TROUBLE (HaydenChristensenxNataliePortman)

Chapter Two

When the bell rang and school was dismissed, Hayden ran. Ran for his life.

Until someone grabbed him and pulled him off to the side.

It was none other than....

Natalie.

"Hey, Hayden! So, I was thinking.... aren't you excited about the project? Oh, I'm so lucky I got paired with you...."

Hayden rolled his eyes, but Natalie ignored him and continued. Natalie was saying she was lucky because Hayden was smart and he would give her all the answers.

"I'll see you later, Natalie," Hayden said, turning away from her beautiful face. "I have to get home."

*

That night, as Hayden was on his bed working on his homework, his cell phone started to ring. It was an unknown number. He declined it.

Sighing, he finished up writing the rough draft of his speech and read over it one last time before he got his mother to revise it. She said it was perfect, and that there was nothing to fix, but Hayden saw all the flaws. She was not a writer like Hayden was.

When his mother called him out for dinner, he served himself and took a seat at the table. Once everyone was seated, the family said a prayer, and began to eat. It was quiet until his younger sister, a freshman at Morgen High, started blabbing about how she already had a boy who had asked her out.

Hayden rolled his eyes and poked at his mashed potatoes and peas. Kaylen was pretty, and everyone knew it. She got her first date when she was in seventh grade, while her older brother had never gotten one, and he was in 12th.

Hayden cleared his throat once Kaylen had gone to take a bite of her food. "Where's Tove?" he asked about the oldest sibling in the family.

"He's still at basketball practice," his father answered.

Hayden nodded. Of course Tove was at practice. He was always at some kind of sports event. He was a fanatic, and played about four different sports for his college. He was planning on being a professional tennis player.

"So, Mom and Dad, I was going to ask you a question," Hayden said, looking up at his parents.

"What is it, sweetheart?" his mother asked.

"Can I get contacts? You know, get rid of my glasses and look like less of a geek...."

"No, Hayden, we told you already: not until after high school."

"Why, though? I'm almost an adult now. Please, I promise I'll be responsible and take care of --"

"No, Hayden."

Hayden sighed and looked down at his food. It was silent for a moment.

"Can I at least get some new glasses? I look like an old man in these."

"Don't be silly Hayden. You look fine," his father added in.

"Could I.... get a haircut?"

"Not until after high school."

"Ugh." Hayden looked down at his untouched food. "Can I at least be excused?"

His parents looked at him skeptically.

"May I?" he corrected himself.

"Yes, you may."

As soon as Hayden was out of his parents' sight, Hayden rolled his eyes. He didn't have any freedom, while his siblings took all of it. His parents expected from him the best, always. He hated being the middle child, and he'd had enough of it. It was time to end hating it so much, and start anew.

Just as soon as he knew how.