An Exchange

Chapter Sixty-Eight - Two Years

Giles

The car ride home was very quiet. None of us said much, just a comment here or there. The next few weeks seemed far too quiet without Hailey. I missed her smile and her laugh, and I began to feel like the time leading up to my check-in at the MTC was far too long.

Jonas took her departure the hardest though. I hadn't realized how much he loved having her around until one day he asked, "Why am I so lonely all the time?"

I glanced at him as he stuffed his face with the left over ice cream from a scout activity. "She'll be back."

He tried to smile, but I didn't miss the tears in his eyes.

During the summer break, I did see Ryan going to church. He avoided me as much as he could, blaming me for Hailey leaving him. When August came, he left for college and I lost track of him. I never really saw him play football either. He was a freshman after all, so didn't get much field time.

Jonas went back to school in August, and I struggled to burn time for the last month. With only a part time job, I had way too much free time. That last month was when I missed Hailey the most. I would talk to her on the phone, and it was fun to hear her accent getting thicker and heavier again, but when we hung up, I always felt lonely for several hours afterward.

Finally I left for my mission. Saying goodbye to my parents and sisters was just as hard, probably more so, than Hailey leaving. But I'd worked my whole life toward this moment, these two years. There was no way I'd waste them.

*

January 2006

Hailey

YSA dances were definitely different to the one I attended with Giles. But I promised to put myself out there, so I never missed one.

The cultural hall was packed as I shuffled from my friends toward the exit. A few guys looked at me as I passed. I smiled, but they looked away. Dating hadn't really taken off for me, in that I hadn't gone on any dates at all. I'd met new guys, chatted with them, but nothing ever came of it.

As I passed into the mostly empty cark park, I slipped my car key from my cleavage.

"Hailey!"

I swung around, smiling as one of my friends approached. "I want you to meet someone."

"Okay." I motioned toward my car. "I just need a second."

"He's cute I promise." She winked and hurried away.

A he. Okay.

I slipped into my car and grabbed my phone to see the time. Instead I found six missed calls from Ryan. I frowned. It had to be around four in the morning for him. Maybe he was sick? Whatever it was, I was worried. I checked the balance on my phone and called him.

"Penny!" he practically yelled.

"Hailey." I pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Oh yeah." He let out a long sigh. "I miss you so much."

"Ryan, are you drunk?"

"What?" He scoffed. "Hey, hang up and I'll call you back so I'm paying for this."

"Okay?"

"Okay!"

He hung up. I stared at my phone. By his slur ad weird conversation, he had to be drunk. My phone lit up so I answered.

"Hailey." Ryan's voice came though heavily. "Why are you going to college there? You're supposed to come here, remember?"

"Ryan." I shook my head. We'd discussed this several times. I told him I'd feel like I was leading him on if I went over. He always laughed it off.