Young & Reckless

I was back in the place I started. I stood in front with a duffel bag on my shoulder and more in Jason's car. The rain ran on my face like a dirty shower. The water picked up once again when I left the house. Jason gave me his keys and told me to give the car back whenever I could. I tailgated the hell out of my house when my dad continued to yell with his face red and his white shirt sweaty.

I packed all my clothes, everything I knew I needed. My father was already gone by the time I left. Now I was here, soaked in my socks and tears streaming down my face. Why did I come here? Or all places. I could have called Granger and asked her to forgive me for the thousandth time on something I knew I hadn’t done.

Or I could have called a relative, a family friend, or asked Jason for one of his friends. I didn't want to be here, I shouldn't be here. But I had no where to go, I needed a place to stay, somewhere to seek refuge.

I stepped closer to the porch so I was under the roof and the rain couldn't hit my sore eyes. I lifted my hand and placed it in a fist to knock on the door. I looked in the driveway and saw an extra car I hadn't before. His mother was home, maybe I shouldn't, but I needed somewhere to go.

I swallowed my fear and knocked on the door. I lifted the wet duffel bag on my shoulders and shifted the weight between my feet. I stand there for a while, listening to the hard rain fall and watching the tan door stay closed.

I stepped to the left, ready to just turn around and sleep on a deserted road in the truck. Just as I turned the door opened and a rush of warmth from inside came in. I turned and saw Hayden Jak in a pair of boxers and looking lazy eyed.

“Anna, what are you doing here?” He asked, rubbing his eyes and then his sculpted chest. I opened my mouth and quickly closed it. My body was still in the position to leave. That's what I should be doing, leaving.

I turned and stepped up to Hayden. I lifted my heavy bag and shrugged my shoulders. “You said anything right?”

Hayden sighed and shook his head. Exasperated, he ran his fingers through his hair and mumbled, “Come in...”

I stepped in and dropped my bag on the floor. It landed with a loud plop and a weird sloshing sound. I look around the room at the now clean living room. When I left this morning it was a mess with all my boxes and things. I began to feel sorry and looked back at Hayden. He stared back at me with his hand on his neck and his other on his hip.

“You're wet,” he muttered. I shrugged and shivered. When I moved water droplets began falling off my body and on to the floor. I rubbed my arm and started moving toward Hayden. “Why are you here?” He asked.

I shrugged again, but regretted it immediately when my wet clothes stuck to my skin and the room got colder. “My dad kicked me out.”

“You told them?” He breathed, putting his hands to his sides and his eyes widening. I nodded and remembered that I had been crying all day. I knew my eyes were red and puffy and my skin was pale from the rain. I silently prayed that Hayden couldn't see the tear stains that I didn't bother to wipe all the way here.

Hayden took a step closer to me. He looked me up and down and shook his head. Putting his arm around my shoulders and taking my bag from the ground he lead me to the long hallway where I knew his room was located.

“Let's get you dry. Do you have any dry clothes?” He asked. I shook my head, everything was wet. I had been standing outside for a while. Debating weather or not it were a good choice to knock on the heart throbs door and find a place to sleep for the night. The only dry items I had were in the truck and I'm sure those were damp as well.

Hayden led me into his room and closed the door behind us. I remembered his room all too well. The white gray sheets and the pictures on the wall. Nothing changed, the room was still picture perfect clean and organized.

I moved to sit on the bed, but realized he probably didn't want my wet butt on his sheets. I folded my arms and turned around to him. My duffel bag sat uncomfortably in his arms as he held it like a child. “I'll put these in the dryer. I'll let you borrow something of mine.”

I opened my mouth to say something but closed it once Hayden turned around toward his dresser. He pulled out a large gray shirt and a pair of white boxer briefs. The thought of wearing his boxers sent a crimson blush across my face.

I took the clothes he handed me and sent him a silent thank you. He smiled and shifted the bag in his hands. “Sorry, they're old,” I waved it off and smiled at him, thankful for the gesture anyway. Other than the fact that I knew the clothes would smell like him and I liked his clean musky scent.

I turned to go in the bathroom, before Hayden said, “My mother's going to have a cow when she sees this.” My face became red hot and I began to shake. I should have considered that his mother didn't want me here. A stranger in her home, a girl in fact.

“I'm sorry, I should have known. I should have stayed at a friends house. Or something else. I'll go if its too much...” I stumbled over my words and twisted the white underwear in my hands.

Hayden shook his head, “No, Anna, I told you that I would be here if you needed anything. My mom will be fine with it. Just get dry and warm so you don't catch a cold.” I smiled at his kindness and hurried to the bathroom.

In the bathroom I looked at myself in the mirror. My long chestnut hair turned to a deep drown that began to curl around the edges. My large brown eyes were red and puffy from all the crying and faint white tear stained tears were fading down to my cheeks.

I knew my clothes were wet and stuck to my skin. I knew I'd catch a cold if I didn't take them off soon. I quickly took off the soaking clothes and rung them out in the sink. I searched for a towel under the sink and started to dry off.

I put Hayden's gray shirt over my head and was thankful that it covered his white boxer briefs and was big enough for me to hide in. I combed through my damp hair with my fingers and took one last look in the mirror. I took my clothes and the towel and hurried out the bathroom.

Down the hall I heard Hayden quietly cursing to himself. I walked to the end of the hall and found him in the dark, trying to throw my wet clothes in the washer. I smiled at him and threw some in behind him. He stood and stared at me with a smile.

Hayden stood up and started the washer, “You're dry.” He whispered, looking at a door behind him.

“And you're still naked,” I whispered back.

“Uh,” he mumbled, going in his room. I followed him and watched as he gathered blankets and pillows and began putting them on the floor. “You can sleep on the bed.”

I took a blanket he was carrying and held it against my body, “No, I came here at three in the morning. I woke you up, I'm sure your mom will be mad in the morning. The lease I can do is give you your bed back.”

Hayden snatched the blanket back and put it on the hep he started on the floor. He took me by the shoulders and sat me down on the bed. After he took another blanket and placed it gently on my lap.

“No, its my house, I'll sleep on the floor. The lease I can do is let you sleep in my bed after everything that's happened to you.” He quickly turned around and flicked the lamp off on the night stand. I heard the blankets ruffle and imagined Hayden getting under them and trying to get comfortable on the hard floor.

I sighed and laid down on the bed and cuddling in between the covers. I took a pillow from under my head and began to cuddle it. I smiled into the cover and turned around. I listened to the hard rain fall outside and heard the odd rhythm it made.

Again I was in Hayden Jak's bed, but now was for an entirely different reason. This time he was helping me rather then me helping myself. How could someone I barely knew have been so kind to me? I was the pregnant one, I didn't want to be a burden on anyone's shoulders. I knew I had to leave soon, go somewhere I knew I wouldn't be a bother.

I turned around and watched in the harsh moonlight as the covers came up and down from his breathing. “Hayden...” I mumbled into the dark. I heard a soft groan come from the ground, “Thank you.”

▲▼▲▼

I woke up to a loud buzzing sound in my left ear. I shot right up and looked around the room. I was still in Hayden's house and in his bed. The sun shone through the dark curtains and I knew it was pass the time school had started. The alarm kept going and I was instantly awake. I slammed the alarm clock on the nightstand.

I ran my hands down on my face and sighed. This wasn't a dream, I was actually confiding in Hayden for a home when my parents kicked me out of mine. I had gotten pregnant with a friend of mine in this very bed. I had sex with the boyfriend of the only friend I had. No, this wasn't a nightmare, it was real life.

I swung my legs over the short bed and stretched up toward the ceiling. Doing the usual morning routine, arms in the air, crack neck, stretch legs. I stood from the bed and folded the dark blue blanket over the faded sheets.

At the end of the bed my now dry bag was opened with all my clothes dried and folded. I could smell the fabric softer coming from the clothes and knew they had just come out the dryer. I quickly threw on a pair of black cloth shorts and closed the bag and placed it on the floor.

On the floor the pile of blankets that Hayden had slept on last night were folded and pushed into a corner. I could smell burning yeast and knew he was where ever the food was. I walked out Hayden's room and closed the door behind me.

I walked down the long hall and saw Hayden standing by the kitchen island with a cup in his hand. His smile was bright and wide as he looked in the kitchen and took a sip from the cup. I folded my arms as I leaned against the wall watching Hayden.

Once he spotted me his smile faltered and quickly came back. He sat the cup on the counter and took my arm, he lead me in the kitchen and stood beside me.

In the kitchen was a small woman with her hair tied in a ponytail and a skillet in her hands. She turned and smiled at me. Her smile was the same as Hayden, toothy and breathtaking. I smiled back at her.

“Hayden told me all about you. I'm his mom, Joan. Please, have some breakfast or something, juice or hot chocolate. Hayden Daniel don't just stand there, fix the girl something.” She moved around the kitchen like she was a pro and what she did. She spoke like a true mother would have, humble and kind.

Hayden groaned and rolled his eyes. He made his way into the kitchen and poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to me. I smiled at him and then at his mother. I set the glass down and said, “Thank you for everything, but I think I'll be leaving tonight. I don't want to impose...”

Joan set down the skillet and shook her head, “No, stay here as long as you need sweetie. You won't be imposing at all, as long as you need, you have a place here.” She smiled again and handed me a plate of pancakes and eggs, “How did you sleep last night? Fine I hope, Hayden's not a good host like his mother.”

I laughed and took a bite of the yellow fluff on my plate. Hayden shook his head at his mother and turned to me, with his cup in his hand and a smirk on his face. “Yeah, how was it sleeping in my bed... again?”

I coughed and took a quick gulp of my drink. Again, I had slept in the same bed I had with Holden. That bed was a curse and I had slept in it again. I knew I should have slept on the floor. But here I was in the same place I had gotten pregnant, only worse.

Mrs. Jak came around and smacked Hayden on the head. “Don't be an ass son.” She took her purse from the island and kissed him on the cheek. “I have to get to work, obviously you guys won't be going to school. Don't get into too much trouble, see you later.” Joan quickly left the house and closed the door behind her.

I looked at Hayden with a pancake slice on my fork, “Hayden Daniel,” I snickered. I took the bite and smiled. He rolled his eyes and put his cup on the counter, he walked pass me and made sure he bumped into my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes and continued to eat my breakfast. “Whatever Annamarie. Get dressed, we're leaving soon.”