"Peyton, give me the tickets ... they're in your purse," Theo said when Max asked him about the gate number.
"What? No, they're not," Peyton unzipped her bag and rummaged into it.
"Yeah, I put the envelope inside your bag before we left," he insisted.
Max had Hazel on hold on the phone waiting for the gate number, "Is there a problem?"
Theo was watching as Peyton searched for it in her small Louis Vuitton bag.
"Why didn't you say something? I can't find it," she stressed.
"I did, I told you I put the tickets in your bag, you nodded, remember?"
Jan was immediately on her phone looking for an event that's happening nearby. Kyle was looking at the street signs and an electronic map on the side of the street to find the nearest subway, or bus stop, or maybe an MRT. Lee was consoling Hazel who was still in his arm as they walk on the pavement. Everyone felt like they lost something that night, but none was feeling worse than Hazel. They knew they had to do something together to get rid of the aching feeling of losing their tickets at the last moment before the concert. They have to make it a night to remember. "Look ... there's a festival at a night park, it's not far from here, we can get there by MRT and then a 5-minute walk," Jan pointed to her phone.
A perfect night would be going to that concert with people that were close to her heart, watching Harry up close and personal, feel his presence, be in the same room with the person she admired her entire teenage years.A perfect night would be making that leap to the stage and took a selfie as he sings her favorite song and keeps that memory for the rest of her life to tell it to her children and grandchildren about what a perfect night it was.But sometimes, all we get is the substitute of perfect, something we absolutely need without even realizing it until much later. Most of the time, that 'something' is better, and all those imperfections were what it took for that something 'better' to take place.Lee's dimple was the star that lit up her dark sky. She kept poking her
Theo spent the entire night feeling like crap. He was the villain that night, everyone felt somewhat annoyed by him even if they didn't say it out loud. He waited outside the arena for the whole concert thinking how things could've been different. If he didn't put the envelope in Peyton's bag, if he had kept it in his pocket, maybe it would still be there.Peyton must have had something to do with it, but why? He couldn't figure it out. That's why he snapped at her when she was trying to persuade him to go inside.What upset him the most was knowing how important that event was for Hazel and he fucked it up. How will he ever redeem himself from that? Especially when she already saw him as someone who has ignored her affections for years. It's not true, he wanted to tell her that, but how?
It felt like a hammer was banging on her head in the morning at the breakfast buffet. Lee didn't look any better, he wasn't hung over but he only slept for a few hours when Jan and Kyle knocked on the door to wake them up. He covered his whole face with his beanie and tilted his head back on the booth."Hey ... wake up sleepy head ... get some breakfast, we'll be heading back soon," Kyle tossed a napkin at Lee."I just want some sleep," he grunted under his beanie."What were you guys doing last night?" Jan was curious.Hazel turned to Lee and pulled off the beanie from his face, "Oh ... you know, we emptied the mini bar and watched movies.""You choked me,
The last time she saw him was right before they left Goldstone. He could barely look at her when they separated at the parking lot. He got into his car all by himself, he didn't ask about the hotel bill that she'd spent lavishly on room service and the minibar, and he drove away.It left her feeling a little guilty afterward. Especially when she didn't see him around at her house for the rest of spring break. Max seemed to be busy with Mia and he never mentioned Theo all through that week except when he came into her room and gave her a pep talk."Is there something I should know about you and Theo?"She was taken aback by his question, she shook her head, "No, why?""You know why ... " he looked at her in the eyes
After Goldstone, Lee enrolled in another local dance competition. He was more than happy to have Hazel coming to his practices at the studio and also at home. They've grown closer by the day, almost inseparable just like she was with Jan before Kyle.He's been teaching her how to dance without much result. Hazel kept laughing when he showed her how to do the moves. Especially the body rolls. He had his hands on her hips as he stood behind her and showed her how to roll her body with the music."I can't ..." she laughed out loud. "It's too hard ..." she broke away from him.He held her hand not letting her go, he wanted her to try harder, "You have to let go, Hazel ... you're holding back, just let go ... whatever it is you're holding back ... let it go."
"Hey Mickey," his voice softly calling her.She was walking past the soccer field after school, she turned to find him walking behind her. It's been a while since she saw him, that dreamy green eyes, his tall figure and broad shoulders, and that beautiful head rested on top of them."Hey," she held her breath for a split second, "I haven't seen you in a while ... where have you been?"He had his hands in his pockets, his head down, he didn't reply immediately, "Around ... are you heading home?"She stopped walking, it seems like they were going to have a small talk, "Yeah, are you coming?" she hadn't seen him at her house either, she wondered if he was going to stop by like he always did before.
"So ... how was it?" Hazel asked Jan when they were having ice cream at a creamery by the beach."How was what?" Jan licked through her chocolate mint ice cream."Your first time? Did you do it? You haven't told me anything about it yet."Jan paused for a moment, "You sure you wanna know?""Well, you're gonna tell me anyway ... right? Come on, spill it out."Jan's face glowed, she had been wanting to tell her about it for weeks. She hadn't said anything because she knew Hazel was feeling left out when it comes to sex. She always complained about being the only teenager in the world who hasn't had a boyfriend, let alone knew anything about sex.
Okay ... let me wrap this up for you ... I decided to finish high school at Pinehurst Valley because ... well ... because I wanted to be close to Hazel for another year at least. I've never had a friend like her before and ever since Eli ... she's the one thing that made my life seem livable again. We spent the rest of the summer in Goldstone with my dad's charity program. We worked with under privilege children in the nook and cranny of the city. We volunteered at the nursing home. Hazel loved that one because I had to perform every week for the elderlies, they loved my singing, apparently, they think I was adorable and reminded them of their grandsons. Made me feel less special knowing there are at least 7 kids that looked like me. The whole program went well. She got extra points for her portfolio. So did I. Though it didn't matter to me because I know I'm not going to Uni after this. I'm concentrating on my new channel which Hazel had agreed to help with. She loved that to
She finally came out of her bedroom looking fresh out of the shower. Her mom felt a heavy burden just lifted off her shoulder. Hazel was feeling better. There was still deep sadness on her face but she forced a smile and said 'Hi' and gave her a long hug. The day was getting dark and Claire's relief was short-lived because Hazel was on her way outside to meet the boy in a designer hoodie in his white Lamborghini who looked like he hadn't had a good sleep in days."He's been waiting for an hour," Claire said.She had turned on the light on their porch so the two of them can have a good talk on their new balcony swing. Claire poured a generous amount of red wine into her mug and peeked outside their window and saw the two kids embracing each other warmly."Hey, baby ... how are you doing?" he said and kissed the top of her head.She shook her head and started to cry in his chest."Oh ... I'm so sorry ...""No ... I'm sorry ..." she said and held her tears back. "I'm sorry I missed your
Claire was leaning against the door frame of their entrance with her arms folded in front of her. He waved at Theo as he climbed into his car with all his stuff in the backseat. The boy had been crying, she could clearly see it on his face. She could still remember what it was like to be young and in love and heartbroken. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Theo had told her everything. She appreciated his honesty though she was disappointed at the same time. But he was devastated, Claire knew that people sometimes underestimated how deep the emotional scar is for boys. Some men couldn't really recover from the hurt they feel in their younger years. It only goes to show how Theo really felt about Hazel. She wanted to understand the situation though she can see how much it had hurt her daughter too. She let out a sigh as his car drove further away from their house. Theo was going back to Gastonbury after many attempts to apologize to Hazel. She had closed her doo
The party was held at The Silver Tongue, the most exclusive club in Goldstone. As the son of an A-list celebrity, he spared no expense and went all out for the celebration. He booked the whole third floor for the event and invited everyone he knew in the city. Including Mandy and Dennis. As soon as Marlon and his entourage arrived, the party began in full swing. The music was loud and thumping, and the dance floor was packed with guests showing off their best moves. Marlon was the center of attention, surrounded by his friends, who were all dressed in the latest designer clothes and jewelry. The bar was fully stocked with top-shelf liquor, and bartenders were serving up creative cocktails in elaborate glassware. The party-goers were drinking and toasting Marlon's big day, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. He wasn't in a particularly good mood that day, a big part of it was because he hadn't heard from Hazel since she went back to Chestnut. As if she had disappeared from t
Theo sat on his bed, his head buried in his hands. He couldn't believe the mess he had gotten himself into. He loved Hazel with all his heart, but he had lied to her. He couldn't even remember how it had all started. He left his girlfriend in Gastonbury because he knew he wanted to spend the summer with the girl that got away. The moment he saw her at the dance, he was instantly back to where he left off and his girlfriend just disappeared in the background. Grace ... her name ... his girlfriend. It was never serious with Grace. It was never serious with any of the girls he had been with after Peyton. Subconsciously, he was trying to move on from losing Hazel because he was too much of a coward to fight for her in the first place. He knew it would have to be Hazel. He had taken their relationship for granted for years, but they were just kids. One year apart from her had only made his feelings stronger and he had ruined it for the both of them when he couldn't stop himself from fa
It was a nagging feeling. That's what she had. It was bothering her and she couldn't ignore it any longer. Sure ... she needed to get her stuff to better prepare herself for the summer program. But Theo will only stay for so long and she needed to be with him, at least to explain in person how her summer is going to be.She wanted to stay in Goldstone, it was her initial plan before Theo came along. The nagging feeling told her to go back to Chestnut to see if their new relationship was going to last beyond that summer.She didn't tell him she was coming back, she wanted it to be a surprise. The minute she arrived, she went straight to Theo's house.He was surprised or more like shocked to see her. The look on his face was not what she expected. His eyes bulged wide, his face was drained of colors, and his mouth gaped open."Micky?" his voice was almost inaudible.She laughed, "Yeah ... who do you think it is? I wanted to ask you if you're surprised ... but it's pretty obvious," she r
He had planned to ask Hazel at the end of her stay in Goldstone, but he found himself asking her on the first day she arrived. The thought had been haunting him for weeks since he left Chestnut for his family therapy. The only thing stopping him from executing his original plan was his unexpected friendship with Hazel. He would consider anything not to lose what he had with her. Having her around made him feel excited and energized to do whatever it is he was planning to do. Being with her made it easier for him to forget how fucked up his family situation was. Every day spent with her was joyful. Even Dr. Seymour told him that he made huge progress since the last time he was in therapy. Marlon knew it had a lot to do with Hazel. He introduced her to his YouTube team and let her hang out when they were working on their next project. He wanted her to be interested. He wanted her to want to be involved. He wanted her to change her mind though neither of them had made any decision, Ma
She remembered the first time she arrived in the city of Neon Lights. This time she arrived in style, in a white Lambo with one of the most eligible bachelors in town. He was high, she was laughing, and the music was loud but Goldstone was louder. Hazel had underestimated how famous Marlon really was. It's different in Chestnut where she was used to him being her 'buddy', her celebrity friend from the Big City but Marlon never felt too big for her. In Goldstone, he's a Rock Star. People recognized his car. There were literally fans asking for autographs and pictures with him. She could hear people calling his name while they walk on the sidewalk. Eating out in fast food restaurants was not an option, they would have to go to Hotels or fine dining or have food delivered to his penthouse. "You should try going out in public with my dad," he said and put on his sunglasses at 8 PM. "Worse?" she assumed. He shook his head a little, "You can't," he tilted his brow. "He has bodyguards
Marlon took a drag of his cigarette while leaning on his car. He glanced at the pair after a while and muttered, "For fuck's sake." It's been 15 minutes since they said they were saying goodbye to each other and every time he looked over his shoulder they were kissing passionately on Hazel's porch. They finally stopped when Hazel's mom stepped out of the house. They hugged and her mom said something about not drinking, don't do anything illegal, and calling her once they get there. Things his parents never said to him. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and put it out with his Givenchy sneakers. "Drive safely, young man," Claire said to him when walking Hazel toward his car. "I mean it ... it's a fancy car, and I know what it can do ... but not while you're driving my baby," she tapped on his Lambo. "Yes ma'am," he gave her a two-finger salute. "How about we video call you all the way to Goldstone so you can see how slow I drive?" he teased her. "That's not a bad idea, actua