m i s t a k e

76 6 9
                                    

____________________

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

____________________

Hayden's legs shake under the table as he taps his feet on the floor, once again impatient and nervous. He takes a sip of his chocolate milkshake; it's a treat to himself, a kind of splurge now that hockey season is over. He sighs, the sweetness of the drink so heavenly delicious it almost distracts him from his anxiousness. He doesn't know why he still gets nervous, even after all the months they've spent hanging out. But there's still something about Eileen that makes him scared of messing up around her. He groans quietly, taking another swig of his milkshake.

As he gulps down the foamy drink, he looks around the small eatery. It's mostly empty, except for him and a couple sitting in the corner booth. The man and his husband are sharing a fairly heavy meal, and Hayden hears his stomach grumble when he sees their salad, pasta, and club sandwiches. He bites on the straw of his shake, looking away from the delicious meal just as the bell above the entrance door echoes through the diner.

Hayden swivels in his seat, hoping it's Eileen already. They were supposed to meet here for their lunch break, but she hadn't arrived yet. He'd also forgotten his phone in his locker so he couldn't even text her to ask where she was. He's disappointed when he sees that the girl who's walked in has black hair, which of course means it isn't Eileen.

He recognizes her though; she's one of the girls who likes to walk with him to his classes and corner him in hallways and flirt with him, even though it was clear he wasn't interested. She's not as flaunty and provocative as the others, but Hayden still isn't pleased to see her here, especially when he was expecting Eileen. He starts to turn around, hoping the girl won't see him but it's too late.

Her heavily made-up eyes practically bulge when she sees him, and she wastes no time walking over. Hayden can't help but force a grin onto his face to be polite, and nods at her in greeting when she says hello. She towers above him, her long legs set in a model-worthy pose as she flips her hair behind her back, her movements slow and purposeful. She says something about him being alone, and that she came here by herself as well. Hayden knows exactly what she's suggesting but before he can protest, she plops herself down across from him, taking Eileen's seat.

Hayden frowns at her but the idiotic bitch doesn't notice, as she's talking about what she should order from the menu and what his recommendations would be. She keeps going on and on, even as he ignores and glances out the window and down the street, trying to see if Eileen is on her way. He doesn't know whether he should be happy or sad when he sees that she's nowhere in sight. On one hand, he wants her to show up and have lunch with him. On the other, he doesn't want her to catch him with this bimbo.

Hayden turns his gaze towards her again; she's still rambling, but now she's talking about how she won't bother eating and she'll just talk to him instead. He wonders what the girl thinks she's doing right now, and exhales loudly, trying to give her a hint of how annoyed he is. She's not paying attention though, as she leans forward and practically bends over the table, trying to get closer to him. Her shirt exposes a lot of cleavage, the V-neck dipping so low that Hayden wonders why she hasn't been dress-coded. He swallows hard, forcing his eyes to look away just as her arm reaches out to him.

miss me or notWhere stories live. Discover now