What's Yours Is Mine

Chapter Sixteen-Hayley

A/N: Hi everyone! This is a slightly shorter chapter as I'm on holiday at the moment. I hope you all enjoy this chapter it's a little less dramatic then the previous ones but it's very important for Hayley's character. I wanted to show how much she's changed from the beginning. Anyway thanks for all the ongoing support your all amazing and I'm so so greatful!
Lots of love,
Eliza xx
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"When I was young and moving fast nothing slowed me down."

It's exam week. I don't know how it happened but somehow I have managed to thoroughly prepare myself. I've revised every minute of every day, with Aaron's help. He's proved to be a great influence on me. Before last week I was really worried about sitting these tests but Aaron made studying fun.

Aaron and Lydia came over last night, fuelled by red bull and pizza we studied well into the early hours. I'm actually excited, I know I'm going to do well. There is no way I can fail. I've learned every quote, every study, every theory from every textbook I own. I feel like an A-level encyclopaedia.

My mum kisses me goodbye, "Good luck love." Aaron's waiting for me outside, perched on his bike. He does his usual goofy wave to my mum as I hop on board. "Nervous?" I ask, slipping my arms around his waist. "Not one bit." He replied confidently. "Me either," I add.

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Lydia is jittery, she's jumping from foot to foot. Our English class has formed an orderly cue outside the drama theatre. Some people are going over notes, others quietly talk to themselves. I prefer to wait in silence and just clear my brain, however; with Lydia fidgeting beside me it's proving difficult. "Lyd! Would you calm down." I scold, she looks at me apologetically her face so pale it's grey.

"Sorry!" The nerves shake her voice. I pat her shoulder reassuringly, "you'll be fine, I promise." She smiles but I think my words go in one ear and out the other because she's still not standing still. I try and blank her out and focus on myself but it's hard to do. I spot charlotte near the front of the line, she's clutching her notepad hands quivering.

Usually, I would be with her, we would both stand in silence and quietly reassure each other. Charlotte is a confident girl, she believes in her own intelligence meaning she never feels the need to revise. She's always managed to scrape by, her exam results were never bad but they weren't great either. If she put her mind to it she could do really well. It's a shame, but it's not my problem anymore.

They call our names one by one and give us our seat numbers. The anticipation is killing me, I just want the paper in front of me. I can't wait to devour it. This is what I'm good at, this is the one thing I am confident about. I get A's, it's what I do.

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Three exams are done and dusted, and I couldn't be happier. I know I did amazingly. There wasn't a question I couldn't answer on any of the tests, I wrote so much I had to ask for an extra answer booklet. I relayed everything I wrote on my English paper to Mr Price and he said there was no way I'd get any less than A.

I'm so proud of myself. I've been distracted for so long I let my studying slip and I forgot how important my grades were to me. Thank god I pulled it out the bag in the last minutes. It's all thanks to Aaron, I think I owe him my future.

"Seriously if it wasn't for you helping me with psychology I would have failed." I hug Aaron tightly. He laughs, "Hayley your a smart girl." Still, I hang on to him tightly and he eventually puts his arms around me. "You know we're in public right?" He whispers in my ear. I'm not sure if he's aware that he's stuck a knife in my chest.

It's not like Aaron to make digs, but I get the feeling that's what he's doing. Ever since I officially broke things off with Ryan I've been spending almost every waking minute with Aaron. Our relationship is no longer strictly platonic. I love spending time with Aaron but I just don't know if I want a relationship right now.