𝐔𝐏𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 ❥ 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞

𝖥𝖮𝖴𝖱𝖳𝖤𝖤𝖭

                                     𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐗𝐈𝐕

               𝗂𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗂𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀

___________________________________

𝑻here are special days in your life when everything is perfect. Like a rainy day when you cosy up in a bed with your favorite classic book, or when you're taking a walk down the street, holding your lover's hand.

Johnny was finally able to walk through the front door since Mr. Baker had left for work—one could only hope it would last for months.

  The events after Mrs. Baker learned the truth melded perfectly with the weeks. First Hailey's friends found out. Then, the local gossip, Mary Collins found out, and soon after the whole school knew.

  While Hailey should've been terrified of the backlash awaiting her that coming Monday, she wasn't.

  She was too busy spending every waking moment with Johnny, doing anything and everything they possibly could.

  "You don't have to throw away your hours with me, doll." Johnny whispered one night.

  Hailey replied. "But simple things like this are so beautiful, and important, and enchanting. My hours could never be wasted with you."

  Johnny took one look at Hailey Baker and his heart swelled. And when the silence engulfed them Hailey took a deep breath.

"Do you believe that I love you?" That was the first time either had ever uttered the word "love" to one another. Johnny didn't even hesitate for a second, saying, "yes. Yes, I believe that you love me."

That was the moment another love sprouted and bloomed up and into the earth.

That was the moment Hailey Baker knew she loved Johnny Cade.

It was also the moment Johnny Cade knew he loved Hailey Baker.

  Suddenly she didn't want to do anything but lay beside him and memorize everything about him. She wanted to remember everything as if they had limited time.

  She noticed the way he hummed to himself when he was content.

  She saw how he looked at the floor when he was hurt.

  She watched the way he held back a laugh when all he wanted to do was let it out.

  She studied how he smiled whenever he blushed.

  Hailey memorized it all.

And it soon came in handy.

__

  It had been a blissful month for Hailey where she was fully and truly in love. She was blinded from the news of her father's homecoming, and that was truly a mistake.

  "...and we'll travel the world, wherever you'd like to go." Hailey promised as she lay beside her lover.

  Johnny simply smiled as he heard her sweet promises. To know that he had a future out of Tulsa with Hailey made him the happiest person in the world.

  "I will not be made a fool in my own home!"

"This is hardly your home, you're never around!"

Hailey immediately turned to her door at the sound of her father's voice. He wasn't supposed to be home for another month, so what was he doing in the parlor?

"Oh, shit." Hailey muttered, turning back to Johnny.

The door swung open and revealed a fuming Mr. Baker, who was heading towards Johnny. "While I'm busting my ass making money for this family you're here fraternizing with trash." He spat.

Hailey's face got hot as she racked her brain for a response.

"I had to here about this whole affair from Mr. Valence!" Mr. Baker shouted. "Do you know how embarrassing that is!?"

Johnny practically shrunk under the yelling and stare from Hailey's father. Hailey noticed almost instantly as she felt him tremble beside her.

She quickly stood up. "Father, you're scaring him."

"I don't give a damn." He responded. "A boy of his age shouldn't be as timid as this."

Hailey practically exploded at those words, coming to Johnny's defense. "And a man of your age shouldn't be as abusive and hateful." She shot back.

Then came the slap.

A sharp sting came across Hailey's cheeks and tears welled in her eyes. Everyone stood still. Time in the Baker household stood still.

Johnny's eyes widened. Hailey stared straight ahead, holding back a sob, Mrs. Baker backed away, and Mr. Baker stared at his hand in disbelief—he had never hit Hailey. Not once.

"I'm sorry, Hailey." He whispered.

"Screw. You." She replied, pushing past him.

Johnny took one look at Mr. Baker before taking off after Hailey.

"You're going to boarding school, you hear me?" Mr. Baker yelled after her, coming out of his shock. "You're going to learn how to obey your elders!"

  The scene of running out of her home felt all too familiar to Hailey. Her chest heaved in and out as she tried to catch her breath.

  Johnny held onto her and whispered softly, "you can cry, it's okay." Then the tears fell unashamedly and rolled down her cheeks.

  "I can't leave you." Hailey sobbed. "My world seems so quiet without you and I can't go back to how it used to be."

  "Then don't go. Don't put up with them." Johnny replied, knowing his efforts wouldn't matter.

  Hailey shook her head. "I only put up with them because they'll pay for my college. Because that's what college is; it's a way out."

  As Johnny comforted her, the thought of boarding school swept across Hailey's mind. As Hailey snuck back in that night, she thought the conversation of boarding school was over—she was wrong.

She passed by her father's home office on her way up the stairs, overhearing his conversation. "Yes, I'd like a spot to be opened up for her immediately." He had said, keeping his voice low.

Hailey's face dropped at the words and she quickly began towards her room. She laid in bed yearning for her father to leave and for Johnny to come back.

Her head was propped up on a pillow as she cradled Johnny's jacket like a stuffed animal in her arms. Suddenly her house felt too stuffy to spend another night in.

She climbed out of bed, heading towards her window.

The trail towards her and her friends' old, secret clubhouse. She quietly made her way through the small path and found the clubhouse, standing in the same place as before.

  Hailey pushed the floral fabric to the side as she stepped inside. The clubhouse looked exactly as the girls had left it years before.

  She perched on the makeshift couch and stared outside of the window beside her.

  As the wind blew and slipped through the cracks of the house, Hailey felt herself relax. Her sadness drifted off and her breaths evened out, and she was soon sound asleep.

  Asleep and away from the events of her day.

__

A/N- Thank you so much for reading! Sadly the next chapter is the final chapter of this story... I'm not sure what books I'll have for the future, but keep an eye out. I love you all!- xoxo, S💕