Hadley's Fall (Based on 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher)

2|Dani

131 Days Before The Fall

Hadley was lying upside on her bed, tracing stars in the air with her one free hand. Her other hand was holding her cellphone to her ear while her best friend chatted to her incessantly.

"So, what do you think about that new guy? I think he's pretty hot," Dani asked. Boys were one of Dani's favourite topics; they had been for as long as Hadley had known her. Despite them being her go-to conversation topic, Dani had very little experience with boys. Her one and only relationship had ended through a very unemotional email. That's right: an email. It was before either of them had phones.

Hadley tapped her fingers against her bed frame. "He seems alright, I guess. I don't know, I didn't notice anything special about him."

"Of course you didn't." Hadley could her the annoyance in her friend's voice. "You never think anyone I like is hot. Why not, huh? Who's caught your eye and left you with a heart for them exclusively?"

"Nobody." Hadley paused for a minute before reluctantly adding: "Well..."

"Well what? Don't leave me with that! I'll die in suspense," Dani insisted excitedly.

Hadley hesitated for a moment longer before finally gaining the courage to reveal the name of the crush she had kept private for so long. "What are your thoughts on Kyler?"

"Kyler Adams?" Dani gasped. "Hadley, he's, like, the most sought-after guy in our grade! Are you seriously crushing on him?"

She shrugged even though Dani couldn't see her. "Yeah."

"You and every other girl in grade 12. Good luck trying to get his attention. You know, I'm surprised. I didn't think you would be so unoriginal."

Hadley chose to gnaw on the inside of her cheek instead of respond. She was already regretting sharing her crush with her best friend; she should have known that Dani wouldn't approve.

"Hey, it's cool," Dani continued, obviously sensing her friend's animosity. "If you like Kyler, that's great. I'll see if I can talk you up to him."

"No! Don't do that!" Hadley panicked. In the hierarchy of high school, she was at the bottom. Scratch that, she was such an outcast she wasn't even in the hierarchy. Out of the 300 people in her grade, she figured only about ten people knew her name, and the only person she talked to on a regular basis was Dani. It wasn't that she hadn't tried to make other friends, it was just that something always seemed to go wrong in every friendship she had ever made. She knew that Kyler wouldn't be interested. He probably didn't even know she existed.

A loud sigh was heard from Dani's end of the phone. "What's the point of having a crush if you don't act on it? Look, I have Kristee's number from when we worked on a science project together. I'll just start up a random conversation, then maybe I'll sit with her and Kyler's squad one day at lunch so that I can talk to your bae. Good plan?"

"I don't know, Dani." Hadley hesitated. "He doesn't even know me."

"But once he does, I'm positive he'll love you! C'mon, let me give the plan a shot."

Now it was Hadley's turn to sigh. "Okay, give it a shot."

While Dani squealed in excitement on the other end of the phone, Hadley had an overwhelming feeling that she had made a grave mistake. At the same time, she couldn't deny the butterflies swarming in her stomach, drawn by excitement and the talk of Kyler.

Xxxxxx

The next day at school, Hadley assumed her usual lunch position: on the floor on the landing connecting the stairs to the second floor. Thanks to the windows, she had a clear view of the cafeteria and all the social activities she was missing. With a sigh, she leaned her back against the window and took a bite of her sandwich.