The Good That Won't Come Out
No More Excuses
After every show, Patrick faithfully called Hailey. Obviously, things had ended with Ben. He couldn't handle sharing Hailey, even if there was nothing romantic going on with Patrick. Hailey never told Patrick that she was single again. She continued to keep busy with work and dance. She had picked up the guitar again, an instrument she hadn't played since she was about 12. To anyone other that Hailey, it seemed that she and Patrick had officially entered the friend zone. Patrick was convinced of it also, but still, he didn't give up.
Hailey and Lauren had gotten a large two bedroom loft to rent together. Hailey had to admit that it was nice to not be alone all the time.
It was one particularly chilly evening when Lauren joined Hailey on the couch with a small package.
"Happy early birthday," she said.
Hailey smiled. No one ever remembered her birthday, it was on Christmas Eve. She took the parcel from Lauren.
"Thanks, no one ever remembers. You're great."
"Open it!" she cried excitedly.
Hailey tore open the package and found a plane ticket nestled in the tissue paper.
"Why would I need a ticket to Baltimore?" she said.
"Same reason I have, Fall Out Boy." Hailey knitted her brows and looked at her. "It's time Hailes, no more excuses."
"Lauren," Hailey said hesitantly.
"Nope, I don't want to hear it. Pete's got everything ready.
"You two, do you ever stop scheming?"
"It has nothing to do with you professing undying affections. I just think we all haven't hung out in awhile."
"Ok, Lauren, you win. I'll go. But, I won't like it."
The next day, Hailey had called in a couple of her personal days and they were on a plane to Baltimore. They caught a cab to the venue and went into the building. The building was packed with people, mostly screaming teenagers. They stood in the back until Fall Out Boy began to play, then they pushed forward until they got to the front. Hailey felt her heart swell as she watched Patrick sing. She was so proud of him. She stared up at him and had a flashback to when things began to turn bad. Her chest constricted when she thought of him looking at her and ignoring her. She lowered her head and looked at the ground.
"Hailes, what's wrong?" Lauren asked, concerned.
"Oh, just a bad memory," she said, her eyes filling with tears.
"Hailey, pick your head up. It's not the end of you and Patrick. If you let him back in, it's only the beginning."
Lauren put her hand under Hailey's chin and lifted her head up for her. Pete saw them and waved excitedly. She smiled weakly, blinking back tears. When he saw the look on Hailey's face, his smile turned to one of alarm.
"Hey!" he cried into the mic. "Has anyone noticed that Patrick hasn't been himself tonight?"
The crowd screamed, "Yah."
"Do you want me to fix it?"
Patrick gave him a grin.
"There's no fixin' this. At least not until I get back to Chicago."
"Yes there is. Patrick, look down."
Patrick looked down into the crowd and when his eyes met Hailey's, his whole face lit up. All of Hailey's fears were washed away when she saw the joy on his face. She waved at him.
"See that beautiful red-head right there?"
The crowd stared at her and the people around her tried to touch her.
"That there, is the coolest chick alive. And, she's going to be my girl again one day."
With that, he started to play the opening chords for Grand Theft Autumn. Hailey smiled up at him.
Hailey and Lauren had gotten a large two bedroom loft to rent together. Hailey had to admit that it was nice to not be alone all the time.
It was one particularly chilly evening when Lauren joined Hailey on the couch with a small package.
"Happy early birthday," she said.
Hailey smiled. No one ever remembered her birthday, it was on Christmas Eve. She took the parcel from Lauren.
"Thanks, no one ever remembers. You're great."
"Open it!" she cried excitedly.
Hailey tore open the package and found a plane ticket nestled in the tissue paper.
"Why would I need a ticket to Baltimore?" she said.
"Same reason I have, Fall Out Boy." Hailey knitted her brows and looked at her. "It's time Hailes, no more excuses."
"Lauren," Hailey said hesitantly.
"Nope, I don't want to hear it. Pete's got everything ready.
"You two, do you ever stop scheming?"
"It has nothing to do with you professing undying affections. I just think we all haven't hung out in awhile."
"Ok, Lauren, you win. I'll go. But, I won't like it."
The next day, Hailey had called in a couple of her personal days and they were on a plane to Baltimore. They caught a cab to the venue and went into the building. The building was packed with people, mostly screaming teenagers. They stood in the back until Fall Out Boy began to play, then they pushed forward until they got to the front. Hailey felt her heart swell as she watched Patrick sing. She was so proud of him. She stared up at him and had a flashback to when things began to turn bad. Her chest constricted when she thought of him looking at her and ignoring her. She lowered her head and looked at the ground.
"Hailes, what's wrong?" Lauren asked, concerned.
"Oh, just a bad memory," she said, her eyes filling with tears.
"Hailey, pick your head up. It's not the end of you and Patrick. If you let him back in, it's only the beginning."
Lauren put her hand under Hailey's chin and lifted her head up for her. Pete saw them and waved excitedly. She smiled weakly, blinking back tears. When he saw the look on Hailey's face, his smile turned to one of alarm.
"Hey!" he cried into the mic. "Has anyone noticed that Patrick hasn't been himself tonight?"
The crowd screamed, "Yah."
"Do you want me to fix it?"
Patrick gave him a grin.
"There's no fixin' this. At least not until I get back to Chicago."
"Yes there is. Patrick, look down."
Patrick looked down into the crowd and when his eyes met Hailey's, his whole face lit up. All of Hailey's fears were washed away when she saw the joy on his face. She waved at him.
"See that beautiful red-head right there?"
The crowd stared at her and the people around her tried to touch her.
"That there, is the coolest chick alive. And, she's going to be my girl again one day."
With that, he started to play the opening chords for Grand Theft Autumn. Hailey smiled up at him.