Holding Back [COMPLETED]

Chapter 6 - "Did you just say you'll talk to the nail?"

Haley was entrenched in a book when the two girls entered the student lounge. They were about the same height but that was where the similarity stopped. The girl on the left, Haley knew was Ty, was tan with a heart-shaped face, clear complexion, and short brown hair that swooped over her forehead. Josie, the girl besides Ty, had olive skin, chocolate eyes and long chestnut hair that hung past her shoulders.

They didn't notice Haley as they plopped into seats, as if she were back of the scenery. Haley only knew them by sight but referred to them as the Fangirls. This was due to the fact that whenever she passed them they were talking about some current pop singer like Kade Mathews from Hey Farewell or Lennon Kayhill. Today seemed no exception to the pattern.

"If you study the lyrics again then you'll see Kade is writing about Lennon," Ty said. "From the pictures they posted last Christmas we know that she got him a leather jacket. Also, he hasn't worn any other jacket since. Clearly, it means that despite what the media thinks, they are still together."

"Or he's still in love with her," Josie said.

Ty pivoted to face Josie. Her chocolate brown eyes were serious though the smile on her face contradicted the look. "Yes, but if you watch their feeds then you can see small hints that they are still seeing each other."

"Like Lennon wearing Kade's baseball hat in the picture she posted last week."

"Exactly and Kade playing with his blue bracelet in their promotional video. It's the one that matches Lennon's that they got while they were in Mexico. If they weren't dating he wouldn't be wearing it."

"Oh!" Josie said, her voice rising with excitement. "That reminds me, did you see Bobbi wearing Theo's shirt from the last award show?"

"More proof that they are dating and have been for years."

Haley held in her laugh as she listened to their conversation. She knew the bands they were talking about. She even listened to Hey Farewell and The Wild Wallflowers but she didn't understand the obsession some people had over them.

Why did they care so much about people they didn't know? All their speculations were just that, speculations. They didn't know the truth. The connections they created were made up. They saw the world from a lens of their own imagination and preconceived notions. It wasn't real.

Haley focused back on the page before her, trying to tune out the voices that had moved onto Sebastian Colfax and whether he was dating the drummer he hired for his last album. She absently shook her head, holding herself back from yelling out, "who cares?!"

More students trickled in, their voices cutting through Josie and Ty's conversation and saving Haley from yelling at two unsuspecting girls. As the minutes ticked past it got harder to read with the volume of the room and Haley finally gave it up as a lost cause. As she tucked her book into her backpack, Rachel entered, her smile already in place.

Haley sank into her chair, arms crossed, ready to be done with the boisterous crowd that she would never be a part of. Jace was on the other end of the room trading stories with his teammates and laughing loudly at whatever they said. Rachel tried to get the groups attention but it was at the same moment a guy fell off his chair and everyone broke into laughter. Rachel's boyfriend, Nick stood up beside her and shouted.

"Hey!"

His deep voice rang through the room, cutting everyone off. They looked at him, waiting.

"My girl has something to say," he said, "so listen up."

Rachel gave him a sweet smile and affectionately touched his arm.

"Thanks, babe," she said. He sat and Rachel surveyed the room as if making a mental list of who was there and who wasn't. A slight frown appeared when the number she had in her head didn't match the one present. "So some people aren't here yet, but we will get going anyways."