The Good That Won't Come Out
Redux
The next morning, Lauren threw open the curtains and the blazing sunlight flooded the room.
"Dammit, Lauren!" Hailey groaned.
"Hey, sleeping beauty!" Pete cried.
Hailey cracked an eye open to see Pete stretched out on the other bed in his underwear.
"Ugh, Pete, I didn't need to see that!"
"What?" he grinned and Lauren flopped on the bed next to him. Lauren began to kiss his neck.
"Are you two rabbits or something?" she cried, jumping out of bed and grabbing some clothes. "Just wait and I'll get out of your way."
She changed in the bathroom, threw her hair into a ponytail and put on a little make-up. Then she cracked the door.
"I'm leaving. Call me when you're done, Lauren."
Hailey flung her messenger bag over her shoulder and walked down to the beach. She breathed in the fresh air and stretched. Then, she turned and started walking and walked right into someone. For the first time in months, Hailey laughed. She laughed at the person holding the now empty coffee cup, wearing a coffee soaked shirt. He began to laugh also.
"Isn't this ironic?" Patrick asked her, pulling the soaked shirt away from his skin. Hailey was laughing so hard, she could barely answer.
"Yah, I'd agree."
"Do you want to replay this?" he asked, grinning.
"I'd love to."
They went and found a coffee shop where Patrick found the bathroom and changed his shirt. He came back out and sat down with her. They ordered breakfast and looked expectantly at each other.
"It was much easier last time," he said with an awkward look.
"It was," Hailey agreed.
"So, what are you doing out here?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"What, Pete didn't tell you?"
"Pete took your words to heart. He won't talk to me about you."
"Yah, he won't talk to me about you either."
"Look, I'm sorry I was such an ass back home," Patrick said quietly.
"Stop apologizing. Hey, it was awkward for both of us. We didn't know that Pete and Lauren were scheming to get us together."
"I thought I was going to throw up when I saw you at the club. I honestly was having a hard time remembering all the lyrics."
"Ha, I couldn't even look at you," she laughed.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Hailey cleared her throat and pulled her hand down her ponytail. Hailey's phone broke the silence ringing, "You are who you love, and not who loves you back, I guess that's why you keep calling me back." (Jenny Lewis). He grinned because of the song. "I love that album." Hailey wrinkled her nose and answered her phone.
"Hailes, where are you?" Lauren asked.
"Having breakfast at the coffee shop across the street."
"Ok, Pete and I are going to join you."
"Oh," Hailey replied, the disappointment obvious in her voice.
"What, you don't want us to come?" Lauren whined.
"No, come on over," she sighed.
Hailey hung up the phone and looked at Patrick.
"Lauren and Pete?" Patrick asked.
"Yes, they're coming over."
"Oh," he replied the same way Hailey had.
Hailey had a perfect view of the door when Lauren and Pete walked it. She waved at them. When they saw who was with her, Lauren's mouth dropped open and Pete broke out into a cheesy smile. They walked up.
"Move it or lose it, buster," Lauren announced to Patrick.
Patrick looked up at her. Lauren gave him an exasperated look and pointed next to Hailey. He shrugged his shoulders and slid into the booth next to her. The breakfast turned comfortable after that. The group laughed, joked and ate. Patrick looked down at his watch.
"Crap, Pete, we've got to go. We're supposed to be at the studio in 15 minutes."
"Fuck!" Pete grumbled, pulling out his wallet. "Well, babe, I've got to go," he said, kissing Lauren. Patrick looked awkwardly at Hailey.
"Bye Hailey, it was nice talking to you."
"You too," she replied. She gave him a soft smile as they walked away. Once they were out of view, the smile faded from her face and she stared into her coffee cup.
"Hailes, are you ok?" Lauren asked carefully.
Hailey nodded and forced a smile.
"Yes, I'm ok."
"Maybe you two can be friends."
Hailey smiled sadly.
"We'll never be friends."
"Come on, Hailes. You could be."
"No, I love him Lauren. You can't be friends with someone you love."
Lauren was silent for a moment and then decided to change the subject.
"What do you want to do today?"
"Let's hang by the pool and drink margaritas," Hailey offered.
"That sounds like a plan."
"Dammit, Lauren!" Hailey groaned.
"Hey, sleeping beauty!" Pete cried.
Hailey cracked an eye open to see Pete stretched out on the other bed in his underwear.
"Ugh, Pete, I didn't need to see that!"
"What?" he grinned and Lauren flopped on the bed next to him. Lauren began to kiss his neck.
"Are you two rabbits or something?" she cried, jumping out of bed and grabbing some clothes. "Just wait and I'll get out of your way."
She changed in the bathroom, threw her hair into a ponytail and put on a little make-up. Then she cracked the door.
"I'm leaving. Call me when you're done, Lauren."
Hailey flung her messenger bag over her shoulder and walked down to the beach. She breathed in the fresh air and stretched. Then, she turned and started walking and walked right into someone. For the first time in months, Hailey laughed. She laughed at the person holding the now empty coffee cup, wearing a coffee soaked shirt. He began to laugh also.
"Isn't this ironic?" Patrick asked her, pulling the soaked shirt away from his skin. Hailey was laughing so hard, she could barely answer.
"Yah, I'd agree."
"Do you want to replay this?" he asked, grinning.
"I'd love to."
They went and found a coffee shop where Patrick found the bathroom and changed his shirt. He came back out and sat down with her. They ordered breakfast and looked expectantly at each other.
"It was much easier last time," he said with an awkward look.
"It was," Hailey agreed.
"So, what are you doing out here?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"What, Pete didn't tell you?"
"Pete took your words to heart. He won't talk to me about you."
"Yah, he won't talk to me about you either."
"Look, I'm sorry I was such an ass back home," Patrick said quietly.
"Stop apologizing. Hey, it was awkward for both of us. We didn't know that Pete and Lauren were scheming to get us together."
"I thought I was going to throw up when I saw you at the club. I honestly was having a hard time remembering all the lyrics."
"Ha, I couldn't even look at you," she laughed.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Hailey cleared her throat and pulled her hand down her ponytail. Hailey's phone broke the silence ringing, "You are who you love, and not who loves you back, I guess that's why you keep calling me back." (Jenny Lewis). He grinned because of the song. "I love that album." Hailey wrinkled her nose and answered her phone.
"Hailes, where are you?" Lauren asked.
"Having breakfast at the coffee shop across the street."
"Ok, Pete and I are going to join you."
"Oh," Hailey replied, the disappointment obvious in her voice.
"What, you don't want us to come?" Lauren whined.
"No, come on over," she sighed.
Hailey hung up the phone and looked at Patrick.
"Lauren and Pete?" Patrick asked.
"Yes, they're coming over."
"Oh," he replied the same way Hailey had.
Hailey had a perfect view of the door when Lauren and Pete walked it. She waved at them. When they saw who was with her, Lauren's mouth dropped open and Pete broke out into a cheesy smile. They walked up.
"Move it or lose it, buster," Lauren announced to Patrick.
Patrick looked up at her. Lauren gave him an exasperated look and pointed next to Hailey. He shrugged his shoulders and slid into the booth next to her. The breakfast turned comfortable after that. The group laughed, joked and ate. Patrick looked down at his watch.
"Crap, Pete, we've got to go. We're supposed to be at the studio in 15 minutes."
"Fuck!" Pete grumbled, pulling out his wallet. "Well, babe, I've got to go," he said, kissing Lauren. Patrick looked awkwardly at Hailey.
"Bye Hailey, it was nice talking to you."
"You too," she replied. She gave him a soft smile as they walked away. Once they were out of view, the smile faded from her face and she stared into her coffee cup.
"Hailes, are you ok?" Lauren asked carefully.
Hailey nodded and forced a smile.
"Yes, I'm ok."
"Maybe you two can be friends."
Hailey smiled sadly.
"We'll never be friends."
"Come on, Hailes. You could be."
"No, I love him Lauren. You can't be friends with someone you love."
Lauren was silent for a moment and then decided to change the subject.
"What do you want to do today?"
"Let's hang by the pool and drink margaritas," Hailey offered.
"That sounds like a plan."