Northern Downpour

Haley had no regrets, at least not now, as she stumbled back in to the barn. Both her and Kevin had been gone for a while but it didn't seem like anyone had noticed and the party seemed to have grown since she had left the party. Kevin had hung back quite a bit, actually quite a long bit, he didn't want anyone to raise any suspicion about what had gone on. Haley finally reached the keg in a far corner of the barn and was pumping the keg, trying to pour herself another drink even though she didn't need one.

Jack came up from behind her, his voice a little concerned, a little more slurred, "Hey, Haley, you ok?" He asked, turning to look her up and down before his hand reached up and plucked a piece of a leaf out of her hair.

Haley looked confused, briefly, as she looked down and realized that her knees were soaked and her butt was cold too, "Y-Yeah, I slipped and fell." Haley lied.

Jack frowned some and pushed some hair from Haley's face, "Did you hit your head? You're sure you're ok?" He asked again, "I don't think you should have another drink." He said, reaching for her slowly filling red cup.

Haley lifted the drink out of Jack's reach, "Hey, I'm fine, I promise." Haley slurred, "You're one to talk Jaaaaack. You're pretty drunk too." She pointed out. "I slipped on the compacted snow on the way to and from the bathroom."

Jack put his hands up in defeat, "Fine." He finally relented as Haley finished filling her cup.

The rest of the night went off without a hitch. Kevin returned to the party and Ellery returned to his side just as Haley had returned to Jack's, neither Jack or Ellery ever suspecting something had happened outside. The party winded down around 3am, Kevin and Ellery having actually retreated to Kevin's room in the main house while Jack and Haley crashed under the pool table in the barn with everyone else who was crashed out too.

It was a one-time thing, at least Haley continued to tell herself that until she realized that Marge had not only stolen her phone but was quickly inputting numbers. Haley protested but it was too late, she'd already added several people who had, according to Marge, been asking for her number— Jack, Kevin, and Ellery among them. As soon as Marge had put the phone back down, Haley snatched it and turned it off, putting it in her pocket claiming she wanted to save battery life.

Paranoid? Possibly. She didn't want Marge to hate her for what happened if she found out. Ellery was under the impression that her and Kevin were a thing and Kevin obviously didn't feel otherwise. Haley and Marge returned to school, to hanging out, to a routine. Kevin started texting Haley on a regular basis, just as friends. Jack started texting Haley too, but, Haley continued to keep Jack at a distance.

Everyone texted each other regularly despite the time zones and distances but it wasn't until it was a rather brisk spring day when Haley was walking back to her dorm with a friend having a conversation about a class they had together, "Really, I could sleep through Sorenson's lectures and not miss a thing." She cowled to the tall brunette who was walking back with her.

The brunette laughed and nodded, "I know people who have simply never attended a class for more than 20 minutes and who've passed with an 'A'."

Haley shook her head and snorted, "I just hate that all he—"

"Haley!" A man with a hat and glasses shouted near the door of the dorm. He had a couple of bags by his side and was wearing a huge smile on his face, a smile that Haley couldn't forget.