"Stop calling me that, will you?"
"No can do... Princess."
~~~
Wyatt Howard was a broken girl. She was broken before the death of her family and she was shattered after.
Cole Walter was a broken boy. He was on top just before the accident but cracke...
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When someone you love dies, you're forced to grow up whether you want to or not- you have absolutely no choice. You go from partying on weekends to staying in to watch your sister. You learn a lot with death and you have no time to prepare for it either. It's fast and it fucking hurts more than anything but you have no choice but to deal with it.
In Wyatt's experience, you have no choice but to be sent to therapy for three months where you'll just get told what you've already known followed by some doctor giving you a bottle of pills and telling you that everything will be okay again. They were fucking liars. All she got from a round of therapy was the ability to pop a pill before getting into a mode of transportation to calm her nerves. Sure, Jackie was still there for support, but what good did that do when Wyatt had to stop grieving after a week to make sure her sister was doing alright?
Wyatt never thought she'd say it but she was glad to get out of New York. She needed the fresh air and the new scene. Her uncle, Richard, tried but he wasn't fit to be a parent, he was more of the bachelor type. He was overbearing and it did nothing good for Wyatt's mental health when her anxiety spiked just under his gaze. When he'd always bring up her changes. He would go on about how she used to be so happy before the crash but she never really was so she'd just listen blankly.
That mere detail is the reason Wyatt did nothing but give a small wave to the camera when Richard called and then say the occasional 'I'm fine's'. She stayed out of the conversation, texting MJ a simple 'Landed safely' in the background of the call. The two broke up not long after the crash, but he was still there for her.
Her eyes roamed the airport at the people in flannels and bootcut jeans with a scrunched nose. It was a sight for sore eyes, for sure. Back in New York, Carhartt was pushing it on popularity, here everyone had some piece of it embroidered on their outfits. When her eyes caught those of a random guy staring right back at her, she found herself looking right down at her white Converse and playing with the sleeves of her black shirt.
She was practically swimming in the material, not that anyone paid any attention to it, she'd gotten away with losing fifteen pounds over the summer. Her cheeks had hollowed but Richard and Jackie both convinced themselves it was purely from stress.
"Wyatt, I think I see them."
Wyatt looked at her sister, noticing the worried glance for approval dancing all over her features. With a sigh, Wyatt stood from her suitcase and wrapped a comforting arm around Jackie's shoulder. With a smooth voice, she eased the tension. "You know, we come with a no-returns policy, it's not like they'll send us back if they think you aren't perfect."
Jackie gave a small smile at that, Wyatt smirking just slightly at her success. It wasn't long before Katherine came barreling over. Her cowboy boots clicked against the white tiled floor. "Jackie! Wyatt! I'm so glad you two are here!"
