Chapter 2: Basked in its light

TO: [e-mail]

FROM: [e-mail]

SUBJECT: Date

________________________________________________________________________

Hey babe

I’m really sorry but I think I have to cancel tonight. Lacy and I are really struggling to get Hayley out of bed and I am really worried about her. We don’t want to leave her alone in fear she will suffocate in that bed of hers. She hasn’t even gone to any of the classes which isn’t the most important thing in the world right now, but you know how she is.

I love you so, so much and I promise I’ll make this up to you! XX

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Hailstorm’s POV

They were knocking again. Irritatingly knocking that was driving my head in. Couldn’t they just leave me alone!?

“Go away!” I yelled, curling myself into a little ball.

“Hailstorm! Open this door right now!” I heard Lacy yell, the banging continuing.

“Please sweetie, we’re worried about you” Kira’s rapping was a lot softer, her voice calming.

I groaned, throwing the bed covers off of myself and dragging my feet to the door. I opened the door, watching as both my friend’s eyes widened.

“What?” I grumbled, moving back to my bed.

“Hun – when’s the last time you opened a window?” Kira frowned, heading to my window who had been closed for I think three days now.

“Air doesn’t matter”

“You need to keep the baby healthy thought” Kira said, moving the curtains away and blinding me in the process. I let out a groan, throwing the covers over my face.

“No, no, no” I heard Lacy say and a second later the brightness hurt my eyes once again.

“Guys! Just leave me alone!” I groaned, curling myself into a little ball.

“Here” something was thrown onto me and when I pealed my eyes open a box of take-away. I sat up, opening it and revealed inside was what looked like a wrap. And not the yummy slobbered in mayo and fried chicken, no – healthy broccoli and what have you.

“Eat it” Kira instructed, moving over to my closet.

“What are you doing?” I asked, eyeing my friend.

“We’re going out” Lacy said, also moving to the closet.

“Why?”

“Because I’m sick and tired of your room”

“I like my room”

“We’re still going” Kira said, getting out one of my dresses.

“But-“

“Get dressed” Lacy said, getting out my shoes.

“Where are we going even?” I asked, catching the dress that Kira threw at me.

“Lace wants to go to Lakewood”

“I thought we’re only going away for like an hour or something!?” I gasped, “Guys – no”

“Yes! It’s the weekend, the perfect opportunity to go”

“Killer – don’t you have a date tonight?” I tried, looking over at my friend who was packing in my things.

“I cancelled with Dave, know you needed us”

“That’s so sweet of you guys” I said, my smile widening like crazy. I swear, I was even tearing up. Am I getting mood swings now too?

“We know” Lacy said, sticking out her tongue, “Hun – not to be rude or anything, but I think you need a shower too”

It took another half hour before I was forced into Kira’s light blue Renault Duster.

“This is exciting!” Lacy said, clapping her hands together as Kira started the car.

“Is your family even okay with this Lace?” I asked, leaning forward so I could see my two friends. Lacy’s parents were pretty strict due to their daughter’s ways and the Lakewood house were their pride and joy. We went there last year for her birthday and well, let’s just say – we hadn’t been able to go back.

“What they don’t know, won’t hurt them” my friend grinned, winking at me.

Kira sighed, shaking her head with a light smile on her face.

“I am seriously keen for this guys, we haven’t had a girls’ weekend in so long”

“It’s not really going to be a girls’ weekend” I said, pointing to my stomach and knowing what my friend meant by ‘girls weekend’.

“Stop being a Debby downer Hailstorm. Be more like Killer, she’s writing a test Tuesday and she is just as excited as I am”

“Can’t believe I’m doing this” Kira laughed, making a turn.

We kept talking, Lacy the leader in the conversation. It was pretty nice and as we drove towards the lake house, I almost forgot the whole reason we were taking the trip. Sure, Lacy said it was for the Girls Weekend but we all knew the real reason. Ever since the bathroom-incident I haven’t been feeling like myself at all. I felt a bit broken and well, who could forget that I was with child?

I was definitely not ready to be a parent. That was for sure. I was just twenty years old and just about a month ago, my proudest achievement was winning at beer pong. I was a second year student, nowhere close to a degree and my diet had mostly consisted out of takeaways. And now – now I was going to become a mom. Me – a mom!? I haven’t even thought of what to do with the baby. Or tell my mom. My mom would only be coming back in another four months but I didn’t want to freak her out with a baby. The only thing I have done for the little thing so far was book an appointment and buy a book that was still in the bag. I was going to be the worst mother in the world…

“Home sweet home!” Lacy’s loudness made me escape from my bad thoughts. I looked up at the house in front of us, it looking like a three log cabins smashed together. It was a double story with balconies and free WIFI. Adjoining with five bedrooms and a large patio, the place was pretty epic. Lacy’s parents were quite well off and it was obvious with the way this place was bigger than my own house.

We got out of the car, Kira placing a hand on my shoulder, “You doing okay hun?”

I nodded, giving her a smile, “This weekend is going to be fun”

“Darn right it is!” we heard Lacy yell as she moved towards the house.

“Imagine that girl being the pregnant one?” Kira whispered into my ear. I lightly snickered, only picturing what Lacy would actually do. The whole university would probably know about it. We headed into the house, me not helping but stare at the place. Even if I’ve been here a bunch, it was still stare-worthy. Entering the house you were greeted with a large sitting area, the couches all made from leather and joined with the softest blankets in the world. On the floor was a large overly-soft carpet and hanging on the wall was a flat screen big enough to make a cinema jealous. The kitchen with a breakfast bar, a fridge you could stuff two years supply of food and the most lavish appliances was next to the sitting area. Behind all of this was a wall of just wall-length windows, we being able to see outside at the gorgeous lake and trees.

“Dibs on the main room!” we heard Lacy yell and just spotted her ankle as she rushed up the spiral staircase.

“Help me pack the food please?” Kira asked, looking over at me. I nodded, moving to the kitchen with the bags. We were just about finished when Lacy appeared again, wearing her bikini.

“Go get dress you grannies” she smiled, putting her hair in a pony.

“We’re still unpacking”

“Stop making excuses. Soon, Hailstorm won’t be able to show off her flat tummy”

“It’s not that flat anymore” I tried but Lacy just pointed to the stairs. As instruction, we headed up, me taking the smallest room. I wasn’t one for space seeing that I had grown up with three other siblings and most of my life had shared my room with my older sister. Who did like space. When I had moved into the dorms, having my own room was pretty weird.

I quickly got dressed in my bikini, taking too long to inspect myself in the mirror. If there was a bump, I couldn’t really see it so I could ignore this thing for now. I sighed, grabbing my towel and went to meet my friends by the lake. Lacy had already gotten in, her body glistening in the afternoon sun.

Kira on the other hand, was sitting on one of the deck chairs, holding her text book.

“Are you honestly going to study now?”

“Test on Tuesday remember?”

I rolled my eyes, throwing my towel over the girl’s head before running to go join my more spontaneous friend.

XXX

Liam’s POV

We had arrived at the training camp about a week ago and I could say things were going pretty well. The newbies weren’t as frustrating as last year and the complaints came in less. Which would have been good if I didn’t actually need the distraction.

My mind was spinning and the only person to blame was the girl from the convenient store. Without being able to help it, I kept thinking of her. Those big Bambi eyes, so scared and so worried. Her thoughts were probably going a million miles a second. What was she going to do, what was going to happen with university?

Was she even in university? She probably was, being at a fraternity party and all. And the fact that there was no father figure.

I was supposed to be the father figure

No Liam! The baby wasn’t mine. As I had repeated in my brain every time the idea of me being its father popped into my mind, the fact that it was impossible. She was a human. I wasn’t. Whoever the dad was thought, better take care of it. The girl did seem sweet enough and well, it wouldn’t be fair to deny the little thing another parental figure.

A knock on my office door made me leave my thoughts and a second later, Mason’s head popped in.

“Chief, everything doing alright?” he asked, opening the door wider.

“I’m fine Mase” I smiled lightly, trying to assure my friend, “How’s the training going?”

“Good, this year is a lot better than the last”

“We can go for a run tonight then, thank the guys for actually thinking”

Mason nodded, “Should I make the announcement?”

I nodded, watching as the door closed behind him. Maybe a run would do me some good. Get my mind off of all of it.

XXX

Hailstorm’s POV

Bad choices. Custom made by Hayley Anderson.

Choice one: Listening to Lacy

Choice two: Going along with Lacy’s plans

Choice three: Not listening to Kira

At the moment it was pitch dark, creepy and we were in the middle of the woods. Lacy had come up with the genius idea of having a picnic in the forest for dinner, saying that we were completely safe. You know – we weren’t idiot girls who go running through the woods in the middle of the night.

O no wait… we were idiot girls who did just that…

“Where are we Lace?” I asked, looking around the repetitive figures that maybe resembled trees.

“Stop stressing, I know where we’re going” Lacy said, sounding about as sure as me after writing a really bad exam.

“I really don’t like this” Kira mumbled from behind me, her hand wrapped around my shaking wrist.

“I just told you guys to stop stressing” Lacy said and stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to us, her white top giving us some indication of light, “These woods are perfectly safe. The worst we’ll find is a bunny rabbit”

Kira and I looked at each other, hearing Lacy sigh. Her hands wrapped around our wrists and she lightly squeezed, “I promise you guys, there is nothing”

Like I said – we should not have listened to this girl.

Just as the words were uttered the most blood curdling sound erupted from the trees. Howls… creepy and flipping scary howls. What came next was us three screaming, all huddling around each other. Tears brimmed in my eyes and on instinct (yes, it actually happened), I grabbed hold of my stomach.

“We have to get out of here” Lacy cried, her voice overly week.

“Calm down hun, we’ll be perfectly safe. They don’t sound close” Kira tried, but just then another howl was heard, this one sounding like it was just by us. Another scream erupted from my mouth, clutching onto my stomach tighter.

A second later, we saw white flicker through the trees, making my legs shake. This was a horror movie. We three were the prologue before the actual movie started. Shit… shit… shit…

Another flicker through the trees came, joining with three others. Growls and howls made my head thunder and I felt like I was about to faint.

“I love you guys” I whispered, the tears spilling down my eyes.

“Hailstorm, say that when we’re safe” Lacy said, “Count of three and we run. We don’t look back. Pretend Zac Efron is on the other side of the woods”

I could only nod, sniffling.

“One” I breathed, giving my stomach one final squeeze to reassure the thing inside, I was going to protect it.

“Two” Killer said, giving both her friends a squeeze on the shoulders.

“Three” and we ran.