"look, i promise you i'll actually do anything to go again! i can't stay here knowing the people i love the most, apart from you guys, are all having fun together without me!"
"we'll think about it. hailey, you know how we're really loose on you because we know you're a good girl but finding out the things that happened at that party changed our view on you"
"it will never happen again. i promise"
"how are we supposed to believe you?"
"every time i drank, i hurt someone. i hurt Anthony and hannah and elmo! i now don't ever want to hurt them again so i'm never gonna drink again, even when i'm legal too!"
"like we said, we'll think about it. we've got one semester left of school to make our decision. your grades have been surprisingly impressive considering how attached you are to that phone of yours. keep it up and we might just let you go"
i nod and run upstairs to my room.
"what did they say?" anthony asks.
"it's still a maybe but i think i'm getting there"
i lay on my bed with a sigh as anthony places my hands in between his.
"you'll be okay. once you do come, we'd be having so much fun. you could even sneak into my room a few nights too"
"or maybe every night"
"even better"
he brings my hand up to his face and places a kiss on it, then resting it on his forehead.
"you know, i kind of have a surprise. i mean, i'm not sure if you would like it but maybe"
"go on"
"well i've been talking to my brothers and mom a lot lately. more than usual"
"yeah?"
"and i think i've convinced them to move here. i was talking to hannah's dad and we can put the house up for sale since it's now owned by the government and-"
"wait, they're moving?"
"they said they want to for me. they know i won't be able to handle it over there, especially because now that i've got my best friend back, i don't want to ever lose her again" he says as a wide smile appears on my face.
that's something i love about the relationship i have with anthony. we do the same things we did when we were best friends, except it's a little more romantic now obviously.
"so, what do you think? about my family moving?"
"i'm so happy for you!"
"that's it? you aren't upset?"
i was just a little bit because i still don't really like anthony's mom but i don't want to be *that* kind of girlfriend. i can't blame her for leaving either, if i was in the kind of relationship she was in with anthony's dad then i would do the same too.
"no, why would i be?"
he grabs onto my jaw and brings my face up to his.
"baby, you can't lie to me. you really still think of my mom like that?"
"i don't want to think of her like that"
"she's different now"
"i know. ehen you told me what she told you, trust me i was shocked too but i know the feeling of having a parent leaving and i don't know, maybe i'm jealous that your life was a 'lie' when mine wasn't"
"i'm so sorry. i got too caught up in talking about my family life when i didn't even stop to think about how you were feeling during this"
"no no no no it's okay! i've spent so long complaining about how my parents wouldn't let me go to the holiday house so i guess we're even"
anthony places a kiss on my lips, then places my head on his chest.
i slowly slide my hand under his shirt and lightly scratch around his stomach, which made him squeeze my other hand. i close my eyes as i listened to the sound of his heart beating.
soon, i hear music and open my eyes with a smile to see anthony making a tiktok with his free hand.
he was lipsyncing to that one song called magic.
"heard my voice now she tryna have, woah, flexing ain't too complex"
and then he moves the camera towards me.
"baby"
"ala"
"ca"
"fucking"
"zam"
"i'm like"
"bitch"
"who is"
"your man"
(y'all i don't know the lyrics to it, that's just what i heard from the tiktoks lmao)
we rewatch the tiktok and i looked so tired.
anthony looked at me looking at myself, and then looks back at the phone.
"you look so gorgeous in that. i honestly think i shouldn't post it because all the man-hoes will come for you" he says as i grin.
"you're the sweetest, baby" (remember to put commas y'all because i ain't talking about a baby that's sweet 😳).
"i'm just good at telling the truth. all fax, no printer baby"
"no photocopier?"
"no photocopier either."
i let out a laugh as he grins.
"you know, i was just thinking about how we were like at the house last summer"
"yeah?"
"i wonder what it would be like to go now that we're together. and now that josh and nessa are having a thing and that payton and avani might finally hit it off!"
"don't get me started on chase and talia too. they were so close, so close to getting it but i think maybe it could actually happen once they see each other again. and then noen and sterling!"
"i think they are together and just aren't telling us yet because do you see the way they flirt on our group calls!"
"and then no one wants to ask because if they're wrong it would be awkward"
"and no one wants awkwardness"
i sigh with another smile on our face.
"it's getting late. i should get home"
"sorry that i wasted half an hour downstairs with my parents"
"it's okay. i'd wait hours if i needed to because talking with your parents is important, especially if it's about you spending the summer with me"
"and the others too, t"
"but you'd mainly be with me"
"there you go, controlling me again" i joke.
"like i always say, i'm not treating you like you're a puppet or something"
"i know. i'd probably be with you literally 24/7, unless i'm using the bathroom or showering"
"well, i can do both with you, mainly the showering part"
"only if we're in our swimwear"
"or not"
i shake my head with a smile.
"can i walk you home?"
"nah, i don't want you walking back by yourself"
"who says i have to walk back?"
anthony grins as he stands up. he throws his bag over his shoulder and slides on his shoes.
"we should get going then"
i smile and stand up, casually packing my bag for school tomorrow so that i could go there with him too.
"this top or this one?"
"hold them up"
i hold them up next to my body as anthony looks between them.
"shit, i love the colour red on you but i think the black one"
"i was thinking that too!"
i pack it with a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt to wear too, which just so happened to be anthony's.
i throw my back pack over his shoulders and slide on my slides too.
i take anthony's hand as we leave my room and walk downstairs.
"where are you going?" my mom asks.
"oh, anthony's house"
she crossed her arms and looked between the two of us.
"remember what happened with his dad?"
"yeah but he's in jail!" i say.
"and she'd be in safe hands because i think i'd literally die your daughter" anthony adds, looking down at me as i pout.
the both of us smile at each other and turn back to my mom, who also had a smile on her face.
"okay, fine but be back home straight after school tomorrow!"
"of course! thanks mom, love you!"
my mom walks over and kisses my cheek, then signals anthony to bend down.
anthony is like 6'3, while my mom and i are both 5'5.
my mom kisses anthony's cheek, which made him grin the whole way we walked to his house.
"i'm so glad your mom likes me"
"me too t"
we walk inside and walk upstairs, where we put our bags down and got changed.
"you already know where my things are baby, dig in"
i smile as i find a shirt and a pair of his shorts.
"i look like avani in those boxing shorts she wore to vid-con" i say looking in the full body mirror as anthony wraps his arms around me and places his head on my shoulder.
"you're not wrong but in my opinion you look better because it's my clothes you're wearing"
"and because of that, you're not wrong either"
he places a kiss on my cheek as i get an incoming call from nessa.
anthony picks it up and answers it.
"hey nessie" anthony says.
"hi anti! where's hailey?"
he hands the phone to me.
"yo, jaden told michelle that he doesn't want to be with her after they've spent countless nights together"
"no fucking way!"
"yes fucking way! now she's heart broken and she told me not to tell any of the guys because they'll tell jaden and he'll feel sorry for her and she doesn't want that"
"no one wants people to feel sorry for them"
"i know. so you won't tell anthony?"
"i won't. who else knows?"
"all the girls. i'll make a group chat for all of us so michelle can rant to us and stuff"
"include sam?" i ask.
"you think?"
"i promise he'll make the whole group better. he's the sweetest and loves girl-talk so of course he's down to help"
"okay, sure. i'll talk to you later, she's calling me now"
"okay, tell her i'll kick his nuts the next time i see him!" i joke as nessa laughs, anthony shooting a nervous look towards me.
"of course!"
we end the call as i then frown.
rejection sucks.
"everything good?"
"yeah, just some girl stuff. you'll probably find out soon"
"it's alright, you don't have to tell me"
he places both hands around my face as i smile.
"i'm not that kinda guy where i have to know about everything. i'm chill, you know?"
"yeah, i'm chill too"
"and that's why we're perfect for each other"
he leans down and places his lips on mine as we kiss, which gave and always will give me butterflies.
i ran my fingers through his hair as we pull away. he rests his forehead on mine as he rolls his eyes back and groans.
"never stop doing that"
i grin and move my hands away as his jaw drops.
i walk past him and out of his room, then walk downstairs and flop onto the couch.
anthony runs downstairs and over to the couch, then flopping next to me.
"i told you to never stop and you stopped"
"sorry" i say with another smile.
we turn on the tv and go onto netflix, which played the fresh prince of bel air.
i watch as anthony laughs at one of the scenes.
gosh he is so mesmerising.
"yo anthony?"
"yo hailey"
i scooch over so that i was right next to him and kiss anthony's cheek as he blushes.
"my face is red isn't it?" he says.
i nod as he smiles.
"it's when you kiss me on my cheek that drives me crazy, i don't know why"
he sloppily kisses my cheek as i scrunch my nose.
"maybe it's because i don't kiss your cheek like that"
anthony lays down and i rest my head on his chest.
i go on my tiktok and see benji and jorge's video of re-enacting the now viral video of shawn and camila kissing.
anthony turns and looks at me as i sigh.
"let's do it"
you know that tongue thing anthony does?
he taught me how to do it and we decided that we're gonna do it 'together' for the video.
it was gonna be nasty to watch but apparently people like that shii now.
"hey guys, so people were making fun of the way we kissed on twitter" i say.
"so we're gonna show you the way we actually kiss" anthony says, turning from the camera towards me.
he places his hands over the side of my face as i tangle my fingers in his hair. the both of us lean in so close so that when we did the tongue thing, our tongues would touch.
i do it first, then anthony doing it.
to stop myself from laughing, i properly connect my lips with his as we make out.
"and that's how we kiss" anthony announces.
"yeah, we totally kiss like this all the time" i say.
and then we end the video.
we rewatch it and laugh.
"that was hot, not gonna lie"
"sure it was" i say, rolling my eyes a little.
anthony yawns as i smile. he looks so cute.
"you tired?" he asks as i yawn.
"a little bit"
he stands up and takes my hand, helping me stand up.
i wrap my arms around his neck as we both grin at each other.
"jump baby"
i jump up and wrap my legs around him as he holds my thighs.
"fuck, i wanna get a photo of this"
he removes one hand and pulls out his phone from his back pocket, then setting it up with a timer.
as it counts down from 3, i press my cheek against his and smile
"my new lock screen" he says.
"what's your home screen?"
"if you finally send me a naked pic of you then that would be it"
"anthony!"
"i'm kidding! my home screen is a picture of my brothers, mom and i"
"that's so sweet!"
he puts his phone in his back pocket and places his hand back under my thigh.
he walks upstairs and goes into his room, throwing me on his bed. he climbs on top of me and brings his face down towards mine.
"you're so hot"
"you are"
he places kisses down my jawline as i laugh.
"t, not tonight, i've got my chem test tomorrow"
"and? you're gonna pass anyway. you're like, super smart so i think you'd ace it like you always do"
i place my hand over the side of his face.
"i always ace it because i get good sleep"
anthony sighs as he lays next to me.
i move my body closer and wrap my arms around him. i place my leg over his as he places his warm hand on my thigh. i then move my head onto the same pillow anthony's head was on.
"goodnight gorgeous"
"goodnight anthony. i love you"
"and i love you" he replies as we close our eyes.
as soon as i was about to doze off to sleep, anthony's phone goes off, making me cover my ears.
"i'm so sorry, can you get that?" he asks.
i roll over and grab the phone.
"it's a random phone number"
he furrows his eyebrows and answers it, bringing the phone up to his ear.
i press my head against his chest as he rubs my back and talks to whoever was on the phone.
anthony's pov
"hello, is this anthony reeves?"
"the one and only. who's this if you don't mind me asking?"
"i'm justine. i think we need to talk"
"can it wait til tomorrow?"
"i think you would want to hear this now"
"okay, what's up?"
"well, i'm 90% sure you don't already know but you have two brothers. half ones, from your dad"
"wait, what?"
"one of them's a year older then you and one of them's a year younger than you"
"how do i know you're not lying?"
"i just sent you their birth certificates with your fathers name on them"
i go onto the chat and see that it was for real.
"i gotta go. if you have any more questions, feel free to call me tomorrow"
"wait, i have so many!"
"see you anthony"
i already have three brothers and now i have two more?
"everything okay?" hails asks with a yawn.
"not really, i just found out that i have two half brothers!"
i thought my life was already crazy but now it just got much crazier.