The Road Ahead (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 4 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Twelve

❝heartache (pronounced ˈhɑrtˌeɪk or hahrt-eyk), noun
emotional pain or distress; sorrow; grief; anguish.❞

Phoenix walked into his room, and Nita jumped onto his bed. Though she was meant to be an outside dog, Papa didn't mind as long as she didn't go to the toilet on the living room floor. "Hey, girl," he said quietly, smiling. "You doing good?"

Nita licked him, and he chuckled. "Enough. Now, let's ask Papa if we can go to the park."

She jumped off the bed and nudged Phoenix through the door. "Alright, buddy, chill! We're going, just relax. Papa?"

"Yeah?" he called from somewhere in the house.

"Can I take Nita to the park?"

"Yeah, but come back before lunch!"

"Okay!" He grabbed his watch and Nita's leash. "C'mon, girl!"

"Can I go as well, Papa?"

"Did you finish all your spelling words?"

"Yes!"

"I'll be testing you tonight, so you'd better not be lying to me."

"I did, I pinky promise!"

"Good girl. Go on, then."

"Thank you!" She skipped behind Phoenix excitedly. "Yay!"

He chuckled. "Hey, you wanna ask Ellie if she wants to come?"

A shadow came over Robin's face. "You can ask her."

"Okay. Ellie?"

"Can't come, sorry. I've gotta practise... actually, yeah. Yeah. Maybe some fresh air will be good for me." She came out of her room, grabbing a jacket. "Let's go."

"Okay!"

They began the walk to the park, and Elle squinted. "Ugh. I remember now, why I didn't want to come. Freaking sunlight..."

"Sunlight is good for you," piped Robin.

"Yeah, but it makes my freckles worse."

"I think your freckles are nice."

"Thanks, kid."

She reached into her pocket. "I almost forgot. I made these!"

There were two bracelets in the palm of her hand, and they both had letters. One read El, the other read Feeniks, and they were purple and red respectively. Phoenix's mind flashed back to a moment in London, while they had been packing.

"What's your favourite colour, Nick?"

Was this the reason for the seemingly random question? She had made Mama a blue bracelet, since that was her favourite colour- had she made these as a show of affection? He took the bracelet and examined it. The beads were all plastic flowers, stars, hearts, and strange, diamond like shapes. Elle's was the same, except in purple rather than red. "Did I spell your name right?"

"Close enough," said Elle, sounding strangely happy. "Thank you, Robbie. I'll wear this forever, okay?"

"Yay!"

Elle glared at Phoenix, and her angry brown eyes were enough to make him slip the bracelet on with a sinking feeling. He'd get teased at school for wearing flowers and hearts. Nita panted along happily, without a clue as to what was going on.

They got to the park. Elle immediately found a fence and began using it as a barre and practising some sort of dance move. Robin ran to the swingset, and Phoenix found a stick, beginning to throw it near the tree that he had met that girl, Ebby. He didn't know what it was about her that made her so interesting to him, but it was just... interesting. He wanted to meet her again.