Never Believe. - H.S.

Chapter 25 - Life Articles and Birthdays.

I can be your lost boy, your last chance

Your "everything better" plan

Oh, somewhere in Neverland

~

Harry P.O.V

Life. I've learnt a lot about life recently.

However, there is still an uncertainty about the concept of 'life' that hangs around us, hangs around the universe, like a cloud that hovers and causes people to constantly ask “What is the meaning of life?” and when you ask yourself that question it is hard to conjure up a reasonable answer or response. Some will tell you of the obvious suggestion; that we are living organisms and in a scientific manner that is what we are, thus making us no more significant than the average ant or a spec of bacteria.

What makes life good? Is just as equally an interesting question, is life good because you're happy with how it is for you and you're pleased with your future plans to go to university, get a job, have children? Or is it good because you're happy in who you are, in that present moment because even though the world may seem completely against you ninety nine percent of the time, in certain moments at certain times of life we all feel happiness and we all feel the joy of life.

When you're five years old, you don't think that life will be how it is, you don't know about the twists and turns that we all encounter on the rollercoaster of life and the way it can seem like it is only plummeting when everyone else is going up.

The point of my word here, is how life is uncertain. We can surround ourselves with myths and theories about life and fate, and religion and the origins of it all but at the end of the day all we know about life is what we truly know, what is fact. So maybe, we should all focus on the moment and the joy you can feel at one present time rather than the anxieties and worries that the future may bring because no one knows how life is panned out for them nor do we know for sure what life is.

Ava Lockhart , Haywoods & Co.

As I read over the words of Ava's latest article I smiled to myself, she seemed to be liking her job at Haywoods, and if this is the case then I am happy too. I have not yet told her that I also have a job lined up now, maybe not writing myself but doing some general office work as I try and get into a managerial position.

I told Ava that I would pick her up for her birthday, so when I arrived at her door at two o'clock as promised, she was there ready and waiting as she greeted me. She wore some skinny black jeans, somewhat similar to my own with some sort of fancy shirt and her casual shoes.

“Happy Birthday” I almost sang to her making her roll her eyes, hopefully out of humour rather than annoyance.

She followed me outside and into the car, the most part of the journey was silent apart from her asking me where I was taking her and the sarcastic whine and pout she gave when I told her it was a surprise.

As we parked up on the dock she realised where we were and what we were doing.

“You managed to get the boat!” she exclaimed. I chuckled somewhat at her excitement, saying nothing but simply leading her on to the deck and to the boat of which we had taken a trip on before on my own birthday and we had both enjoyed. It was the time when Ava had let go of herself the most in the time that I had known her so far, I remember how she acted so free as the boat glided across the water, the reminiscence making me smile.

We both hopped on the boat, and I lead her into the small room in it, where there lay a table with chairs. I was still unsure as to why my parents felt it necessary to have this boat, they never seemed to use it anyway, it was probably just another way for them to flaunt their money to other people. So, if they're not going to use it to their enjoyment I shall instead.

“So, I was going to cook for you but I'm not the best so I ordered us some pizza, we seem to have eaten pizza together on several occasions now Ava” I explained. “We will take the boat out but we have to wait until later when all the technical stuff is right, I don't know much about it but I go by Brian's directions, so pizza now, boat ride later”.

Ava laughed, “Okay Harry, I look forward to every single bit of it”.

When we started on our pizzas we were soon done as we conversed and joked as we ate.

“So, I um got you a present” I told her.

“Oh, you didn't have to get me anything Harry” Ava argued.

“No I wanted to”, I smiled at her before picking up the gift bag I had placed in the small cupboard before I went to pick her up. I coughed nervously as I passed it over to her, unsure to how she would react to the gift. She slowly and carefully pulled the small box out of the bag and I began to worry she wouldn't like it, she would think of it as “too cliché” because it was, it was cliché.

Her hands fumbled to get the small piece of jewellery out of its protective case before she read one side of it.

“To live would be an awfully big adventure” she said so quietly it was almost a whisper, her finger delicately running over the gift.

“To die would be an awfully big adventure” she read as she turned it over to the other side.

“I – erm I'm sorry if you don't like it I'll take it back or whatever”

“Harry, it's lovely thank you”, she smiled at me.

“Well I knew you really liked Peter Pan after I found the book and you told me about your mum and stuff and yeah I thought you might like it” I told her, coughing awkwardly.

“Thank you Harry, it's beautiful, it means a lot”, she grinned at me before sliding the small piece over her wrist.

When we eventually got out on the water, we had the absolute time of our lives. It was possibly even better than the first time we went out on my birthday. The only difference was the weather, it was now a little cooler than it had been that summer evening although in some ways it made the atmosphere even better.

When we got back in the car, the drive was again comfortably quiet. When I pulled back in to her driveway it was Ava who finally spoke.

“Thank you for giving me such a lovely birthday Harry”

“It's okay, any time” I said in a joking manner and shooting her a wink.

“And thank you for the presents” she said holding up her wrist. “You're a great friend” she spoke and with that she leaned over to peck my cheek before turning away and getting out of the car, leaving me pondering on my thoughts still not comfortable with the idea of me being just her 'friend'.

A/N: lol, this is bad, sorry. And sorry if you've been waiting for an update cause I haven't updated in ages yee. I'm really struggling with this story now like it is so repetitive and I wanna end it soon but idk how to get to the end so idk.

Please go check out my other fanfics “1914” and “Divided”, they'll hopefully turn out better than this ;)