⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇ ⋇ 🎤ᴊᴀɪʟᴇʏ ᴏɴᴇꜱʜᴏᴛꜱ🎸 || ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ꜰʀᴇᴀᴋꜱ || ⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷

🌥Talk To Me🌥

After a couple more minutes of searching, Hailey stopped in her tracks. She made sure she checked every area of the school, and it was clear that Jake wasn't in the building. A feeling of worry and dread took over her body. She just wanted to find Jake. She would give anything to see his face again. If only she knew where he could have went.

Hailey thought to herself for a while. She wasn't about to give up. Okay, Jake wasn't inside the school. But maybe, he was somewhere outside the school. Was he in the school gardens? Was he outside near the entrance of the school where him and his friends would usually meet up before heading inside every school morning? As she pondered, it soon clicked, as there was one specific place Hailey forgot to check.

"Wait, that's it! The school rooftop!!"

----

Hailey carefully opened the doors leading onto the roof, her legs carrying her outside. Her grey eyes looked up in the direction she was facing and sure enough, there he was. Jake Sterling, who was sitting down on the concrete, his knees up in their position as he rested his palms on them. He was staring out towards the sky, the fence standing in the way. His back was turned away from her, and he very obviously did not hear Hailey come out as he made no reaction.

Hailey shivered. It was pretty cold. She didn't know how Jake was managing himself out here. Though she was wearing a cardigan, she could still feel the goosebumps on her skin. She rubbed her hands together, producing some heat.

The more she stared at him, the more nervous she grew. She wasn't sure on how to approach him, or how to go about this. Hailey could hear her own heart beat in her chest. It was incredibly saddening for Hailey to see Jake like this. All alone on the roof, in the cold, with nobody there to comfort him. Things like this made Hailey believe that maybe there was something bigger at works here, and that there is a reasonable explanation as to why Jake said what he said about the club.

Hailey struggled to blink back tears. She didn't want Jake to see that she was crying. Her vision was blurry as the tears filled up her eyelids, but she wiped them all away. Letting out a huge breath, Hailey got herself together and slowly began to walk over to the blond-haired teenager. Every step she took added more weight onto her shoulders. She really hoped she was doing the right thing.

Hailey soon made it up to him, as she stood behind him. Jake didn't move at all. His attention was fixed entirely on the view in front of him. He didn't hear the doors open. He didn't hear the footsteps nearing him, and he hasn't noticed that someone was standing right behind him.

Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth and uttered his name.

"J-Jake..?"

He froze on the spot, absolutely stiff. His chestnut-brown eyes widened as he felt his heart stop. His name was just called, which told him that someone has found him and was behind his body. That voice he had just heard, sounded exactly like hers.

He turned his head around, his heart sinking to his stomach. There she was. Hailey Austin, who was looking down at him with a worrisome gaze, her hands hidden behind her back. Jake could see some tears displayed in her eyes, trying their best to slip out. It was clear Hailey was holding them back.

"H-Hailey..?!" Jake slightly exclaimed, both shocked and nearly speechless.

Hailey gave him a small smile, her heart secretly breaking upon seeing the state Jake was in.

"Hi.." Hailey quietly said, sitting down next to him as she lifted her knees up in a similar position to Jake.

"N-No! Stay back..!" Jake nearly yelled, backing himself away. Hailey watched him in bewilderment and confusion, as Jake scooted his body further and further aside.