It is one o'clock in the morning and I am lying in bed awake. Elizabeth arrived to a sleeping Hayes – thank god- and I dashed off as soon as possible. She was a bit confused as to why Nash was carrying a saucepan upstairs but he got around it somehow and I left.
I can't believe what has happened in the space of two days. I lost my best friend, found out he still has my friendship bracelet and now I find out he loves me. My head is spinning as I lie awake, not knowing what to do. Pat of me wants Hayes not to remember what he told me but another part of me wants him to. This makes my heart stop. I do love Hayes. I have oved him since he first got back home. I have loved him since he first gave me the friendship bracelet. I've loved him since I first met him. My breathing has become ragged as I try to calm myself down. What have I done? Wat have I done? What shall I do? I ask myself these questions over and over.
When I wake up the next morning after only an hour of drifting in and out of sleep I trail downstairs to find Molly sitting at the breakfast bar by herself. The clock on the oven reads 11:34.
"Mom and dad are out. Happy weekend." She says and shoves a waffle on a plate in my direction. I munch in silence as she scrolls through her phone.
"hey do you wanna go to the mall for lunch today?" She breaks the silence and I nod with a mouthful of waffle.
"Sure." I say and we agree to be at the car in half an hour. I head upstairs to sort out my appearance and find some clothes. I pull on a light sweatshirt and a pair of leggings and pile my hair into a bun on my head. A quick glance in the mirror shows that I don't look very much better from my lack of sleep but I decide it will have to do.
Downstairs Molly is tying the laces of her sneakers. She tosses me my purse whilst I pull on a pair of converse an then we leave the house. The drive to the mall is pretty quick and the streets are surprisingly empty for a weekend.
"Where shall we eat?" Molly asks as we pull in the multi-story beside the mall.
"Chipotle?"
"Si, está bueno!" She says as she parks the car. We head out of the car park and straight to Chipotle where we grab a burrito and a bowl t share.
"We won last night you know." She refers to the football team and I sigh.
"Yeah, I know."
"How?"
"Hayes came in whilst I was babysitting." I munch on some rice and see her confused expression.
"What?"
"Nothing. But I was driving to meet the guys last night and I saw Kyle, Noah, that Tanner jerk, Hayes and a bunch of others outside someone's house. Looked like a killer party if you ask me."
"yeah, they got kinda wasted. Hayes was totally out of it when he came back."
"Yeah, he was gone. He saw me and started trying to climb into the car, asking me to drive him to see you. I told him to go suck a duck. If that helps."
"Oh dear. Hayes was telling me some weird shit when he came in. I had to call Nash to get help." I laugh.
"That's where Nash went. I thought he was meeting a girl." Molly says, her eyes wide. "What happened after?"
"We took him upstairs and he looked like he was gonna puke so Nash went to get a bucket or something and then, you aren't going to believe this, Hayes told me he loves me." I say and she groans.
"Oh my god."
I rub my temples and Molly sighs.
"It wasn't the drink talking you know." She says. "He likes you a lot."
"How do you know anything?"
"I am friends with Nash. He tells me all the gossip. He says Hayes might be breaking up with his girlfriend."
"Really?" I am astonished to hear this. If this is all because of me I am going to get shit from Megan when they do break up. As I think my phone starts to buzz.
"Kaitlyn?" I answer it immediately.
"Hi! It's Alyssa! Kaitlyn is just getting her makeup on. We were just wondering if you wanted to meet at the mall in like ten, fifteen minutes?"
"yeah. I'm here with Moll already so just call me when you arrive and we can meet?"
"Sounds good! We have something to... sort out." She says the last words suspiciously then hangs up. I feel a strange shiver run through me.
"I am meeting the others in a bit so I'm gonna grab a juice and I'll take a taxi or the bus back, 'kay?" I tell her and excuse myself. I head for the juice bar where I pick up a strawberry and banana smoothie and sit on a barstool by myself.
Twenty minutes later and I am still sat alone. Finally I hear footsteps behind e and see the girls. They aren't alone.
"Kyle? Noah?"
"Um, the guys have something they want to say." Kaitlyn says. She shoves her boyfriend forward, as does Alyssa and they both begin to speak rapidly.
"Sophie, I'm sorry..."
"Don't be mad..."
"It's not our fault..."
"I don't even like Megan..."
"I feel terrible..."
"Pease forgive us..."
"STOP STOP STOP!" I say as they babble over each other. "So you want to apologise?"
"Yeah." They say in unison.
"Go on then."
"Sorry."
"Sorry."
I smile gratefully and give them both hugs. Then I turn to the girls and whisper, "you made them do this didn 't you."
"Yup!" Alyssa says. They join me at the bar and we chat aimlessly. Kaitlyn and Alyssa head round to buy drinks and at I sip mine, Kyle taps my shoulder.
"hey, to apologise, we were wondering if you wanted to come to our Halloween party next weekend. It's fancy dress and there'll be snacks and shit." He says nonchalantly.
"Sure. I'd love to. Thanks for... today." I say and he tilts his chin as if to say "you are welcome."
"How are you feeling anyway?"
"Huh?"
"heard you got a bit... off your heads last night>"
"My head is banging." Kyle groans and I augh.
"How do you know anyway?" Noah asks me.
"I was babysitting Hayes' sister and he came back. It was kinda funny to watch actually."
"He was the worst out of all of us." Kyle sighs and shakes his head.
"I heard he was trying to climb in my sisters car." I laugh and they nod.
"he was trying to see you."
"I heard."
"Mango for Kyle and an orange and banana for Noah." Kaitlyn comes back armed with drinks and I turn to her to ask about costume ideas.
"Well we were thinking matching costumes."
"How about the powerpuff girls?" Alyssa says.
"Ummm... how about the Spice Girls?"
"There's only three of us."
"I know! We could go as superheroes!" Kaityn says and I nod in agreement.
"I could be super girl, Alyssa, you could be wonderwoman and Sophie could be batgirl!"
"Sounds good!"
We head for the costume store. Inside there are hundreds, maybe thousands of costumes and masks and wigs hanging for the walls. A rack of heeled boots looks like it may topple over and there are mannequins literally hanging from the ceiling. Ater ten minutes of looking,I finally find superhero costumes in an aisle at the back. I pull out each of our characters and we go into the changing rooms t try them on.
"You guys ready?" I call once I have adjusted my costume. I shuffle out and see the others waiting for me. They both look super cute and when I join them we look like a proper suprhero trio.
"We are gonna kill it at this party!"
...
At school everything seems almost back to the way it was. I sit with Noah, Kyle, Alyssa and Kaitlyn and it's as f we were never enemies.
"I'm so excited for this party!" I exclaim. The others faces have gone white as I speak and their eyes are on something behind me. I turn to find Megan and Hayes side by side.
"I guess we aren't wanted then." Megan says hautily and she storms off to another table. Hayes looks at her, ten us then back at her and quickly follows.
"Wow." I say.
"Wow is correct." Kyle whispers as we watch them find a seat by themselves. Megan keeps trying to talk to Hayes but he is too busy staring at us. I turn away, my face glowing red.
"Why are you all tomatoey?" Alyssa questions.
"No reason..."
"Spill the beans."
"Nooo..."
"Sophieeeee."
"Fine. After the football party thing, Hayes came back and I was babysitting Sky. He was acting all funny so I called Nash and we put him in his room. When I was alone with him he said... he said he loved me." I trail off and hang my head, awaiting their reactions.
"Oh dear." They all say in unison.
"he was drunk so it can't be true." I say.
"Sophie. Hayes has had a crush on you since... since you first met. And I think you do like him back." Noah says, sounding like an agony aunt. Who am I kidding?
"I know I do. But what about Megan?" I say and the others shake their heads.
But what about Megan?