The Faces Of Karl Jacobs

Chapter 3: You know those things are bad for you, right?

Hailey's P.O.V.

I stepped away from set as I read the caller ID lighting up my phone screen, a smile immediately being brought to my face. I quickly pressed the accept button to the FaceTime request and impatiently waited to see the smiling face of my best friend.

"Heyyyyy" Alison sang as her face filled my screen.

"Heyyyy" I said back, as I stepped away from the camera crew where there would be less listening ears.

"So, is he dead yet?"

I snorted at the question, "You'll have to be more specific..." I trailed off.

Alison has been my best friend since sophomore year of high school. She was the only other student in our grade that figure skated, making us immediately inseparable. She honestly knows me better than I know myself sometimes.

"So I take it you and Karl have been getting into it?" She assumed correctly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that..." I trailed off.

The funny thing about Alison, she can read a room like no other, "Who are you and what have you done with my beloved Hails? No curses being thrown? No anger? What is happening? I used to not be able to bring up his name at all!" She exclaimed and over-dramatized just a bit in my opinion.

I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration, before looking down at the screen again, to see that she was doing her skincare in preparation for bed, "Well, to be honest. We got in our biggest fight ever"

This made her stop mid-application of her lime green face mask, "Jesus, did you cause an earthquake?"

I chuckled again at her lame attempt to lighten the mood, "No, no... well.. I don't think so?" I trailed off, "Anyways, we got in a huge fight, I threw my Timberland at his face, then had a panic attack, then we talked like civilized people, and now we're both working overtime to ignore each other"

I unloaded my incredibly confusing and stressful day all onto the shoulders of my friend, and she was happy to carry the load.

"I-I'm sorry, you did what?!" She exclaimed, laughing harder than I think I've ever seen her, "You chucked a boot at his head?!"

I rubbed my face with my hand. I knew this was coming, "...maybe?" I said meekly.

"Holy fuck," She howled, "What did he do? Kick a puppy?!"

"Oh shove it," I rolled my eyes, ready for some real advice, "He said he wouldn't sue.."

This only made her laugh harder, "You're the only person I know that would launch a Timberland at someone, then immediately be concerned about them suing you"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it Ally," I rolled my eyes at her teasing.

"Wait," She cut off her own thought process, "You said you had a panic attack?" She asked, focusing my attention on a much more sensitive topic.

I nodded my head, humming in agreement. Alison has had the privilege of watching my anxiety develop over the years, so unfortunately she has first hand experience on just how catastrophic my panic attacks can be.

"How did you calm yourself down?" She said, resuming the application of her skincare.

"Umm..." I thought back to that moment, and chills overtook my body. The only thing my memory would focus on was Karl's hand rubbing small circles on my lower back, "Well, I guess I didn't. Karl kinda did..." I trailed off with the realization.

"He was there for it?" She asked, very seriously. A bit too serious for my liking.

"Yeah, yeah.. once it started ya know, it was all downhill from there..." I recalled, a bitter metal taste filling my mouth at the memory, "He coached me through it. He knew exactly what to do and everything"