Hold your own. Know your name, and go your own way. Everything will be fine.

"I've missed you," Ben's arms are around me again. Granted, they've been around me since Mason was (carefully) escorted out. "You look taller. Have you grown?"

"No," I laugh. Ben's eyes crinkle and his lips twitch. Louis sits next him, smiling, nursing a cup of tea and nodding. "I can't believe you both are here. Like, actually here-- sitting in front of me."

"I missed you," Ben shrugs, like it's no big deal. "Thank Louis," he motions with his hand. "He flew us both down. Even let me have his food on the plane."

"You are so fucking cute."

"Yeah," Ben sighs happily.

"Are we really going to ignore Presley trying to bloody murder Mason?" Louis exasperates.

"Yes," I say, almost too quickly.

"It's nothing new," Ben helps. "Bitch is crazy. Once she chased me around trying to stab me with a fork."

I make a face and sheepishly shrug.

"You are absolutely mad, Pretzel."

"I do take pride in that, Lou." I nod my head and lean back against the chair.

My heart feels light; lighter than usual, that is. It's nice right now. Calm, familiar, with a tiny bit of humor and that's okay.

"I can tell," Louis quips. "What's with you and this writing thing? Is it that big a deal? Like, really?" Louis says, down and greedy.

My shoulders tense for a split second, and my eyes blink rapidly as I bring my mug to my mouth. Ben takes the hint, not batting an eyelash and takes the over-asked question.

"I've tried to get her to see sense. She has talent. I know that, she knows that, everyone knows that. She simply does not want to do it anymore. Says she's not feeling it." By now Ben's voice isn't using that same judgmental tone everyone else does when they talk to me. It's normal.

"It's her choice," he continues with a shrug.

"That's stupid," Louis retorts. He sits up and cracks his fingers. He connects our eyes and his face changes. He's thinking it through, I can tell. His mouth is twitching and his fingers are tapping against the table top. He look nervous and in control all in one.

"Get over it." Louis finally says.

"Louis-" Ben hisses.

My mouth slacks.

I knew the calm wouldn't last. It never does around me.

"Stop using Caleb as an excuse," Louis continues, ignoring Ben completely. Ignoring my alarmed features, completely. "You can do it without him. You know you can."

My throat swallows deep and thick. I feel attacked. Blindsided almost.

"You shouldn't use Caleb as an excuse, Presley. Shit happens, people die everyday and I get it. He was your brother and you loved the bloody fuck out of him." Louis knows he's stepping over the line. That he's so far from the line, you could land a plane in the space. But Ben's not stopping him. Okay, instead he's sitting silently next to me, watching me with careful eyes.

Louis' eyes soften a bit and his hand bravely reaches for mine. "He loved the bloody fuck out of you too." He says with a hard sincerity it hurts. "The lad always wanted you happy, Presley. Writing made you happy. Don't use Caleb as in excuse, not towrite, when all he wanted, was for you to be happy."

"You're a brave shit," I mutter, voice cracked and hitched. I chuckle once, without humor and wipe under my eye.

"Everything will be fine. Just you wait."
****
"Can't sleep?" I ask as my door slides open and Louis' shamelessly walks in. He shakes his head and flops down next to me.

"No," he mumbles, scratching at his jaw and resting his head on his hand. "Fucking jet lag has made me stupid. Don't know how Ben was able to fall asleep. Seriously, as soon as his head hit the pillow, mate was out cold."

"Ben can sleep through anything. It's his talent and jet lag wasn't the only thing that made you stupid."

"Oh look at you, trying to be funny and all that."

"Yeah, well," I turn to my side and blink. "What?" Louis' giving me a questioning look. The kind of look that makes a person want to answer anything and everything; but not being able to, because they don't know exactly what to answer.

"I don't know," he says, finally. "I thought you'd be crossed with me after what I said."

"I think I am," I admit. "But I don't think I am at the same time." I don't make sense. I tend not to when I'm tired and confused.

"Glad that's cleared up," Louis laughs, stretching his arm. He half curls into himself and yawns.

"I wouldn't be me if I made things easy for you."

"No," Louis admits easily. "I meant what I said," Louis whispers, like he's about to admit a secret no one but me should know. He brings his head closer, lips now by my ear. "You can do it without him."

"Caleb... or Harry?"

"Both," he looks at me and smiles, small and tired. "Everything will be fine. Be patient you shit."

I giggle quietly, enjoying Louis' pep talk. "I'm glad you're here. Even if you are a wannabe brave shit."

Louis' relaxes at my confession, his chest inhaling and exhaling. "Are we friends yet? Cause I want to call you a shit all the time, but that seems like a friend thing to do." Despite the casual tone, and the easy words, I know there's a deep meaning to his question.

It's a heavy question, filled with so much.

"You're the shit," I say instead. Louis' smiles. Actually smiles, and pokes his tongue out.

"S'good to have you back, Pretzel. Missed you--not as much as I miss El-- cause she's my girl, but you're a close second."

"Alert the media," I say between a yawn.

"I have something for you," Louis says slow and out of the blue. "S'in my bag though. I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"Okay," I nuzzle my head into my pillow.

"M'gonna sleep here. Can't-- I don't want to move." His body subconsciously moves closer to mine and his arm winds over my side, lazily. "You're a shit." He yawns, his body going still.

"And you're an even bigger shit. The hard to push out kind."

"You're a vile little girl."

"And you're a shit."
****
"Presley, get up! It's past one!" Ben's voice is equivalent to a piercing scream or nails on a chalkboard.

"Be quiet," I mumble, realizing Louis has already gotten up.

"Come on," he sings, jumping on my bed and bouncing slightly. "Please! Your parents have left for the day and they said we have to get you out of the house-- cause you're to young to be so antisocial."

"No. Go away."

"Louis!" And now we have Ben calling for back up. "She's being difficult!" Aren't I always?

"I will stab you, Ben. I swear I will." I try to push Ben off, to no avail. He somehow manages to push me towards the edge of my bed. My eyes open and my hands reach for any sort of leverage. "Don't--" it was too late . My ass is on the floor and Ben is on my bed laughing, thinking he is the funniest person alive.

He's a fuck-face.

Thanks to my angle on the floor, I can see Louis' vans. They're checkerboard. They're cute.

"I would've splashed her with water, but that's better," Louis' laughs.

"You're both going to die. I'm going to kill you both, slowly and painfully."

"Shut up and get up, you donut. I made lunch."

"Well, he ordered it, but it's the thought that counts."

"S'more than you did," Louis says, defending himself. "You couldn't even hand me the phone, twitt-fuck."

"You're both twitt-fucks," I cut in before it turns into a brawl. I shoot my hand up. "Someone help me." I order annoyed. Louis' bends down and grabs my hand, using his Inhumane strength and basically picking me up, the duvet easily slipping.

"Oh--you look so cuddly," Ben sighs. "Now I feel kind of bad for waking you up."

"Kind of?"

"Yeah, only a little bit." Ben shrugs.

"Awesome."

It was a nice lunch. Slow and full. Ben cracked jokes, and Louis only made fun of him twice. Now-- now we're sitting, surrounded by a million wrappers and unfinished Cokes.

"So, you really told your dad to shut up?"

"No," I stammer. "I told mom to tell him to stop talking to me. Big difference."

"Same amount of rude." Louis says.

"Yeah," Ben helps. "Did he spank you? I would've."

"No." I mumble, embarrassed. "My mom offered too, though."

"I can picture that."

"Sa-- oh, fuck! I forgot!" Louis' shoots up from his chair and runs out of the kitchen, leaving Ben and I dumbstruck.

"What?"

"I don't know," I shrug.

He returns moments later, small box in his hand. He takes a quick second to catch his breath and holds it out.

"For me?"

"For you," he agrees. He sits back down as Ben peeks over my shoulder.
There is a small card on the top right corner. It's pastel yellow, with small detailing around the edges. My brows furrow, confused as to why Louis' would be including a card if he's sitting right here.

"Why is there a card?"

"Cause it's not from me," he says slowly. Nervous almost. "I don't actually know what's in it."

But I know who it's from.

Finally found it brown eyes. Took a while, but, here it is.
~H. Xx

No one says anything, if they notice my fingers shaking. They don't speak up when a gasp leaves my mouth as I pull out a familiar bracelet. It shimmers in the dim lighting. It's just as I remember. The 'P' is pink and missing a small stone at the very bottom. The book charm is still my favorite and word on the bar charm is still legible and messy.

I would think he bought a whole new one, if it weren't for the 'C', engraved in the bar.

"Is that--?"

"Yeah," I croak.

"I'm so lost," Ben utters. "It's a bracelet..."

"Yeah," my fingers move around the gems delicately, afraid the bracelet will disappear if I stop looking at it.

"Caleb gave her that. She lost it somewhere in Harry's house and she cried for days-- it was so sad. Like her puppy died."

"Oh," Ben whispers.

"What the fuck."

"Presley?" Louis questions, confused.

"What the actual fuck."

I'm not mad. I'm not sad. I'm going to snap.

I stand from my chair, causing it to fall to the floor. Ben winces and Louis' stands. I run to my room and change faster than I ever have. I don't think my shirt matches and I don't know where I put my bag, but I don't think I care. I'm not thinking period. I'm running on autopilot.

"Where are you going?" Louis demands by the door, Ben behind him, trying to search my face for some emotion.

"I'm going to get fucked." I'm out the door in a beat, sprinting for my car, ignoring Louis' and Ben shouting my name.

I'm leaving the house. That's what they wanted. I'm leaving and I'm not sure in what state I'll be back.

If I'll be back.

Notes

Next chapter is my favorite. Goodness, I cried. Like, actually cried. I can't wait.
Yass (\^.^/) to spring break. Yass, to writing emotional shit. Yass. Xx