THE HOLDING CELL of Holden Bay Police Department was interesting to say the least. Especially tonight, it was honestly popping off in here. The cops had eventually arrested the other guys and brought them here, bloody and bruised.
Chase was suppose to be the only one arrested since he was the driver, but Noah and I both apparently annoyed Officer Jacobs so much that we were arrested to. Emily was in here as well after being asked to be arrested.
Only a few were here, the others were on their way to the hospital.
We were all sitting down on the wooden benches inside the cell and were trying to make a fun time out of it.
I sat cross-legged on one bench, Noah was climbing on the bars of the cell like a climbing gym and Chase sat on the other bench directly opposite me with, of course, Emily seated beside him.
"Excuse me!" Noah sings out as he tires to squeeze his head through the bars. I was glad that the gap was too small because there's no doubt he'd get his head stuck between and we'd be here for even longer. "Hello—Officer, can you come over here."
"I've already told you, Mr O'Conner, there aren't any oreos in the breakroom." Officer Jacobs sighs as he fixes the waistband of his khakis and walks over to the cell from his desk.
"I think you guys should really invest—but that's not the point." Noah shakes his head as Officer Jacobs sighs and tucks his thumbs into his uniform issued pants, "The point is, I need you not to tell my mother I've been arrested."
Officer Jacob's expression was blank as ever, "Excuse me?"
"If you tell my mother I've been arrested then she will come down here and drag me back to Portland by my fucking ears then she'll fire all of our staff and I'll have to clean the entire house by myself," Noah starts ranting as he grips onto the metal bars, "I'll have to wear a cute little maid uniform—well, that's not bad because I have killer legs—but I won't be able to spend summer here and I won't be able to propose to Penny!"
"Wait." I say as I throw my legs onto the ground and lean forward, "You're going to propose to Penn?"
"Umm...."Noah says with the most guiltiest expression on his face, like he had been caught with both hands in the damn cookie jar, "Yes?"
"Noah! That's amazing." I laugh as I stand up and walk over to him. I throw my arms around his shoulders while smiling wildly. When I step back from Noah, I glare through the gaps of the bar, "Ayo Jacobs! Don't tell his mom because I want to go to a cute ass wedding, okay?"
"What!?" Officer Jacobs sighs and he looked so close to going through yet another mental breakdown in the past hour, "Where did you come from?"
I shrug, "I mean, some say the fiery depths of hell but that's yet to be proven."
"Okay, you know what, we won't call your mother, Mr O'Conner.Now can I please get back to work?" Officer Jacobs questions as he gestures to his messy desk.
"Sure," I nod as Officer Jacobs makes a swift turn, "But one more thing!"
He turns back around with a very annoyed expression and seethes through his gritted teeth, "Yes, Hayden?"
"Do you have chicken nuggets in your break room?" I question with a cheesy grin. Officer Jacobs gives me one of the coldest, deadest looks I have ever seen and I nod before walking back to the bench, "Yup, I'm sitting back down."
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I watch as the small brush glides over my fingernail, leaving in it's wake a sea of sparkling navy that spreads evenly over the surface. Having my nails painted by a drag queen in a holding cell at eleven o'clock at night just hits different.
"Can I just say sugar that your fingers are amazing!" Scarlette Fever says as she continues to apply the polish to my nails, "I'm gagging over you!"
I laugh at the weird compliment, "Really? I've always thought they looked like wet spaghetti noodles."
"Oh my—you're giving me life!" Scarlette laughs as she tilts her head back and announces to the entire holding cell. They all look over at us and I give them a sheepish smile. None of us wanted to be here, that was all evident on their faces.
There was a cozy atmosphere in here, I must say. We were all just trying to get through the night together. Noah and I had made friends with all of the criminals in here. Some were in here for the basics; driving while intoxicated, petty theft, vandalism.
"Now, no tea, no shade..." Scarlette whispers as she leans forward, "But is there something going on between you and that fine piece of hazel-eyed hunkiness over there?"
I splutter, "What—pfft—no—what would give you that crazy idea!?"
"I don't know," She sighs with a little shrug, "Maybe it's the way he glances over here every five seconds making sure I'm not making out with you or killing you or both."
I glance over my shoulder, in a totally inconspicuous way, only to see Chase'sstaring right back at me. Emily was beside him talking about some bullshit but Chase looked like he couldn't give two flying fucks. I slowly shift my gaze back to Scarlette.
"Oooh! That gaze. That gaze is giving me bedroom-eye realness." Scarlette shivers as she pauses slightly from painting my nails.
I shrug, "We're just friends..."
"I don't think he wants that." Scarlette winks at me with a smirk, "Okay, let me tell you something sugar...."
She tugs on my hands and I lean forward as if I was listening to something top secret. Scarlette smelt of nicotene, roses, kool-aid and sex. It was honestly an aesthetic.
"I don't know what the tea is in this situation, but I can tell both of you have tender, bleeding hearts." Scarlette starts as she whispers to me quietly as if talking normally could be heard over the already rowdy holding cell, "Sometimes, you just have to forget what you think and feel and just remember what you deserve. And from we're I'm standing, girl, both of you deserve to know love."
I sat there in silence, staring at Scarlette in utter shock. There she was, a beautiful and wise woman giving me adivce. How the fuck did I get so lucky? I'm serious, did I save a whole damn country in my past life or something?
That would be a fucking shock because I swear I was some type of rock in my past life.
"Unfinished business is the best type of business in my opinion. So don't let it become finish, don't close the book on whatever you and him have. Take that piece of fine ass and never let go before he forgets he's even holding on." Scarlett says as she finishes my last nail, "My god. Absolutely sickening!"
I can't help but chuckle as I stare down at my nails as Scarlette starts to lightly blow on them.
"Jones, O'Conner, Everett and Richards." Officer Jacobs announces as he steps up up to the cell bars, the keys in his hand hitting the metal as he unlocks the door, "You're free to go."
"What the fuck! That's not fair!" One of the bruised guys from the other vehicle protests as his friends all start joining in.
I giggle as I hold both freshly painted middle fingers up at them, "That sucks, doesn't it."
David walks in front of the bars smiling at us as Officer Jacobs slides open the door of the holding cell. I stand up onto the sandy concrete floor as Levi's t-shirt falls down to my thighs. Emily was drowning in the material of Chase's shirt.
She basically ripped it out of my hands, blaming it on the fact that the material of Levi's shirt made her itch. And Noah wasn't wearing a shirt in the first place.
"David!" Noah yells as he throws both arms up above his head with a large grin on his face. Scarlette stands up next to me, towering above me at her very impressive 6'4 height. She gives me a quick hug before both Noah and I go around the cell saying our goodbyes to everyone.
I gave them all the number for my lawyer and just told them to give him my name, that way it would be cheaper.
I'll tell Xavier later.
We were the last two to leave the holding cell. When we walk out, Noah throws his arms around David who was chuckling at him. I fold my arms as I glance out of the corner of my eye to see Emily clinging to Chase, having her hands wrapped around Chase's bicep.
Her nose was still a lovely shade of violet.
Chase's eyes meet mine and I instantly look away. No, I won't let this effect me. I'm okay with it. One hundred percent okay. Okay, okay, okayokayokayoka—
Mentally chanting it is not going to make it fucking real.
I shut my subconscious up and follow the rest of the group out of the Holden Bay Police precinct. Noah and I stop at the reception desk on the way out and ask for our mugshots. We were apparently suppose to fill out a couple forms but Officer Jacobs was so done with our bullshit and wanted us out.
So with a print out of our mugshots in hand, Noah and I skip out of the building gleefully.
On the way home, David retells what Officer Jacobs had said to him. Initially, David had come to bail us out. But by the time he had arrived, the guys from the other car had confessed to chasing us and causing the entire ordeal. It was the two dudes on the way to the hospital; they were too drugged up to even realise what they were saying.
We make a pit stop on the way to drop Emily off at home. We were waiting in her driveway as Chase walks her up to the door.
"Her nose honestly looks like what I picture Barney's amputated tail to look like." Noah chuckles as he sits in the front seat.
"Shh!" I say as I wrap my hands around the seat and put both hands over his mouth as I try to her what they were saying. They were standing outside her door, facing each other but I couldn't hear shit.
"We're right here Hayden. I literally just need a match." Levi whispers to me as I shake my head silently at him.
David adjusts his sitting in the drivers seat, "Yeah....I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that."
Emily steps forward to Chase and I suck in a sharp breath.
She perks up on her toes and presses her lips to Chase's cheek. I'm kinda relieved but still not entirely. She then smiles at him, waves and steps into her house.
Noah licks my hand and I instantly react.
"Ew! Fuck you, Noah." I shout as Chase turn ands glances at the car to see me furiously wiping my hands on the back of Noah's headrest.
"Is it just me or was that super awkward?" Noah whispers as Chase nears the car. When he does, he opens the door on my side and I slide onto the middle bench. Chase takes his seat before we all sit in the darkness and silence for a few minutes before Noah says, "So...."
"Did you guys just watch that?" Chase questions sheepishly, his eyes mainly focused on my answer.
"Who do you think we are? Of course we did." Noah chuckles from the front seat, "Very middle-school dance of you, Chasey."
Chase chuckles as he buckles himself in, "Oh fuck off."
We all laugh at him, the awkwardness now dissipated and David turns on the ignition.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The next morning, apparently all of Holden Bay had heart about our arrest. The neighbors were coming over, asking if everything was alright, if we were alright, all that bullshit. I had almost forgotten how small this town truly was.
After breakfast, we were all going to hit the beach one more time but I was still half asleep and slightly hung over from the entire bottle of champagne Noah and I demolished last night at 2am. We were the only ones awake but we made our own party outside on the sand.
Which is exactly where Noah woke up this morning. I at least made it to the sun bed on the porch.
I tried taking a cold shower to wake me up, but that only lasted about 2 minutes before I turned it up to my usually temperature that even hell would be fucking jealous off.
"Sam tried to call me last night." Vera explains from where she stood at the vanity, doing her morning skin scare routine. It was too many steps but it made her skin look so damn good. If only I wasn't so fuking lazy. Ugh.
"Really?" I ask from inside the shwoer cubicle. It was made of glass, but the intense heat of the water made it fog up so I was slightly obscured. I wouldn'tve cared anyway. Vera and I were too close for it to be weird anymore.
As fucking gross as it sounds, once you clean up each other's vomit and piss from a wild out night, there's no turning back. It's just facts.
Vera hums while patting her face, "Yup."
"Well did you answer it?" I question as I smooth the loofa over my skin, leaving a a trail of soap suds in it's wake. I had to raise my voice slightly because of the heavenly water pressure.
"Fuck no." Vera scoffs, "Once I saw the caller ID, I yeeted that bitch out the window in fright. Which reminds me, I need a new phone."
I chuckle to myself, "Of course you do."
"I miss him so fucking much!" Vera groans as I wipe my hand across the steamed glass to see her clutching the vanity, "But I don't want to ruin his life. It's a fucking good life with a fucking good plan and this baby will destroy all of that."
My hypocritical ass had no damn right in giving advice.
"I don't know, maybe I'll see a little clearer when this thing is finally out of me." Vera groans as she runs her fingers through her dark curls, "Okay. Are you going to be fine here, all on your own my love?"
"I'm a big girl, of course I will be." I smile at her through the less foggy portion of the glass. Vera smiles before packing up her skin care, saying good bye and leaving me to finish cleaning myself.
I stay in the shower for a little more than expceted, mostly because I fell asleep, but eventually I get out and dry myself. I pull on a XXL faded blue t-shirt over my body and nothing else, wanting to be free for the first couple hours.
I quickly towel dry my air before leaving it to drip down my back and I quietly leave the bathroom. I was humming a song as I walk down the quiet hall of the upstairs, only to hear a low creek coming from one of the rooms. I notice a shadow moving under one of the doors and my heart beat picks up.
Oh fuck. I'm hungover and basically naked. Not the best circumstance to have to fight off burglars but then again, not the worst.
I pick up Michael's old tennis racket from the hall cupboard and as quiet as possible, make my way to the room. I grab onto the door handle as I ready myself for the fight of my life. I've never played tennis before, but maybe that's a good thing.
I'll just fucking swing aimlessly and just hope to hell that it hits someone.
I count down in my head before turning the handle, push the door in and let out a battle scream. I run in screaming with the racket held high over my head.
"What the fuck?" He shouts as I run straight into him and we both go tumbling onto the bed. He lands ontop of me and with my hands still clutching the racket above my head, I stare into his hazel eyes. "Jones?"
"Everett?" I question with a frown, "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Uh, I'm staying here for the next two months?" Chase questions back with an equally confused frown. He then sighs, "Shit, don't tell me you actually concussed yourself last night."
He then proceeds to start feeling my skull for any bumps or indents.
"I didn't fucking concuss myself," I shake my head of his hand, "I thought you went to the beach."
"I thought you went to the beach!" Chase replies as we scream at each other.
I exclaim loudly, "I fucking announced it at breakfast!"
"I announced it at breakfast that I wasn't going. Were you even fucking awake?" Chase asks as he eyes narrow. We turn to silence as we glare into the other's eyes. I feel Chase's hand on my waist and he lies on top of me and between my legs
Then suddenly, Chase's face is swooping down and his lips meet mine. I drop the radket instantly, hearing it slide off the bed and onto the wooden floor below. I bring my legs up and wrap them around Chase's waist as we begin our hasty and sloppy make out.
I run my hands through his hair as his hand quickly find their way under my shirt and grip onto the skin and fat of my hips.
Eventually we move like that, getting use to each other's bodies once more before our toungues begin to battle for dominance. I was too busy enjoying the high of lust that I forgot what we were even doing. The second I was brought back to earth, I push him back.
"Wait!" I say as we both stare at each other with laboured breathing, "Before we go further, I want to get one thing clear.'
Chase sighs, frustrated as hell, "Fuck Jones, now you want to talk?"
"If we're going to do this—if we're going to keep doing this, I want no strings attached okay?" I question as I see something flash in Chase's eyes, "We can be like exes with benefits."
Chase remains silent but I could feel his anger rolling off him in waves. Fuck yes. I loved angry Chase.
I press further, "Okay?"
"If I say okay can I fuck you now?" Chase questions and I nod furiously. Chase joins in on my nodding as his hips near mine, "Fuck yes, okay."
His lips then clash against mine once more as a silent, passionate agreement to our deal. Well I'll be damned. Hannah Montanna was right. I do be really getting the best of both worlds.
This way I can have Chase but not have him at the same time. We can be together without me destroying his plan for the future. He can still have his glorious future that he's been working so damn hard for. Just without me, I guess.
ahaha
i know i've been gone for a while but here's another update. not sure when the next one will be but hopefully soon.
also, i know hayden's frustrating but i truly believe in character arcs. she's not going to know everything about a proper relationship because one: she's never had one before and two: no one else really fucking knows
so please stick this story out with me
i promise you won't be disappointed. or well, i hope you won't be.
thank you if you've stayed this long. i love you :)