"Give me your phone." Hayden grinned and I tilted my head. "Just give it to me." He repeated and I pulled out my phone from my pocket and handed it to him. "Here's my number, call me anytime you want."
I took my phone out of his hands to see if he had actually added his number to my contact list. "Wow," I tried to hide my laughter. "You're not even subtle about the fact that you want me to call you."
Hayden shrugged his shoulders. "It's so we can talk about the project." He explained, "But I know how much you wanted my number—"
"Okay," I cut him off. "You're getting a little ahead of yourself." I laughed as I shook my head. He must be dreaming because in fact, I didn't want his number at all. "We'll talk only about the project, we can also plan a day where we can meet up so we have extra time to work on the project." I clarified and Hayden nodded his head in agreement.
"Hey, Khloe!" I turned around to see Kiera walking towards Hayden and I with a big smile on her lips.
"Hey, Kiera." I smiled and her eyes drifted towards Hayden. I was confused until Kiera cleared her throat and I realized that she wanted me to introduce her to Hayden. "Hayden, this is my best friend Kiera," I said and Kiera smiled satisfied. "Kiera, this is Hayden."
"Hey," Kiera waved at Hayden. "Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you." Kiera said and I nudged her shoulder.
Hayden laughed, "Nice to meet you, Kiera." Kiera gave him a warm smile in response. "I have to go, but I'll see you, girls, later." He looked back at me. "Remember to call me, Khloe."
Kiera let out a gasp beside me. "He gave you his number?" She questioned and I nodded my head hesitantly. "Well, that was fast."
"It's not like that, Keira," I said quickly before she made up any more silly ideas in her head. "We were partnered for a photography project. He gave me his number so that we could talk about the project and stuff." I explained but Kiera still had a look on her face that told me that she didn't believe me. "I'm not lying." I giggled.
"I believe you." Kiera laughed. "He seems really nice." She said and I nodded my head.
Usually after school Kiera and I would wait for our other friends. My friend group became smaller after Aiden and I split.
Of course, Kiera and Yasmin wouldn't continue to hang out with Aiden and his friends after what happened to me and I loved them for that. Along with Yasmin her boyfriend Xander Lu would hang out with us, and Noah Turner who has known Kiera for years so he instantly became my friend too.
"Hey," Noah smiled and gave Kiera and I a quick hug.
I knew that Noah was completely in love with Kiera, but she was too oblivious to notice. Yasmin and Xander knew it too.
Sometimes I felt the need to look Kiera in the eyes and tell her that Noah was in love with her, but I couldn't do that for Noah's sake. I respected him and he was also my friend. I knew that if I ever did say something to Kiera, he would never forgive me. Noah didn't want to ruin their friendship especially because everyone knows Kiera only sees Noah as a friend. Every month she was telling me how she thought a different guy was cute.
Kiera and Noah would actually be an amazing couple. With Kiera's tan skin, green eyes, and her slim but curvy body, paired with Noah's dirty blonde hair and his piercing blue eyes they would look amazing together. Noah was a basketball player so he was tall and had muscle all in the right places, perfect for Kiera.
"Hey, Noah." I smiled at him and Kiera did the same. "Where's Yasmin and Xander?" I questioned.
"Yasmin had to finish a test so I think Xander is waiting for her," Noah explained and I nodded. "They should be here soon."
"Oh my god guys," Kiera suddenly blurted out. Noah and I both looked over, puzzled by her sudden out burst. "Josh Sanders is throwing a party." Kiera smiled. Noah and I just shrugged our shoulders.
"So?" I said and Kiera sighed.
"Did someone say party?" I turned my head to the left to see Yasmin and Xander walking towards our direction.
"Yes!" Kiera squealed while jumping up and down. Yasmin did the same while Noah, Xander and I were left confused. Yasmin and Kiera were a lot alike. They both liked to get dressed up and go out to parties, while I liked to stay home and watch movies with my dog, Timmy. My partying days were over.
"Girls are weird," Noah said shaking his head.
"Tell me about it, dude." Xander laughed.
"Listen," Kiera said slowly, "It's this Friday night, which is a few days away and it'll be so much fun." Kiera's eyes suddenly landed on me and I froze. "Khloe, if Yasmin's coming that means Xander is coming and if you're coming then Noah has to come."
Noah did anything Kiera basically asked him to do, so I knew he stood no chance. "Well..." Noah said. He had given into Kiera's demands once again. "If everyone else is going, then I guess we should go too, Khlo."
"Okay, I'll go," I said even though I really didn't want to. Like I said before, I rather just curl up in my bed and watch movies with Timmy but I guess it was time for me to be social. Mom says that ever since the breakup I've become a completely different person, but that can happen when someone you love betrays your trust.
"You'll have fun girl." Yasmin threw a warm smile my way and I smiled back in response. "Plus, I heard Hayden Ross will be there." She smirked and I could feel my cheeks heating up.
"Oh," Kiera could not stop laughing. "She'll definitely come now."
Noah and Xander both looked confused. They didn't know anything about my past, especially the part about Hayden Ross because I wanted to keep that part of my life a secret until he decided to show up.
"Hayden Ross?" Xander questioned and I nodded my head slowly. "The new transfer student?" He asked yet another question and I nodded my head more aggressively this time. "He's a funny dude." Xander then started to laugh as he looked over at Noah. "Remember that one joke he told at lunch?" Xander asked Noah and they both started to laugh hysterically which made me question their sanity.
Hayden couldn't be that funny.
"That was a funny joke." Noah wiped his eyes. "He's really easy to talk to."
Kiera hummed. "So that's where you guys were at lunch."
If Noah and Xander were sitting with Hayden that means that they were sitting with Aiden. I tried not to make a big deal out of it in my head because it's a big table and I knew they were sitting on the other side. Noah and Xander probably didn't even get to talk to Aiden.
"Where were you?" I asked Yasmin.
"I went to the library to study with Claire in our photography class. We also have advanced algebra together." She mumbled looking down at her phone.
"What's the deal with you and Ross anyway?" Xander questioned and before I could even open my mouth Kiera was already talking.
"Hayden and Khloe go way back to when they were ten years old." Kiera explained, "They used to be neighbours for like five years!"
"Really?" Noah laughed.
I rolled my eyes."It's not that big of a deal guys." A nervous laugh left my mouth. "I moved away when I was fourteen. Never saw him again, until he shows up at my house and I find out that he's the transfer student that I'm mentoring."
"Good luck with the mentoring program, Khlo!" Noah yelled as he started to walk away. "I gotta run, basketball practice is calling my name." He waved. "Love you all." Noah beamed.
"I'll text you later about the party details!" Kiera yelled and Noah turned back with a smile on his lips.
"You guys wanna get ice cream?" Kiera then turned to Yasmin, Xander, and I.
"I'm down." Xander nodded his head.
"Great, let's go." Kiera smiled excitedly. "Khloe, you're diving!"
✼ ✼ ✼
After I had dropped Yasmin and Xander off at Yasmin's house because they wanted to spend some quality time together, Kiera and I decided to come back to mine to finish whatever homework we got today at school.
As soon as Kiera and I walked through the front door, Alicia immediately came running towards us. "Hey, Alicia." I smiled.
"Hi, Khloe and Kiera!" She smiled showing off her missing teeth. "Want to play with my new barbie dolls mommy just got me?"
"We would love too but..." Kiera looked over at me with a smile. "Kiera and I are big girls now so we have to do big girl things, like finish our homework."
"That is one way of getting out of playing with an energetic little girl." Mom smiled.
I laughed and gave mom a quick hug. "Hey, mom."
"Hi girls." She smiled at Kiera and I, then she looked down at Alicia who had a frown on her face. "I'll play with you sweetie, the girls are busy."
I nodded my head and bent down to place a quick kiss on Alicia's cheek. "I'll play with you another time Alicia."
Kiera and I walked up into my room and closed the door. "It must be annoying to have younger siblings." Kiera laughed. "I love Alicia though."
Kiera was an only child. If I was going, to be honest, I rather have siblings who I could talk to then no one at all.
"It's okay," I shrugged my shoulders. "It's nice having Alicia around, especially after Luna left."
Kiera tilted her head at me. "I thought you wanted Luna gone." She emphasized. "Weren't you tired of living in her shadow?"
I shook my head. "I was jealous of her," I mumbled as I took a seat beside Kiera who was on my bed. "It's embarrassing but I wish I hadn't pushed my own sister away so much. Now she really is gone and I never get to see her."
Kiera gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Khlo," She whispered. "You should call her more. I know she's busy, but it would be good for you both to talk to each other more."
"You're right." I smiled at Kiera and she pulled me in for a tight hug. "No more depressing talk." I laughed and Kiera nodded her head in agreement.
Kiera looked down at her phone when it suddenly vibrated. Her face twisted with confusion as she read whatever text message she had just gotten. "It's a text from Noah."
I nodded my head, "What did he say?" I questioned and Kiera laughed in response. "What Kiera?"
"He's here right now with—" She stopped herself from talking and stood up. "Do your parents mind if they come over?"
"No." I shrugged my shoulders as the doorbell suddenly rang and I knew my mom would get it. "Who's they?" I questioned but Kiera ignored me.
As Kiera and I walked down the stairs I could hear mom's loud voice. "Hey, Noah!" There was a pause, "Oh, Hayden? It's nice to see you back so soon! The girls are upstairs." She beamed.
I instantly stopped walking down the stairs and pulled Kiera's arm so that she would stop moving. "What? Why did Noah bring Hayden with him?"
Kiera rolled her eyes. "Don't you think that you're being a little bit extra?" She questioned and I gasped. I was never extra. "Hayden's not all that bad, he's actually really nice," Kiera said as she pulled me downstairs.
"Hey, guys!" Kiera waved at Noah and Hayden.
"Hey, Kiera right?" Hayden smiled.
Kiera nodded her head. "That's me."
"What are you guys doing here?" I tried to ask them as nicely as possible but Kiera still turned around and gave me a look.
"Practice ended early today, so Hayden and I decided to come here," Noah explained jumping on my couch. "I'm so tired." He sighed as he put his feet up on the table in front of him.
That was Noah for you.
Kiera walked over towards Noah and kicked his feet off the table so that she could sit beside him. "Ouch!" Noah yelled.
Since Kiera and Noah had already taken up one couch, it left Hayden and I no choice but to share a couch. I sat down slowly and Hayden did the same thing. "Wait," I mumbled. "Hayden, were you waiting for Noah to finish practice?" I questioned.
Hayden chuckled. "No, Khloe."
"He's on the team!" Noah yelled.
"Why are you yelling, Noah?" Kiera hissed at Noah and he just laughed in response. "Are you deaf?"
"Well yes... technically I am from all the times coach yelled in my ear." Noah winced as he rubbed his ears. "He sure has a loud voice."
Kiera rolled her eyes and looked over at Hayden. "Congrats, Hayden." She smiled softly at him.
Hayden smiled. "Thanks, but I didn't even have to try out."
"Yeah, that's true!" Noah exclaimed. "Hayden was walking across the court and suddenly a basketball went flying his way, but he caught it! He threw it towards the net and it went in. Coach was so impressed, and it turns out Hayden was the star player on his team at his old school." Noah leaned back and closed his eyes. "You're awesome dude."
If I didn't know any better I would have said that Noah was in love with Hayden because of the way he was gushing over him.
"Thanks, man, but it was nothing. Coach was just nice enough." Hayden shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly like it was normal to just be accepted onto a team without even trying out. He must be a really great player.
"Congrats," I said and Hayden smiled. "But like... is that even allowed?" I tried to hide my laughter.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we'll never know, Khloe." Hayden whispered and I could feel his warm breath hitting my skin.
I look over at Kiera and she was already smiling. Before I did something completely embarrassing I got up quickly. "I'll get you guys water or something, you must be tired. Kiera come with me."
"Yes ma'am!" Noah yelled and we all laughed.