We're Heading to a Place Where I'll Prove I'm All You Want and More

The lights that were strung though the hotel ballroom gave the entire place a soft glow. There were decorations on the walls in an attempt to make it seem like they were in Hollywood. To the left there was a large papier mâché Hollywood sign that couples were taking picture in front of.
The music had morphed into a slow dance and they were dancing close. He had his hands on her waist and was pulling her closer. She took the step he wanted her to and laid her head on his shoulder. She felt his lips press against her neck for a moment. His hands slid down her sides just slightly to make it feel like they were a couple rather than just friends.
His curly hair tickled her cheek as they swayed gently to the music. There were other couples around them that were moving more elaborately but they were content to stay in one area and turn slowly in each other’s arms.
She couldn’t stop thinking how lucky she was at this moment. It was what she had wanted for a while. She moved her hands from his shoulder to his neck. He pulled her closer for a second and looked down at her. In that same second she looked up at him.
“You look amazing.” He said to her.
She blushed and her eyes looked down but her face was still turned towards him. In less than a moment she was looking up at him again.
“I mean it. You look wonderful.”
“Thanks Ian.” She smiled.
Seeing that she approved of him he moved his face closer to hers. She echoed his movement until they could almost be kissing.
The second his lips touched hers she woke up.
Haylee was confused. Why had she even had a dream like that? She looked around her surroundings and was confused. This was not her house. How did she get here… where was she?
Haylee sighed and pushed herself up from the couch she was sleeping on. After a moment of inspection she saw that she was in Cash’s room. She knew this because there was a bed across from her and he was the only person she knew that had a couch in his room.
After a moment more of looking around she discovered Marshall looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face. Cash was there as well–after all it was his room–and he had a smirk on his face. Then she saw the worst thing possible. Ian.
He was there stretched out on the bed with a guitar on his stomach. She was relieved when she realized that he was asleep. The fact that he was there and she’d just had a dream about going to prom with him made her cheeks color with embarrassment.
“So what was that about prom?” Cash giggled.
She hated that she talked in her sleep.
“I don’t know I was asleep.”
“Looked like a nice dream. You kissed Cash’s pillow.” Marshall tried to keep a straight face.
She was really glad Ian was asleep.
“What did I say?” Haylee asked ignoring Marshall.
“Something about going to prom with someone you really liked, uhm, and something about you thinking it was impossible.”
“Oh, well it is impossible to go to prom.” She sighed dodging the first part of what Cash had said.
“Why? There’s plenty of time.” Cash said confused.
“Two days. Prom is sold out. Besides I bought a ticket off Singer for the show the other day.” She said.
“Oh, you’re coming to the show rather than go to prom? Cool.” Cash said happily. “I didn’t think you liked us that much.”
“I love you guys.” She amended.
Marshall knew that she really wasn’t skipping prom to go see the show. That was just her last resort and he was going to make it fun for her. He and Singer had vowed to make it fun. He knew that she did love them though, that she wasn’t fibbing about.
Johnson walked into the room with popcorn.
“Awe! She’s awake! Damn, I made popcorn.”
“I wish you would ask before you raided my cabinet.” Cash sighed taking a handful.
“You’re mom said it was cool.” Johnson shrugged.
Cash rolled his eyes.
A new wave of embarrassment passed over Haylee and colored her cheeks. Johnson had been here too to watch her talk in her sleep? Wonderful.
“Aha! You’re blushing. You must have said something! What’d she say guys?”
“Nothing, she’s just embarrassed that she talked in her sleep.” Marshall sighed going back to watching the TV that no one had been paying attention to.
A few seconds later Ian’s head shot up. He looked around and then let his head fall back.
“How long was I asleep?” He asked.
“A while. You missed Hales talking in her sleep.” Cash shot a smile at Haylee.
She blushed and looked down.
“Oh, nightmare?” He asked.
He knew she talked in her sleep so it wasn’t news to him that she was doing it again.
“Yea, you were in it.” Haylee laughed.
“Oh, that’s sweet.” Ian said back sarcastically.
“Yea, you were trying to kill me.” Haylee added.
“Too bad.” Ian sighed.
“Too bad what?” She questioned.
“Too bad I didn’t succeed.” Ian laughed.
She picked up the pillow that was under her head and threw it at Ian. She got him in the face this time. Ian reached up and grabbed the pillow. Now he was actually mad at her. He flung it back across the room and it hit her stomach.
“Okay children.” Cash sighed. “No more throwing shit.”
“But it’s fun.” Haylee muttered under her breath.
Fifteen minutes later Haylee found herself getting up and going to sit next to Marshall on the bed. Of course she chose to sit between him and Ian just to irk Ian. When she was settled under Marsh’s arm she noticed that Ian was asleep again. She sighed and settled more. Her leg touched Ian’s and she almost recoiled as if he were a snake but then she didn’t care.
Johnson got up to make more popcorn, this time making a production out of asking Cash first. After he was gone to the kitchen Cash rolled his eyes and then flipped channels.
Ian made a noise in his sleep and Haylee remembered that their legs were still touching. Suddenly she was highly aware of the way that felt. She was wearing shorts and so was he. His leg hair almost tickled if she shifted her leg at all. She liked that.
Marshall didn’t notice Haylee’s preoccupation. He was tuned into the music video that was playing on TV. His mind wondered to what it would be like if he ever saw himself on TV and what he’d do.
Ian shifted around and the guitar started to slip off of him. Haylee sat up and grabbed it. Ian murmured something. So he talked in his sleep too, eh?
Johnson came in and saw Haylee trying to save the guitar from crashing. He put the popcorn on the bed and took the guitar from Haylee’s hand. He leaned it against the nightstand and then climbed onto the bed to steal the popcorn back from Marshall’s lap.
Ian said one word. They all looked at him to see what he was going to say.
“Love.” He muttered as if he were trying to get the attention of a girl.
Cash’s eyebrows knitted together. Marshall kind of laughed and Johnson turned back to the TV. Haylee was watching with interested eyes.
“I need…” Ian trailed off. “Please.”
Cash lost interest and turned back to the TV.
Haylee was still watching Ian along with Marshall.
“No, no, no. Not that.” He kind of smiled and his hand twitched.
Marsh let out a chuckle.
“It’s kind of cute.” Marshall said about Ian.
Haylee didn’t want to agree with him. She didn’t want to give anyone any clues that she liked Ian.
“You guys do the same thing. Maybe it was meant to be.” Cash poked fun at Haylee.
He knew that she hated that. It only made him want to do it more. She didn’t like anyone mentioning the words Haylee, Ian, and together in the same sentence. He thought it was just because she hated him so much.
“Yea, you guys should date.” Johnson giggled over a mouthful of popcorn.
Bits of popcorn escaped Cash’s lips when he started to laugh along with Johnson.
“Sick.” Haylee groaned in response to Cash.
Marshall just shook his head. “That is gross.”
“Gotta play.” Ian muttered.
His hands were twitching again. This time Haylee could tell what he was doing. He was playing guitar in his sleep.
“Give him the guitar.” She ordered.
Johnson saw what she meant and slid it back into place on Ian. Marshall lifted Ian’s hands into the right positions and then Ian was playing in his sleep. Haylee swore that he lived, breathed, and ate guitar with every moment–conscious or not–that he had.
He started to mumble a sentence but it wasn’t making it past his lips until the end.
“…for you.” Was the last bit.
“Sounds like Ian’s trying to seduce a girl in his dream.” Johnson laughed.
“Serenade.” Cash corrected.
“Whatever. It’s the same thing.” Johnson said sitting back on the bed.
“Do you serenade girls with your drums before you seduce them?” Marshall asked incredulously.
“Absolutely. Just like you would use your piano.”
“I don’t seduce girls. I just make them smile.”
“Pansy.”
“Fine, go get all the STD’s you can collect before you’re twenty five.” Marshall countered.
The argument ended there. Haylee only wished her arguments with Ian could end that quickly. She enjoyed the peaceful moment that she had and listened to Ian’s playing with her eyes closed.
If she ever had to admit one thing about Ian, it would be that she loved the way he played. There was no denying that. She almost couldn’t wait for his solos just so she could watch him and listen. He was amazing, but that was all she would say out loud that was nice about him.
Haylee looked at the digital clock on Cash’s nightstand. It was almost seven. She sighed and looked up at Marshall. He looked down at her with a smile.
“I’ve got to go guys.” She said to all of them.
“Why?” Johnson whined.
“I’ve got finals tomorrow that I have to study for.”
“You know as much as you’re going to know.” Cash said.
“I’ve got to try to get a little more in there.”
“That’s what he said.” Johnson laughed.
“Alexander Johnson.” Haylee said.
“I like it when you call me that.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“Yea, Singer likes it when I use his full name too.” She rolled her eyes and sat up. “I have to go.”
“Want a ride?” Marshall asked.
“Nah, I can walk. It’s only two blocks.”
“It’s getting dark.” Cash said.
“I’ve done it before.”
“I’m taking you home.” Marshall said getting up. “No protests.”
Haylee sighed and took Marshall’s hands. He pulled her off the bed and stood her up. Ian woke up when she moved. His leg felt like there was something missing and it felt cold. He missed whatever used to be against his leg. Then he saw Marshall and Haylee getting up.
“Where are you going?” He asked to neither of them in particular.
“She has to go study for finals.” Marshall said.
“Oh,” Ian yawned, “good luck and all that shit.”
“Thanks.” Haylee said with a tiny smile.
“That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard you say to her.” Johnson said when Marshall and Haylee were gone.
“Whatever.” Ian shrugged.
“Weird.” Cash agreed with Johnson’s statement.
“I just don’t want her to fuck up her life. She needs luck. I didn’t hear you guys say it.” Ian defended.
“We said it before.” Johnson said.
“Now she’ll be really lucky. Stop looking at me like an alien has invaded my body, fuck.” Ian said picking a few random notes.
“Whatever.” Johnson said going to grab some popcorn and discovering it was all gone.
“No more.” Cash said before Johnson could ask.
Marshall dropped Haylee at her house and then went back to Cash’s. They were going to spend all night there and Singer was supposed to drop by later. They planned to play in the garage all night and try to write some new stuff.
Haylee got home and poured over her notes and her books. There were papers spread all over her bed when he mom came in to tell her to go to bed. It was the middle of the night and all the studying she did wasn’t going to do her any good if she was tired.
Haylee got up from the floor and felt her body stretch. She’d been cramped up for so long. After a moment she picked up everything on her floor and put it into the appropriate binders. Then she got undressed and slipped under the covers of her cool bed not bothering with pajamas.
* * *
Her last day of finals blazed by and Haylee almost didn’t notice until the last bell of the school year rang.
Outside kids were throwing their papers on the ground and yelling to each other. Most of them ignored the dumpsters and trash cans set out for their papers, binders, and other school supplies.
Haylee was quieter about her celebration. She put all the papers she no longer needed into the trash can next to her locker and made sure that she left nothing behind when she left with her lock in hand.
She ran into Alexa on the way out. They started to talk about how they were excited the school year was over. Alexa asked Haylee if she was going to the show tonight still. Haylee said she was and asked if Alexa wanted to go with her. They made plans to meet up after graduation for Singer and Cash so they could get ready and go together.
A smile crept across Haylee’s face as she walked through the front gates of the school into the parking lot. Alexa went to her car and Haylee waved goodbye. She was free of having to wear her uniform five days a week for seven hours. Now she could dress as she pleased for three whole months. She could enjoy the sun and freedom that she had before her senior year.
She had left her car at home today to walk. It was a sort of celebration for her. She liked to walk in the sun and feel it on her skin. There was also that secret love that she had for walking past the corner Seven Eleven and pretending not to notice as the guys outside the store stared at her in her uniform. That was something she wouldn’t tell anyone because sometimes she liked the uniform.
She had almost nothing to carry with her today and she felt light, the kind of light that only comes with summer.
She didn’t make it twenty feet into the parking lot before she saw her friends waving at her from a car. What startled her was the fact that Ian was behind the wheel and he was kind of… smiling at her. When he realized that she was staring at him and not just the car in general he stopped smiling.
Haylee was sad that she wasn’t going to walk home but glad that her friends were here to pick her up.
She walked towards the car. Ian, glad that he had his sunglasses with him, watched her as she walked to them. He turned his head to the left so she wouldn’t think he was watching her approach from the right. Of course he could shift his eyes easily to see her.
He was aware of the way her legs moved quickly over the pavement in the heels she was wearing, the smile that was growing wider on her lips as she got closer, and the way her chest bounced. He thought that it was wrong to notice these things about her when he constantly said mean things to her, but he couldn’t help it. He was a guy and guys notice things like bouncy chests and nice legs in high heels.
She reached the door and he locked it just as she went to pull it open. He laughed when she glared at him and then unlocked the doors. The car was running so when she opened the door and started to get in he tapped the gas pedal and sent the car forward in a jerky motion. That startled her and she jumped back. He did it again when she attempted to get into the car for the second time. The third time he allowed her to get in halfway before he started driving. She made it in but she was still pissed at him.
“How did you guys convince him to pick me up?” She asked as she settled next to Johnson.
“They paid me.” Ian answered with a lie.
“Figures.” She said blowing a piece of hair from her face.
“What?”
“You would only do something for money, not out of the kindness of your heart.”
“I don’t have a heart.” Ian said as he forced his way into the line of people trying to escape to summer.
“What’s with picking me up anyways?” Haylee asked leaning into Johnson’s chest for the hug that he was holding his arms out for.
“We thought we’d pick you up because it was the last day of school, we’ve got graduation in an hour that you’re coming to, and our show is tonight.” Singer answered.
“Oh, I knew there was a reason. Hey Ian?” She asked.
He realized that he really liked the way that his name sounded in her voice.
“Ian Crawford.” She said again.
He really liked that. “Yea?”
“Stop at Seven Eleven.”
“Sure.” He agreed before he knew what he was saying.
They weren’t the only ones stopping at Seven Eleven either. Haylee smiled when she saw the guys that were normally there sitting outside. It looked like she would get to show off her uniform just a little.
“I won’t be long.” She said getting out of the car.
The three guys in the car watched as she walked towards the front door. None of them failed to notice the way the three guys sitting outside noticed her. One of them got up and opened the door for her. She smiled at him and kept eye contact by turning around and walking backwards for a moment before turning back to walk into the store. What a little flirt they were all thinking to themselves.
Haylee came out with a bag and a drink in her hand. The one guy that had opened the door for her stopped her. She patiently talked to him while the other two checked her out. The three waiting for her in the car were all confused when she pointed to them. The guy talking to her looked disappointed and let her leave. She walked back to the car with a huge smile on her face. Singer knew that meant she had been asked out or something like that.
“What was that all about?” Johnson asked.
“That guy wanted to go on a date with me. I said that my boyfriend was in the car and pointed over here. He only saw Ian though.” She explained throwing candy in each of their laps.
Ian made a disgusted sound. “Like we would ever date.”
“Yea, I know. It’s not my fault that you’re the one driving. He only saw you.”
“Whatever.” He mumbled looking at the candy she’d thrown at him; it was his favorite.
Ian drove to her house and then followed the other two guys into her house. He’d been here before but he made it out like he didn’t like it. She made them wait while she went to her room to change. When she was ready for them to come in she yelled and one by one they came filtering though her door. Ian stayed close to the door leaning on the purple wall.
When she was done they got back into Ian’s car and then drove to Singer’s where Marshall and Cash were loading up the trailer. After the trailer was ready it was time to go to graduation.