Outspoken ❂ Hayes Grier

xi

"oh my god!" startled me awake after i had fallen asleep for the second time. i rubbed my eye and noticed the drool i produced. i quickly rubbed it off hayes' pillow and hoped no one noticed.

"hi mom." hayes' tone was excited but obviously masked with fear of being in trouble for bringing a random girl home overnight.

hayes' mother ran to him and hugged him tightly, letting him go to look at him, and hugging him once more. "i can't believe you're home!"

tears formed in the corners of her eyes. it must have been a while since hayes had been home judging by the way his mother was reacting.

suddenly, she slapped him on the arm aggressively. "who is this?"

she turned to me and smiled. "sorry, sweetheart. hayes' didn't tell us he was seeing anyone but you're so welcome here! i'm just angry-" she smacked him once more. "that he didn't tell me. i'm elizabeth, by the way."

"oh, we aren't-" i started.

"we're starving mom, can we have something to eat?" hayes interrupted me and sat on the edge of his bed, looking at his mom.

"haven't been home in a year and a half and the first thing you want is food. typical i guess." elizabeth rolled her eyes. "i didn't catch your name, honey."

"shay." i smiled. i wasn't sure how i should introduce myself since i probably looked like a complete mess. i looked at hayes for help.

"we'll explain at breakfast." he stood up and hugged elizabeth. "it's good to see you, mom."

it made me happy that hayes and his mother were finally reuniting, but it made me miss my family more than ever. the last time i had talked to my mother, even on the phone, was weeks ago. it didn't used to bother me much, but lately i began to think if i should reach out.

as we walked down the stairs, the smell of bacon, eggs, and waffles filled my nose.

"you already cooked this all up mom?" hayes scanned the array of options on the table and sat down.

"it's 11:30, hayes. we were all up by 9." elizabeth slid a waffle onto her son's plate and gave him a disapproving glance. i tried to hide my laughter.

after breakfast, elizabeth announced that she had to take hayes' younger sister to horse riding. skylynn was her name, i was told, and she was at a friends house for a sleepover.

"you can meet her tonight," elizabeth assured me. "you'll stay for dinner, right? i feel like i haven't asked you enough about yourself sweetheart."

i smiled. hayes and his mom were so different.

"i'd love to stay for dinner." i said. hayes looked at me with something in his eyes. i couldn't tell what, but it was new. he looked happy and comfortable, which reassured me that what we had done was good for him.

i briefly remembered colin, cara, my sister, and everything we'd left behind. it worried me to walk upstairs and check my phone, knowing i'd have texts from people demanding to know where i was and what i was doing. my phone had been dead since we got off the plane last night and i hadn't bothered to charge it.

hayes rested his hand on my thigh. my thoughts drifted off and i looked around the kitchen. elizabeth had left. i don't even remember what she had responded with when i told her i'd stay for dinner.

"shay, are you alright?" hayes shook my leg a little and craned his neck to my eye level. "you're zoning out."

"yeah. i'm fine. just tired." i looked up at him and smiled.

we stared at each other for what felt like hours.

"i'm really glad we did this." hayes said. i laughed as i saw a piece of bacon stuck in his hair. i picked it out and threw it over my shoulder.

hayes pressed his lips together. "really ruined the moment."

i laughed some more, noticing how happy i felt at this moment. it was a good feeling.

"so, what's the plan." i asked after my laughter subsided.

"i really want to show you around the farm, first of all. we could go see nash at college as well, and will. nash is like 15 minutes away but will is like 2 hours away. we can go to the lake. we can go look at my old school." every time hayes mentioned something new, i could see memories forming in his eyes. each of these places had a special meaning to him.

hayes and i agreed on seeing the farm first because it was so convenient. we both figured it would also be a good idea to shower and get dressed before we did anything.

after hayes got in the shower, my phone turned on after a few minutes of charging it. my heart began to race knowing how many people i'd have to explain this situation to.

cara: where the HELL are you shay. this is fucking ridiculous

stephanie: hermanita, you're in so much trouble. saca tu culo a casa!!!!

mom: niñita, no sé QUE te hizo pensar que podrías hacer esto! llegar a casa AHORA

i sighed. my family only texted me in spanish when they were really mad. it angered me that my mother only texts me when i'm in trouble but not for anything else.

colin barksdale: this little act of yours isn't going to work for long. hayes is going to miss the spotlight and come home.

i turned off my phone and put it down. i didn't have the energy to construct any apology or explanation texts at the moment. colin's text haunted my thoughts. what if that was true? what if hayes' did miss the spotlight and want to come home. i shook the thought out of my head and laid down on the bed. how long could we keep this up for?

x

hi i literally just have not been on here in like an actual year i'm sorry to anyone who like actually cares, i think that's nobody BUT i honestly like writing and i just want to write this book bc i avtually think it's like half decent so hopefully i will update it if people actually read it! we'll see lmao