It's Time To Open Your Eyes

She was so out of it today.

Hayley walked with her head tilted downwards, holding her books at her side.

She was just thinking about doing something recreational over the weekend, when suddenly –

"Oh!"

She'd walked straight into one of the more scantily-clad ladies of the school, knocking her precious phone over.

"What the hell?"

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," Hayley muttered, trying to get past the group of sneering monsters.

"Oy! Come back 'ere!" the tall, thin brunette called out to her.

Hayley was scared, most definitely. But she knew how this school worked.

Show you're vulnerable, and the vultures will eat you alive.

So, she raised her eyebrows, almost as if to say, Are you really talking to me that way? and turned around.

She needn't not take another step forward. All she had to do was narrow her eyes the slightest bit to scare them a little.

The brunette, who was currently wearing a jean skirt far too short to be allowed by the rules and a navy-blue long-sleeve thermal from one of those American stores, Hollister, was about to give her a mouthful of ugly profanities, stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the quiet girl's gaze.

"Just…Just don't do it again, got it?" she tried her best to glare back at her, hoping that with her posse, she was able to frighten Hayley just a bit.

No luck there.

Hayley gave a chuckle, which was a smack in the face to the girls she had encountered.

Is she trying to belittle us? ran through the minds of the five, six girls that were there.

Oliver sat in the car, ignoring his Mum's ranting and slid his arm smoothly over the window railing.

"Mum…I got it. I won't be tardy anymore. Dun' worry about it," he said exasperatedly. She had gotten superbly overprotective after his Pops had died in a car accident. Involving a drunk teen, no doubt.

"Alright, alright. As partial punishment, you have to come with me to my friend's daughter's birthday," Ms. Sykes replied smugly.

"She hot?" Oliver inquired.

"My friend is a widow; I don't think she's ready for a relationship. Especially not one with a young'un."

"I meant her daughter," he snickered.

"Actually," she admitted, "I've never met her. Her mother thinks very highly of her, though."

Oliver didn't want to sound mean, but he wanted oh-so badly to say, Duh.

"Mum, what time is the parteh?" Oliver shouted down his hallway.

The smell of cake eroded his nose, and he breathed in deeply. "We'll be leavin' in a coupla hours. Get showered and all and be ready by 6:45. We'll have left the house by 7, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Oliver saluted his mother playfully, even though she was downstairs, occupied with the desert.

Needless to say, he felt pretteh stupid.

Downstairs…

"Amanda?" Ms. Sykes asked, holding the phone between her ear and right shoulder. "'Ello! Jus' curious, what are you up to today, with your Lee?"

"Oh, y'see, because…My friend's daugher's 18th birthday is today, and poor girl hasn't got any friends. Her mother wants me to gather up as many children in her grade as possible. Will you be able to come?" she asked hopefully.

Five seconds later, and Ms. Sykes is squealing with joy, her words flying out like hummingbirds, "And – And you'll invite the other boys, oh, won't you?"

"Course, o'course."

"Oh, goody!" she was so joyful. "…I know, sad, ain't it? Can you imagine not 'aving any friends in high school? Oh, dear, it would've been horrendous, eh? Yeah, and I…"

Hayley walked up the cold, concrete pathway to her mahogany door. Looks so ancient. Should be banned.

Glancing out of her eyes, she noticed the dark window. Mum's out again. O'course.

She proceeded to turn on the lights the second she took a step into the house.

"SURPRISE!"

Hayley dropped her keys.

Behold, in front of her was quite a scene. She saw quite a mixture of people.

A couple unhappy skanks, with gleeful mothers, some with snooty lookin' ones.

A lot of socially-challenged and intellectually-strong kids, all smiling gleefully standing side-by-side with their oh, so proud mothers.

A couple of gothic kids, whom she could see were trying desperately not to smile underneath all that dark lipstick, standing with their mothers, who, no doubt, were trying to rid them of their "dark" phase. I wonder if wearing that much could stain their lips…

And then…

She saw Oliver Sykes and his well-known "crew."

They were standing lazily, trying to act "cool."

Hayley nodded at the skanks, knowing fully well they didn't want to be here.

Smiled politely at the nerds, feeling sorry because this was, is, and probably will be the most exciting gathering they'll have had.

Gave a respectful head nod to the gothic kids, for they listened to pretteh decent music.

Took a look at his group, and rolled her eyes.

If you wanted to look cool, you wouldn't have come to this party. Leave, yeah?

It wasn't that Hayley had a problem with Oliver Sykes. She just…didn't want anythin' to do with 'im.

"Happy birthday, sweets!" her mum came up to her and gave 'er a giant hug.

"Thanks, Mummy," she smiled. She then proceeded to lean in so only her Mum would hear, "You didn't have to do this, y'know."

"Oh, but I wanted to!" she exclaimed loudly, causing Hayley to wince, "It's your 18th birthday!"

"Really, Mum. I would've been fine with a, a nice dinner out together. Just the two of us, yeah?"

"Oh," her smile dropped quickly.

"Oh, no, no," Hayley grabbed her mum's hands, "We'll have…erm, them over for a couple o' hours, and then they'll leave, and we can celebrate it tomorrow. On a Saturday. Is that alright?"

"S'fine, my darling,'" she smiled at her daughter as the music was turned up and people scattered around, talking with one another.

"Mum, I'm going to go upstairs and change, alright? I'll be down in five minutes or so," Hayley kissed her mum's cheek and walked up the stairs, trying not to touch anyone.

Once safe in her room, she sat down, and breathed in deeply.

So many people were in her house.

They were all here for her.

It started getting harder to breathe.

What if they wanted to, God forbid, sing her a song?

What if they thought her Mum was so annoying for having wrecked their Friday night? She wouldn't want that; her Mum was a respected woman in the community.

What if, what if, what if…

She started to feel light-headed, but everything seemed to make her happy, and she felt oh, so sleepy.

She could feel herself falling into darkness, but whatever, she felt like saying.

Once her head collided with her pillow, Hayley closed her eyes.

But just before her mind fell into sub-consciousness, she heard the door opening, a high-pitched giggle, and a male voice, asking, "'Ello? Anyone in 'ere?"

Ah, what'll a couple of teenagers fuckin' in my room do to my sleep?