The Alliance

Chapter 18

A/N

Excited for this chapter! It's an extra long one; about 4000 words!!!

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I went to sleep next to Alisha but kept on waking up every hour, so at 6:00am I decided that I wasn't going to sleep anymore, and decided to try to figure out a way home.

I went downstairs to get some milk. It felt weird to be in a kitchen in the early morning. I wanted to scream, mostly about where their cups were in the millions of cupboards they had. I finally found some thoughts, and quietly got milk, but before I could take a sip I gasped when I saw a figure in the hallway.

The figure turned on another light, showing that the figure was actually Hayden, and he was holding his phone as a flashlight. I release my breath and inhale and exhale again to calm my heart down.

"Sorry," He apologies, "Didn't mean to scare you," His voice is raspy from sleep, and he's wearing a dark blue hoodie and black sweatpants.

I don't tell him that him solely being a guy scares me. Which is incredibly sexist, but I can't help it.

He sets his phone on the island, so the light is facing toward the ceiling, illuminating me and Hayden. I take a sip of milk, enjoying the coolness going down my throat.

"I didn't tell Alisha about us," Hayden says abruptly.

"What?" I whisper, going closer to him so I don't wake up his mom or Alisha.

"You were high and asked if I told Alisha about us," He clarifies, "And I'm just letting you know that I didn't,"

"Oh," I say softly.

He rolls his eyes, "What if I did tell her?"

"What exactly would you tell her, Hayden?" I ask, taking a deep breath.

He looks at me, and I feel all the air leave my lungs, "I'd tell her the truth,"

"Okay, well, don't do that. I don't know what Alisha will think. She's my best friend," I almost add that there's nothing to tell but decide against it.

"Yeah, best friend," He shakes his head, "You said the same thing about Fay? What, you got bored of her? Did you leave her too? Just like you're going to leave Ali?" He asks, and I swallow, looking at the glass in my hand.

"Fuck," He mutters, "You always come at the wrong time," He says quietly, and I don't think he wanted me to hear him. He runs his tattooed hand through his dark hair, leaving it messy.

"What?"

He exhaled, "Nothing," He dismisses, "Don't leave Ali. Ever," He doesn't say anything for a minute, and I wonder if he wants me to say something when he says, "Why didn't you text me, Ava?"

I don't answer because I don't have an answer. Because there's nothing I can say to make him feel better. Nothing true, at least.

I can't be honest about him with that night. I won't ever be able to look into his eyes and tell him. Even if he stays mad at me forever, I'd rather have that then him treating me differently.

"You owe me a fucking explanation, Ava," He demands, and I take a step back at his change in voice, that fear coming back.

"Yeah, run away, the only time you don't is when your high and need a ride," He mutters, taking a sip of his drink.

Ignoring the hurt in my heart from his words, I stifle a laugh when I realize his drink is Kool-aid.

"What?" He grumbles.