Someone's fingers in my hair woke me up as I opened my eyes and looked up to see Hayes with his head resting back on the coach, eyes closed, and a faint whistle coming from his parted lips. A smile formed on my lips and his fingers kept stroking my hair.
"I can feel you staring at me." He smiled and opened his eyes.
"Sorry." I laughed and poked his cheek.
"Stop apologizing." He smiled and my cheeks heated, turning away.
"You're blushing."
"I know." I looked back up at him swiftly, my hair falling in my face. His fingers moved the strands away and circled around my face to my chin, holding a small grip on it.
"You're so beautiful." He said as if he meant to say it for me not to hear. As if he meant to say it to himself. As if he meant for his own thoughts.
"Shut up." I rolled my eyes and turned away.
"Why don't you see it?"
"I don't know, I've just never been as pretty or as skinny as my friends."
"That's not true. Rose, you're not fat. You're perfect. And you've got the most beautiful eyes and...God...I just can't stop looking at you." And for once, I believed him. For the first time, I believed I was beautiful. People have told me I'm pretty, but this is the first time I feel pretty. It matters more to me when I hear it from him.
"I'm so lucky." I smiled in response to his statement.
"Hey, I just remembered. There's this birthday party for my friend, Bryce, and I wanted to ask if you would like to come with me. You don't have to if you don't want to. I totally get it if you don't-"
"Hayes!" I laughed and he took a breath.
"I'd love to go with you." I sat up, then slouched in an upright position, taking a handful of barbecue chips in the bowl on the table. I heard a small laugh and I turned next to me with so many chips in my mouth, the crumbs were pouring out.
"What?" I managed to say through the barbecue flavors.
"Nothing," he pulled me in under his shoulder," nothing at all."
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I was genuinely excited about it the party, but when Hayes told me it was tonight, I smacked him and bolted home. He should know by now that I stall when I get ready, it's not that I take a lot of time, I could be ready in 5 minutes, but I go on my phone and listen to music then end up dancing like a fool. So it takes me a while to stay on task.
I had just put on a gray women's t shirt and a pair of white shorts because I was feeling lazy. Hayes texted me saying he was outside, I went downstairs and told my mom I was leaving, she questioned where, I answered, she almost wouldn't let me leave but that's typically what she does. But she let me go anyway.
"I like that Hayes friend of yours." I managed to hear before I shut the door.
"Hey." He smiled.
"Hi." I ascended down the stairs and walked up to him, placing my phone in my back pocket.
"Ready to go?" I asked, raising my shoulders.
"Just one sec." He took a deep breath before standing behind me. I felt a cold metal hit my neck and I picked up the charm. It had a small "R" on it.
"Hayes, you didn't buy this-"
"It was Nila's. Her maiden name was Robinson, she wanted me to give it to you." I smiled and reached up and hugged him.
"It's beautiful," we released," thank you."
"Shall we go?" He mimickingly held out his elbow and I hooked it with my arm.
"We shall."
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We arrived at Bryce's. Lots of faces I didn't recognize were here. A lot of older kids too. I immediately felt self-conscious and I started to stand behind Hayes, wanting to hide.
"Hey." He said taking my hand and pulling me around to face him.
"We can leave if you're uncomfortable, Rose. I'm perfectly fine with not staying if it puts you in an awkward decision." His hands on my cheeks as I placed mine over them. He kissed my forehead after I nodded.
"Woah! Hayes! Who's this?" An older male came up to us. I took Hayes's hand again and slightly stood behind him.
"Noah, this is Rose, my girlfriend." I tensed up, Hayes squeezed my hand to calm me down but it didn't work.
Why would he say that?!
"Nice," he directed at Hayes,"Hi, I'm Noah, nice to meet you." I released Hayes' hand and shook Noah's.
"Noah, can you excuse us for a moment." Hayes stated.
Good because I'm gonna whip your ass, Grier.
Hayes tugged me outside to the giant front yard and stopped around a group of people. But I tugged him farther, that way I could yell at him. Finally, I turned around, having a great distance between us.
"Okay, what the hell?"
"I'm sorry! But Noah is a creep and if I hadn't said you were my girlfriend he would've, like, I don't even know but it would've been bad!" He stressed.
"Okay! One time. This one time! But if you go around telling people that we're dating, I'll-I'll-" Hayes rushed up to me, grabbed my hands, cutting me off and calming me down.
"You'll what?"
"I don't know." I slumped my back against the tree.
"Hayes I'm confused." I looked up at him.
"I know you like me." I stated.
"And I know you like me." He stated.
"So what're we doing..." I complained.
"Before, we weren't doing anything. But now we're doing something. We're talking about it, Rose. And please let me go first." I nodded.
"I like you, Rose. A lot. So much, that it hurts when you're away. I like you so much that the second you walk away, my first thought is you. You. You when we're together. You when you're sleeping. You when you're laughing. You when you're smiling. You when you're crying. Rose it's you. And I may be crazy. But I'm crazy about you." He sighed and I stared into his blue eyes. The blue eyes that were filled with hope.
Me.
"You're such a dork." I smiled.
"A cute dork?" I nodded and he leaned in so close.
He couldn't have leaned in faster. His lips touched mine again and that feeling in my stomach happened again. But I heard faint singing from the house.
"Mm Hayes." I mumbled.
"What." He pulled away searching in my eyes.
"They're singing happy birthday."
"I don't care." He smiled and rested his forehead on mine, having to tilt his.
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--I hate him
-d
