Renegade Revival

Chapter 10: A Little Mad

Taylor's POV

Hayley was clouding my thoughts, like usual. I sat alone in the living room as heartache began to kick in. I had to drown it out. I had to drown her out.

"Hayley's gone," I said to myself. "Nothing can change that. She's gone and you have to get over her."

I got up and went into the kitchen to try to drown out the heartache; to drown out Hayley. I grabbed a bottle of Jack and a cup from the cabinet. A knock from the front door occured.

I heaved a sigh as I put the bottle down and answered the door. The familiar stranger from the mall; from the coffee shop, stood before me. She wore something Hayley wouldn't wear, though. A white sundress; she still had that familiar red half smile and those dazzling hazel eyes.

"Hey," she said, her voice sounding exactly like Hayley's. I studied her, paralyzed; frozen. I wasn't sure if my heart was still beating. I felt almost numb, but a cold chill went down my spine.

"H-Hello," I stammered. "Who... are you?"

"York, it's me," she said, her voice breaking a little. Her hazel eyes teared up. "Hayley."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "No, no. You're not Hayley."

"I am," she said. 'Hayley' walked in and closed the door behind her. "York, it's me. I swear."

"You're not Hayley," I repeated. "Hayley's dead."

"I'm not dead." Tears fell down her familiar face. She held onto my hand; I snatched it away as I backed away from her.

"Get out," I demanded.

"Taylor, I'm alive. I'm okay," she cried. "Why don't you believe me?"

"I was there when you died!" I yelled. "When she died!"

"I didn't die! I was in a coma!"

"She was dead!"

"York, why don't you believe me? Even if I did die, I would've came back for you and you know that!"

"Don't say that," I said, another chill running down my spine. "And don't call me York."

"I've been calling you York since I was twenty!" she sobbed. "I used to call you stiff because you were so uptight! I told you about my cuts; I dragged you to parties; I kissed you at our smoking wall on the fucking twentieth! Most of all, I fell in love with you when I couldn't even love myself! So, how dare you fucking deny me so many times when I saw you!"

"Listen, lady! I don't know you!"

"You do know me!"

"I. Don't. Know. You."

"Taylor York, you do know me!"

"If you don't get out right this second, I'm calling the cops," I threatened, fishing my phone out of my pocket.

"Don't call the cops," she pleaded. She rolled up her sleeves of her leather jacket and showed me healing scars on her wrists. "Look! Who else has this many scars, tell me!" She took her jacket off and pointed to a group of scars that formed a familiar message.

I'm sorry, T.Y.

Only Hayley had that; only Hayley would do that. I stared at the girl, then her scars, then her again. Maybe it was Hayley. The stranger had to be Hayley.

"Hayley?" I whispered as sqinted at the girl. She nodded as she tried to give me her familiar half smile-- her infamous half smile.

"It's me, York. I swear." She held my hand again, her own being just as soft and fragile as I remember it being. She brought my hand to her cheek and held it there as she studied me, her hazel eyes begging me to know her again. And I did.

"Hayley?" I repeated, my voice leaving me. I was still in disbelief. She nodded again with a small giggle.

"Yes, it's me," she cried. "It's me, York. It's me." I pulled her into a hug, her body still feeling the same way it did four months ago. I held her closer as she wrapped her arms around me, her face buried in my chest as she cried.

"How long?" I asked, my voice starting to break.

"What?" Hayley asked as she looked up at me, her eyes swimming in tears.

"How long have you been alive?" Tears fell down my face without permission.

"Twenty-five years, I believe," she joked with a weak snicker. I managed to force a small laugh as I ran a hand through her fading-red hair.

"You know what I mean," I rasped. I planted a kiss on her forehead, glad that she was alive. I really couldn't live without her.

"About three weeks."

"I'm so sorry," I sighed, Hayley still in my arms. "I didn't mean to deny you. I was just so convinced that you were gone for good and..." I couldn't continue with words; I broke into sobs.

"It's okay, York," Hayley reassured. She led me to the couch where we sat down. Our tears slowly were ignored by small chuckles.

"Look at us," Hayley laughed as she swiped at her tears. "An emotional mess, I tell ya."

"I know, right?" I chuckled. Hayley looked over at me, her eyeliner smudged a little from crying. She still looked perfect, like she always had.

"York?" she tried.

"What is it?" I asked as I felt myself become lost in her hazel eyes.

"Why did you replace me?" Her eyes showed heartbreak and betrayal.

"I didn't replace you," I said. "Hayley, I can't do that. I can't replace you."

"Then, who's the girl you were with?"

"Veronica? She's my... my girlfriend."

"So, you replaced me."

"Still witty as I remembered," I chuckled. She didn't react to my joke; she just kept her gaze on me, wanting an answer.

"Why did you replace me?"

"I thought you were dead and I was forcing myself to move on," I explained. Hayley's gaze fell to her hands that rested in her lap.

"Hey," I whispered, tilting her head up. "To be honest, I freaking hate Veronica. She's annoying as hell." Hayley giggled a little, her smile making my heart skip a few beats.

"I love you. Nothing's going to change that," I said as I caressed her face.

"You have a way with words, York," Hayley teased.

"Nothing's going to change it," I repeated to reassure her. "Not even death."

"I love you too, stiff," Hayley smiled.

"Am I being uptight already?" I chuckled.

"No," she said. She closed the small space between us, her lips pressed against mine. "You're always going to be my stiff, Taylor York."

"And you'll always be my renegade," I said as I held her again. "You always were my renegade."