Entwined

Act #3

2012, September 23th, Friday (Hayley is 15, and Jase is 16)

"WHAT THE HELL, Jason Matthews," I grunt under the pillow I shoved over my face. I sneak a peek at the clock on my bedside table and groan.

"Listen to me, Jase. Listen hard and listen good. Right here, right now, as of 11:50 in the evening, you mean nothing to me. I don't even know you, you hear? You are dead to me."

I hear a snort. At that, I internally roll my eyes. Real attractive, J.

The comforter I desperately clinged to for warmth and protection against a certain male stranger I don't know suddenly gets ripped from my body.

"Arg-" I try to scream as soon as I pushed the pillow away from my head but a hand is clamped on my mouth.

He hums deep and low, a tune of thoughtfulness with an underlying hint of humor in the mix; probably mocking.

Sometimes I really, really hate this guy.

"Shouldn't you be screaming for joy right about now?" He asks. I rack my brain for the reason why.

After a beat of silence, Jase speaks in a high-pitched voice. "Ha! We're the same age, Jase. You're not older than me. We are equals."

"If that was your attempt to sound like a guy who just got kicked in the balls, you pretty much aced that," I murmured.

He tilts his head to the side as if saying wait for it.

I squeal in understanding and tackle Jase in a bear hug, my arms wrapped around his neck. "Hey, it's mah burtday it's mah burtday. Yo imma have some birthday-toot-birthday-toot-birthday-toot," I sing in joy.

And maybe, if the fact that Jase's arms around my waist makes me even more happy and do a little wiggle-dance into our embrace, then no one has to know.

He pats my hair and chuckles. "It's not really your birthday yet, weirdo. It's still 11:54, Miss Birthday Toot."'

I sigh in content. Tilting my head to face his ear, I whisper "I wish.."

Truth is, I wish a lot of things.

I wish I could forget the big fat F I got in my history test last week.

I wish I got bigger cookie parts when I order cookies and cream ice cream.

But mostly, I wish Jase brought up the fact that he knows I like him and actually do something about it instead of ignoring that glaring truth for just about a week now.

Because at this point I'm starting to think he doesn't like me that way. Something I was told was impossible by my mom, Jase's mom (I talk to her sometimes), and my best friend Piper (although when I text my thoughts she just replies with a smiling poop emoji).

His hold on me tightens and my heart hurts. "What is it, Hay?"

I smirk, "Hay are for horses, J."

"I always fall for that, damn." He grumbles.

I chuckle but it dies out just as quickly. This is the best moment as ever, I guess. He can't see my expression, my face and I can't see his. So it's minus the embarrassment, I hope. I just want this sinking feeling in my stomach to go away.

"You don't like me the way I like you, do you, Jase?"

The arms on my waist slackens.

Oh my god. Nope. Nah. No. Nevermind. I can't do this. I can't lose Jase and face the world Jase-less. That's stupid. This is stupid. Why did I do this?

Why?

I peel myself away from the embrace and roll away from him, tears forming in my eyes. Abruptly, I fall to the side of my bed and I have to clamp my own hand to my mouth so I wouldn't shout out in pain or worse, cry out in hurt in front of the guy I'm crushing on.

My soulmate.

God, how pathetic am I? I couldn't even make the person who should have loved me from birth, like me.

I hear Jase's body flop to the bed with a frustrated groan. "God, Hayley, you're crying."

I hastily use my shirt to wipe off the tears and try my best to clear my mind.

As confidently and unaffectedly as I could, I say, "I'm not. I'm fine."

As if in pain, Jase grits out, "You are. I feel it. You're.. you're my.."

"Soulmate?" I ask bitterly. He can't even say the word. I bet it makes him sick to even think of me as his soulmate. Like I'm the piece of trash left in his bag that he always rants about when one of his friends leave it there to tease him.

Put there by someone else and now he's stuck with it.

He's stuck with me and he hates it.

Oh god.

I stand up on shaky legs and wipe other tears that escaped from my eyes. Okay. It's okay. So my soulmate doesn't like me. It's fine. Fine.

"It's okay, Jase, swear. Maybe I could crush on Matt instead, you know? The cute guy from Science?"

He sits up from the bed and looks at me with fierce eyes. "No. Hayley that guy is a manwhore."

I laugh bitterly, "Well you know, Jase, my soulmate doesn't even like me"-a stray tear falls and I note that he cringes-"maybe the only person who would take me at this point is the school player, right?"

"He doesn't deserve you, Hayley."

I'm this close to stomping around like a baby. This close.

"Then who does?" I shriek. "You? Because you don't even like me."

"I-I don't-" It used to be my life goal to make Jason Matthews stutter but right now I'm not feeling it.

He doesn't say much after that mess he verbalized so I sigh and sit on the bed so we're beside each other rather than facing each other.

"I'm not enough for you, Hayley Reed." His tentative voice slices through the quiet, still room. "And getting to know you through our childhood gives me enough basis for that. You deserve so much more."

And then I feel it. I feel the waves and flurry of emotions he feels.

Deciding that I would be wasting my precious time on earth with my soulmate explaining that no, you are definitely enough for me, stupid, I instead straddle him and kiss him.

2012, September 24th, Saturday (Hayley is 16, and Jase is 16)

"Happy Birthday, Hay."

I grin widely.

"I mean, Hayley. I meant Hayley. God damn."

"I can't believe I had my first kiss at midnight on my birthday," I snort. "How cliche could I get?"

"Yeah, well you're definitely not gonna get lucky tonight, Miss Birthday Toot."

I stick my tongue out.

He grins cheekily, "But how about on my birthday though?"