Determination

Hailey walked towards the library in her steady pace after lunch, her usual indifferent expression hiding her thoughts from anyone who might pay her any attention. Normally, she wouldn’t even consider people noticing her, but after having that girl Chase come up to her in two classes, Hailey wasn’t so sure.

It wasn’t that Hailey didn’t want friends. Far from it, actually. But when friends were expected to trust one another and to share their secrets, which was not what Hailey wanted. So a long time ago she had decided to never make friends. It would be easier to just to not have any friends than to constantly lose them when they find out she has secrets she’ll never share.

After all, they’re called secrets for a reason.

Her thoughts were interrupted as soon as she sat down at her usual spot in the school library by the bubbly girl from earlier plopping down next to her. “So, this is where you go to during lunch?” Chase asked, her voice still as chipper as it had been before.

Hailey allowed herself to offer a short nod as an answer before turning her attention to the book she held in her hands. Opening to the bookmarked page, she ignored the cheerful girl on her right.

“Oh, you’re reading The Book Thief? I love that book,” Chase said after a moment of silence, in which Hailey assumed she had read the title off the cover of the book. “Yep,” the girl replied, not looking at Chase. Hailey could practically feel the smile she knew was on Chase’s face. The blonde girl knew the other wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon, so she grudgingly replaced her bookmark and slipped it back into her bag.

As she turned her attention to the other girl, Hailey fidgeted with the necklace she wore. It was a silver rectangular locket that hung on a long chain to the bottom of her sternum. Almost absentmindedly, she slid her thumb nail in, opening it, but then snapping it shut immediately. Hailey had decided to say the minimum amount of words she could get away with. Already, she had picked up on the fact that Chase was bubbly and talkative—maybe if Hailey gave her something to start with, she would keep talking. Then, Hailey could just sit back and pretend to listen.

“So, Hailey, how long have you lived in the area? And where are you from?” Chase asked excitedly. “I’ve been here for four months, and I’m from Florida,” Hailey replied quietly, her voice void of emotions, like always. “You were here all summer, too? I never saw you around…then again, I was in New York for most of the summer spending time with family….What’s Florida like? I’ve never been there,” Chase said, ending with a question so Hailey had to reply.

“Hot and humid,” she replied, eyes on the ceiling as she sat with her back against the wall. Hailey could tell Chase was struggling with her lack of responses, and she almost felt sorry for the vivacious girl at her side. But, Hailey thought to herself silently, almost only counts in horseshoes.