Highmore Manor

Getting inside without Callie noticing us was probably the hardest and most scary thing I had ever done, my heart was pounding in my throat the whole time as I sneaked down to the study to get changed.

Chase had offered me the chance to get changed in the car but I’d both laughed and said no straight away.

Once I was back in jeans and a razorback singlet and had replaced my up do and make up with a loose ponytail and some light natural looking makeup I tiptoed out of her room and back down to Callie’s and mine, opening the door slowly so that it wouldn’t wake her if she was asleep. She was but as soon as I sat down on my bed she groaned and rolled over, glancing sleepily at her alarm clock, which read 1:00am in bright red letters.

“Where have you been?” she asked groggily, wiping her eyes.

“Out with Chase,” I replied casually, pulling my legs up onto the bed.

“And Jesse and Camilla and his dad?” she asked suspiciously.

“Ah well Jesse and Camilla tagged along but I don’t know about his dad,” I said with a laid-back shrug.

“Oh,” she said, pulling herself up to turn on the lights. “So where did you go?”

“Just this club in La Condamine,” I said.

It was the story Chase and I had dreamed up on the car ride home, hoping that Jesse and Camilla wouldn’t spill the beans whenever they decided to show up, Camilla had disappeared when news that Jesse had come back inside got to us via Chase’s father.

"So how was your date with Pierre?" I asked changing the subject quickly.

“Oh it was great!” Callie gasped, immediately brightening. I grinned over at her, glad that she at least had had a great night. “He was so lovely and romantic; I loved every minute with him. He said that once I go back to England that he’ll write me every week and even come and visit me…”

Her words faded off into the background as I fazed out, exhausted – emotionally and physically. My thoughts immediately jumped back to the bathroom at the palace, replaying the events over and over in my mind until that moment Jesse walked in. Then the dream just ended abruptly, my anger flaring up inside.

Why did that boy have to ruin everything for me?

Suddenly a door upstairs slammed violently.

Callie stopped talking abruptly and we both turned and looked up at the exact same time. The sound of angry voices spilled down the stairs to us. I got up off my bed and opened the door poking my head out to listen better. Callie got out of her bed and knelt in front of me so her head was directly below mine in the doorway.

"Is that Jesse?" she hissed down to me.

I shrugged and turned to look back up the stairs.

After a few minutes of more loud, angry voices from upstairs we heard the sound of someone stomping down the stairs and into the living room. The door to the hallway slammed open making me jump.

It was Jesse, dragging Camilla along behind him.

He stalked down the hall; his angered gaze catching mine as he stormed past and he held it until he had gone past our door. He stopped at Camilla’s door and pushed it open, pushing her in front of him and into the room.

“Jess…” she started with a small giggle. He muttered something to her, too low for us to comprehend, which made her blush slightly and bite her lip. She nodded and disappeared into the room. Jesse shot one last glace down to our door, where we were still sticking out heads out and gave me the evilest smirk I had ever received then followed Camilla into her room.

How immature, I thought to myself with disgust and pulled my head out of the door. I huffed slightly as I flopped down on my bed.

“Well that was interesting,” Callie commented, shutting the door and coming over to sit on my bed.

“He’s so immature,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Callie gave me a sidelong look as if she was trying to figure out something in my reaction.

“Do you have another fight with him?” she asked curiously.

"Pfft, no," I replied huffily. She raised her eyebrow at me but I wasn't about to give into her. She sighed slightly when I didn't tell her the truth and got into her bed. I changed into shorts and a singlet top and climbed into bed too.

"Night, Hayls," Callie murmured.

"Night, Cals," I replied, reaching up to turn off the lights.

In the darkness and silence of the night the noises from the room right next door to ours were extremely obvious. I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, desperately trying to ignore them, trying to block out everything, trying to suppress my feelings and tell myself I didn't feel anything.

But the tears streaming down my face gave it all away.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

The next morning was like torture for me.

I got up late because I hadn't been able to get to sleep until about 2 in the morning, when the noise had finally stopped. And then after that I still woke up every half an hour, tossing and turning, unable to fully get to sleep.

When I finally crawled out of bed at 12:30 I looked a mess. My hair was sticking up all over the place like a scarecrow and my eyes were slightly red and bloodshot. Callie had already gone upstairs and the sun was shining fully into the room.

I climbed the stairs, one foot thumping down tiredly onto the next step being careful not to catch my toes and trip.

I slumped into the room and onto one of the bar stools in front of the kitchen.

"Wow someone looks like they had rough night," Callie commented from across the bar, eying me knowingly.

"Hmmm," I groaned, falling forward so that my head hit the counter. The sound of someone walking up the stairs caught my attention. The asshole walked into the room with a radiant smile on his face. Callie and I stared at him in silence.

"Good morning all!" Jesse announced happily.

"Someone looks like they had a good night!" Callie said sarcastically glared at Jesse. This only made his grin widen.

"Everyone sleep well?" he asked, looking pointedly at me.

"Oh great and I bet you slept just fine!" I replied, my words like venom dripping out of my mouth.

Jesse hooted slightly as he sat down beside me at the counter, "Someone's a bit touchy, something keep you up last night?" he sneered down at me.

"Shut up, Jesse. I don’t know what's going on between you two but you're being a right ass!" Callie snapped, dumping a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him before sliding a full glass of juice towards him, smirking as it splashed up on his hand. He glared at her and then started eating. Callie got me some cereal and then left the room to change out of her pajamas. As soon as she was gone I turned to Jesse.

"You're an immature jerk you know that!" I growled. He shrugged and finished his mouth full.

"Probably, but at least I'm not stupid!" he replied calmly.

"Oh, I think what you did last night was pretty stupid," I commented, scoffing slightly. He laughed.

"Well, at least I had fun! Unlike – well you," he said looking across at me smugly as he put another forkful of food into his mouth.

"Would you stop being so horrible?" I snapped glaring at him.

"Maybe once you realize how stupid you're being!" he growled in return.

"And I'll only do that once you give me proof that Chase is as bad as you seem to make him out to be. At least I can reverse how stupid I've been, it's not like you can reverse what you did that night!" I replied.

"I pretty sure the things he will do to you won't be as reversible as you realize," Jesse commented.

"Then tell me why he "isn't safe"!" I exclaimed loudly, frustrated, slamming my palms down on the counter. "Save me from getting hurt," I said quieter, barely more then a whisper.

He held my gaze for a long time, just looking at me. He was completely silent, and then slowly he shook his head. I sighed and my shoulders slumped slightly.

"I don't see why you get angry at me for being with him when you won't even tell me what it is that he's done so wrong, you can't expect me to do what you want without giving me reasons," I hissed, getting slightly angry again.

"I don't see why you can't just trust me," Jesse replied with a shrug, taking another forkful of egg and eating it. I was about to retort when a cough interrupted me. We both turned and found Chase standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't want you talking to him, Hayley," he said monotonously.

"I'd just finished anyway and I don't think I'd want to either," I replied shooting a glare at Jesse, getting up from the bar to put my bowl in the sink.

"Good," Chase said shortly. I walked over to Chase, put my arms around him and then looked up into his green eyes.

"I'm going to get changed, please don't do anything stupid in here," I said quietly. He smiled slightly down at me.

"I won't," he said back, leaning down to kiss me. I smiled and nodded then turned to walk out of the room, stealing a glance back over at Jesse. He was trying not to look but as I looked over his gaze met mine for a few seconds and then looked away, the muscle in his jaw twitching slightly.

Ahh, revenge is sweet.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I shut the door firmly behind me and groaned slightly, sliding down the door until I was sitting on the carpeted floor. I dropped my head into my hands feeling the ache throbbing in my forehead.

Why is life so complicated?

I heard the bathroom door open and then shut again softly and then padding footsteps cross the room to where I was sitting.

“You ok, Hayls?” Callie asked sliding down the door beside me, putting her arm around my shoulders to pull me against her. I groaned again.

“No!” She laughed slightly.

“Boys are so difficult aye?” she asked. I ‘mhmm-ed’ in agreement and dragged my hands through my hair and then down my face, pulling my features downwards underneath my hands. I looked up at Callie still pulling down my face.

“I hate boys!” I stated. She laughed at my face.

“It’s hard to take you seriously when you do that,” she grinned, I smiled back at her. At least I could still smile.

“What is it with you and Jesse? I mean I know he’s stubborn, argumentative and completely not capable of normal social interaction but with you two you’re either arguing or ignoring each other. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two get along!” she commented.

“I have no idea!”

“You like him don’t you?” she asked slowly.

“It’s hard to explain. He frustrates me and fascinates me at the same time. I want to spend every minute with him and get to know him but then some days I want to stab him with something sharp or send him far, far away. And the whole time I have no idea why I have these feelings for him!” I sighed.

“What about Chase?” Callie asked. She caught the grin that spread across my face. “You really like him don’t you?”

“He makes me happy. Despite all of the warnings Jesse’s been trying to give me about how he’s not to be trusted, I really trust him,” I smiled.

“Awww, wait, what warnings?” she asked confusedly. I explained to her what Jesse had said to me about Chase, leaving out the part where we’d been at the Gala Dinner when he’d told me it.

“Ooooo,” she said in understanding. “Ignore him. He’s just jealous!”

“Jealous of what?”

“Chase.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t if obvious?”

“No!”

“He likes you Hayley,” Callie revealed softly. I sat in silence, not saying or thinking a single word. “He has for a long time.”

The room went stone cold silent.

“Never,” I assured myself, more then her.

She sighed and shrugged slightly against me. “Whatever you say, Hayls.”
We lapsed back into silence.

“How are things going with Alex?” I asked carefully.

“Bleh, don’t want to talk about it!” she declared. I sighed and left it. Boys were the bottom of both our problems for us, and neither of us was finding it easy to sort out the problems.

“Ooooo, I have something to cheer us up!” she exclaimed pushing me off her so she could get up and run across the room to the wardrobe. She pulled out two dress bags and pulled the plastic cover off.

It was two cocktail dresses, one a pretty green v-neck, knee length green dress with a sash across the middle and the other a gorgeous light pink poufy dress with a black sash and black detailing around the hem.

“Choose!” she ordered. I pointed at the pink one immediately, she looked relieved. “Phew, good choice.” I ran my hand across the expensive feeling fabric.

“Where did you get these from?” I asked curiously.

“My mum sent them over from America; they’re from one of the fashions shows she was designing for. They didn’t quite make it onto the runway so she always keeps them for me,” Callie replied.

“Wow, these are designer?” I asked. She nodded with a grin.

“And guess what? Mum sent over some extra cash so we can buy ourselves some equaling awesome shoes,” she said looking excited.

“Whoa shopping spree!” I cheered, my spirits already raised.

“You want to go now?” she asked with bright eyes. I laughed.

“Right after I’ve changed into some proper clothes.” I indicated my pajamas with a huge grin.

“Good idea!” she smiled.

There’s nothing like shopping with one your best mates to clear your head and forget about boys.

And forget about Jesse.