Hayden

Chapter Ten

I try to come up with any excuse possible to not go out today. My mental thoughts are overwhelming me, and it is almost too hard to control. The news about the man I had just killed plays for days on end, driving me absolutely insane. The intensified anxiety makes me want to break everything in sight.

Leave it, Hayden. Stop it. 

The buzzing of my phone in my pocket makes me jump and pulls me from my distinct, timid memories. I pull the device from my pocket swiftly and glance at the screen. A call from my friend Zephyr.

"Hey, Zeph. What's up?" I ask as I stare out the living room window. The leaves continue to fall at a decent speed, almost catching me off guard when Zephyr asks to hang out. "There's a Rave tonight. You're trying to come?"

I rub the bottom of my nose with my index finger and pace around the living room. I had almost forgotten that I put my shoes on, thinking I was going to leave, but ended up staying. "Uh, yeah, sure. I'll go. Can you pick me up?" Zephyr laughs on the other end of the phone, and I roll my eyes. What a goddamned idiot.

"It's right around the corner from your apartment, bro. Walk your lazy ass there." I breathe out heavily and shift my weight. I shuffle from the living room to the kitchen and look for something to eat. "Okay, I'll be there. Meet me out front you bastard." I blurt intensively, knowing that nothing can hurt Zephyr's feelings. "See you at eight!"

Zephyr is the kind of guy to take something from someone and not feel a single ounce of guilt. He responds to everything with sarcasm and amusement, which is particularly why we are friends. He is not the type to date and keep a steady girlfriend; as he would rather meet a new girl every night at the club. That is where the two of us differ. 

I do not necessarily enjoy the dating concept either, but I do believe that girls have morals, and I do not enjoy taking advantage of them.

Jade was an exception. 

After the line goes dead, I toss my phone on the counter and pace around the kitchen. I have not gone shopping for about a week, so my food supply at the moment is limited. I have been living off of my parent's social security, but that is up in a couple months. Which means something that I do not want to come to terms with. 

I need to get a job.

I decide that a fruit bar is good enough to keep me running until the party tonight. I am nit usually the kind of person that enjoys partying, but I never turn down an invitation. Zephyr always has something up his sleeve when it comes to times like this; he always makes nights like this fun. 

When I finish my small snack, I walk to the bathroom. I am reminded that I had not used it in a while, and the orange juice from this morning has been sitting in my system for a few hours now. 

Strong taps on the other end of my door send shivers down my spine, and when I am doing using the bathroom and washing my hands, I slowly walk to the door and open it. A kid about my age-- not much taller than me-- with dark brown eyes and beach-like dirty blonde hair stands on my doorstep smiling. 

I run my fingers through my ragged hair and eye the kid. "Who the hell are you?" I ask, squinting my eyes at the blazing sunlight. The kid tilts his head and holds out his hand. I glance down at it, refusing to shake it, then look back up at him. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Hayden. I'm Taylor. Friend of Zephyr's brother?"

I shake my head and furrow my eye brows. "Okay. . ." I say slowly, still wondering why this is of importance. The kid slowly lowers his hand, but that stupid smirk on his face remains. It makes me want to slap the shit out of him. 

"Zeph sent me to give you this," the kid reaches into his pocket and pulls out a white box wrapped poorly in red lace. There is a small roll of bills held in by the fabric, and when I notice what it is, I shriek and step back. "That's disgusting, man." I say loudly as Taylor laughs uncontrollably.

"No dude, that part was a joke. He said you need a pack. He knows you're short and wants to make sure you're ready for tonight." I sigh, still refusing to take the box of smokes from Taylor's hand. Who knows where that lace came from.

"Take it off and give me the pack." I pester, waiting for Zephyr's brother to finish laughing before he did as I had told him to. I did not want anyone knowing about my struggle with money, and by a friend sending his brother to cover me is beyond embarrassing. 

When Taylor finishes unwrapping the box, he hands it to me along with the small roll of bills. "There's no crack in these, is there?" I ask, trying to sound amused. Taylor shakes his head and wipes the annoying smirk off of his scrunched up face, and relief washes over me. That bastard better not be lying.

"You going tonight then too?" I ask as I shove the bills in my pocket. Taylor shakes his head, and I pull a single cigarette from the pack he had just given me. "Are you bringing Jade?" Taylor asks which sends anger through me once again. I glare at him and say nothing, step back, and slam the door in the kid's face. His laughter is so loud that it can be heard through the door. I roll my eyes and trudge to my bedroom.

This world is full of bastards.