Secret Love - Hayes Grier

Chapter 2

The day went by so slow; I even sat and ate lunch by myself in the bathroom. It had only been a day and already I hate this school more than my old one. Finally the bell rang and I walked to the bus. Guess who the only spare seat was next to? Hayes, of course! This was going to be a long journey home. He poked me and pointed his earphone at me. I shook my head and fixed my eyes onto my phone. I figured I might be next to him a lot on the bus because it seems like nobody else wants to sit next to him, so I really have to go and buy my own earphones. It turned out this bus dropped people pretty much outside their houses, which fascinated me a lot. We had gone past a lot of stops and still, Hayes had not got off. This made me even more annoyed about bus journeys because it meant I had to spend even longer sitting next to him and all I could smell was his aftershave which was very strong, I swear it’s making me lose my sense of smell. My stop outside my house was one of the last few. I stepped off only to be followed by someone. I turned around and it was Hayes.

“Hey, this is your stop too?”

Oh no. I ignored him and started to walk towards my house.

“Wait, you’re my next door neighbour?!”

Wait, was he serious? I prayed that he was looking at a different house, but he was right. As I went to get my keys, I realised I had forgotten to pick them up this morning and my mum was at work, and she was going to her boyfriend’s house afterwards. I was screwed.

I sat down on the step, put my head between my legs, my arms wrapped around my legs and cried. Next thing I knew, Hayes was sitting next to me with his arm around my shoulder. Could this day get any worse?

“Locked out huh?”

I, slightly, nodded.

“Come on, get up and come inside mine.”

“No thanks, my mum will be home at 10.”

He gave me a sarcastic look, grabbed my wrist and pulled me up.

“You’re going to freeze out here, it’s almost winter! You’re coming into mine and I’m going to make you hot cocoa.”

“Don’t you mean hot chocolate?”

“Nope. Cocoa. It’s much better!” He smiled at me with that endearing smile which I found irresistible.

I sighed as he dragged me into his door. It was dead quiet in his house, it seemed like nobody was in. He took my bags and put them on a peg in the hallway. His house was magnificent. He took me into his front room. I sat on his sofa which was astonishingly soft and comfy. He handed me the control and told me to put whatever I wanted on until he’d made our drinks so he could put a film on. Once he handed me my drink (which was incredible), he opened his draw of films.

“Do you like horrors?” he asked me.

“I guess.”

He chose the conjuring and came and sat next to me. It was one of the most frightening films I had ever seen and it made me jump constantly. Eventually, Hayes decided it’d be a good idea to put his arm around me and snuggle me into him. Aftershave!

“Why do you wear so much?”

“Excuse me?” he said with a cheeky grin.

“NO. NOT LIKE THAT. AFTERSHAVE”

He laughed then replied, “Because, like girls, I spray so much on me.”

I decided to make conversation. “So... Where’s your family?”

“My family, well my dad ran out on us when I was young, my mum barely comes home as she spends most her time with her boyfriend and my brother Nash, he never comes home. He doesn’t get on well with my mum so he spends the majority of his time at his friends, Cameron. What about you?”

“Well my dad, just like yours. He left my mum a week before I was born, so I never got to meet him and my mum, she works up until 5 and then she goes to her boyfriends. He’s the only reason we moved up here, so she could see him more. He sucks. He has the worst children too. And I’m an only child.”

I just opened up to Hayes. I was probably going to regret this tremendous amount. I’ll probably go into school tomorrow and everyone will know.

“Well now we know we have two things in common,” He smiled. His smile killed me; it physically made my heart melt. “Um... Grace?”

“Yes?”

“About today-”

“Don’t.”

“No. I need to speak to you about this. I am so sorry. Do you know how hard it is to fit in? I mean, yeah I’m probably like the Regina George but if I replied with ‘yeah she’s cool’ I’d have abuse thrown at me from my apparent friends. I’m sorry but I had to do that.”

“You never ‘had’ to do anything. You’re seriously asking me if I know how hard it is to fit in. My whole life, I’ve been bullied I’ve only ever had two best friends. I never let anyone control me like you ‘apparently’ do. I don’t want to hear your excuses Hayes. You’re just like the rest of them.”

I grabbed all my stuff and stormed out his house. I didn’t know where to go so I just ran.

“GRACE!” I heard Hayes shout behind me.

I carried on running until finally, I got to a park. I sat on the swings and started to ring my mum. After about ten calls she finally answered.

“Hey darling, I can’t talk right now, I’m busy.”

“Mum, I’m locked out. I’m in some random park and I’m freezing. I don’t know what to do, I just want to cry. I hate it here mum and I can’t even think straight right now.”

“Oh my! Meet me back at the house in five and I’ll let you in. remember to take your keys next time! You’re useless,” she laughed. “I take it school didn’t go so well today?”

I started to walk home, even though I don’t have a clue how to get back. “Nope. Wasn’t just school either.”

“Oh no! Come on, tell me.”

I explained everything to her and as soon as I saw her I ran and jumped into her arms. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see my mum in my entire life. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Hayes staring out his window, what a coincidence his window faced mine. She let me in, gave me money for pizza and went back out. I wish my mum stayed in with me more. We haven’t had a girly mother and daughter night since she got her boyfriend. All she does is talk to him or go and see him. It’s getting ridiculous. I feel like I can’t even confront her about it either, he makes her so happy but he makes me so sad. My life was so much better when it was just me and mum, we don’t need anyone else. We were getting on fine. I ordered my pizza, went up to my room closed my blinds and got changed into some shorts and a football t-shirt. I sat and watched shark boy and lava girl with my pizza and big bottle of coke while I snuggled up on my sofa. I really didn’t want to go to school tomorrow. Maybe if I could persuade my mum, I wouldn’t have to go in for the rest of the week. Maybe then I’d have even more time to prepare myself and I could get away from Hayes (kind of) for a few days. Or maybe, I could go and move back to Chelsea and live with my Nan and go to my old school and be with my best friends again. I hated this stupid little village full of lowbred dickheads. The people in Chelsea weren’t the nicest. They were pretty much all big headed idiots, but I coped with them, they were nowhere near as bad as the people here.