Open Your Arms

Chapter 64

June 22, 2005

Hailey paces around her room, freaking out. My mother attempts to calm her down while I just sit down on the bed and watch them, amused by what's happening. 

My mother has been trying to help her regain her calmness for the past hour. We haven't been able to get anything accomplished this morning pertaining to Hailey getting ready and it's only stressing my mother out more. 

Hailey's nervous. She's excited, but nervous. 

"Hailey!" I finally snap, having enough of this. I stand up and grab her by the wrist tightly, then pull her out of the bedroom. 

She tries to resist it. "What if Russell sees me?!"

"He won't," I assure her, opening up her door and peeking out of it just to make sure. Thankfully, there's no one there. "Alright, you're going to have to run."

Still holding onto her, we run out of her bedroom and into the front yard, shutting the door behind us. 

"What are we doing, Larissa?" Hailey yanks her wrist out of my grasp. 

"You need to go for a walk or something," I tell her. "You're freaking the fuck out and it's making all of us anxious now."

She pouts and gives into it, following me as I walk out of the driveway. I fish for my cigarettes and lighter out of my pocket.

"Hey!" Hailey yells as we begin to walk. "The only reason why you wanted us to go out here was so that you could smoke!"

I roll my eyes. "Hailey, no it's not. You're stressing me out and I need to calm down."

"There's different ways to relax other than smoking, Larissa. Isn't that why we're on this walk?"

I shoot a look at her and she smiles at me. I put the cigarettes and lighter back. "Happy now?"

She shakes her head and begins to cry. We haven't even made it 100 feet past the house and she's already breaking down. "I don't know why I'm so nervous, Larissa. I've been a wreck like this for the past week. In all of the books I've read about marriage, the girls describe the days leading up to their weddings as happy, but I've just been stressed out." She looks at me with pleading eyes. "Am I a bad person?"

I softly chuckle and give her a hug. "Hailey, this is a big step, okay? You have every right to be stressed out, but you have to understand that you still need to enjoy this. You don't want to be miserable this whole time, do you?"

"No," She sniffs against my shirt, not lifting her head up. "I just feel like such a bitch."

"You're fine Hailey. You're okay." I rub her back like a mother would to her kid. 

Although Hailey got more affection from my parents, I don't know just how much she got. I don't know if this is uncomfortable for her since I'm her older sister and not her mother, but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it, so I don't stop. 

"What's Jake doing?" Hailey asks, rising her head up now. 

"He's hanging out with Axl," I reply. "And helping set up."

"You really scored a lucky one," She begins to walk back to the mansion, so I walk with her. 

"Hey, so did you."

We manage to get back inside of her bedroom without anyone seeing us--specifically Russell or any of the groomsmen. All of the bridesmaids and the two makeup artists are in her room and getting ready.