I'm Never Okay

Hayley stood up. "Please don't hate me," she muttered, walking away.

Frank sat on the ground, stunned, for at least ten seconds. Then he recovered his voice. "Hayley! Wait!" He saw a break in her stride, and ran to catch up with her.

"Who do you think I wrote that song for?" he whispered before pressing his lips to hers. This time she responded, sighing a little against his mouth for a sweet, soft kiss. She tasted like strawberries, Frank thought giddily. Like fireworks on New Year's, marshmallows toasted over a fire, fresh-"

"Get a coffin, vampires!" a kid said, walking past.

They broke away from each other. "Fuck off!" Frank yelled after him, giving him the finger for good measure. Hayley laughed.

"Hey..." Frank was hit by a thought. "Did you really want to see the rest of that movie? There's about," he checked his watch, "Another half an hour."

She scrunched up her face. "Is it worth it?"

Frank shook his head immediately. "I guarantee that Gee will have this movie as soon as it gets released," he said, holding her hand. "Let's walk."

----------

Hayley woke up, smiling. Was it a dream? she thought sleepily, siting up. Her eyes fell on her mobile. One unread text message.

Hey, call me when you get this? xoxo frank

She smiled and hit in his phone number. Oh, that's just sad, she thought. I've memorised his phone number.

Frank picked up on the second ring. "Hayles?"

Hayley smiled at the sound of his voice, then mentally chided herself for acting so lovestruck.

"Hey Frankie," she said, the inane smile still on her face. "You wanted me to call?"

"Yeah," he said. "Are you dressed? Not that I'd mind if you weren't..."

She laughed. "No, I just got up."

"Alright, put some clothes on first..."

She put down the phone and changed into a red top and dark pants before picking it up again.

"Mmhm?"

"Now grab your necessities," she picked up her shoulder bag, "and walk out the front door."

She opened her bedroom door, passed the kitchen, and opened the front door.

She barely had time to register Frank standing there with a perfect, tiny, red rose, before he gave her a huge hug. "I missed you," he said in her ear.

Hayley laughed. "We were apart a whole...8 hours?"

"Mmhm," Frank said seriously. "I missed you for every single one of those hours. The whole 502 minutes."

She raised an eyebrow. "I see your maths is improving," she joked. "Why are you here?"

Frank tilted his head from side to side. "I thought we could go out to breakfast? There's a really good diner on the corner of my street."

"Hayley? Whose that at the door?"

"Oh shit!" she hissed. "No one!" she called. "I'm just going out for breakfast, okay?"

"Wait a minute!"

"Shit!" she said again, grabbing Frank and running for the nearest cover - a clump of bushes. "Don't talk!"

Frank breathed in her ear, making her shiver, giggling. "Shush!"

He shrugged. "You told me not to talk. But then you talked. So that's why I'm allowed to-" his voice was cut off as Hayley slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Mmm-mmmm!" He licked Hayley's hand.

"Oh, that's gross," she said, wiping his spit on his t-shirt. "Take that!"

"Come on, your mum's probably gone by now," he pleaded, dragging her out of the bush. "Why are you so worried about her anyways?"

Hayley sighed. "Thing is, I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend until I'm in college."