Hayes grier fanfic: Because Of Him

Chapter 26

"I'll see you later aunt sav" I said as I kissed her cheek. She had stayed over night to keep an eye on my father and I. My mom had rushed to work early this morning for her shift. Like always. "Where you off to?" Aunt sav spoke In her raspy morning voice. She wiped the sleepy in her eyes.
"I'm off to the mall to meet up with harmony."
"Why? It's so early! It's probably around 8 am..." She muttered as she buried her head deeper in her blanket. I laughed. "Actually....it's 1 in the afternoon." I smiled. She groaned again before tossing around In her spot. "How are you going to get there?" She asked
"I don't know. Bus? Maybe I could call-"
"Here," she threw her car keys at me and I caught them. "Take it."
"Really??" I said with excitement flowing through my veins
"I'm sure. Just be careful. Don't scratch my baby." Aunt sav had always been a lover for cars and she treated them like they were her own kids. Despite the fact that she didn't have any kids. I shut the door behind me as my phone rung. It was a video chat call from Dylan. I rolled my eyes before pressing answer. His face appeared on the screen and he looked exhausted, dark circles surrounded his eyes as his raspy voice echoed through the call.
"Hey" he said
"Hey." I replied.
"So apparently we're off to the next destination today." He moved his phone around which caused the screen to go blurry and lag before getting a clear picture of everyone at the house. I gotta admit, I missed hanging out with them to be honest. Besides the arguing and rude side comments they always had, they were actually nice from time to time.
"Wheres the next destination?"
"We're off to the lake. Wanna meet us there?"
"I'll pass."
"Why not?"
"I have plans today. And besides, Hayes is there."
"So? Can't you two just make up already?"
"Id rather not." I did miss Hayes, but I guess I just needed time to figure out which path in life was the right path for me. Whether it's being with Hayes or finding someone else. I'll get my answer eventually. Dylan scoffed. "Suit yourself. Crystal has been flirting with him since you've been gone."
"Is that so?" I said as I gritted my teeth and tried to hide the hurt behind my voice.
"Yeah."
"Well that's good for him...I guess."
"But," Dylan continued on "he hasn't been flirting back." That's not like Hayes at all. The old bad boy Hayes would be constantly flirting with a girl to get her wrapped around his finger and almost under his control. The charm that he always had.
"What do you mean?"
"It's almost as if he's been acting off lately. Just not himself."
"Do you know what's up with him?"
"Nope. And by the way, have you by chance seen Riley around town?"
"No. Why?"
"He said he had to be somewhere. Thought he would be back by now, but I suppose not." I stared at the screen, unaware of what to say. Instead I muttered a quick "I got to go." Before hanging up. I didn't know what was up with Riley but Only Hayes came to my mind. Even if Hayes doesn't want me in his life, that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to care for him. I did care. And after what Dylan had just told me, it seemed impossible for me not to care.

I skipped down the porch steps before stopping to get inside aunt sav's car. I put the key in ignition and drove off.

When I arrived at the mall, harmony was patiently waiting for me by the master water fountain that the mall had. "Hey!" I yelled
"Hey" she smiled.
"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your singing competition. Family and boy troubles"
"It's okay. But wait, what do you mean family and boy troubles?" It occurred to me that I had forgotten to keep harmony caught up on what was going on in my life. "I'll explain to you while we do a little shopping." Without any hesitation she excitingly agreed and we walked around the mall in hope of buying something that caught our eye.

**
"So now there's this carter kid?" Harmony asked behind the curtain that was separating the both of us in the change rooms. We stopped at a store that was selling dresses. "Well, there was always carter. But I never really considered him like a-"
"Boyfriend!" Harmony exclaimed
"I guess so. I guess there was always a little feeling for him. But not as much feeling."
"Because all those feelings were for Hayes. Am i right?"
"Exactly..."
"What even happened between you two?"
"...his ex girlfriend came back and-"
"Don't say anymore. She was bouncing on his dick, wasn't she?"
"No! I mean, yes! Well. She was fully clothed. It's hard to explain." Harmony made tsk sound with her tongue and gave me a disapproving glare. "Well forget him. You don't need him" but I do, I thought to myself. At the moment, I was caught in between the choices of thinking this was all my fault or all of hayes's fault or maybe it was neither of ours and we should just make up already. But I was sure that Hayes wouldn't be to fond of me being in his life again. "Come out. I want to see your dress!" Harmony said. I had chosen a black dress that wasn't too long but wasn't too short. It was just right. The black dress had little drawings or prints of a few birds at the end of the dress. I don't know why I chose the dress, it didn't seem like my type of dress. I guess I chose it because it had reminded me of Hayes. I slid the curtain to my change room to the side and Harmony's jaw dropped as she eyed me. She circled around me as she examined every little detail of the dress. "It's beautiful." She said softly. "Thanks, yours is too." I smiled at her. The dress she chose was a red dress that was a high and low cut. And it was a tube dress which showed off her flawless skin by her shoulders. She eyed me more as her gaze drifted down to my wrist. Her eyes bulged out. "When did you get a tattoo??" She held my wrist closer towards her as she poked at it. Suspecting it would hurt, but it didn't. I had gotten it long back and the only painful thing that the tattoo held was the memory of Hayes being with me that day. "A while back." I said to her
"Does it hurt?"
"Not really. Only the memories."
"Memories? As in...Hayes memories?"
"Yes..." I stared down at my feet with shame.
"He's doesn't know what he lost. Okay? You're going to find someone one day and they'll hold on to you and not let you slip away like Hayes did." She rested her hands on my shoulders and I made full eye contact with her blue gray eyes that lightened up her entire face.
"Thank you harmony...now what about you? I never hear you talking about a special boy." I smirked at her and her cheeks flushed a rose color. "Because...this boy.. Well, I can't fall for him."
"And why not?"
"Because he's a best friend." The minute she said best friend my mind rushed. She didn't have another guy best friend, besides...besides..Dante.
"Dante??" I said with my eyes wide. I had always suspected something between them. Even the littlest bit of feeling but I never knew harmony was actually serious about it.
"Shh!," she hissed at me as if someone had heard our conversation. "Don't tell."
"How much do you like him?"
"Not a lot. I mean, just a little bit of feeling. I'm concealing my feelings, if that's what you're wondering."
"Smart." I said as I clapped my hands towards her genius theory. Wish I knew how to conceal my feelings. Coincidentally my phone buzzed and Dante's name popped up.