My Sunflower

twenty four

Two weeks go so fucking slow it feel as though I'm stuck in time.

But it finally, finally passes, and I see Harry again today.

The excitement quite literally causes me to not sit still.

"Louis! Can you stop bouncing? You're giving me a headache," Jade complains, rubbing at her head.

I flip her off from where I'm jumping on the spot, letting my arms go floppy and flap around me like a distressesed moth.

"Shut up, Sapphire. I'm just excited. You know what happens when I'm this excited," I snap back, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

"People are starting to stare," she hisses.

I peep an eye open to see a family stare me down from across the waiting area for the gates.

We're in the airport, the sun is still fairly low, and glistens through the large windows, striping shadows like zebra stripes across the room.

Jade flips her magazine over to the next page forcefully, crossing one leg over the other.

"I'm thirsty, like really thirsty," I rush out. "Want anything?"

She looks up to me, grabs the water bottle beside her. "We have water."

"I don't want water. I wanna have a beer. Or smoothie."

"I'm not letting you get tipsy with beers when you're already this buzzing."

"Sorry, Mum."

She sighs heavily. She's one of those people that know when to have fun, but also knows when to be professional and serious, even if a lace of sarcasm or a taste of mischief stays embedded between it.

"Get me a martini if you're going for a drink drink. If not, get me a Ribena," she finally decides, pushing her glasses up as they begin to slip on her slightly sweaty head.

I salute her. "Give us money?"

"Fuck off. You work, use your own."

My lips thin. I turn and begin walking away.

"Lou!" she hollers.

I swivel on my heel and see her holding out her card. I skip over and take it from her.

"If I've seen you bought more than ten quid's worth, I'm gonna actually make you eat your own balls."

"I've tried that before. Couldn't reach," I joke, whistling a Daddy Issues song as I skip away.

I wound up in an M&S food hall, scanning the shelves for a Budweiser. They don't seem to have it, just some shitty other brand, so I grab two martinis, a smoothie and a Ribena.

I'm just wandering back toward Jade with the goods when something catches my eye in the WHSmith I'm passing. I slow down, legs pushing me toward the door and I'm in the shop before I can think about it.

My finger traces around his dimple, a smile coming easily onto my face. Around four hours and I'll see him again. I pluck up a copy, seeing as there's freebies inside of posters. I pay with Jade's card without thinking anything of it, tucking it snuggly in the crook of my arm.

I slump into the spot beside her, giving her her card back and placing the bag of drink between us.

"What's that?" she ponders, motioning to the magazine.

I hold it out, and she gasps, snatching it from my grip.

"This is the latest edition! I wonder if we've made a cut inside it with our signs!" She rips open the packaging and gets the magazine out, flipping through it.