𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑

𝟭𝟴

hayden's pov
current day

i wake to the smell of cigarettes and blood.

"oh, sleeping beauty decided to wake up."

with effort, i struggle to my elbows and blink, groggy and slightly disoriented.

then i remember the text.

dread fills my stomach and color creeps into my cheeks when i remember passing out. i must have looked like an idiot. i lick my lips, and realize that's where the blood was coming from- i must have busted my lip on my fall.

"very macho of you, falling all over the concrete and everything."

i turn to glare at the person making the remarks, which happens to be mackenzie.

she snuffs the edge of her cigarette and tosses it out, while simultaneously giving me a sarcastic smile.

from beside her, johnny wrinkles his nose.

"you smoke?"

mackenzie just shrugs.

"i used to. i just found a half-empty marlboro lights in the passenger seat." she replies.

i look around and realize that we're in the bed of my truck- blankets and pillows still sprawled around from the drive-in movie i saw last weekend.

i realize with a start that annie is in the corner, watching me intently. when i meet her eyes, she jumps and looks away.

my heart constricts.

like the rest of the group, we didn't end on great terms.

she's grown up so much. she was always the youngest of our clan, yet the most mature. now, she looks like she could be mackenzie's age, or older.

"you dyed your hair."

i want to slap myself in the face. after over a year of not talking to the only girl i've ever truly loved, the first thing i say to her is about her hair of all things.

she turns to face me again.

she doesn't talk.

"hey, summersalt, what are these?" mackenzie asks, causing us to break eye contact.

my heart stutters when i see my bright orange bottle of medication in her hands.

"don't fucking touch that." i snap, snatching the bottle out of her hands. "it's nothing." i add.

she rolls her eyes. before she can rebuttle, annie cuts her off.

"i'm leaving."

annie stands up abruptly, dusts herself off, and then leaps over the side of the truck before i can protest. once she's out, she darts off to her own car.

"what the hell was that all about?" johnny asks.

"she wanted to leave after hayden went all jason grace (a/n if u know u know) on us, but she hesitated and decided to stay, muttering something about making sure you were okay first." mackenzie fills in.