That New Start (a Hayes Grier Imagine)

Part Eleven

***Hayes's POV

I left Laura's house feeling like a jerk. I feel stupid that I didn't tell her. I mean, she had the right to know. But if I told her, we wouldn't be as close as we are. Maybe not telling her was right. 

I sat in my car in her driveway for a bit just thinking. Then I realized she's probably wondering why some creep is just sitting in her driveway. So I drove away. I had to be at practice in an hour but I just felt like I couldn't go. Something was holding me back. 

I drove over to the field and sat in the empty parking lot. I looked across the empty field and tried to imagine what band and football was like before the war. I wanted to know what it was like for everyone to get along. Would football players hang out with band kids the way that I hang out with Laura? It feels weird to even think that life was like that. That people weren't so separated. 

Within this sea of thoughts, my mind drifted to thinking about Laura. When I went to her house, it hurt me so much to see her crying and yelling at me. I just wish I could've kept her there in my arms. I wish I could've stayed to finish wiping her tears and keep her company. When I saw her on that first day, I saw how beautiful she was. I saw the trumpet in her hand and I knew talking to her would be wrong. But I think everything happens for a reason. I think fate brought the two of us together. It's fate that the science teacher put her sitting next to me. I wanted to keep her out of the war. I avoided telling her because we were getting along so well. If she knew on the first day, we would never be friends. I wouldn't have held her in my arms and wiped her tears. Keeping it from her was for her own good. 

What's weird about this is that I've never felt this way before. Whenever I see her, I get butterflies in my stomach. My legs turn to jello and I feel like I can't stand. But I love it.

I walked into the locker room and sat on one of the benches. I stared up at the plaque with the all famous quote by Jack Thompson. He was a legend here. He was the one who pretty much started the war.

I pulled out my phone and I looked at my wallpaper and smiled. It was a picture of Laura and I at breakfast one day. She took the selfie and then went into my phone and changed it to my wallpaper. She said to me that if I changed it back that she would hunt me down and kill me. I smiled remembering that day.

Then I felt lost. I didn't know where to take anything. I couldn't choose between Laura and football. Then I couldn't breathe. I felt the walls closing in. I felt like I was being trapped. I ran outside and into my car and drove away. I drove right up to Laura's house. I ran to the door and knocked frantically on it. She opened it and I rushed in and closed it.

"Woah, hold on what's the big de-" Then I kissed her. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her with all of the lust and passion in the world. We pulled away and stared at each other.

"Laura I know this will be hard, but I can't choose between you and football. I just want to be with you all of the time but I don't want to let my team down. We can make this work I know we can." Laura started to tear up. "Will you go out with me, Laura? I want to have the honor of being your boyfriend." Tears poured down from her eyes. She nodded and pulled me into a hug. There was that feeling again. My jello legs and her in my arms. I wanted nothing more than to just stay here with her. We can do this.