Jenalyn: From the Inside (#3) [Complete]

Chapter 11: Hayden

Sunday, 4:44 P.M. EST

Well, my visit with Mama G was a rollercoaster of mixed emotions on both of our ends.

She's usually so stern and impersonal that if your name isn't Harlee, and you're not perfect. But I got to see a side of her today that I've never seen before.

I keep reliving her visit in my head, searching for any trauma that my Pennsylvania trip may have caused. I know there's got to be something, but Mama G's demeanor says otherwise!

I'm interrupted when a tap on my shoulder pulls me from my thoughts.

I turn around expecting to see Sarah or Ren; They're the only two people besides the staff here that pay any more mind to me then they have to. I'm surprised when I turn around to see Danny, Ren's ex instead.  
He's only slightly taller than me but his muscle tone alone makes him twice my size.

"Hey..." I say in both surprise and confusion.
Did he mean to tap my shoulder? Maybe it was an accident...

"Uh- hey..." he says, seemingly nervous. He shifts his weight to the opposite leg and runs his hand through his hair. "I'm Dan. I didn't get to introduce myself at lunch earlier because- well, you know."

I nod my head, forcing a smile on my face. "Oh yeah!" I exclaim. "We never really did get through introductions, did we? I'm Hayden!"

I try to offer a friendly laugh, but it comes off more nervous than I'd like. Dan doesn't notice, though; he seems to be silently wondering the same thing that I am!

So what now?

There's no way this kid just approached me to introduce himself; there has to be more to his drop-in than letting me know his name.

I know he's not a fan of Hayden's-
Besides a chemical element, he doesn't look like the kind of guy to know who the Golds are.

"I heard that you're a singer or something? Sarah can't stop talking about you," he finally says. "Usually the stray starlets are in the adult ward! We get to hear about it and all, but we've never actually had one down here before..."

Oh okay, so it does indirectly have something to do with Hayden.

It seems Danny here is low-key starstruck; I wonder how Ren would feel about that!

"Yeah, well!" I laugh after a moment, easily loosening up once I realize that I've probably got the upper hand in this conversation. "I'm sure all of the other starlets out there just haven't been caught yet. We all have our bad sides; I'm just not that good at hiding mine!"

Dan laughs, a look of relief passing over his face as he realizes I'm just an imperfect human like him.

"Well, I think it's really cool!" he says, only to cover his mouth as if it were the wrong thing to say. His face grows red before he corrects himself. "I'm not saying that whatever you went through to end up in here was cool! Just that... it's cool to meet you!"

I laugh, thanking him for his semi-compliment. He's flattered to meet me... that's cute!

If this place wasn't pumping me full of drugs, I'm sure I'd hear my monster stirring inside of me. Dan stands there, just staring at me as he contemplates his next words.

"So," Dan says after a few moments of just standing here in awkward silence. "I saw that you've been talking to Ren a lot."

I nod my head questioningly. "Yeah! She just kind of swooped down and grabbed me!"

Dan nods with a smile on his face, though I can tell it's just a smile he forces for the sake of keeping up friendly conversation.

"Yeah, she does that..." he says matter of factly. He brushes his hand through his hair with a sigh as his tone grows more serious. "I don't mean to be invasive, but I think you'd be a lot better off if you distanced yourself from her. She's got a bad track record."

Well, that kind of floors me.

I guess I wasn't expecting him to praise Ren considering what she's told me about their past, but I don't think I was expecting him to flat out tell me to avoid her either.

"What's that mean?" I ask, my face probably showing the confusion that I feel perfectly.
Dan goes to respond, but immediately cuts himself off as a voice familiar shouts out from down the hallway.

It's Ren, of course.

"Hayden!" she calls out. I turn around to see her practically run down the hallway to meet up with us.

Dan sighs from behind me, but from what I can tell, he doesn't budge.

She still wears a smile though, her brow raised before she goes on.

"I see you've met Danny," she says with diction, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight to one leg. "What's this dunce got to say?"