Harmonies of the Heart | 🧡 Jailey 💙 | The Music Freaks

Prologue: A Way To Say Thank You

A ginormous crowd congregated outside the performance hall, their chatter mingling with the cool sea breeze. Hailey took in a breath, enjoying its salty scent. She loved the beach; it was definitely the best place to put a music building.

Amid the crisp air, she approached Jake, who was surrounded by a bunch of girls. Hailey could see that he was just lapping up the attention like a moth to a flame.
"Excuse me," said Hailey, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she gently but purposefully pushed past a few people. She got to the centre of the circle and Jake turned around.
He smiled happily. "Hey, Hailey! You come to say hello to our adoring fans?"
Hailey's eyes narrowed, but she responded with mirth, "you mean your adoring fans. Jeez, girls just fall all over you, don't they?"
Jake chuckled, still directing his attention towards the crowd. "Can't say I blame them, after the performance we just gave."

Hailey was brought back to the fresh memory again, like she had been so many times tonight since. But she treated it like a cursory image this time. "Mmm. Well, enough of that," she announced almost satirically, playfully tugging on Jake's arm. "You need to come with me."
"Huh? Why?" Jake exclaimed, bothered by the sudden movement away from everybody else.
Hailey replied, "it's nothing, I just have to tell you something."

"Ohh..." he said, in a way that made Hailey stop in her tracks. He leaned in closer to her. "Are you jealous of all the attention?"
Hailey tried to hide her reddening face with a glare. "What? No! Don't be so full of yourself. Just- come over here."

Jake gave in then and followed her a bit away from the building. They now stood out in the open air, a little out of sight from the crowd. The pavement was dimly illuminated by the stars and a couple of streetlights.

He looked at her expectantly, but Hailey was gazing out to the sea. "It's such a beautiful night," she breathed, almost in disbelief. Jake grinned with her and nodded in agreement.

Hailey remained quiet and content for a moment. Then when she seemed ready, she spoke.

"Jake, tonight never would have happened the way it did without you."
Jake was taken aback by this statement - it was the efforts of all the club members that made the performance what it was - but before he could argue, Hailey continued.

"Tonight, you helped me achieve something I never thought that I could have..." she looked up at him then, her eyes shining. "And I'm so grateful for everything you've done for me."

Jake simply beamed at her, lost for words. He looked out to the ocean, perhaps searching to find what he could say in response. And then Hailey kissed him on the cheek, and his thoughts cut off.

Hailey looked down shyly. "I-I just wanted to say thank you."
The silence between them was growing increasingly longer - Jake surely had to say something now, but he just couldn't, honestly.

So they said very little after that, but were comfortable, and happy together in the quiet of the night.