Jill's POV
I put myself together and let out a smile as Hayes and I walked shoulder and shoulder around the neighborhood.
"I thought maybe we could go to the park?" He says.
"I'd love that." I say, smiling.
We make our way around the neighborhood just talking.
"So you are failing English?" I say, lifting up an eyebrow.
"Technically. I have a low C and if it gets to a D, I can't play football," He says, sighing. "So will you be willing to teach me your ways?"
"I can for sure teach you," I say, smiling. "I guess I'm gonna come over often now, huh?"
"Yeah. I have football practice tomorrow after school. So maybe you and Rachel can come over after and maybe stay for dinner?" He asks.
"Sure. I mean my dad probably won't be home.." I say, dragging the sentence.
"My family loves you already." He says.
I smile. I start to shiver and remind myself I didn't bring a jacket. Damn it. Hayes sees my shivering and takes off his sweatshirt.
"No, it's okay." I say, as he tries to hand me the sweatshirt.
"No! I insist." He says.
I smile and whisper with an "okay."
I slip the sweatshirt over my head, being greeted by his cologne which was axe. It brought me warmness.
"So, what's your background story?" I ask him, putting my hands in the sweatshirt where the pockets were at.
"What do you mean?" He asks.
"I mean, you are considered a 'bad boy' but you are nice to me. Why?" I ask.
"Why I'm a bad boy?" He asks.
I nod eagerly.
"I used to get bullied a lot. Actually, it would happen often,"
I look at him with sorrow as he continued.
"It would happen often. I don't know why. It just happened. I would get bullied by the older kids. Good thing those kids graduated," he says, lightly smiling. But I knew he was broken by the way tears brimmed in his eyes as he talked. "I stood up to them one day. Then, I became popular. I was ranked bad boy of the school and my grades started dropping because I didn't care. But now, I need those high grades if I wanna go to the next grade."
I stop and look at him. "I'm sorry. Those kids are jerks and nobody should have that happen to them."
We made our way to the park as we sit down on the swing.
We swung back and forth.
"Did your parents know?" I ask him.
"No." He says, whispering.
I look down at the ground.
"You don't have to be a bad boy, you know." I say, turning his way.
He looks up at me. "I didn't choose the bad boy life. The bad boy life chose me."
I chuckle lightly and his smile spreads across his face.
"So, tell me about your life story." Hayes says.
"There isn't much to know," I say, making eye contact with him. "I give the wrong people the right piece of me. I stress over the little things. I write in a diary for all my problems. My old counselor recommend it. And to be honest, it helps a lot. Especially after my parents divorced. I want North Carolina to be a fresh start for me. But, there's really no starting over. No matter where you go, whatever I do, my past seems to follow."
