Long Distance Call | tayley ✓

3 | Long Time No See

[Hayley]

Never in my life have I wanted a piece of pizza so badly. The scent of the delicious, greasy food spreading through the pizzeria caused my feelings of hunger to grow.

Being a writer seems to have more negatives than it does positives. On the plus side, waking up every morning at the same time for a job is not an issue I face. My mother even insisted that I relax after graduating and give myself a break before searching for even a part time job. I was not one to complain. She makes me dinner and takes care of me. I see no problems there.

But there are plenty of negatives. Basically, I spend most of my time in front of either a laptop or a notebook, attempting to plot out or write a story. You know, so I can actually make money of my own.

It's tough, but this is something that I have always wanted to do. Ever since I learned to read and write, part of me knew that writing for a living was just right for me. Alright, maybe not that long. I went through phases in career goals. Veterinarian, pilot, football player. My goals in life changed like the weather.

"Medium pepperoni pizza, extra cheese," the employee's voice rings through the restaurant, pulling me from my brief daydream. I shuffle through a small group of teenagers, all of whom smell heavily of weed,  and pick up my order. I take the box from the young woman, not having to worry about paying since I'd done so when I placed my order.

I'd also purchased a coca-cola, so I place that on top of the warm box of pizza. I'm able to manage balancing the box with one hand, so I whip my phone out to check if I had gotten any text messages.

Momma: Don't fill up too much. Your father is planning on taking you out to dinner tonight :)

A smile spreads across my lips as I read the message, the smile growing when I notice the the emoticon she chose to use in the end of the message. Along with the message my mom left me, I see a message from Lynn.

lyndsgay: Hayley, I know I said I wouldn't do it but guess who hooked up with you know who AGAIN

I roll my eyes over the message. I already can fill in the blanks. Lynn hooked up with Alexa. Their on-and-off relationship has been constant since the end of senior year of high school. It's the same cycle every time. They fight, hate each other, then fuck and make up like they're a couple. Why don't they just date again? I've been asking the same question for years.

I decide I'll answer my friend once I'm seated. I force my phone back into my pocket, but my feet do not stop their movement. I push the door of the pizzeria open, my eyes locked on the ground. Without paying much attention to my surroundings, I feel myself bump into a firm figure.

Luckily, the pizza box was safe (thank god). But my bottle of cola fell to the hard ground, and I instantly noticed the contents within the bottle fizzing up. I look up to see an all too familiar face.

Taylor.

–

"I'm sorry," I mutter with a blush too bright for my makeup to mask. It doesn't help that this is remarkably similar to my most memorable encounter with the male. He's smiling. Bastard. Noticing the fact that my soda bottle was continuing to roll down the sidewalk, making its way towards the gravel of the street, I begin to sink down to pick it up.

"I've got it," he says softly and leans down to pick it up. He rises after picking it up and places it on top of the pizza box. He then crosses his defined arms over his chest.

"Hayley?" he asks in an unsure tone, and my lips part. I'm speechless. It's as if I've just encountered a famous person, except he knows my name. I clear my throat and nod my head a bit.

"How've you been?" he asks and shifts his body a bit. He's acting as if him and I are old friends who haven't talked in a long time. We've exchanged very few words prior to our current encounter. I begin to wonder if my starstruck reaction to his existence was obvious to him. It probably was, but he just shrugged it off.

"Good, yeah, good," I say, my words followed by a hard gulp. I nod my head, my eyes adjusting so that they are now fixated on the converse that cover my small feet.

"Wanna sit?" he asks, probably becoming more aware of my uncomfortable nature. It isn't really that, though. I'm not sure how to describe my feelings. There's a whole lot going through my head. I nod, though. We took our seats at one of the pizzeria's outdoor tables. I place the pizza box on the table, my hands resting in my lap. Have I ever been so awkward before? Probably not. I clear my throat, hoping he understands that I need for him to get the conversation going.

He seems to get the memo, his lips parting. "What have you been up to, since high school?" he asks with a raised brow. I look up and scan his face. And wow, I get a chance to admire that he is fucking beautiful. But I can't stare for too long or it'll be even more obvious.

"Uh, it's been a while. I graduated from college recently. I studied to become a writer. What about you?" I ask, hoping to draw the focus of the conversation away from my life.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I graduated not long ago, as well. I got a full ride scholarship to Stanford, so you can bet I took it," he lets out a small laugh. "I studied computer science there. But soccer was definitely my main focus. And that worked out, considering I'm the future goalie of Manchester United. The season starts in August. This is actually my last week here in the states, and then I'll be heading over to England. Where did you go to college?"

I'm in amazement over the way he talks about being chosen to be on a famous, talented soccer team like it's an everyday occurrence. Even though he could go on and brag about his achievement, he instead chose to ask more about me.

"University of Tennessee, decided to stay in Tennessee. It was cheaper. I was an English major," I explain with a nod. I remove the soda bottle from the top of my pizza box, open said box, and dig into the delicious food. I gesture for him to take some if he wants, and he initially shakes his head. A moment later, though, he takes one for himself. I smile.

"Good, right?" I say with a smile and he nods.

The two of us finish off the pizza. He was probably planning on getting one for himself, but I just saved him from wasting his money. Aren't I the sweetest? We speak a bit more and I don't want him to go. I already enjoy speaking with him. I wish he hadn't been so intimidating back in school, or else I definitely would have made a move.