Fixing Her

Chapter III

I've been thinking a lot the past time; I'm not in Minneapolis anymore, so why am I acting like I'm still living there? I should really get myself together from now on. I can try get to know the boys a little? They're making such an effort with me, especially Dylan, so why not return it a little bit? Even though I'm moving out I don't need to be that miserable to them.

"Hayden?" Dylan asks when I walk down. "Do you wanna watch something with me and Thomas?"

No no no! Hayden don't! Please don't!

I just said I should change my way of living, so that's what I'm gonna do. Like I told Linda a few days ago, I learn fast if I make an effort. I'm gonna put that effort in now.

"Yeah," I answer shortly.

"Really?" he's shocked to hear it at first, making me regret barging into their privacy like that, but then... "Come on, we haven't decided yet, do you have any idea?"

"No," I say and sit down on the other side of the couch where Thomas is seated beside Dylan's armchair.

"Don't be so shy Sigrid," Thomas tells me, making me blush for two reasons; I don't know who Sigrid is, and that I don't think it's good to be compared to her, to tell from the way he said it.

"Calm down," Dylan says. "Sigrid's his twelve year old cousin in Utah. She's the shy kind that says no to everything even though she knows exactly what she wants."

"I really don't know," I say.

"Didn't you watch TV in Minneapolis? Come on Hayden, we know you've got something. Be the hero we need and save us from the evil boredom."

I hold back saying the name of my best friend, or probably now, ex, best friend's favorite show and tell them once more I have nothing in my head, which results in them finally choosing one named Tigers Don't Bite. An action movie, basically, that I don't understand. I've never understood action movies, really, mainly because of the obsession with half naked men running on speeding cars and fighting off fifty other guys.

"Yes?" Dylan says when he picks up his phone. "That's awesome, thank you.... Yeah, you too, thank you so much...."

When he puts it down he turns to me. "Guess who got a job?"

I smile my first genuine smile in one year. I wanna hug him. I would hug him if I wouldn't be me. Instead, I remain in my spot but with a real smile on my face, hoping he can see through my dry reaction and find the deep appreciation I feel.

"Really?!" I exclaim, seeing Thomas widen his eyes for a second from the corner of my eye. "Thank you! Dylan, you have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Don't mention it, I haven't don't anything. I called one of my friends, the rest was all you."

"No, really. Thank you."