I woke up to the smell of freshly cooked chocolate chip pankcakes.
MY FAVORITE!
I could feel the bright sun beaming on my face.
I open my eyes and I turned to my side to look at the time.
It was 1 o'clock.
Geez, I slept like Asher, late.
I stretched in bed a little because that's what I always did when I woke up.
I think I stretched a little too hard because I started to feel pain again.
My head and my eye felt a little better, but it still hurt.
I grabbed my phone from the floor and started to check it.
I haven't been on my phone since yesterday before everything went down.
I went straight to my messages.
2 texts from Tiyla
2 texts from Noah
5 texts from Jace
10 text from Everleigh
I opened Tiylas text first and responded.
I was always glad when Tiyla texted me, she was always made me feel comforted.
TODAY
7:51am
_____
Tiyla: Hey girl!
Tiyla: I heard you had a rough night last night, are you okay? Just wanna check up on you g :)
1:06pm
Me: hey tiyla! thank you so much for checking up on me! i am doing fine.
I then opened Noah's and responded because I haven't talked to him in a while.
YESTERDAY
11:56 pm
______
Noah: hey. how was karaoke mania?
Noah: haven't heard from you in a while so just decided to hit u up, hope it was fun last night.
TODAY
1:08pm
_____
Me: hey, last night was okay i guess, didn't go as i thought it would lol. but yeah, how are you doing?
I then decided to open Jaces'. I probably worried him sick.
YESTERDAY
10:07 pm
____
Jace: hey, where are you? i went to go throw something away and you were gone when i came back.
10: 15 pm
Jace: paisley where are you?? are you okay??
10:20 pm
Jace: paisley????
10:45 pm
Jace: no one can find you.
11:50 pm
Jace: please be okay.
I'm glad he cared.
I responded to him.
me: hey, yes i am okay.
Now onto Everleighs messages.
I was mad at her the most because she left me for a boy.
Yes, I get it, I said she could, but still, it was our first night out as friends and that's what she goes and does.
YESTERDAY
10:31 pm
_______
Everleigh: where are you paisley??
10:43 pm
Everleigh: JACE JUST TOLD ME THAT YOU LEFT SOMEWHERE AND HE CANT FIND YOU???
10:44 pm
Everleigh: PAISLEY ANWSER
10:45 pm
Everleigh: this isn't funny anwser
10:57 pm
Everleigh: paisley please!
11:06 pm
Everleigh: my sister is freaking out and texting your brother.
11:21
Everleigh: why didn't you tell me you left to go home?
11:25 pm
Everleigh: i didn't know you fell.
11:30 pm
Everleigh: i'm just glad you're safe at home.
TODAY
9:34 am
______
Everleigh: i'm coming over today at 6 to drop off your sweatshirt and to see how you're doing.
I feel kind of bad for freaking her out and just leaving without telling her. But it's whatever, it's over.
The past is the past.
I forgot that I had even brought Coopers' sweatshirt to the party.
I turned on "Do not Disturb" on my phone because I know I would just be getting a lot of texts back, and I didn't feel like getting bothered a lot today.
I then stood up from my bed, and started to walk downstairs.
When I went down there, I saw Cooper in the kitchen cooking some chocolate chip pancakes.
Nathan was down there too, sitting on the couch in his phone.
Cooper was the first to see me.
When he saw me, he rushed over to me from the stove.
"Goodmorning baby" he said, as he gently hugged me.
"Hi" I said.
"Good morning Piya" Nathan said, looking up from his phone.
"Hi" I said again.
"How'd you sleep?" Cooper asked, while going back to the stove.
"Pretty good," I said.
"How's your head and face feeling?" He asked again.
"Still hurting but it's better," I said.
"Okay, when the food is ready, I'll give you some pain killers," he said.
"Okay" I said.
"Cooking your favorite today!" Cooper said smiling.
"I know, it smells so good, " I said, "where's Dan, Asher, and Luke?"
"Dan is at his girlfriends house, he supposed to come by today to check on you. Luke is at work, and Asher is still sleeping," He said.
"Oh okay," I said. "Everleigh is supposed to come by today at 6 to drop off the sweatshirt," I said again.
"Yeah, I know," Cooper said.
I walked to the couch and sat next to Nathan, laying my head on his shoulder.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Eh,"
I watched him toggle between apps & messages on his phone until the food was ready.
I rushed over to the table and got my pancakes.
From the first bite, I could tell that they were delicious, as usual.
While eating, Asher finally woke up and came downstairs.
"I smelled food and woke up, just to eat it" he said coming downstairs.
"Well good morning to you too," Cooper said, while we all laughed. .
"Hey Pay, how are you doing?" Asher asked, sitting next to me.
"I'm doing okay," I said.
"Cool." he said.
We all ate and talked until the front door opened.
It was Dan.
"Hey Dan," I said.
"Heyyy kiddo!" he said, coming towards me and hugging me, "hows it going?" he asked, not reacting to my eye as bad as the others did.
He's pretty used to seeing stuff like that.
Scratches and all that junk, because of where he used to work when he was younger.
"Fine I guess," I said.
"I heard what happened, is your head okay, and your eye?" he asked.
"It's alright, kinda hurting though" I said.
"Luke texted me freaking out like your face was was bruised as bruised could be, but it's not even that bad,"
"Yeah, I know,"
"They're overdramatic," he whispered.
"Since day one," I laughed.
He smiled.
He went in the kitchen and chatted with us for about 1 hr until he got back up, getting ready to leave again.
"Where are you going?" I asked, kinda disappointed. "You just got here!"
"Oh yeah, I have an interview go to!" he said.
All of my brothers and I looked at him confused.
"You found the job you were looking for?" Cooper asked.
"Yep!"
He's been looking for a job for a long time.
He's very picky and indecisive, so it takes him a while to find something he really wants.
"That's awesome," I said.
"Well done bro," Nathan said.
"What for?" Cooper asked.
"I'm applying for the Baseball Coach Position at Unit High" He said, proudly.
That was like 45 minutes away from us, near where his girlfriend lives.
"That's pretty far," Nathan said.
"Yeah I know, that's why, if I get the position, I'll move in with Angie,"
My heart sunk when he said that .
I'm pretty sure all of our hearts sunk.
"What?" I said, disappointed again.
"Oh wait. Did Luke not tell y'all that yet?" He asked.
"No!?" We all said confused.
"Oh shit well, there you go," Dan said, kinda nervously.
"You would be leaving all of us," Asher said.
"Guys, I'm not leaving forever, you know I would come visit everyday. Plus, you don't know if I'll even get the job or not, so let's not worry," He said.
"Oh come on, you're Daniel Hayes, of course you'll get the job, big boy"Nathan said.
Dan smiled.
"I support whatever you do Dan, and if you do get the job, I'll be happy for you dude," Cooper said.
"Thanks Coop," Dan said.
"Why can't you just stay with us?" I asked.
"Because her house is way closer to the high school than this house," He said.
"Well how come you can't teach at our high school?" I asked.
"There was no openings and Unit High has way better pay," Dan said.
I looked down frowning.
He's been looking for a job for forever, I want him to be happy but I really don't want him to move out.
"Listen, it was a very hard decision to make, and I love you guys so much, but it's not like I'm never gonna see you. It'll be like I still live in this house, but I'll just be gone a lot," He said, trying to make things better.
"Yeah, we understand," we all said.
"Alright, well I gotta go, can't be late for the interview," He said, while looking at his watch.
"Okay, I love you," I said giving him a hug.
"I love you too," he said, "and love all of you guys too." He said, going to hug the rest of us.
"Good luck!" Cooper said.
"Good luck!" Nathan said.
"Yeah, good luck" Asher said.
"Thanks guys!" he said while walking to the door, "And I hope you feel better Paisley, I'll be back later tonight," he said while walking out the door.
"Okay" I said.
After that, I took my pain killers and rubbed some cream on my face and I then went upstairs to watch tv until I heard a knock at my door.
It was Luke.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," I said.
"Glad to hear that you're doing a little better," he said.
"Yeah, I am," I said, looking for another channel to look at.
"Everleigh will be here in about 15 minutes" Luke said.
I looked at him and grinned.
"I know you like her sister," I said.
"What? No," he said, while his face turned red.
I laughed.
Luke blushing? Never seen that.
"Lies" I said.
"Okay fine, she's very attractive but that doesn't mean anything," he said.
"Yes it does," I said, "besides, she might have said you were cute too," I said again winking.
He smiled.
"See! I know you have a crush on her," I said.
"I'm not in middle school," he said, "We don't do 'crushes' anymore,"
"Okay, then what do you old people do then?"
"Get off my ass Paisley," He said smiling.
"Oh no cussing Luke," I mocked, while he walked out of the room.
He laughed.
A few minutes after Luke walked out of my room, I heard another knock at my door.
"Come in!" I yelled.
It was Everleigh.
She came into the room and stood there just looking at me with Coopers sweatshirt in her hand.
"Hi" she said, looking down.
"Hey," I said.
"Are you doing okay?" she said walking towards me.
"Yeah, I'm doing fine," I said.
"I've been thinking, and I'm sorry," she said, sitting on my bed, and laying Coopers sweatshirt down.
"Sorry for what?" I asked.
"I'm sorry for just hanging out with other people instead of you. It was a night for us to hang as friends, not anyone else," She said.
She must've read my mind.
"It's alright," I said.
"He was a douche and he didn't wash his hair anyways so it was a waste," she said smiling.
I laughed.
"Who were you with last night?" She asked.
"My other friend Jace," I said.
"Oh yeah, I remember him," She said, "Somehow he knew I was with you and was the one who told me he couldn't find you, he seemed really worried"
"Oh yeah,"
"Why couldn't he find you?" she asked, "Did you get kidnapped or something?"
"No, I fell,"
"How come he didn't see?"
She was up my ass.
"Because he was getting me something to drink but couldn't find him after a while, so I tried to find him and then I fell,"
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yeah?" I said, lying. Hoping she would believe me.
"No you didn't," She said.
"What..?" I asked.
"I know you didn't fall, because there was no blood or no scene of anybody falling," she said, exposing me. "Paisley, I am your best friend, you can tell me what happened."
I only knew her for two days... how would we already be best friends.
But now is not a good time for her to be so smart and figuring out stuff.
"I stayed quiet,"
"Paisley, did someone hit you?" she asked.
I shushed her.
"Well?" She asked.
"I can't say anything," I said.
I can't tell her.
I didn't want to tell anyone.
"Yes you can, it will be alright," She said.
"No, I cant," I said.
"Paisley, yes you can. You can trust me." She said.
Again, I only knew her for two days.... should I just give in and tell her or hold where I'm at?
I thought about it.
Dillion was nice enough not to tell Nathan what happened and lied for me so I could tell them myself, so I definitely didn't want Everleigh to end up telling her sister and her sister tells Luke.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me, just saying," she said.
Shit.
I really don't want to tell her but I don't know...
Damn... maybe I should just tell her.
It would probably be better to get it off my chest.... I don't know.
"Say it Paisley, it's okay," She said saying.
Once I started speaking, I couldn't stop.
"Jace went to go throw something away and then this man- this man took me into a room and tried to touch me and I fought him as hard as I could and then- and then he started to slap me." I said literally sobbing, making it hard to understand what I was saying. "I fought him off though and went back to the party and someone helped me."
"It's okay, shh, come here" Everleigh said, grabbing me to hug her.
"I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want anybody to stress over it, especially my brothers." I said, still sobbing.
"Yeah I know, it's okay, we are all here for you, I'm glad you told me." Everleigh said, "What did he look like?" Everleigh asked.
"He had a brown shirt on, barely any hair. Old and wrinkly." I said.
I then remembered something.
"Oh and he had a huge mole on the side of his face" I said, remembering the most obvious thing about him.
"Okay." Everleigh said. "I wish I would've just hung out with you, none of this would've happened." Everleigh said, sounding like she was about to cry.
"Don't blame it on yourself" I said.
"No, but none of this wouldn't have happened if I would've stayed with you." Everleigh said, as a tear went down her cheek.
"No don't blame it on yourself Everleigh." I said.
Before you knew it, we were both crying together on the bed.
We heard a knock on the door.
Great.
"Paisley?" Cooper asked as he came in the room.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Cooper asked.
I didn't say anything.
"I think it's time for me to go" Everleigh said, wiping her tears.
She stood up and hugged me.
She whispered something in my ear, "I think it's best if you tell your brothers."
Then she walked out of the room.
"Are you okay?" Cooper called to her, while she walked out the room.
She nodded her head and kept walking.
Cooper then came to me and sat on my bed.
"Why were you guys crying?" Cooper asked, "Ooh did you have a girl talk?" Cooper asked grinning.
I just looked at him nervously.
That's when he got serious.
"Paisley?" he asked.
"What happened?" he asked again.
I just looked at him.
He looked at me, waiting for me to respond.
"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, worried, "Did she do something to you?" he asked again.
"No" I said.
"Okay then tell me what's wrong." he said.
I really didn't want to tell him but I decided that it was best to tell him.
They're my brothers, I should tell them because they would handle the problem and I trust them.
I'm sure they would want me to let them know, so I need to man up and tell Cooper.
And that's what I did, I told Cooper everything.
I told him where it happened and what the man looked like.
I even told him the situation with Dillion or "Chad" and how he nicely lied for me and how nice he had been.
As I was talking he held me gently, but I could tell he was tensing up and getting very angry.
After I was done talking, he just kept holding me.
Didn't ask me any questions, just kept holding me.
It felt so good to tell one of my brothers.
I felt- relieved.
But I know something unpleasant is going to happen and I'm not ready for what's to come.
I didn't worry about it though, I was just thinking about him holding me right now.
He held me in his arms until I fell fast asleep.