"Yasmin, are you okay?" I questioned, glancing over at her slowly. "I hate seeing you like this."
Yasmin looked over at me and paused. "I'm getting there, Khloe." She explained flipping her long dark hair over her shoulders. "I'm accepting the fact that Xander isn't the person that I thought he was."
I still felt horrible for Yasmin. Xander didn't truly love her in the way that she had thought he did.
I nodded my head. "I'm so sorry, Yasmin but none of this is your fault. Xander had his demons that he needed to take care of. I really do believe that he loved you." I paused. "Just not in a way that is romantic." My eyes then widened. "I know that doesn't make what he did any better, but all I'm saying is that I know he cares about you. I know he didn't want to hurt you, but the truth always comes out, and he should have known that."
"I know, Khloe." Yasmin smiled softly at me. "I'll be okay. Xander was my first love, and it sucks that he's gone. He wasn't perfect and no one is, so I hope he gets the help that he needs to succeed in life."
I nodded my head in agreement. "Xander told me that he hopes he'll see me again," I stated. "That probably means that he wants to come back."
"His parents said that they'll give me updates," Yasmin explained. "I hope once he's eighteen he can get away from them. They're completely controlling, and I know that they wouldn't accept him."
I smiled sadly. "I know, and that's the sad part."
Yasmin smiled at me, and just before she could open her mouth to say anything else, Noah and Kiera walked up beside us.
"Hey!" Kiera exclaimed as she grabbed onto my arm. "How are you, girls?"
"Hey Kiera," I laughed and then looked over at Noah. "Hi, Noah."
"Hey," He smiled at both Yasmin and I. "Is everyone good?" Noah placed a silly smile onto his lips, and that was the Noah I knew and always loved. "Is everyone feeling alright?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Everything will be just fine." I smiled, specifically glancing over at Yasmin and she smiled back at me. "Okay guys, I'll see you later. I have to meet Hayden, he's giving me a ride home."
"Okay, Khlo." Kiera grinned. "Call me later!"
I knew exactly why Kiera was grinning so hard and it looked like her face was about to fall off. "Sure!" I laughed just before I walked away and down the hallway.
Hayden said that he wanted to meet me in front of the school because he wanted to take me somewhere special. So that's where I was currently waiting, at the front of the school.
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and began to scroll through my social media until I heard my name being called.
I looked up quickly, but only to be surprised to see Aiden Pierce staring back at me with wide eyes.
"Aiden?" I questioned taking a step towards him. "What are you doing?"
Whenever I was around Aiden, all I could feel was the embarrassment of when the whole school was practically laughing at me for being an idiot.
Aiden held up his hands defensively. "Let me explain, Khloe."
"Okay," I shrugged my shoulders. "Say what you need to say," I mumbled.
I didn't hate Aiden despite what some people might say. He completely betrayed my trust, and Ashlynn treats me like a piece of garbage under her Gucci high heels, but I can't live my life with hatred in my heart.
Aiden's dark eyes shifted to different parts of my face. "I'm sorry about Alicia." He apologized, and I was surprised, to say the least. "I just wanted to tell you in person."
I didn't know what to say, because I didn't exactly expect Aiden to come up to me. "Oh... thank you." I quickly mumbled. "But you already texted me, and you don't have to apologize. She'll be fine eventually."
Aiden nodded his head quickly, as he ran his hands through his dark hair. That was always something that attracted me to him. Aiden had pale skin, but his eyes were dark and mysterious. They were like pools of wonder, and I rarely ever knew what he was thinking. Aiden wore dark clothes and had dark raven hair, but he wasn't born with raven hair. I remember that he told me, as soon as his mother let him, he died his hair black.
The more I looked at Aiden, the more I realized that he was the complete opposite of Hayden. There was no reason to compare them, but it was just something that I noticed.
Aiden was laid back, but he was sweet at the same time. He was a quiet person, but he was also very compassionate which resulted in him being well-liked by many. Aiden didn't always know how to express his feelings, but I somehow always knew what he meant, when he spoke.
Hayden, on the other hand, was completely different. Hayden was very loud and outgoing. He always knew just what I was thinking, and if I was feeling upset, he always found a way to make me laugh, which was actually scary in some ways. Hayden was very affectionate and I knew that he cared about his family and friends more than anything. He was very ambitious and it instantly made people want to be in his presence.
Maybe that's why Aiden and I didn't work out in the end.
I would hate for people to say that I used Aiden because I didn't. I truly did love him, but that was the problem. After I moved away, I never wanted to think about Hayden again. I wanted to be loved and appreciated, and maybe that was my first mistake. I didn't think twice before telling Aiden that I would love to be his girlfriend.
"I know that I already texted you, Khloe," Aiden stated. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"I'm fine." I shook my head. "I appreciate it. But out of all people, you don't have to be concerned about me."
Aiden sighed and then he shoved his hands, filled with silver rings, into his ripped jean pockets. "Khloe..." I paused as he glanced up at me. "I know you're going through a lot and that's why I've given you space, but I really need to talk to you. It's important."
My eyes widened as I looked over at Aiden. I had no idea what could be so important. Of course, I didn't mean to be rude, but nothing Aiden says is important to me anymore.
"Fine." I practically uttered. "We can talk tomorrow right after school," I stated and somehow Aiden's dark eyes lit up, which I almost thought was impossible. "I'll text you the address of the coffee shop that we can meet at," I explained quickly. "This is your last chance Aiden. I just want to move on with my life. Ashlynn already hates my guts, so I don't think that she would be very happy to see that you're talking to me." I shrugged my shoulders. "And neither would any of my friends."
"Don't mention this to anyone," Aiden said calmly, and then I tilted my head at him.
"I won't," I said dryly.
Aiden paused and looked at me for a second. "Hayden's a great guy."
My jaw practically dropped. "What are you talking about?" I shook my hands in the air.
Aiden snorted. "I said that he's a great guy. He's a great basketball player, and I know that he makes you happy."
I averted my eyes away from Aiden's. "How do you know?"
"Doesn't matter." Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "I'm happy to see that you're happy. I know that you've known Hayden for a while now, and I know that he'll give you what you deserve. Something that I never could." Aiden gave me a gentle smile, and before I knew what was happening, Aiden walked away and I was left alone.
My mind was completely clouded because I had no idea what the hell Aiden meant in the slightest. First of all, what did he have to tell me that was so important? And then when Aiden started to talk about Hayden, I was completely lost.
I knew that Hayden and Aiden played on the same basketball team, but I didn't think that they could be considered as friends. Hayden told me that he could never be friends with someone who hurt me as badly as Aiden did.
"Hey, Khlo!" I looked up to see that Hayden was practically running towards me. "I'm so sorry." He panted. "I had to rewrite this stupid test that I didn't study for because I was so preoccupied with basketball. The big game is coming up soon."
I laughed at how disheveled and disorganized Hayden looked at the moment. "I don't mind waiting," I explained and Hayden grinned. "I would love to come to one of your games."
"Really?" Hayden's eyes lit up. "Would you do that for me?"
"Of course I would." I laughed. "Oh, don't look so surprised! I've been to some of Noah's games before you joined the team."
The truth was, I used to go to Aiden's games all the time. After we broke up, I never really went back, even though my friends would beg me too.
Hayden shook his head, and as he did, his brown curls bounced up and down. "I didn't know that basketball was exactly your thing, mentor girl."
"It wasn't." A loud laugh left my mouth. "But anything that you love I want to at least try to love too. So... I love basketball because I know you care about it a lot." I was grinning at this point.
As Hayden was looking over at me, I could have sworn that he blushed. "Hayden Ross blushing?" I practically jumped up and down. "That's surprising! I thought you only had one emotion."
Hayden lowered his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Nice try!" I clapped my hands together. "I know what I saw and I stand by my statement."
Hayden finally looked up at me. "No one has ever made me blush but you." He said as a smile crawled onto his lips.
I shrugged my shoulders, but my heart was fluttering. "I guess you could say that I'm special." I flipped my hair over my shoulders and Hayden laughed loudly.
At this point, school was already over because the bell had rung.
Hayden told me that he wanted to take me somewhere special right after school. Kiera drove me this morning, so it wasn't a problem that I didn't have my car today.
Hayden wasn't saying anything. He was just staring at me, which was making me slightly self-conscious. "So Hayden," I suddenly blurted out, quite loudly might I add. "Where are we going?"
The realization finally hit Hayden and he shoved his hands into his jean pocket, fishing for his car keys. "I'm not telling you." He chuckled throwing his hood over his head. "Just follow me."
At this point, September was long over and the cold fall air was starting to kick in. That's why big sweaters were always an amazing option.
But to be honest, compared to Hayden, I looked like a complete mess. He was wearing black jeans that fit around his legs perfectly, and a red Champion sweater that complimented his skin tone.
Wow, red really was his colour.
Once Hayden and I were in his car, I glanced over at him. "You aren't going to kidnap me, are you?" I laughed and Hayden looked over at me. It looked like he wanted to laugh, but he held it back. "Oh..." My eyes suddenly widened when the realization hit me. "That's not funny, considering the obvious." I covered my mouth with my hand. "I'm sorry... this is weird."
Hayden shook his head slowly. "You're something else, Khloe King." He said and then he finally let out a laugh.
"I'm sorry!" I pleaded. "Sometimes I just blurt things out without thinking. Something I might need to work on."
"It's alright." Hayden laughed loudly. "I find it funny actually."
I smiled at Hayden and then looked out of the window. I had no idea exactly where we were going, and it was making my heart race.
Today I was planning on being honest. I did have to accept the fact that I probably did have feelings for Hayden, which wasn't something new. I don't know, in my mind I thought that I had completely gotten rid of all my feelings towards Hayden, but clearly, I was wrong. The first time I practically saw him, I knew that we would be right back at square one.
Hayden suddenly laughed and I looked over at him. "Don't look so nervous, Khlo. I'm not actually going to sell you on the black market."
"I don't know, Hayden." I tilted my head. "You saying that is actually quite suspicious." Just as I finished speaking, Hayden suddenly stopped the car. "Where are we?" I asked looking around at my surroundings.
"I just wanted to take you to my favorite burger place." Hayden pulled his keys out of the ignition and hopped out of the car. A few seconds later, I followed his actions.
After realizing that Hayden just wanted to take me out to eat, a smile spread across my lips. "Oh!" I cupped my face in my hands. "I'm shocked that I'm not in a dark alley right now."
Hayden shook his head. "I love this place." He explained running his hands through his brown hair. "My grandma used to take me here all the time."
My smile grew wider if that was even possible. "That's so sweet Hayden," I exclaimed and my heart practically melted. "Thank you for taking me here. Let's go inside because I'm starving. How did you know?" I questioned and Hayden laughed in response.
Once Hayden and I sat down, I had no idea what to order, but Hayden suggested that I should try the classic burger. He said that you could never go wrong with the classic and I completely agreed. Even though the burger looked slightly bigger than my head.
"Before my grandma got sick she was so full of life," Hayden explained, and I could practically see the happiness pouring out of his eyes. I knew that his grandma made him very happy. It seemed like they had an amazing relationship. "Right so get this," Hayden laughed, and I couldn't help but smile. "She would make me order the tallest milkshake, and we would race to see who could finish it first. Hayden shrugged his shoulders. "She won every time. I still have no idea how she did it."
I laughed along with Hayden. "How is she these days? She seems like a wonderful person." I questioned and Hayden's smile instantly dropped and so did my heart. "Wait... she's okay, right? You would tell me if things weren't okay, wouldn't you?"
Hayden opened his mouth to speak, but the waiter seemed to come out of nowhere. She placed very large burgers in front of Hayden and me.
"These are huge." I giggled. "I don't think I could even fit it in my mouth."
Hayden laughed as he took the first bite of his burger. "To answer your question, my grandma isn't at her best right now, but I have a lot of hope."
My heart broke for Hayden. He was an amazing person and he didn't deserve to have any pain come his way.
"I'm so sorry. I really hope that she'll get better." I smiled softly looking down at my hands. "I know exactly how you feel. My mother's parents are still alive, but both of my father's parents have passed away. My grandmother passed before I was born, but my grandfather passed away when I was... maybe six?" I explained. "I just remember feeling devastated."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay." I smiled, biting into my burger. "This is really good, Hayden." I glanced up at him. "Thank you for taking me here."
"Of course, mentor girl." Hayden shrugged his shoulders.
I tilted my head. "Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"
"Probably not." Hayden shoved his hair away from his face. "I love it." He laughed. "I feel like it adds something to your personality."
I let out a huff of air. "You're so stubborn, Hayden," I explained. "Even when we were kids."
"You know," Hayden said softly, and the tone of his voice made me freeze. "I remember a lot from when we were kids, despite what you think."
"Really?" My eyes widened.
I would actually be surprised if Hayden remembered the little details from our short-lived friendship, back when we were kids.
"Yeah," Hayden nodded his head and his earth like eyes locked with mine. I felt almost like I wasn't able to look away. "You were quiet, but you were also a very sweet and caring girl. Every time I saw you across the street, it made me happy to see that you were outside laughing and smiling. But it was almost like you were a shadow."
My heart stopped. "What do you mean?"
"It was like you were so scared to be yourself." Hayden exhaled. "You didn't know who you were without Luna, and that's what drew me to you. I could tell even from when I was ten, that you were a sweet girl. You didn't deserve to be treated badly by anyone. Not even by your sister."
My breath quickened because I had no idea that Hayden noticed all these things about me. But everything that he was saying was completely true. I didn't know who I was without Luna. I practically lived my whole life trying to be her, not realizing that she had her own issues. What I also didn't recognize, was the fact that Luna was the furthest thing from perfect.
"What did she tell you?" I suddenly blurted out and Hayden looked like he already knew exactly what I was talking about. "What did Luna tell you?"
Hayden broke eye contact, and his chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. "I wanted to tell you the truth, but I hated how stupid I was back then."
"I don't blame you," I explained softly. "We were just kids, and Luna was very good at manipulating people into believing whatever she says."
"No," Hayden shook his head. "She told me that you hated me. She said that you were just using me to make her jealous." Hayden explained, looking extremely regretful. "I feel horrible. My friends told me to stay away from you too, and I actually listened to them. They said that Luna was much more popular... and prettier."
A gasp left my mouth. This all made sense. As a young boy, this must-have hurt Hayden a lot. He didn't act like he was hurt though, he just stayed away from me.
"Khloe," Hayden said softly. No one ever said my name like he did. "By the time I realized it was too late. You were already gone, and all I could remember thinking was that I just lost the prettiest and smartest girl I had ever seen."
My heart rate instantly increased, because this was it. I've evolved into a much more confident person, and the wrong thing to do would be to run away from my feelings.
"It's funny how the world works." I finally blurted out and Hayden's eyes filled with hope. "When I moved away, I wanted to forget all about you, and as bad as that sounds, I did forget about you for a while. But then Aiden broke my heart, and I had absolutely no hope left." I smiled softly as I looked up at Hayden. "But when you showed up at my doorstep, I thought.... just maybe it isn't time to give up."
Hayden suddenly got up and slid into my side of the booth. "You're right about that, mentor girl." He slowly placed his hand in mine. "I probably don't even deserve it, but I have a second chance now, and I'm not going to waste it."
• • •
AW! this might be one of my favorite chapters. anyway, guys, i'm going to try to stop slacking now. but y'all can blame school. haha.