"You look like death," Jana tells me as we walk into the school. "Did you not sleep at all?"
"Someone toilet-papered my house last night. I had to clean it up before my mom saw," I tell her. "I got maybe three hours of sleep overall."
"Really? You should have called me. I would have helped."
I shake my head. "I was fine. Just a little sleepy now, that's all. Did you get James' number like you said you were going to?"
"Yeah. Watts gave it to me."
I glance up at her from my slow feet. "And? Did you text him?"
"I was going to, but I couldn't figure out what to say. He's leaving next week anyway, I shouldn't bother," she says.
I gave Daniel my phone number, thinking that we could text each other or call if needed. It wasn't an odd thing to bring up as he has kissed me four times now without my permission—not that I mind, but he doesn't have to know that.ME: I was eating chocolate in the class before, that's why.DANIEL: And you had so much chocolate because?ME: Because I bought a lot of junk food the night before. I was home alone and decided to give myself a few cavities.DANIEL: You were home alone the entire night? When those kids TP'd you?ME: Yeah, my mom was working overnight.DANIEL: Why didn't you have Jana stay with you?
"This is my friend Hailey," Daniel introduces me casually.Daniels father is the same height as him and looks much like an older version of his son. He has few streaks of grey in his hair, giving him a professional edge, and even his regular clothes look neat and sophisticated in some way. I'm assuming as a software architect he's used to a business suit, or is that just my imagination? Facial features are quite similar to Daniels, strong jaw, prominent cheekbones, blueish maybe green eyes, and the same charming smile. "It's nice to meet you, Hailey. I'm George, Daniels father."I try to match his kind smile. "It's nice to meet you too. Sorry for my. . ." I peer down at my pajamas and George finds this amusing, but in an 'adult' way, the look where their eyes almost squint as their smile grows, maybe a little eyebrow-raising too.
I do not remember much from last night, exhaustion held my memory, but I know where I am supposed to be, and that is not in Daniels bed. Somehow I am wrapped in the blankets, warm and cozy. At first, I panicked. I freaked out. My body shot up and turned to the side, thankfully to find the bed empty beside me. Daniel didn't sleep here, we didn't do anything. At that point, I took and deep breath and fell back against his pillow.It smells like him, everything does. I could stay in his bed forever, which worries me. If I was a normal girl, I might be hurrying out of here and searching for Daniel, but I want to take in this moment while I can.Maybe this is a dream, maybe I never came over to his house in the first place. I'll wake up in my bed at home any second now, and I'll be extremely disappointed. I would groan and shove my face into
After dealing with my mother yesterday, and dealing with my thoughts on Daniel, school is the last place I want to be. Dodging annoying people who stand in the middle of the hall, I grasp onto my locker and tensely open it up. My mother yelled, yelled some more, then finally accepted my lie about being at Jana's—my excuse being that I forgot to let her know.Inside my locker is another note.With my bad attitude, I frown while unfolding it and read what it has to say.Please, Room 1244 at lunch. It really is important!Maybe they should have shown up the first time then. Tossing the note into my locker, I swing the door shut and head off to my first hour.After getting settled in my seat, I grumpily wait for the be
I couldn't sleep, not with that video on my mind. It felt like a dream, something far beyond reality. Seeing her again—that version of myself—put a good dent in me. It made me feel like a time traveler, yet no one would want to go back to their worst moment, something like that belongs in the past and for some reason mine won't stay. It's like a mosquito trapped inside of my clothes, constantly biting and never escaping.I have many questions for Sam, but I don't want to face him. Up until now I believed Harrison and I were the only witnesses, and here Sam is, an innocent boy who filmed at the wrong time. He shouldn't be dragged in. He already did his part by giving me the video.This is what I wanted, right? Proof? Now that I have it I am not sure what to do. It isn't that hard to turn it into the police, to prove everyone
Sitting at my desk, I replay and replay the minute of the video where it shows me and Harrison. During the first three times, I cried, during the next three, I was angry, and now all I can do is watch with a blank face, numb. I stare at my face, at the clear discomfort and distress, and I replay and replay it.It's been a week since I've accidentally mentioned the video to Daniel, and I've decided to tell him. He'd know what to do. Since my mother is staying late at the station, I asked if he'd come over, and by now he is on his way. I watch the video—not planning to show him it—and I wait to hear the knock at the door, trying to piece together my explanation. I wonder what he's going to say. He'd know what to do.The knock finally comes and I spring from my seat, shutting the computer screen and rushing to the door. I take
I subtly drag my bottom lip through my teeth, gently grinding my teeth against my skin as if I am slowly working my way through. My eyes stay fixated on Daniel, studying him like an exotic animal, waiting for him to pounce and dig his teeth into my neck until my blood seeps out, pouring down my body like a scarlet waterfall. My hands squeeze. My nails dig into my palms, leaving purple marks. "My moms going to be home soon," I say slowly, "we should go somewhere."He leans into me. "Where do you want to go?"He doesn't know how serious I am. "Somewhere where no one else is. Somewhere like this, but not."We get into his car. He tells me that his house is empty, that his father and Mike have gone to Chicago for the weekend. I smile. "Okay," I say and my head rolls to the side, my eyes ga
Daniel called a few times over the weekend, Jana too, but I wasn't answering anyone's calls. I texted Jana and said that I needed to be alone just so she wouldn't come snooping around the house to make sure I am still alive. Daniels, well, I left his to ring, each time forcing myself not to answer."I heard your Dad told you about Florida," my mother grabs my attention as I sit alone in the kitchen. She walks around to the other side of the counter island to face me. "Are you going back?""Yeah. I'm moving back during winter break."She raises an eyebrow. "That's hardly a month away."I nod. "I know. I'll be ready by then. I'm used to leaving quickly anyway." It feels like an extreme case of déjà vu. It feels like I am g
Harrison was not at school for the last week until winter break. Everyone wondered where he went and assumed his father took the family on an early vacation to some tropical island. They were jealous of him. In the locker room, the girls chatted about how lucky he is to be able to miss an entire week. His father can pull strings, they said.I stayed silent and tried to ignore them, not wanting to feed my ego over the fact that I know the truth.Harrison is in trouble.After my mother went to the station with the USB drive, she called later on to tell me that everything was going well, that there were no issues. We celebrated at Knocks, and in the night, Daniel dropped Jana off at home and came inside mine. My mother was too dedicated to leave work, so I didn't expect her to come back a
"What are you talking about?""It was Harrison's father," he says again, confusing Jana."Okay," I whisper, not sure what to think but forcing myself to push it to the back of my head. "What does that have to do with the station?""We can't trust them. Most of the officers are in agreements with the mayor,Harrison's father. If we give it to someone we can't trust, they'll destroy it, I promise you," he explains. "You have to give it to someone you trust."I squeeze my eyes shut, knowing what he means. "My mother."Jana holds her breath in the back and Daniel keeps his eyes on me. The USB drive is locked in my hand and it feels as if I'm holding a diamond. Everything is
Jana and I walk into school side by side, talking about what happened after Daniel and I left the party. "I can't believe you—you just dived right in, didn't you? Was it—I mean, how was it? Were you okay?"We stop at her locker, and I talk quietly as she gets her things. "It was a little difficult at first, but he was so gentle, so patient and caring. I just...I love him. He really cares about me, Jana. He makes me feel safe and alive and..." I smile, dreaming."Well, I'm happy for you. You deserve it," she says and gives me a side-hug as we continue down the hall. "You two make a beautiful couple, oh, like James and I."I shake my head. "Maybe we're both love-sick puppies"Walking into my first class, I slip past Daphne,
I pull up to Jana's house and text her that I'm here. While waiting I glance up at the sky, hoping it snows like the news said it would. The heat is blasted and the windows are fogged, and it's beginning to feel like winter.Jana knocks on the window and I unlock the door. She slips in and shuts it immediately behind her, almost on her foot. "Jeez it's cold out there," she says while pulling on her seat belt. "Watts better have the fire going."I pull onto the road. "So this isn't some big Christmas party like you said before, right?""No, this one's just close friends.""Good. After Harrison's party, I need a break." Jana stays quiet and I glance over to her. "You okay?"She nods, h
I sit down at our table in the cafeteria, trying to figure myself out. It's been a long day. Daphne kept glancing back at me in Economics and Jana kept texting me about Watts' cousin James, saying that he asked her to be his girlfriend. She said yes and then continued to talk about it. I'm happy for her, but how can I smile over Love if the person I love hates me?I don't know what Love feels like, but if it doesn't feel like this, then it will be a disappointment.How can I not love Daniel? He's amazing in every way. He makes my heart race by simply thinking about him. He accepts me, every part of me, and I lost him. I let him slip through my fingers. I used to wonder if Daniel loves me, and now I'm wondering the opposite. Could he love me? I don't know. Maybe I just fall in Love easily.
I stare out the window, watching as the streetlights pass and erase my face in the glass. The image of Harrison standing there is stuck in my mind, I don't know what to think of it, but now that I'm with Daniel I feel better. It's a bit awkward to be so close after our last encounter, but I feel safe.My head rolls to him, my eyes watching his hands as he turns the wheel, turning onto my street. "Is anyone home?" He asks, and I have a flashback to a time before."No. My mom is at John's house.""Who's John?"I look at the house. "He's her boyfriend, I guess. He's the guy that snuck into the house with her."Daniel parks at the curb like he always does and gets out with me as I expect
My heart races relentlessly in my chest as I pull up to Jana's house, my fingers tapping on the steering wheel and my bottom lip between my grinding teeth. I watch as she flees through the front door and hurries into the car, her tight, black dress catching me off guard. "We aren't actually going to the party," I tell her and pull back onto the road."I know, I just want to blend in," she says while pulling her seatbelt on and glancing over at me, "and I see you don't.""I'm more focused on getting the flash drive. God I hope he hasn't smashed it or thrown it away. Just thinking about it...It makes me all anxious. And the fact that we're going to his party isn't helping either. The last thing I need is flashbacks.""You'll be fine," she encourages me. "You've healed so much the past fe
I rush to the cafeteria, to the table, then to Jana. She is sitting with Watts, Taylor, and Jordan, but I yank her up and drag her out, ignoring her "what are you doing" and "Hailey, what's going on" until we make it out of the cafeteria doors. The hallways are sparse with students, and I take her back to where Sam took me, yet he's gone as I expected. I wonder what he's thinking.I let her go and she lets out a weird laugh. "Will you tell me what that was all about? You know, I could have followed you, you didn't have to pull me out.""Shut up," I breathe out, panicking. "Something bad has happened."Her face turns serious. "What? Is it Harrison? Daphne? Did they do something?""Actually, yes, but I need to explain, and before I do,
Daniel called a few times over the weekend, Jana too, but I wasn't answering anyone's calls. I texted Jana and said that I needed to be alone just so she wouldn't come snooping around the house to make sure I am still alive. Daniels, well, I left his to ring, each time forcing myself not to answer."I heard your Dad told you about Florida," my mother grabs my attention as I sit alone in the kitchen. She walks around to the other side of the counter island to face me. "Are you going back?""Yeah. I'm moving back during winter break."She raises an eyebrow. "That's hardly a month away."I nod. "I know. I'll be ready by then. I'm used to leaving quickly anyway." It feels like an extreme case of déjà vu. It feels like I am g