You Just Know

(Disclaimer: I do not own any brands and other things familiar to you from the real-world.)

You Just Know

Chapter 2: Debt

Ding, dong. Groaning, I trudged out of my room, not bothering to check how I look. Who ever interrupted my sleep on a Saturday morning deserved the wrath of my hideous face. I looked through each door that I passed in the hallway: my parents left for work already and my brother's at the local university and wouldn't get home until later today. I emerged down the stairs, getting a clear view of our front porch through our dining room window. Hayden was here. I pulled the door open and gave him the best glare I could come up with.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked, trying my best to put venom in my voice.

He smiled perkily at me, tilting his head to the side, "Don't you look adorable in the morning."

"Yes, very," I mumbled, shutting the door. Just as it was about to shut completely, Hayden stuck his foot inside to stop it. "Let go!"

"Sorry! I don't mean to be rude but I need a favor," he said, his voice muffled behind the door.

I opened the door wider and eyed him, "If you had a favor, why don't you go ask your friends?"

"Because they aren't half as lovely as you," he said, giving me that same perky grin.

"Please, just get to the point," I said, exasperated.

He sighed, "I need you to go to work today."

"Work? You mean, the student store? That's not even a real job! And it's Saturday- there are no students on campus."

"It's just for a little bit! Inventory and stuff like that. Come on, please?" he begged, folding his hands together and shaking them in a prayer to me.

"Why can't you go do it? You're the one who's always taking extra shifts."

"Because I have somewhere to be."

"Where?"

"It's important."

"Where?"

"You owe me! I gave you a ride when I could have just left you there to rot!"

"I wouldn't have minded if it meant I didn't owe you anything!"

"Come on, please? I'll even drive you to school!"

"That's just gonna put me back in square one," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, "Plus, you didn't answer my question! Where are you going that's so important?"

"Why are you so curious?" he asked, amused.

"Because you owe me at least that much information."

He groaned and put his face in his hands before looking at me again, "I have to pay a visit to the cemetery."

I stared at him, shocked. He didn't look like he was kidding. "Oh. Okay, well... I have to go get changed. Can you wait in your car?"

"Can't I come in?"

"Nope," I said and shut the door in his face. Fifteen minutes later, I barreled down the stairs and locked up the house. I got in the passenger seat and we sped off to school on a stinken Saturday.

"You're parents would be so disappointed to hear how rude you are to guests," Hayden said, smirking.

"They would also be disappointed to hear I let a stranger into my house," I shot back.

He blushed and gave me a confused look, "What do you mean? I like to think we're friends."

"Nuh-uh. I don't know a thing about you," I scoffed.

He stayed silent for a moment before speaking up again, "My name's Hayden Tom Roth. I'm eighteen years old and I live with my dad and little sister, Tina. My best friend is Alex Oliver. I joined the swim team to check out girls but they all turned out to not be that attractive and I actually got good at it. I want to learn how to play guitar but I always get too frustrated and broke it. I have a 3.0 GPA and I sneeze when I'm around chilli. My current goal in life is to get closer to Jane Parra." I scrunched up my face, trying not to laugh. My face started to hurt so I let it go and started laughing. He looked at me, one eyebrow quirked up. "What?" he asked.

"It's just-" I laughed, "you sneeze around chili?"

"Yeah," he blushed, "I'm weak when it comes to spicy food."

I patted his shoulder unaffectionately, "It's okay. Most girls can't either."

"You are so-"

"Awesome," I interrupted.

He looked at me and smiled, "Definitely."

We stayed silent for the rest of the ride to school. I took his shift at work and Mrs. Sonya, the manager of the student store, immediately put me into training. Three hours, filled with long silences, passed and I was finally allowed to leave. I went out to the parking lot and was shocked to see that Hayden was there, waiting for me. I approached the car and looked through the passenger side window, "What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up." he said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"My brother can pick me up. You can g-"

"You owe me. I gave you a ride here when I could have just let you find your own way to work," he said, a smirk on his face.

I was about to argue with him but decided I was too tired from all the counting so I got in. Instead of taking me home, he pulled up to Margie's, an ice cream parlor on the main road. "What are we doing here?" I asked as I got out of the car, hesitant.

"Buying ice cream," he said, smiling. He met me at the front of the car and stuck his hand out for me to hold. I ignored it and kept walking.

"You do know it's cold out," I said, opening the door to Margie's anyway. He went in after me and didn't answer but instead went up to the guy in charge of orders and got himself strawberry ice cream with sprinkles. He looked at me, expectant. I didn't want him to pay for me so I stayed silent. Taking my silence the wrong way, he ordered me cookies 'n' cream. I took the cone from him indignantly. "I could have payed for myself."

"What's the fun in that?" he asked, giving me that sideways smile again.

"The fun would be that I wouldn't have to owe you anything."

"You don't have to owe me anything if you just went without being forced to," he said, tipping his cone toward me as we sat at a booth. "I think you like how I hold things against you, though."

"I think you're crazy."

"And that's exactly what attracts you to me," he winked.

"Please, don't make me barf all this out. Your money would just come to a waste."

He held his hands up defensively and said no more. I was halfway through my cone when the door opened. Curious to see what other freak would buy ice cream on a freezing day, I looked up to see Robyn Mackall and Ally Daley come in. They wore designer coats and chatted away about some party they were going to go to tonight. Hayden noticed my staring and turned around to see what I was looking at. His face paled and he tried to scoot down the booth but Robyn saw him anyway. I gulped, hoping they weren't about to have a lover's quarrel right here and now.

"Hayden?" she squealed, coming up to our booth.

He looked up, looking scared. "Robyn?"

"I should have known you'd be here," she said before noticing my presence. "Who's this?"

"I'm Jane. Hayden's cowork-"

"My friend, Jane," Hayden interrupted.

"Oh," Robyn said, sounding disappointed, She replaced it quickly and went back to being excited again. "Hayden used to bring me here on cold days all the time. I shouldn't be so surprised he brought you," she said to me, that smile never disappearing from her face. If I didn't hear the rumors about her, I wouldn't even have thought she was trying to insult me. Before I could say anything, she continued. "Did you visit Rachel?" she asked Hayden.

He licked his lips (another endearing thing!) before replying, "Yeah."

"Oh. I couldn't go. My parents are still, you know," she said, doing the crazy hand symbol with her index finger. He nodded. Awkward silence filled the air. Ally showed up just in time, two cones in her hand. She handed one of them to Robyn. "Well, I better get going. Nice seeing you two!" I waved bye, a polite smile on my face. Just as she left the store, she called back to Hayden, "Come stop by tonight, if you want."

Hayden blushed and practically swallowed his ice cream cone whole. I bumped my foot against his, "Oooh looks like someone has a date tonight."

"Why, I would love to go on a date with you, Jane. Thanks for asking." I kicked his leg harder in response and he hissed in pain. I finished my ice cream and we got back in the car. The car ride was silent except for the music on the radio.

I decided to use his line to break the silence, "What are you thinking about?"

He smiled at me, "You, of course."

"Really?" I asked. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, not that he was thinking about me but the fact that he actually remembered our conversation from yesterday.

"Yeah," he said, sneaking a look at my face again, the smile still in place.

"Like, what about me?"

He blushed and I saw his adam's apple bob as he gulped. "How you remind me of someone."

"Who?" I asked, thinking that's a good thing to say. Familiar looking houses flew by; we were getting closer to my house.

"Rachel."

"Who's Rachel?" I asked, distracted with the scenery outside.

"Robyn's sister."

I raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know she had a sister." Our town was small, one of those unnamed towns that you pass on your way to Las Vegas. It was only natural that we'd at least of heard of everyone, especially when it comes to Robyn's family since she's popular and they own a few businesses here.

"That's because she's dead," he said quietly, gulping again.

I felt like I got slapped in the face. Clearly she was important to Hayden and here I was, treating him like crap. I gently tugged on one of his hands on the wheel until he let go of it. I held it in mine and gave it a squeeze. "I'm sorry. I know she must have been important to you...," I said, looking at the console, not exactly sure of what to say in a situation like this.

He squeezed my hand back. "She was important. She was my girlfriend." He pulled the car to a stop, bringing me back to reality. I pulled my hand away and stared at my hand, shocked at what I just did. My thoughts were interrupted as a loud bang erupted outside. I shot my head up and saw that Will, my brother, just slammed the door shut as he got on the porch.

"Shit," I muttered, fumbling with the seat belt. I whisper-yelled a bye to Hayden before shutting the door behind me.

Will stuck his hand out at Hayden, "Halt!" Hayden sat still, green eyes wide with horror. Will motioned for him to get out of the car and he did. "Why are you dropping off my sister? Sister, why were you gone?"

I stood in front of Hayden defensively. "He works with me at the student store. They needed an extra hand so I volunteered to go. Hayden was nice enough to bring me and take me home."

Will's shoulders relaxed but he still eyed Hayden up and down. Finally, he sighed, "Whatever. I'm out. He can come have dinner with us. Mom and dad won't get home 'til later." Will went back inside and I heard the TV turn on, blaring MTV.

I faced Hayden again and punched his shoulder lightly, "That was fun."

He smiled and shook his head. "I can't wait to have some dinner with you guys," he said, licking his lips. Damn him and his few endearing ways!

"You can't!" I shouted.

"Why not?"

"Because that'd be like inviting some strange man into my house to play chess!"

He bent down so we were at eye level. "I bought you ice cream. You owe me."

"Shouldn't you be over at," I said, pausing. I completely forgot about the forbidden topic we just talked about.

"Robyn's?" he finished for me, an amused grin on his face. "Nah, I'd rather be here."

"Okay," I drawled, "Don't sue us if you just so happened to get food poisoning."