Tell Me It's Okay // Haylex

twenty two ✿ cop car

A month later, and summer was coming to an end. A lot had happened; some of it very hard to believe. Hayley had helped us get into this studio and get a producer, which was great. But she was back in Tennessee, along with Taylor and Jeremy.

I'd found an engagement ring about a week after our engagement. It felt right that I'd found it and she didn't pick it out. I think that's what made us both fall in love with it.

Tay still lived at our house. Her and Jack were kind of a thing now. It made me happy. Those two were a lot alike, and they clicked. She moved into his room, which opened up our living room again. She never mentioned any of our one night stands again.

As far as the studio stuff, we had a name for our album. So Wrong It's Right with 12 songs all named and ready to record. It was so weird to be back in the studio, and doing these things. We had a projected release date, and were going to be deciding on an album cover soon. Then the pre-orders would be put up for sale. In a couple weeks we'd get to announce our first tour since the breakup. It was all going so fast.

I used video chat a lot to talk to Hayley. Paramore was working on an EP. It was the first music put out since they parted ways with some of their other band mates. She wouldn't tell me a lot about it. She said I'd get to hear them soon enough.

Our first tour was going to be with Paramore. It was going to be us and one other band. We weren't officially told who the other band was going to be. I was thinking We Are The In Crowd, Tay's band, but I didn't know for sure.

They were still playing a couple shows around. Sometimes we'd come home from the studio and Tay would be gone. She'd leave a sticky note saying that she'd gone and she'd be back by two am.

We'd leave the door unlocked, and we would all kind of wait around for her. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I did care about her. Even more so when her and Jack got together. But sometimes it would get to be two-thirty or three, and we'd start going to bed slowly. I'd usually stay up with Jack until three, if she'd been out that late. But after three, I'd go to bed. I'd try to convince him to, too, but he wouldn't leave without her.

"I'm gonna stay up just a few more minutes," he'd say. "I wanna make sure she's alright."

I couldn't argue because I would have done the same thing for Hayley.

One night it was four, and Jack came to wake me up. I'd only gotten about an hour of sleep, and I felt terrible.

"It's four and she's not answering her phone and she's not home, Alex, what do I do," he asked. There was so much concern and panic in his voice. I tried to think as I sat myself up.

"Do you have any of her band mates' numbers," I asked. He shook his head. "What did her note say exactly?"

Jack left to go to his room. He came back with the note, and handed it to me. He also had Tay's phone in his hand. He went through her contacts, and called Jordan.

"Hey, it's Jack. Do you know where Tay is," he asked. I read the note as he waited for a response. "Okay, thank you."

"What," I asked. Jack put both phones in his pocket, and then started out of the room. I pulled the covers off, and followed him. He was putting on his shoes.

"They're at a bar downtown. He hasn't seen Tay in hours, though," Jack said. I put on my shoes too, and then we started out to the car.

Jack drove, and I sat in the passenger seat. It was lightly raining and the night was cool. The streetlights came and went, and it felt like we were moving way too fast. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window.

I started thinking back to the time I rushed off to help Lisa. She'd called and texted so much, I knew something was wrong. I even left Hayley to go help her. That was the last time I'd seen Lisa alive.

What if I hadn't gone? Would she have stayed the night somewhere else? Would she have had more time to figure out Blair's motives? Did I just bring her to her death?

The car slid as Jack slammed on the brakes. He looked left, right, and left again, and then continued on. Did I actually love Hayley, or was I just convincing myself that I loved her? I kept going out of my way to help these other girls. Hell, I even went to jail for Lisa.

"What are you thinking about," Jack asked. He made a sharp right turn, and we both leaned too far. He was pressed against the door.

"Are you in love with someone," I asked. It kind of answered his question. He didn't say anything about it not.

"I think I might be with Tay. I mean, look at me," He said, and laughed a little bit. I thought he was a little sleep deprived though. We all were.

"Do you think I'm in love with Hayley," I asked. Jack parked the car on the side of the street. He turned the car off, and looked at me.

"I can't answer that. You've gotta figure out," he said. He looked behind him, and then got out of the car. I got out as well, and we went inside. I found Jordan first, so we went to him.

The music pounding through the place made it impossible to hear anyone. I followed Jack around, looking at everything I could. I got Jack's attention as we passed the bathroom. I pointed to the ladies room, but I wasn't sure he wanted to go in.

I went in first, and held the door. Jack followed behind. "Tay," Jack yelled. After we got no response, I yelled too. Nothing. We went into the guys room next. Still nothing.

We looked in all the corners, and all the backstage areas. We did find a back door that the bands usually used to load up equipment. We went out there, and found a couple guys huddled around.

"Hey! What's going on back here," Jack asked. He saw something I didn't. Tay was crouched on the ground, covering her face with her arms. There was some blood on the ground around her.

The guys knew that we probably couldn't take them. They taunted us, and one of them grabbed Tay by the arm. He pulled her, making her stand up. He pushed her hair out of her face, and leaned to kiss her cheek. That was it.

I didn't even think about it, I just walked right up there and punched the guy in the face. As soon as his hand left Tay's arm, she took off running. Jack glanced at me, and I kept looking at the guy.

"Whoa," Jack said. I turned around and looked at Jack. I didn't really know what to do next. The door opened, and we all looked up.

"Freeze," came a demanding voice. The only thing running through my mind was, I was going to get in trouble for another girl.

Jack tried to explain what had happened, but the other guys were witnesses as well. And with Tay gone, there was no proof that they had hurt anyone. It just looked like a good 'ol bar fight.

So, I was sat in the back of a cop car. Again. I thought about who to call for my one call. Hayley was in Tennessee, so she wasn't much help. My parents had moved to England years ago. Jack already knew, so he could tell the other guys.

But when I was standing in front of that old phone, I could only think of one number. I dialed it, and waited for the ringing. I knew it was really early in the morning. They might not even answer. But they did.

"Hello," came a groggy voice. It was one I knew so well. I loved that voice.

"Hey, um, this going to sound really bad. I got arrested again, but that's not the most important thing. I have a lot I need to tell you, and I need you to fly out here right now. Hayley, I need you to listen to everything I'm saying right now. Buy a plane ticket to get here now, and then also get one to leave tonight. You won't want to stick around long," I said. I kept the line open just long enough to make sure she understood everything. When she tried to ask questions, I hung up. And then I was brought to the holding cell.