Determination

Chase was in a pickle.

Now, she didn’t like that expression very much, largely due to the fact she detested pickles, but her current situation called for it. Hailey had appeared to, it seems, have fallen asleep by the lake. She had admitted that something was wrong the day before, and then didn’t go home until the next morning. It worried Chase that something rather terrible had happened at the blonde’s house, though she could be wrong.

The bottle that Hailey had on her for their brief conversation wasn’t far from the front of her mind. Chase had her suspicions about what the bottle had contained, mostly due to how Hailey was holding it and the observations of how she handled it.

It may have seemed that Chase was getting a tad obsessed with the girl, but it wasn’t that. Her heart had always had a spot for people who were going through something upsetting. She tried her best to keep people happy because she knew a positive outlook could make all the difference sometimes. And really, there were times when that was the only thing one could do to better whatever situation they were in.

But Chase didn’t know how to approach Hailey. The girl was hard enough to approach as it was, and Chase had no clue how to now, with the suspicions she had. She’d figure it out in the morning, Chase decided, turning onto her side as her eyes fluttered shut. The night was a long one, and Chase tossed and turned for hours before she was able to fall into a fitful sleep.

The next morning dawned early, and for once Chase didn’t want to get out of bed. She knew she needed to do something to help Hailey, because the very idea of the poor girl suffering caused an ache in Chase’s chest. Walking downstairs, she grabbed a cereal bar and went outside, plopping down on the damp, cool ground without any thought.

She had to do something; anything, to try and get Hailey to talk to her. Though Chase had already tried, she knew she had to try harder. She also knew that pushing the blonde too much wouldn’t do either of them any good. So, she concluded, she’d have to find a balance.

The girl sat in deep concentration as she thought of a plan. Her main idea was to spend some time with Hailey out of school, preferably in her home with her cousin there as well. Or maybe not, Chase reasoned, because adding another person might scare Hailey off. If she’d even agree to come over….

A wind was blowing, causing the fallen leaves on the ground to leap into the air and dance. Chase allowed her eyes to follow them, retracing the invisible patterns they made and trying to predict where they would move next.

It hit Chase that she wasn’t going to get anything done, sitting in her pajamas on the ground. Standing, she wiped the dirt from her bottom as best she could before wandering back inside to change. She needed to get to the lake. It had always been the place where she did her best thinking.

***

The frigid air was still as Chase walked, and her coat protected her torso from the cold. She was glad for the chilly weather, though, simply because it made her more aware and helped her to think. And that was truly what she needs to do right then. With careful steps, she made her way through the woods. Her footfalls were louder than they normally were, simply because she was unable to tread without crunching the dried leaves that littered the path to the lake.

She sat by the lake on a large, flat rock a few feet from the water. Inhaling deeply, she allowed her thoughts to overtake her mind.

It was obvious enough that Hailey wasn’t happy; Chase was sure of that much. If the suspicions the perky girl had turned out to be true, Hailey was struggling and Chase felt her eyes fill with tears in sympathy. If it was true, if something had driven the blonde to drink, it was something truly terrible more likely than not and she wished with all her heart that the suspicions were wrong. Hailey shouldn’t have to deal with anything truly bad, nor should anyone. This was Chase’s belief.

But, no matter how much Chase reasoned with herself, she was almost certain the suspicions were true. Having grown up the way she had, she knew the signs. Her mind continued on this path for awhile longer, when a sudden sound disrupted her peace. Glancing up and to her left, she saw a figure hurrying to the edge of the lake. Chase watched, unnoticed by the other girl, as she dropped to her knees.

Chase stood, and slowly made her way over to the shaking figure huddled on the ground. The closer the brunette drew, the more she could make out of the figure. It wasn’t surprising when she recognized the girl; Hailey seemed to love it here as much as she did.

“Hey,” Chase said softly, a few feet away, slowly coming towards Hailey. The blonde didn’t acknowledge her, not even when Chase dropped down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She could see Hailey was shaking uncontrollably, and she didn’t know whether it was do to the lack of a jacket over the girl’s long-sleeved cotton shirt or if the sobbing was leading to a panic attack of some sort. Either way, it didn’t matter; Chase needed to get Hailey to calm down and get her warm.

Unzipping the insulated, overly large hoodie she wore over her sweater with one hand, she arranged it over Hailey’s shoulders. “Try to breathe, Hailey, okay? Take a deep breath in, and let it out in a slow and steady stream like you would if you were blowing out a candle,” she coached the shaking girl in a kind voice. Chase imitated the breathing she was describing, trying to coax Hailey into it. At first Hailey was unresponsive, still not taking note of the other girl’s presence. But a few minutes passed, and Chase noted the change in Hailey’s erratic breathing pattern; it was adjusting to the pattern Chase was still imitating for her.

“That’s it, Hailey, breathe just like that. Okay? Focus on evening out your breathing,” Chase said, rubbing her back. Slowly, very slowly, the shaking subsided and her breathing was only a little ragged. She looked up at Chase, their eyes meeting.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Chase smiled down at her, squeezing her arm around the girl slightly.

“Do you want to come back to my house? I’m figuring you could use a snack, and maybe hot cocoa or coffee or tea.”

Hailey hesitated, and Chase could feel the nervousness the other girl was radiating. “Okay,” Hailey said, moving to get up. When she did, she slipped her arms into the sleeves of Chase’s hoodie, smiling her thanks. The two walked slowly, Chase leading the way back home.