Bet On It | H. Styles

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Six Years Ago

Being the young age of eighteen, no one ever expects their life to take a complete turnaround. Especially not Wendy.

Her life was going perfect, hardly a bump in the road. Not to sound high and mighty, but she never had anything to really complain about, or any struggles that would determine her future. She always was on a straight path that she could see how her life would turn out. Not anymore.

Now she had no idea where life would lead her, not that she necessarily cared. How else could she bare to live on? What would she make of her future now? She didn't know, she didn't care. All she wanted was for the ground to swallow her whole as the ache in her heart grew. She felt as if she'd been stabbed in the back by the universe, this pain being the worst that she's ever endured.

Hearing those three words from the man she learned was a detective, the world around her slowly became mute. Her vision began to blur as tears pooled in her eyes. She understood now why Diana fell to the floor, whimpers leaving her lips as she held her face in her hands. Wendy too crumbled to the porch beneath her, a blood curdling scream leaving her body.

She blacked out in those passing moments, having no idea what she was doing. From what she heard, she was pulling her hair out of her head, the screams never ending, the cries for her family on repeat.

The Kane family were the victims of a horrible plane crash. No survivors. Word is her brother didn't die on impact, that the fire surrounding him was the leading cause of death.

Her body shook as the news was relayed to her, splintering the wood beneath her as she continued to beat at it with her fists. Noticing the blood pouring from her knuckles, Kenny crouched down taking Wendy in his arms to stop her from committing any more harm to her body.

She wept, and bawled, and screamed till she had no more air left in her lungs. Why did she deserve to breathe when her family didn't have that luxury anymore?

After a while she felt numb. Numb to the pain of her reality. That numbness stuck with her for the following week, and even months after their departure.

But now she stood in her foyer, dozens of people scattered around her house to mourn the loss of the Kane family. It was a blur, not really paying attention to who came to tell her their condolences. She didn't care.

Patty stood by her side through and through, helping to comfort Wendy through the pain. She didn't know how it felt to lose everyone in the blink of an eye, but she tried to help Wendy in all ways that she could.

Wendy didn't eat, drink, shower, speak for an entire week before the funeral. The morning of she realized she probably would have to at least shower to try and look the most tamed. But everyone knew she wasn't. During her shower she broke down again for the umpteenth time, allowing the water to clean away her tears.

Family had come, Jenny and Diana were there, friends of the family, Patty and her family, Derek and his family, the Styles family minus Harry. Even Kenny had come. But she spoke to no one. Everyone understood. It's not everyday you lose your entire family and people expect you to be as a good as new.

Wendy heard murmurs from Patty asking Derek where Harry was, that he may be an asshole but this is next level. Wendy zoned out after that. Normally she would think about what a shit move that is to not attend one of your friend's family's funeral, but she didn't want to think about anything at all, and frankly, she wasn't surprised. He hated her anyhow.

Patty stood next to her hold, holding her hand and guided her to sit down on the staircase. It broke Patty to see Wendy like this, completely emotionless, cheeks burned red from her continuing cries at night. That's when she really broke down, when she thought no one would hear her whimpers. But Patty heard it all. Every night Patty would enter Wendy's room and bring her into an embrace, letting Wendy bawl her eyes out until she grew tired and fell asleep in her arms.