Everything I Ask For

Hayley’s POV
“Hey Hayles, can I talk to you?” I heard Alex ask. I turned around, “Sure thing. What’s up?”
“Stace”
I sat down, “Oh. What’s she done now?”
“Nothing” he said quickly, “It’s just… Hayley is she always this… deflective?”
“Wow. Big word Gaskarth” I smiled, “And not really. Usually she’s all for it.”
“Hmm I thought she liked me. With the way she’s acting and stuff but I might be wrong”
I laughed hard, “Oh no. That’s the thing. She likes you alright. A lot”
“Then why’s-” he started but I cut him off, “I think she likes you too much. And she’s heard about you”
“Heard about me?”
“Yeah. How you are with girls”
“Oh” was all he said
“Yeah. Just show her you like her. She’ll warm up to you”
He smiled, “Really?”
“Really” I said, rolling my eyes. He grinned and I shrugged, “Or maybe she won’t”
His smile fell and I chuckled, “I’m kidding”
“Good” he frowned
“Why Stacey?” I asked, talking a sip of my coffee. He smiled, “I don’t know. She’s like… different. I guess. She’s not like the other girls I’ve dated. She not afraid to speak her mind and she doesn’t… throw herself at me”
I frowned, “Mmm and she’s also 18”
“I know. It’s really not a big age difference though” he said.
“Mmm I bet Aunt Sarah would disagree with that” I told him.
“What now?”
“My aunty is her mother” I explained.
“Oh”
“You say that a lot” I told him.
“You surprise me a lot”
“Uh huh” I smiled.
I saw Stace walking down the street with Zack and I smiled, “Alex. Now’s your chance”
He looked back, “Zack’s there”
“So? He’s you friend. Tell him to go away”
He laughed, “I guess”
He got up and ran towards them. I saw him speak to Zack and he shrugged and walked away. Jeremy sat down, chuckling, “Playing matchmaker again?”
I shrugged, “Maybe”
He laughed, “Think it’ll work?”
I smiled, “I think it will. He’s nuts about her. Weirdly enough”
“Since when is Gaskarth nuts about anyone?” He laughed. I shrugged, “Since now I guess. She’ll be good for him. If they ever get together”
Jeremy laughed, “Knowing Stace. It’ll take a while”
I sighed, “You’re telling me”

“How’d it go?” Stace asked me later that night. I smiled, “Awesome. Crowd was awesome. They were basically bouncing off the walls”
“Sorry I couldn’t come.” She smiled apologetically.
“I know. It’s okay. You can’t help when you have a headache”
“Was that sarcastic?” she mock gasped
“Maybe” I said being mock bitchy. We both laughed and I smiled slyly, “So, you and Alex?”
“No” she said automatically
“Why not?” I asked skeptically.
“Hayles, you remember back in 9th grade when Jimmy asked me out?”
“Yeah”
“And remember how he moved away?”
“Yeah. Where’s this going”
“And how we thought it’d work even though we were in Franklin and he moved back to New York?”
“Yeah” I said, still confused
“Well this is the same situation” she told me.
“No its not”
“Yeah it is. Except we’re older and more… mature” she told me.
“Look honey. Alex likes you a lot and he’s willing to do almost anything to keep you with him”
“I know but he’s in a band and he tours and shit. I’ll hardly see him and even when he’s not touring he’ll wanna be back home with his family. It’s gonna be too complicated”
“You can make it work”
“No Hayley”
“This isn’t about that. Is it? It’s the fact that you’re still in love with Dylan. Isn’t it?” I asked her
“No”
“Liar. I know you still love him”
“Drop it”
“He’s not coming back” I told her softly.
She stood up, “Don’t you think I know that already”
“Sorry”
She sighed and sat down. I smiled lightly, “Just try it. He’s a good guy. Really”