These Lines Were Never Established

Travis reached over the arm of the couch as he lay on his back, Hayley sitting on his chest nibbling on some carrots as she watched the news. Padding the side table for the ringing phone he groaning stretching a bit more, picking it up.

“Yellow?” He asked tiredly. Hayley swatted at him to ‘shush’. He’d never heard of a toddler loving the news like she did. She didn’t like missing it.

Frowning he pushed her playfully and stopped at the voice on the other end. His smile faded and his eyes focused on Hayley waving a hand at him, as if telling him to go away and let her watch her news in peace.

Licking his lips he wrapped one arm around her.

“Yes. Yes, I’m still here sir.” He whispered. “When?” Hayley was looking at him now confused. “I see. I see. This morning…Do you know,” Swallowing he took in a few deep breaths. “Do you know if it was quick and easy or slow and…and, um… Okay, that’s good.” Rubbing Hayley’s back he forced a smile at her confused stare. “Thank you sir. Thank you. Goodbye.” Hanging up he put the phone on the coffee table and pulled Hayley closer.

“Was dat?” Hayley asked gently. Travis sat up, holding her close to his chest.

His mouth floundered and his mind tried to wrap around what he was just told. It seemed impossible to him, they’d just left there yesterday and in a day so much had changed for them.

“Nothing.” He breathed laying all the way back down on the couch. His mind was lost, just completely gone.

Sucking in deep breaths and shifting Hayley off him onto the couch he got up moving to the office. Hayley followed him with out a problem, the news forgotten at his pale and wide eyed features.

“Yews sees a ‘ost?” She whispered nervously into Tito’s head.

Travis turned to look at her slightly confused by her words. With the softest of laughs he sat down in his chair and smiled at her faintly.

“No I didn’t see a ghost. Just got informed I forgot to do something really big.” Lying to Hayley was hard enough, now it was nearly impossible but more than necessary.

With a weak nod she crawled up into his lap and began playing with a few of the pens on the desk as he began to click away wildly on the computer. He needed to get them out of here for the time being while he thought of a way to tell her.

Picking up the phone as he looked for nice places that would be kid friendly for Hayley he dialed his mother with a sigh. He only had a few words for her when she answered.

“It finally happened.” He stated dully, broken on the inside.

Debbie had no response to him as he waited for anything on her end.

“Can you tell the others? I’m planning a trip for a while.” He whispered as Hayley began making the pens fight each other with little sounds. “I can’t tell her just yet.” He added.

“Okay. Where are you going?” Debbie asked.

“I don’t know yet, I’m looking into it right now.”

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Okay. Bye I love you.” She told him she loved him to and they hung up, Travis going back to looking up good vacation destinations as his mother began multiple phone calls for him.

Panama. That was the place picked for vacation, but not on Travis’s watch. Apparently against his disagreeing Nitro Circus was going to keep filming as an MTV show. His agent was so out of a job the second Travis could get rid of him for this.

Hayley sat next to him on the plane peering out the window with big hazel eyes. Travis laughed as his eyes danced around the private plane him and the rest of the Nitro Crew and film crew were on. It felt wrong to bring Hayley with him knowing stupid stunts, injuries, and possible hospital visits.