Status: i'll update when i can.
Everybody Needs Somebody
seven.
“Thanks,” she smiled weakly, their fingers still locked.
“Well, do you need help with...it?”
“The funeral?” Hayley choked.
“Yeah, that,” Will nodded, unwilling to say the word funeral when talking about Hayley’s family. It didn’t seem right, like they were immortal, invincible, now here she was, the only survivor.
“You don’t want to help me with it,” Hayley told him, biting her lip. Will shook his head.
“I do,” he assured her. “I want to.”
“Why?” she asked, doubting he really wanted to do it. Surely he just wanted to be nice to her? Her, the freak, the weirdo whose family died?
“Everybody needs somebody, don’t they?”
Hayley smiled up at him.
“I suppose so,” she said.
“Sure they do,” Will told her. “Otherwise you go crazy with loneliness.”
“What if you’re already crazy?” Hayley grinned.
“Hayley, you're not crazy at all.”
Hayley looked up at him, her green eyes teary. He smiled and shrugged like it was nothing, but to Hayley, who had feared hearing her parents’ voices and revisiting the family albums meant she was insane.
“And I always thought you were an idiot,” she smiled. Will laughed, but then he said; “I probably was, yeah. Sorry about that.”
Hayley smiled, letting go of Will’s little finger and twisting her fingers around themselves, nervous. She didn’t know what to say, and she didn’t like it. It made her awkward and timid, not knowing what to say. Will was also uneasy, thinking hard about when she was going to leave. Why had he let her in again? Jeez. He had scheduled a game online with Scott in five minutes...Hayley sighed. How should she tell him, as sweet as the offer was, she really didn’t want to stay any longer? There was cleaning to be done and then she had to get her uniform ironed for work tomorrow...
“I’d better go,” Hayley said, standing up, wiping her sweaty, clammy hands on her pyjama bottoms.
“Yeah,” Will agreed, also rising. He shook her hand roughly, and she cleared her throat, rocking on the balls of her feet.
“Bye,” she said, giving a little wave, and then she lifted up the window before grabbing onto one of the thicker branches of the tree between their houses. Will watched her until she was closing her own window, then turned on his Playstation.
Scott had left him twenty-odd messages, asking him what the hell he was doing, why wasn't he online, etc...Will sighed, apologised and turned the humming black machine back off, flopping back onto his bed. Stupid Hayley. She was just a girl, just some girl who lived next door to him.
“Well, do you need help with...it?”
“The funeral?” Hayley choked.
“Yeah, that,” Will nodded, unwilling to say the word funeral when talking about Hayley’s family. It didn’t seem right, like they were immortal, invincible, now here she was, the only survivor.
“You don’t want to help me with it,” Hayley told him, biting her lip. Will shook his head.
“I do,” he assured her. “I want to.”
“Why?” she asked, doubting he really wanted to do it. Surely he just wanted to be nice to her? Her, the freak, the weirdo whose family died?
“Everybody needs somebody, don’t they?”
Hayley smiled up at him.
“I suppose so,” she said.
“Sure they do,” Will told her. “Otherwise you go crazy with loneliness.”
“What if you’re already crazy?” Hayley grinned.
“Hayley, you're not crazy at all.”
Hayley looked up at him, her green eyes teary. He smiled and shrugged like it was nothing, but to Hayley, who had feared hearing her parents’ voices and revisiting the family albums meant she was insane.
“And I always thought you were an idiot,” she smiled. Will laughed, but then he said; “I probably was, yeah. Sorry about that.”
Hayley smiled, letting go of Will’s little finger and twisting her fingers around themselves, nervous. She didn’t know what to say, and she didn’t like it. It made her awkward and timid, not knowing what to say. Will was also uneasy, thinking hard about when she was going to leave. Why had he let her in again? Jeez. He had scheduled a game online with Scott in five minutes...Hayley sighed. How should she tell him, as sweet as the offer was, she really didn’t want to stay any longer? There was cleaning to be done and then she had to get her uniform ironed for work tomorrow...
“I’d better go,” Hayley said, standing up, wiping her sweaty, clammy hands on her pyjama bottoms.
“Yeah,” Will agreed, also rising. He shook her hand roughly, and she cleared her throat, rocking on the balls of her feet.
“Bye,” she said, giving a little wave, and then she lifted up the window before grabbing onto one of the thicker branches of the tree between their houses. Will watched her until she was closing her own window, then turned on his Playstation.
Scott had left him twenty-odd messages, asking him what the hell he was doing, why wasn't he online, etc...Will sighed, apologised and turned the humming black machine back off, flopping back onto his bed. Stupid Hayley. She was just a girl, just some girl who lived next door to him.