Gilinsky Girl

Chapter 36

"Hey, Chris, do you want to meet Will?" Nash calls.

I stand up from where I was previously sitting in Hayes's room and walk downstairs. "Yeah!"

Hayes jumps up and grabs my hand to pull me behind him down the stairs.

He stops at a man who I am assuming is Will, but I have to crane my neck to see his face.

Will smiles and holds out his hand, so I shake it.

"You must be Chrissa. Hayes already told me all about you and described every last detail," He explains.

Hayes looks down, his cheeks turning a bit red.

I grin. "Hi Will! It's nice to meet you!"

He squints. "Jack Gilinsky's sister, hm? I can see the resemblance, but you definitely act different."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I laugh.

Hayes looks up and smiles. "It is, Chris. Come on, I'm going to show you around the neighborhood.

I wave goodbye to Will as Hayes grabs my hand and pulls me out the front door.

-----------

I wake up and look at my calendar. June 17th. I'd been here for a total of two weeks.

My phone buzzes, so I pick it up and smile at what I see.

Shawn- Hey Chrissy, just checking up to see how things are going

Just as I began typing back, Hayes walked in with a cheerful look on his face. "Who are you texting?"

"Shawn," I chirp happily. "Its been awhile since...." I trail off when Hayes's smile transforms into a stormy expression.

"Shawn again?" He demands. "Why are you always talking to Shawn?"

"He's my best fr-" I start to defend myself.

He cuts me off rudely. "Don't give me that bullshit! I know you like him!"

My eyebrows knit. "No I don't, Hayes, why are you so mad about me texting him?"

"Because he's trying to steal you!" He fires back, his voice raising a bit.

"I'm not an object!" I argue, beginning to get angry. "You don't own me!"

Hayes ignores what I said and steps forward. "You can't text him anymore."

I raise my eyebrows. "You can't tell me not to text my own best friend, Benjamin..."

"YES I CAN!" He yells.

Thank the heavens above, Nash runs in to see what's going on. "What's happening?"

"He went all apeshit because I was texting Shawn!" I explain, stepping back from Hayes. As brave as I can ask, he scares me when he's mad.

Nash glares at his little brother, and pulls him out of the room.

I never knew Hayes could be like that... I don't think I want to deal with him if he is going to be like that.

Finalizing my decision, I send a text to my brother.

To: Brotha
From: Chrissa
Hey, I need to catch the next flight home.

I pack up my bags quickly and scribble down a note.

Dear Griers/Floyds,
I am really sorry about leaving so suddenly and without warning. I know it seems a little extreme to just pack up and leave, but it seems to be the best decision for me at the moment. Don't worry about me, by the time you get this I could be on a flight home.
Nash: You're practically my bestie! Don't stay mad at Hayes, ok? I love you and I'll see you at magcon
Elizabeth: thanks so much for having me here! It was really nice and I am very grateful
Will: it was great meeting you! You're super cool and I hope to see you again sometime
Skylynn: don't forget, you're my favorite princess!
Hayes: I'm not mad at you, we're not over, but just text me when you've decided to calm down and talk like civilized people.
Much love,
Chrissa

I tape the note to the mirror above the dresser, and climb out of the thankfully large, first story window.

While I walk towards a place where I can hail a cab. my phone buzzes.

From: Brotha
Chris! What happened? None of us are home! JJ and I are in LA for the week and Sammy is visiting some relatives in Florida. Can you possibly stay?

To: Brotha
No, I don't think I can. Ill figure something out, don't worry.

As if on cue, my phone starts ringing. Shawn's caller ID pops up.

"Hey Shawn," I sigh as I answer, sounding more upset than I meant to.

"Hey Chris! What's wrong?" He asks, concern lacing his voice.

Without hesitating, I sit down on a bench by a bus stop and spill everything.

"Oh, wow.. um... I'll be right back! Stay there!" He orders.

I stand up from the bench and examine the buses. Bus C will take me to downtown where I can get a cab, so I will have to wait for that one.

"Good news Chrissy!" Shawn's voice startles me.

"Is there Shawn? Is there really?" I ask monotone.

"Yeah!" He chirps. "Book a flight to Toronto, you're staying with me until magcon."

I gasp. "Shawn, really? Are you sure? I mean I could just go to LA where my brother is..."

"No no no! You're staying with me and that's final! I have to go, so I'll see you later!" He hangs up before o can argue, right as my bus pulls up.

A smile forms on my face. Sure, staying with Shawn will definitely make the Hayes situation worse, but I don't exactly have any better options.

I contemplate everything I could be doing instead, and book a ticket to Toronto from my phone while on the bus. After that, I get a cab to take me to the airport.

My flight doesn't leave for another hour, so after going through security, I decide to look around for something to eat.

As much as I tried to avoid it, I end up going into Starbucks and sitting in a booth.

I pull out my phone and see several missed calls from Jack and a lot of texts. I dial his number and listen to the rings.

"Chrissa? What the fuck happened?" He demands as soon as he answers the phone.

"Oh, well..." I retell the entire story, including the part about staying with Shawn.

"Thank goodness you at least have somewhere to stay," He sighs. "Im going to kill Hayes, though."

"Don't even bring it up," I warn him. "It's not worth it. My flight is in 10 minutes, so I should probably go, but I'll text you, okay?"

He groans. "Okay, I love you, bye."

I hang up the phone and shove it into my pocket, walking towards the gates.

The only thing going through my mind is: What the hell happened today?

How did I end up getting in a fight with Hayes first thing in the morning, then going to stay with the person we were fighting about while my older brother is across the country completely clueless? Do things like that happen to other people, or is it really just me?

"Flight 564! First call for Flight 564!"

Sighing, I walk towards the gates. I'll just have to suck it up and forget about Hayes for awhile. Besides, now I get to see my best friend again!