𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐭 || 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐧 [𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝]

18- Leave Me Alone

Hayden, 18 years & 7 months old

A week later I was back home scrolling through colleges on my computer. This is the time I would be considering my future. All these buildings that taught and prepared you for a job where you would sit at a desk all day and do office work couldn't compare to living life on the road and traveling and singing your music to thousands of people.

Music and performing is my passion and my dream. Going to college is not. My Dad thinks otherwise. Mom is supportive of me going on tour with Zach but Dad thinks I should spend the summer picking out a college since I haven't yet.

As I scrolled through college websites, I scrolled passed a ton of ads. Most of them were boring or the same one as before until I passed one that made me scream.

Why Don't We, 8 Letters Summer Tour, July-August. Opening Guests, Eben & Hayden Green.

My name was on an advertisement for a tour and I could not be happier. I didn't know who Eben was but I was sure that if I was performing with him that I'd be meeting him at some point. This advertisement made my heart rush.

I took out my phone and texted the group chat with all the Why Don't We boys on it a picture of the advertisement. They all responded with positive and exciting messages. 

A few days later, the poster had come up again. This time I was sitting back at the coffee shop again managing my tour schedule because it was coming up in the next two weeks when I got a text message from Olivia.

Hey, I saw an advertisement with your name on it. You're going on tour with Zach? She said.

I responded with Yeah, it starts next month.

The poster looked amazing. I'll have to come out to one of the shows and see you and Zach.

You totally should.

And then our conversation ended there. I didn't mind that we only spoke every once and a while. It feels like how it was a few weeks ago when I was starting to talk to Zach again. It almost felt nostalgic. A nice reminder of the past but we were too far ahead in the future to come back to. Zach, Olivia, and I are totally different people now. Our relationship together wouldn't be the same.

Then suddenly, the coffee shop door whistled open and the bell above the door rang sweetly. I wasn't paying attention to anything to do I heard the bell loud and clear. I looked up to the front door and saw someone I never thought I'd have to see again.

His caramel eyes met mine from across the room as he smiled. His hair was longer than it was the last time I saw him and he was wearing a nicer shirt than I had ever seen him in. I rolled my eyes at him and looked back at my computer. When I looked back up, he was standing in front of me.

"Hayden," Cole said sweetly, "I haven't seen you in a while."

I slumped down in my seat in an attempt to hide. "What do you want?" I groaned.

"Nothing. I just haven't seen you since, you know, and I wanted to see how you were."

"Since you broke up with me on my birthday?" I snapped. "It's been months and now you're asking how I am? I should be asking you. How are all those other girls you've been messing with?"

"All of those girls couldn't compare to you. I made a mistake. Hayden, I thought my life moved on but my love for you didn't. You are beautiful and amazing and I just-"

"I'm not getting back together with you just because you want to. You broke my heart and I don't want to get hurt again."

"Have you been talking to Zach again?" Cole asked.

"Why do you care?"

"Because he told you I was a bad person before and you know I'm not. Is he telling you things again?"

"No," I lied. "I haven't talked to him." I discretely closed my computer with the tour advertisement on it.

"Just please forgive me for how I broke you." Coles face dropped.

"Broke me," I laughed. "More like ripped my heart out on my birthday. And many girls have you been with since then?"

Cole stayed silent.

I grabbed my laptop and my bag and got up from my seat. "Just leave me alone," I said then continued to walk out of the building.