A Window Away |Shailee Fanfic|

t h r e e

I parked my car in front of my house. During lunch Ian and I discussed about the plan for me to talk to Hailee. I needed the right moment. But Ian says that I was procrastinating. I made a promise that I will talk to Hailee by the end of the week. Prom was a month away. I got time. I was getting out of my car when I heard someone calling for me.

"Shawn! Hey, Shawn!"

I turn my head to the direction to the house across the street. Hoping it wasn't a dream that I was seeing Hailee coming towards me. Carefully, she looked both ways before coming towards me, she wore jeans and a white shirt. But she didn't have any shoes. Just random colorful socks. Once she stood in front of me, I looked her down to her appearance then to meet her eyes. "It's Shawn, right?" I nod. "I'm Hailee, from, well, you know, across the street," she points behind her to her house. "I just..." she bites her lips. I never noticed how she bites her lips. Her lips were a natural pink. Just biting the bottom part of her lips... I find that adorable. "...can you help me break into my house?"

I gave her a look. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just... my parents won't be home for the next couple of hours and I left my keys in my room and the spares are gone. I'm guessing my Dad forgotten to put it back like always..." she focused on me. "I'm sorry, again, I ramble sometimes."

"No worries." I said. No stutter. I mentally high five myself for making it sound smooth and simple. "But, not to be rude—"I added quickly before saying"—how exactly are we gonna break into your house?"

"Oh! Come. I'll show you." She grabs my hand and pulls me for her to lead and me to follow right behind her. My whole face burns when her touch met mine. This was the first time I had ever felt her touch.

Hailee's took me around her house to the backyard. I was gonna ask her if she had tried to open screen door, sometimes either my sister or Dad would forget to lock the screen door, but I held it in my head since it was a stupid thing to ask her when she was still outside.

We stood in front of the wall. "No offense Haiz, but how exactly is the wall gonna help. Unless you were thinking about me tearing down the wall for you to get inside."

Hailee laughs. "Don't worry I wasn't. See up there," she points up above her head. There a window was open. "I need your help to lift me up."

"Because I'm tall?"

"Yup. The tallest. Now, help me up."

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Lift her up? How? By the waist? Piggyback? Hailee just looks at me, smiling. "Put your hands together and lift me up."

I made a cradle with my hands, and she stepped into them. And while I tried my best to push her up, this quickly turned into the girl basically standing on my back while she grabbed for the windowsill.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe this. Am I hurting you?"

"It's fine," I managed as I tried to stand up and give her another boost.

"Got it!" she said triumphantly, but when I straightened up, I saw this was maybe a little optimistic, as she was hanging on to the sill, but seemed much closer to falling to the ground than getting herself into the window. "Um, sort of."

"Here," I said, grabbing one of her feet that was kicking in space as she tried to hoist herself over. "Maybe if I give you another push?"

"Yes!" Hailee said. "Great idea. You're a genius at this." I held on to her foot, and she pushed off my hands and was able to swing one leg, then another, over the sill. She fell over the window with a thump that I could hear even from the ground. "Ow," I heard her mutter from inside.

"You okay?" I called up.

A second later, her brunette head appeared in the window. "Fine!" she said. "Thank you so much! I owe you one!" She smiled at me, and then disappeared from view. I figured she'd gone to wash off the green mask, but found myself waiting by the window for just a few moments more, wondering if this was over. When she didn't come back, I turned and walked down the driveway.