Hayden and I have been dating for a few months now. Papa has done a 180 and has actually started to like Hayden. This revelation has completely made me whole. The Hayden from the beginning of the year isn't this Hayden. Hell this Hayden isn't even like the Hayden from elementary school. That's probably because we're both eighteen and not hyper five year olds.
Most people don't even care that we're even dating. I get bullied less and surprisingly Hayden doesn't get bullied at all. Since we have been together the past few months. He has made it a habit to wake up thirty minutes earlier than normal for school. He comes to my house and we ride together. At first people were astonished to see us arriving together. But as time went by, they kind of just got use to it. Well except Hayden's friends, they still glare at me. They probably like to try to talk Hayden out of dating with me.
Who honestly know.
I just know they don't like me. Not one bit. They still give their snide remarks but Hayden puts them all in their places.
The school day starts as normal as possible. Some stares here and there. Eventually lunch time has arrived. Hayden has been sent to the principal's office because the principal decided to reduce his punishment since he has had excellent behavior. So, I have to go to the cafeteria by myself. It feels weird heading to the cafeteria by myself. As I walk through the doors, I already knew something was up. Everyone's attention has turned to me. Some have sorrow in their eyes, some have excitement in their's, and a few can't contain their laughter.
As I walk closer in the cafeteria, I hear my name being called.
"Katie!" Kellie screams out.
This gets my attention and I turn to face Hayden's friends. Remy has a smirk plastered on her face while Kellie has a bright smile. Dina and Preston are bursting into laughter. Collin is surprisingly, he looks uncomfortable. All it took was one moment.
Just one moment and everything came crashing down.
Quite literally.
Kellie and Dina each pull a string. A banner that wasn't visible earlier is now in the dead center of the cafeteria. As it rolls down more people erupt into laughter. Everyone but Collin. When it is on full display, my stomach drops to my feet. It's a full body picture of Hayden and I at the waterfall a few months back. We both were in our swimsuits. He was in his dark green trunks as I was in my black one piece. He gave me a kiss on the lips that day at the waterfall. Everyone else was at the lake that day too. It just surprises me that someone took that picture of us. But it wasn't the original picture. They had edited it to where my swimsuit is like a nun. I have the nun headdress on and everything except instead of a dress. It's a nun like swimsuit. The caption on the picture itself says 'all the guys versus Katie's vagina.' When I finally process what I am seeing; Preston throws a huge stack of papers in the air. A few liter around my feet. It's the same picture as before but I'm naked, in reality, I was never naked to begin with. I have a nun's headdress on. My arm is covering my breasts as my lower half is covered by Hayden's hand. Like the original picture of us with our normal swimsuits on. The side of my rear is on full display and the caption for these flyers is 'who's next?' More laughter erupts in the cafeteria.
Before I could move or think; Hayden comes up behind me. His arms wrap around my waist and he turns me around. He buries my head into he crook of his neck. Hayden has seen what everyone else has seen.
"Go wait outside Katie." He whispers in my ear.
I nod my head in his neck and walk off towards the door. I pause when I hear Hayden's voice. He sounds so mad.
"What the fuck is this?" He yells.
"We though it was a clever joke." Preston laughs out.
"A clever joke? Seriously?! What the fuck has Katie done to any of you?" He screams louder.
"It was meant to be funny." Dina defenses.
"Funny? Does it look like it's funny to her? Is it funny to make others cry? Is it funny to hurt others?" He roars.
I turn back around to see the commotion. He storms closer to the group with a flyer in his hands.
"It is kinda funny." Preston laughs out.
"Funny huh? How is this funny?" Hayden's voice booms. He waves the flyer around like a madman.
"Because it just is." Predation continues to laugh.
Hayden wads up the flyer and tosses it to the ground. He walks up to Preston and swings his fist at a hysterically laughing Preston. His fist connects to Preston's nose. I watch as blood drops from his busted nose. Hayden's right fist connect to Preston's jaw. Preston stumbles backwards from the impact and lands onto the cafeteria table. Hayden walks away from the group and back towards me. Both his hands has blood on them. He wipes both his hands on his jeans. Once they're free of blood, he drapes his right arm over my shoulder. He pulls me into his side as we walk out of the school doors.
"Let me take you home." Hayden mumbles.
"Please." I say in between my hiccups.
He opens my door and places my bag in the backseat. Once I'm in the car he closes my door. We head towards the direction of my house until he sees our small town diner coming up. He quickly pulls into the parking lot.
"You didn't get to eat." He states.
"Oh." Is all I could possibly say.
We get out of the car and walk into the 50s like diner. We take the booth furthest from the door. It's completely by itself.
"Order anything you would like." Hayden tells me.
"What if I order the whole menu?" I joke.
"It wouldn't be a problem if you did." He says with a small laugh.
"What can I get you two?" The waitress asks.
"I'm not hungry. But a coke for me." Hayden says.
"Bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a strawberry milkshake. Please." I order.
"How would you like the bacon cheeseburger?" She asks.
"Well done. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. Please and thank you." I answer her.
"I'll go put this in with the cook. I'll be right back with your come and milkshake." She says as she walks off towards the kitchen.
"About what happened at school." Hayden begins to say.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it." I rush out.
Not ready to relive that terror again.
"No it isn't okay Katie. They're pissed at me. They attacked you to get to me." He says with sorrow in his voice.
"Why?" I question.
"Because I don't hang out with them anymore. I've grown away from them actually." He answers.
"But why?" I question again.
"Because I am thinking about my future now. Not my day to day life. They're worried about the next party, the next drug, the next game. I'm not." He answers.
The waitress comes back with our drinks. As soon as my milkshake hits my tongue; an explosion of strawberries and whip cream hit my taste buds. They even blended real strawberries in my milkshake. I end up letting out a satisfying moan from the taste. This causes Hayden to erupt into laughter.
"Good I presume?" He questions.
"The best ever." I state.
"You'll have to try my mother's milkshakes than." He comments.
Ten minutes into my already almost gone milkshake, my food comes out. I didn't realize my bacon cheeseburger would be what seems six inches tall. How do I even take a bite? It's bigger than my mouth! I take my hand over my burger and squish it down some. Maybe if I squish it, it'll lose some of the dang volume it has. This causes the ketchup and mustard to shoot out the sides of my bun. But it does flatten my tall bacon cheeseburger though. Hayden again burst into laughter. I take a bite and am quite satisfied with my food. Within a few minutes my whole burger is gone.
Vanished.
Disappeared.
Gone.
Donezo.
Hayden again starts to laugh. I give him a puzzling look. All he can do is hold a napkin and wave it in my face like a surrender flag.
"You have ketchup on your nose and cheek." He chuckles out.
I quickly snatch his waving surrender flag with redden cheeks. I wipe my face and give him a toothy grin.
"Better?" I ask while shoving fries in my mouth.
"I don't know Katie. I think ketchup just completed the look though." He jokes.
Once my food is completely eaten; he looks back up at me.
"I'm glad you prefer food." He randomly says.
"What do you mean?" I question.
"Remy. She wouldn't really eat. It was always a salad or something small. It's nice to see not all girls are like that." He answers.
"Well, have you know. I'm not like nose girls." I joke while sticking my tongue out.
"I know. That's what I love about you. You aren't afraid to be you. Including your horrible eating skills." He says with a laugh.
We quickly exit the booth as Hayden lays down a twenty dollar tip for the waitress. We head up front where he pays for my food and his coke. We walk hand in hand back to his car.
This side of Hayden I love. The old Hayden all these years not so much.
Wait did I say love?
Yes love.
Just breathe Katie.
Just breathe.
A/N:
Awe she admitted to herself that she loves Hayden. How cute! 🥰🤣