Holding Back [COMPLETED]

Chapter 1 - "You want me to give you a lift?"

Haley jolted awake as her bedroom door banged open. Groaning, she found her brother standing in the door frame, his broad shoulders filling the narrow space.

"Hales, I have to leave in ten, with or without you," he said.

She flopped back onto her bed as he spun around and walked back to his room. For a minute, Haley mentally urged herself to wake up but made no progress other than shifting slightly. The sharp sound of an incessant beeping burned away the last of her grogginess.

She tossed aside her comforter, causing the book - she had fallen asleep reading - to tumble to the floor. It joined the numerous stacks of books already laying there. 

Sitting up, she searched for the source of the annoying sound. Books, clothes, and blankets flew around the room as she tried to find the object that was letting loose the never-ending beeping. Eventually, her search led her to the balcony.

Across the way was a house identical to her own with a balcony to mirror hers. With the doors open, she spotted the beeping source, a phone on the nightstand. Asleep in the bed was Jace, his head is turned to the side, his hair draped over his forehead.

Turning away, Haley kicked aside a blanket and picked up the hacky sack she had spotted seconds before. Brushing aside her wild brown hair, she focused on her target. Biting her lower lip in concentration she hurled the hacky sack at her sleeping neighbor.

It hit Jace's chest and bounced onto the bed. He stirred, his face scrunching up in confusion as he pulled himself from sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he spotted her standing on her balcony.

"Did you just throw a ball at me?" he asked, his voice raspy with the last bits of sleep.

"No," Haley said, "a hacky sack. Turn your stupid alarm off."

Jace sat up. He was the perfect combination of a handsome Hispanic father and a beautiful blonde haired mother: tan skin, thick black hair, stunning midnight blue eyes and face that often received a second glance. This added with a body chiseled from sports made him the eye candy of high school. Luckily for Haley, she had never had a strong sweet tooth.

Climbing out of his bed, Jace shut off the alarm, then looked at her.

"You sure you didn't just do that to see my sunny personality?" he asked with a sleepy grin. 

Haley turned away.

"Good morning to you too," he yawned.

Haley stepped into her room and closed her balcony doors. At the sound of an engine, she cursed. She rushed across her chaotic room, heading for the closet, but tripped on a pile of books hidden beneath her comforter. She crashed to the floor, arms and legs flailing. Hurriedly untangling herself from the blanket, she got up and darted to her closet.

A few harassed minutes later, she emerged dressed and stuffed her notebooks and binders in her backpack. She ran to the window but saw the driveway was free of her brother's car. Letting out a string of curses, she slung her backpack on and walked out of her room. On the stairs, she stopped at the sound of harsh voices. She stopped breathing as she gripped the railing.

"Weston, we need to talk about this!" her mother said.

"Tess this is not the time and you know it!" her father replied.

Haley slowly edged her way down the stairs, not looking at the frames that dotted the wall. Frames holding smiles and the after effects of laughter. Trying to ignore the fire behind each word and the snap to every cutting remark, she slipped out of the front door. The empty driveway was still waiting for her. She trudged down the steps and moved to the sidewalk. The distance did nothing to lessen the volume of the argument, each back biting retort still clear to hear.