My Worst Nightmare

I huffed and looked down at the counter top of the bar fiddling with my hands. I sure as hell wasn’t use to guys randomly coming out and saying that I was pretty to my face. I mean there were people that had said to me that I was pretty before, but just not the way this Jonathan guy was saying it. Usually it was people I knew too and I did not know this man at all, he must have went to the other High School near by.

He looked as if he was in the same grade as me if not a year out of school for all I knew. However, I had to admit that he was cute and attractive on a whole new level from Caleb. Then I said, “Um, thanks.” Just to respond to him.

“So then that’s all I get? No name?” Jonathan smiled now placing his hat on the counter top and shagging his hair to get rid of the flat hat hair.

“Oh, no, not really,” I said smiling back at him then when he looked kind of disappointed I laughed continuing, “I’m joking, my name is Haylee”

“That’s a cute name just like yourself,” he smirked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Um, just a sprite is good.”
“Thank god, I’m not 21 and I just don’t want to be responsible of a drunken girl this late at night.” I laughed.
“I’m not of age either and, well, I don’t see the need to.”
“But you got a Sprite.”
“Excuse me?”
“You got a Sprite, usually if they don’t drink they ask for a diet coke.”

“That just shows how much of a man whore you are if you have that many to compare to.” I rudely stated as the bartender placed a Sprite in front of me.

“Well, excuse me for talking to girls!” Jonathan laughed.
“I’m sorry.”
“Nah, that’s ok, I get it sometimes.” he shrugged.

Jonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan, he was an interesting guy that’s for sure. He had this real lively, hyper, talkative vibe to him and that’s just what he was too. We must have talked for at least a good hour at that bar drinking our Sprites. I learned that he was the same age as me, eighteen, and in the same grade as me. Although, he was in a different school district from me. He was a pretty cool guy and at the end of the night I ended up with his phone number, and vise versa, and a promise to find me on myspace.

“Bye Jonathan,” I waved with a smile as I headed my way toward the door. I heard him return the goodbye but I didn’t turn to look at him. I did look at my phone to see that the time was almost one in the morning. I hurried my steps out the door and practically jogged to my car. My parents, even with me at this age, were going to be the ones to pull a couch in front of the door and wait till I got home so they could nail me.

When I got behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition the car just sputtered and cut out. I tried again and the car started, but quickly crapped out on me.

“Aw, damnit.” I whined as I got out of the car with a sigh. I went in the back seat of the car and went under the passenger seat to find the pepper spray that was always where my dad always stashed it. I then locked my car and shoved the keys in my jacket pocket aggravated. I jogged to the front door of the bar and looked for Vinny, the owner. When I found him I explained that my car had crapped out on me again, it was an old piece of shit kind of car that my parents just didn’t feel the need to replace. I asked him not to tow it and he was more then happy not to. (Because of my car we had gotten to know each other.)

On my way out the door I caught sight of Jonathan and he smiled at me. I just waved and exited the building before he could strike up another conversation with me or something. My heels clicked on the side walk as I speedily walked across the bumpy concrete parking lot. I really needed to get home and I knew I was going to be exhausted whenever I returned home.

“Hey Haylee!” I heard someone shout. I turned and saw Jonathan waving to me again, but from his car.

“Oh, hey Jonathan.” I laughed waving again.

“I wasn’t sure that was you for a minute.”
“How could you not? You just talked to me for an hour. You can’t seem to leave me alone!”
“I can too!”
“Then prove it! Get in your car and drive away” he smiled at me.
“Yeah, ok” he got in his car and started it and started to back out of his spot.

I just turned my back and continued to walk again. This time I was on the side walk and exactly two blocks away from my home which I couldn’t wait to get to. However, just a minute of walking I heard a car horn honk at me and Jonathan yelling out his window, “Need a ride?”

“I’m not so sure I’d take a ride from you.” I laughed starting to walk a little faster.

“Why not?” he asked and I stopped walking and he stopped moving the car.

“Well one I barely know you and two I don’t have any plans to be raped tonight!” I joked throwing my arms up in the air dramatically.

“Oh shit I would never do that.” he said, “Alright, I’ll tell you what, you can walk and I’ll follow you home in the car?”

“If you really want you,” I laughed with a smile. How sweet of him. I barely knew the guy and he was offering to . . . Well not walk me home or drive me home, but . . . Actually I didn’t know what to call it. I did know that it was really nice of him. I didn’t see him as the type to even do anything as to rape me, but I just didn’t want to get in the car with him, I didn’t want to get to close.

After a few minutes of talking and walking, Jonathan driving, I made it to my front door. I said goodbye to Jonathan with a small smile and went to my front door step. I grabbed my car keys out of my jacket pocket and grabbed the house key on the ring and opened the door. Quietly I opened the door and stepped inside, turned the light on, and jumped. Of course I had to know that my parents would be standing right there I don’t know why it still scared the living shit out of me.

“Haylee where were you?” my father immediately asked.

“I was at Vinny’s bar.” I replied taking my coat off and hanging it on the coat rack.

“For this long? What were you doing there anyway?” he continued to interrogate.

“Dad come on” I whined and he said, “No, I want to know.”

“Caleb and Austin had their concert today with some other band and I stayed to watch and then I was just there with Caleb talking.” I lied.

“Well where’s the car? We didn’t hear it pull in the driveway,” he asked continuing the twenty questions game.

“That piece of crap broke down again in the parking lot” I sighed, “That’s why I have the pepper spray you left in my car in my hand.” I held the small bottle up.

“That’s my girl,” he praised with a smile and now I knew my mother was going to ask something.

“Why do you look so . . . . Dressed up?” she said.

“Because it was Been Bailey’s first big gig and the guys never saw me dressed up like this so I thought, why not.” I answered.

“Well you look so cute honey!” she exclaimed, “You should do that more often.”

“So then am I in trouble or . . . What?” I asked.

“Nope just wanted to know what’s going on in your life sweetheart!” my dad exclaimed giving me a pat on the shoulder and went upstairs with my mom. I rolled my eyes and rubbed my forehead. I then pulled out my phone and gave Caleb a call. He didn’t pick up right away but when he did his voice was groggily, “hello?”

“Hey Caleb,” I quietly said as to not let my parents hear me upstairs.

“Oh Haylee what’s up?” he asked clearing his throat and I heard him moving around on his end of the phone.

“Just calling you like I said I would.” I said with a small smile creeping up on my face, “Were you sleeping?”

“No I was throwing a house party” he joked with a yawn.

“And I wasn’t invited? I’m insulted” I gasped with a laugh.

“Well its nice to know you got in at,” he paused, “ 1:30 in the morning.”

“Yeah sorry” I said.

“No, its fine I’m glad you . . . .” he stop talking and it got real quite.

I waited a few seconds because I could still hear Caleb breathing on the other end. It was slow and steady and it sounded as if he had fallen asleep. I called his name a few times softly and he had in fact fell asleep so I said, “Night Caleb” and hung up.

I went upstairs and got into my soft comfy pajamas and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I was done with whatever I needed to I laid my head down on the pillow and instantly feel asleep.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

My alarm clock went off noisily beside my head. I groaned and opened my eyes to find barely any light pouring in through my window. I turned on my side and hit the top of the clock to shut it off and then turned on my back. I was still exhausted from last night. It was quarter to six and so that means I only had about five hours of sleep which was not in my favor.

After about twenty minutes getting ready I ran downstairs to make myself something to eat. As I was heating something up real quick I heard the front door open, but I didn’t need to look to see who the intruder was since he came every morning.

“Hey Caleb” I called as I put about six pieces of microwaveable bacon in the microwave for forty seconds.

“Haylee!” he shouted, “So what’s for breakfast today?”

“Some bacon and waffles.” I replied taking the bacon out and giving him three pieces on a plate and the other three on mine. Then when the waffles were done in the toaster oven I put in another two. I took the two that were done and place one on each plate and we started to eat breakfast together while waiting.

“I love your breakfasts!” Caleb exclaimed with a smile.

“It’s all microwaveable! Why don’t you make something for yourself at home?” I laughed.

“You always ask that and I always reply saying that my mom doesn’t buy anything good! All she buys is yucky dry cereal!” he complained.

“Alright well lets hurry we have to get going.” I said taking the two hot waffles out of the toaster oven and practically throwing them down on our plates.

“Ok we can eat in the car!” Caleb exclaimed.

“Rig- Oh shit, no . . .” I sighed dropping the waffle on my plate and covering my face.

“What happened?” he asked.
“My car is at Vinny’s. I left it there.” I groaned.
“What did you get drunk or something?”
“No!”
“I know I was joking” I nodded.
“My car just kinda . . . Crapped out on me again” I sighed.
“Aw hell no. How are we going to get to school?”
“I don’t know! Ask your parents for your car again?”
“No way! It was hard enough to get them to let me drive to our gig last night!”
“Well it was your fault for getting in trouble in the first place!”
“And its not my fault that I thought lighting stuff on fire in the backyard wasn’t so dangerous . . .” he mumbled.

“Your such a dumbass.” I laughed with a wide smile, “But what are we going to do?”
“I would suggest that we walk to the school but one, we wouldn’t make it in time, and two that’s really far!” Caleb stated eating a strip of bacon in one bite. I watched as he finished and shook my head laughing.

“Well I don’t what to do then! My parents already left earlier in the morning and even if we did walk to Vinny's we'd be late for the 4th time in a row. And you know that means another detention.” I frowned.

“I say we ditch! Come on. It’s a Friday anyway!” Caleb shouted with a wide smile plastered to his face.