh, well that's not that bad," he shrugs his shoulders, underwhelmed.
"And I also...might've... invited him to go with us," I finish my sentence.
He slams on brakes, "Molly!"
"I'm sorry. I said it as a joke, but then I realized that he knows how to plan things really well," my words start flying out of my mouth with worry. "He can book a hotel room for us, put everything under his name... I promise, it's not a terrible idea."
"I don't know," he becomes uneasy. "Did he think you were serious?"
"No, he told me that I could make sure it was okay with you first," I quickly clarify. "He just wants to help. Plus, he really wants to be friends with you."
He narrows his eyes at me, deadpanning, "Lovely."
"I'm sorry," I repeat, noticing that he seems a little angry at me. "I can tell him nevermind."
He squints his eyes in frustration, before managing to admit, "Don't. That's rude," he starts to drive again, lowering the tone of his voice, "If he can actually plan this whole trip out for us- and not be annoyed by it, then... I guess... he can go, too."
"Thank you," relief overwhelms me, so I decide to tease. "You complained a lot less than I was expecting. I'll take it."
"Yeah. Well, don't get used to it," his sarcasm comes back, and I notice he's trying to hide a smile.
I nudge his shoulder with my palm, before staring out the window, "Do you mind letting him stay on your couch another night? He's probably heading back to your house anyways, so you can let him know he's welcome on the trip."
He looks at me, like he's eager to complain. Though with a sigh, he bites his tongue, and holds back what he actually wants to say, "No, I guess I don't care."
"Great. Tomorrow afternoon, we'll leave then," I smile over at him. "That way we'll have time in the morning to tell Niall and Sakura about the trip, and I can ask Brooks if he's willing to watch Taz for the days that we're gone."
Instead of reply, he lets out a small exhale. I chew on my sour candy some more, noticing that his left hand is off of the steering wheel, tucked away on the other side of his leg. He's fidgeting with his fingers to cool his anxiety, and it almost pains me to watch.
I need to be more careful when talking about this trip. Clearly it's something that he's trying to act calm over. Especially with anxiety like his, he's risking a lot.
He's more nervous for this than I could've ever imagined.
To break the silence, and ease his nerves, I change the topic, "So how's your book?"
And he smiles, returning his left hand back up onto the wheel.
~~*~~