These Lines Were Never Established

Hayley wandered around holding onto Travis’s hand and Tito’s arm and he walked alongside her. She couldn’t help but giggle as Travis stood with stiff shoulders. He’d gone through most of his day with a knot in his stomach.

What if he messed up on his runs? If he got seriously injured what would happen to Hayley? Would she be okay with seeing him in the hospital after what happened to her mom? What if he died? Should he have Jolene legally adopt Hayley so she wouldn’t go to someone he didn’t know and stayed with his family?

Thoughts ran through his head like crazy. He didn’t know what to do.

“Yew ready?” Hubert asked picking Hayley up as Travis looked at his bike. He had half a mind to back out of the Freestyle competition.

“Yeah.” He choked out. Hayley reached for him with a wide smile. Smiling back at her he pulled his bike off the stand and straddled it, getting ready to go.

“Daddy!” She giggled.

Travis nervously took her and held her close to him. She grabbed his face with a laugh and smooched his cheeks, making him laugh. Hugging her tightly he smiled at her not sure what to say to his little girl.

“Good w’uck daddy. Eyes nose yews do good!” She cheered. Those mispronounced words took a weight off his shoulders as she kissed his cheeks again. “Yews gets da pre’dy go’wld.” That put the weight back onto his shoulders. She wanted him to get gold. What if he didn’t? Would she be upset. “Eyes nose yews dos good!”

With a squeal Hayley kicked her legs and clapped her hands once Hubert pulled her away and handed Travis his helmet in her place. She waved and blew Travis kisses as he pulled his helmet and his goggles on. She cheered him on as he got into his line up heat.

Hubert placed the little girl on his shoulders and headed up to the stands where Jolene and the others were sitting to watch. She smiled as Jolene took her, and took no notice that Hubert had left as Travis took the starting point.

She screamed as loud as she could to cheer on her dad. Jolene and the rest of the guys screamed for Travis too, but all Travis could hear was the little voice screaming ‘Go Daddy!’ over and over again.

It made him feel whole.

“Eyes tol’s yew!” Hayley gloated as Travis looked at his gold medal. He simply placed it around her neck and watched as it hit the ground with a heavy thunk.

“Don’t gloat Little Bird. It’s not nice.” Andy teased.

“Buts eyes was right!” She gasped tossing her arms up. Travis laughed and began peeling off his riding gear. Hayley on the other hand picked up the shiny medal and began rolling it over in her hands.

“It doesn’t matter if you were right!” Hayley barely looked up at Jolene as she spoke. “Not everyone’s always right and no one likes when someone gloats. It’s not nice. Just like it’s not nice when you don’t share.” Hayley frowned, her nose scrunching up. She was amazing when it came to sharing, but gloating. That was something they’d been trying to break her off since she realized she was smarter than most people. It was hard task.

“Fine!” She gasped, tossing her head back annoyed. “Eyes no goat!” She groaned. Despite the fact she said it, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t. Jolene kissed her head as Hayley went back to looking at the medal. She looked funny in its reflection.

“Daddy!” She cheered holding it up to him. Travis laughed and took her hand leading her out of his dressing room so he could go do interviews. With a loud groan he stopped at all the people waiting. Sometimes he forgot how popular of a rider he was.

“I got her.” Jolene laughed taking Hayley’s hand and standing to the side so Travis could work the crowd. “Hold my hand tightly okay?” Jolene stated once she realized Hayley didn’t want to be carried and wouldn’t allow it.

Hayley nodded vigorously and gripped Jolene’s hand a bit tighter. With a smile she watched everyone around her move and swirl. She liked having people around and having everyone smiling like they were.

A big smile spread across her features as she giggled wildly at everyone around her. Jolene laughed at the little girl nearly dancing at her side with giddy giggles. Hayley couldn’t help but be happy everyone was smiling and laughing. She couldn’t remember the last time everyone was happy like this.

She lifted Tito in the air as Travis turned back to her with a wide smile, done with everything. He easily scooped her up and smiled down at his little girl, still wearing his giant gold medal.

“Look at you.” Travis teased as they entered a nearly empty hallway. “An X-Games gold medalist already!” Hayley frowned till he lifted the medal to her face.

“das yers!!” She giggled up at him. “Yews a meddle-list.” Travis nodded as she took it off and put it around his neck the nest she could. She smiled as he adjusted the ribbon holding the medal around his neck. “See!” she added.

“What to mommy say about gloating?” Travis pressed with a playfully pointed look.

Grunting Hayley tipped her head back in annoyance.

“I no gloat! I makes points! Yews win! Eyes nos win! No gloat!” She gasped. Giggling as Travis laughed at her. She smiled happily at him as began bouncing in his arms. “wes rides?” She asked. After seeing him complete she wanted to go on a ride with him. A nice long ride just her and her daddy.

“No. We’ll go ridding later. I still got stuff to do. Hey now,” Travis lifted her chin as she put her head down. “No pouting. Tomorrow I’m free to play with you and go riding all day. Just not right now, okay?” She nodded weakly. She wanted to play with daddy. “Hey,” Travis looked at everyone else heading into the conference room. “How much longer till my next …thing?” He asked.

“You mean competition?” Andy laughed at his friend. Travis simply smiled and nodded. “Hour or two, but I’d leave the bike be. You need it.”

“I’m not taking the bike.” Travis held Hayley above his head and getting a loud giggle from her. “You wanna play?” She nodded her head vigeriously. “What do you wanna play?” He asked setting the little girl down.

“Give me your medal before you lose it!” Debbie laughed walking past him. Travis easily passed off the gold medal as Hayley danced around thinking of what game she wanted to play.

“Whatever game we play we have to play right here in this hallway, okay?” Hayley eyed the long hallway and began to bounce.

“Hides-n-speak?”

“Hide-n-seek?” Travis pressed her as if questioning the game. She nodded quickly. “I’m it. I’ll count to ten and came find you. Remember in this hallway.” He pointed at her sternly. “Do not go around corners into the other hallways. Between the big blue doors,” He pointed at them. “and those doors.” He pointed at the other ones. “Do you understand?”

“Yes! Hallway onlys!! No over hallways!!! We play now?” She jumped up and down at the idea of getting to play with him. “Eyes be in trouble if I does I knows!!” She added with a big sigh as Travis opened his mouth again.

Covering his eyes he began to count slowly. With a squeal she spun in a quick circle and took off down the hallway. She tucked herself in next to a soda machine with a giggle. Covering her mouth and hiding her face in Tito so no one would hear her she waited.

The last number she heard was seven. Hayley found at the loud banging. Peering around the soda machine her eyes went wide. Rushing down the hall she pushed on the large doors with a whine.

“Daddy?!” She called terrified.

Travis stopped at seven hearing the loud bangs. Hayley didn’t make that much noise. Looking to his right he frowned before to his left and nearly feel over.

“Wait! Wait!” He called running towards the men walking towards him. “Why are the doors closed?”

“Next event.” One muttered dully.

“Open them real quick. Please just really quick!” He stated.

“Can’t. Events about to start.” They just kept walking.

“I need to get over there!”

“go around.” Then they were gone. Travis took in deep breaths slowly.

“Hayley game over. Come out now.” He called nervously. “Please come out. Please come out.” He bit on his thumb nail. “Hayley! I’m not kidding!!” He barked. Swallowing her stopped at the dead silence. If he was stern she usually listened or yelled ‘you gotta find me first’ and that would’ve ben enough. Knowing she was on the same side of the doors.

“Daddy!” The sound was muffled as he turned to look at the doors.

“Oh god.” He whined nervously. “Hayley.” He pressed himself to the door. “Hayley.”

“Eyes stayeds in the hallsways!!” She sniffled. “Eyes scars daddy.” She sniffled.

“It’s okay Hayley. It’s okay. Stay right there. I’m coming to get you. Don’t move, okay?” He waited listening. “Do you understand me Hayley?” He called.

“Yes.”

“I’m coming right now! Okay?”

“Otay.” Hayley sat down with her back to the door as she hugged Tito close to her. Rubbing at her eyes she waited watching all the places Travis could come from.

Travis took off down the hallway closest to him, sprinting at fast a she could, trying to navigate the hallways as best he could. He was pulled from form hallway as practice for Rally began and a car zooned down the painted hallway. Frantically he began asking for help to get to where he needed to be. Everyone he talked to be began to freak out as well, Travis Pastrana freaking out? Unheard off! Freaking out over a lost child? A crisis that needed to be addressed. The problem was, no one knew exactly what hallways to look in, they had to search them all.