Let This One Go

Sixty Two;

*Where R U?* I text Zayn sometime late in the evening.

*I'm in the shop? Where have U been?*

*Is Jen with U?* I ignore his question.

*Yeah*

And that's all I needed to know. I swing my feet over my bed and hop down. I slide the instrument that I kept hidden for days now out from underneath the bed. The beautiful handmade Acoustic guitar's chestnut wood was freshly polished with leather straps for the shoulders. It was a little bit pricey, but to me every penny counted. I wanted this guitar to be the very first instrument to be put up in Zayn's shop.

I throw the guitar over my shoulder and swing it behind my back walking downstairs.

"What is that?" My father's voice stops me when I'm close to the door.

"It's a guitar. I got it for Zayn."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

We stand there awkwardly as I run ny fingers over the strap around my shoulders. He takes a step forward. "I know you're probably thinking awful things about me and I know you won't believe when I tell you this, but I was really hoping that you'd get in to Juilliard."

"Dad, it's fine. You don't have to pretend anymore."

"I'm not pretending, all I want is for you to be happy. And if dance makes you happy then...I'll let you do it."

"Why aren't you this way with Harry? He makes me happy."

"I'm not gonna go in to that because you know we'd only end up arguing. That's for another day."

I bite the inside of my cheeks and walk up to him with no control of my actions and just elope him in my arms. "That's all I wanted to hear you say, I'm glad you noticed how it made me feel."

"I wish you would've talked to me about it."

"It was hard, you kept bringing up psychology and you looked so happy."

"But it's not my life, every step you make I will be by your side. I may not agree with every step, but I will support you and try my best to understand them."

"Thank you." I didn't want to cry because that's all I've been doing these past few days, but it was getting hard to control my outbursts.

"You're gonna be okay, I promise." He kisses the top of my head before letting my walk out in to the still streets of Stillton.

I tugged at the straps of the guitar putting my arms over my chest walking to Zayn's shop. Jen was there which is perfect. I wasn't up for doing two separate apologies.

Walking through the streets it only reminded me of that night when those two clowns approached me. It was then when I started to realize that maybe what Harry was trying to tell me about the world being so dangerous was actually right. I say I can handle myself, but what if Ethan wasn't there that time? Could I really be able to push those two away from me? Despite my lack of strength?

Would people be as cruel as Veronica? Point out all my flaws and humiliate me about them? As if I don't know my own flaws? I had a nervous breakdown at that party from kids that I knew my whole life, there's no way to imagine the way a New Yorker would treat me.

I stop and look through the window of Plates 40. It wasn't that pretty tonight, maybe thirty or fourty people. My eyes went to the concession stand where Ethan was currently working, but hardly. He was too busy grinning and laughing down at a dark haired girl. The girl's shoulders shook with laughter and with a simple swipe of her hair her face came in to view. The crystal blue eyes and full pale lips was belonged to Veronica undoubtedly.