Awakening - The Last Science #1

Interlude I - A Year in the Life of Hailey Winscombe - IV

  "Doesn't make me feel much better, but at least it makes it easier to talk about," Jessica went on, turning away to stare at the window. "Anyway, when are the guys getting here? It's bright enough outside, they should be okay getting here."

  "Ian said he might be a little late. Weston should be here any minute now."

  As if on cue, the door buzzed. The pencil clattered to the desk as Hailey lost her concentration.

  "Should we go?" Jessica asked.

  "Nah," Hailey said. "Wes, we're in here!" she called, refocusing once again on the pencil.

  "But we're in your bedroom," Jessica said, her face turning pink once again.

  "It's not like he hasn't seen it before," Hailey said absentmindedly, determined to keep writing her note.

  Jessica turned an even brighter pink. "Oh!"

  "Oh? Something going on in here?" Weston asked, opening the door and wandering in. Jessica shook her head frantically, her face bright red. Weston looked as casual and unconcerned as he usually did. They all knew now that it was an illusion though, and that behind the mask of detachment was a tightly-wound paranoid clock.

  "Just finishing up an important bit of business, Wes," Hailey said, as her pencil scratched out the last stroke of the message. She let the pencil fall and lifted the page up into the air, floating it gently toward them so it would be readable. To her satisfaction, it was messy and angry, but still legible.

  STOP BEING A DICK

  Weston plucked the page out of midair and examined it carefully. His eyes slowly traced every single letter as if he were contemplating something deep and complex. After a full minute or so of deliberation, he looked over the top of the paper at the two of them, staring Hailey directly in the eyes.

  "I deserve this," he said calmly.

  "No kidding," Hailey growled. "You practically leapt at Ian's throat the other day just for voicing the possibility of considering going to the police with what we saw. And you've been nagging everyone way too much about keeping stuff indoors and away from anyone."

  "I just want us all to stay alive."

  Hailey sighed. "We're gonna be fine, Wes. We can still do magic, after all. And it's not like any of us have broken any laws or done anything seriously dangerous."

  "What about jumping off the radio tower without any safety equipment?" Jessica chimed in.

  "You did what?" Weston asked sharply.

  "Jess, remember, besties?" Hailey said, giving her an exaggerated look of disappointment before rounding on Wes. "It's fine. It was the middle of the night, no one was around. No one saw anything besides her."

  "Are you all right?" Weston asked, and for a brief moment Hailey remembered why she used to sleep with him.

  "I'm sitting here talking to you, aren't I? See any bruises?" In fact Hailey had gotten a pretty hefty bruise on her leg from the awkward way she'd landed, but that was hardly related to magic and mostly due to her own clumsiness.

  He frowned. "Fair enough, but that was still stupid and reckless."

  "My two middle names," Hailey Aurora Elizabeth Winscombe retorted, quickly reminded of why she'd stopped feeling any affection for Weston.

  "She was amazing," Jessica said excitedly. "The way she bounced and swerved all the way down. It was like she had wings."

  "You watched from here?" Weston asked. Jessica nodded. He turned to Hailey. "Getting better, then?"