Lost To Me

Hayly’s POV
I woke up slowly and unwillingly. Groaning, I rolled over to look at the time on my alarm clock. Great, it was two in the morning. I sat up slowly and sighed. I would never be able to get to sleep now. At least today, woops I mean yesterday, was Friday. Waking up at crazy times wouldn’t mess up my schedule. As if it did either way. This happened all the time.

My stomach growling at me reminded me that I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. I had even forgotten about the apple I brought up to my room when I got home. And seeing as it was gone now, someone probably came in my room and ate it. Wonderful. Notice my sarcasm.

I swung my legs over to the side of the bed and got out of it. I stayed in place momentarily so the dizziness I always felt getting out of bed passed. Okay, now that actually getting up was accomplished, to the kitchen.

Wonder if the guys are still awake, I thought. They probably were, Jack had stayed over on a Friday night. I pushed those thoughts aside when I tried to walk down the stairs, otherwise I would definitely fall down them. I had to concentrate on the stairs, because I was just clumsy like that. I gripped the banister with white knuckles anyway, just in case.

I made it down the stairs without incident thankfully. God knows what would’ve happened if something had happened. I headed to the kitchen and started poking around, hoping to find some food.

“Aha, gotcha,” I muttered to myself when I found a couple slices of cold cheese pizza. I grabbed a paper towel and wrapped up my pizza before heading back up to my room. As I passed Alex’s room I heard the two boys I knew were there whispering quietly. Hm.. Eavesdropping time.

Gently pressing my ear against the door I strained to hear what Alex and Jack were saying. “Jack, it’s obvious! She’s the only one oblivious to it,” Alex’s voice came across as a hissing whisper, he was obviously irritated. But who was this ‘oblivious girl’?

“I know. Which is what makes this so annoying! I mean, how could she like me, I’m just her friend. There’s no way she likes me,” Jack’s voice was a little louder, and sounded very hopeless.

I was feeling pretty hopeless now too. He likes someone else…

You don’t know that. It could be her.

No way, Jack’s never looked at her as more than a little sister.

You don’t know that! She could be the one she’s talking about for all we know!

I’m still right here! God, the voices in my head were insane. .…..And that just sounded even more insane. Jeez…

After the weird fight that just went on inside my head, I went back to listening to Alex and Jack’s conversation.

“And I think she likes you too, bro. Although if you two went out, that’d be insanely weird.” There was Alex again. This was really starting to confuse me, plus I was getting more and more heartbroken by the moment.

“Yeah, I know. I think I’m gonna ask her out tomorrow. Think she’ll say yes?” Jack must really like this girl if he was asking Alex if she would say yes.

“Yeah, I think so.” Alex’s answer made me choke out a muffled sob, and I realized that I’d been crying. “Jack, was that you?” Oh shit, they heard me.

“No, it sounded like someone was crying.. Oh God, Hayly.” My name came out of his mouth as more of a stunned whisper than anything. “Let me see if she’s out there.” I heard the floorboards squeak as Jack got up.

The only thing running through my mind was, Crap, I’ve messed up. I did just about the only thing I thought I could do. I ran back to my room, and hid under my blankets, hoping that they didn’t see me run.

Oh God.. What if Jack saw me? He hasn’t come in here yet.. Just then Jack stuck his head in my slightly open door. “She’s asleep. Thank God..” he breathed, and I detected the relief in his tone. I had the sudden urge to just talk to him. Not tell him about any of what I just heard of course, but just talk to him.

I rolled over then yawned, as though I was just waking up. I stretched then slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Jacky?” I asked quietly when I set my eyes on him once more.

“Did I wake you up Hayly? I didn’t mean to, you always look so tired at school, you should probably go back to sleep,” he said hurriedly.

I laughed quietly. “Do you ever think before you talk Jack? It doesn’t normally seem like it.” He blushed red; I could see it even in the dim light of my room. I patted the bed next to me. “Come on, or are you just going to stand there the whole time?”

He immediately came to sit next to me where he could lean against the headboard, and I sat on him, obviously taking him by surprise. “The only reason I can tell your sitting on me is because I can see you Hayly. And I can barely see you,” he teased.

It was my turn to have my cheeks heat up, so I sent him a fake glare. “Won’t Alex be mad if you never come back?” I changed the subject, I’d rather not be teased, I had enough of that at school. I hoped he wouldn’t, I liked sitting with Jack.

He shrugged. “Probably. But oh well. He’s just jealous that I’m spending time with you and not him.”

“Well the whole point to this sleeping over thing is to hang out with Alex,” I pointed out.

“I don’t care. I wanna hang out with you.”

“Whatever Jack,” I said quietly, and laid my head on his chest. I was tired again already. “I’ma go to sleep Jacky.. You wanna go back to Alex’s room?” I asked tiredly, secretly hoping he would stay with me.

“I probably should, but I’ll stay in here. Alex is boring anyway,” he laughed quietly. He gently started to stroke my hair, while he whispered, “Go to sleep Hayles. We have the whole weekend.”

I was so tired I didn’t even question the strangeness of his actions and just accepted them. Once again I fell asleep while Jack watched over me. Maybe this would start to be a regular thing, was the last coherent thought I could remember.

Jack’s POV
Here I was again, watching Hayly while she slept. Wow, that sounded stalkerish. Oh well, I wasn’t being a stalker, I was being a friend. Hopefully Alex wouldn’t interrupt this time.

Running my fingers through her hair had become an automatic motion, and I wondered how her hair got so soft. It never looked like it would feel that way, but it was.

A yawn found its way up and I leaned more heavily on her headboard. I would probably fall asleep in here. It sounded nice, falling asleep with Hayly. I let my eyes close briefly, and I found I couldn’t open them up again.

Oh well. I hope Alex isn’t pissed tomorrow. With that last thought I let myself drift off into sleep, Hayly in my arms.