A Fragment of Light - Chapter 22

Wohoooo I'm back with the next chapter after hundred years.... haha. I'm SO glad if you're still reading this, and I hope you will continue to, so thank you alll so much if you're still sticking around!

Well, since this has been on hold for so long, I thought I could summarize a little bit of the story so that you don't have to go back through the chapters (if you don't want to). So here it goes:

//Hayley was at a mental hospital because she tried to kill herself. Her overprotective dad John was the one who put her there, and therefor, Hayley has been mad/in a fight with him ever since. It's also due to the fact that John has met a new woman, Linda, after her mom Cynthia mysteriously disappared/left them and he seems to have moved on while Hayley hasn't. Hayley has now found out that John is keeping secrets about Cynthia from her as her grandma Lily came to visit. She had a fight with her about that and she is now determined to find out the truth about her mom.

Also, during her stay at the mental hospital she met a guy named Josh. Her first sight of him was a sad, angry boy who almost jumped off the roof. The two started off as strangers, but as Josh has reappeared in Hayley's life several times by either saving her or just being there, she has come to think that they are not strangers anymore. But she still hasn't figured out why he visited the hospital and why he acted like that the first time she saw him.

Laura is Hayley's best friend, they've had their ups and downs but lately, Laura has been there for Hayley. Pete is the guy who was Hayley's friend at the beginning, but changed all that by drugging her.// 

22.

“Thanks again.” I said and met his eyes sincerely.

And then, for some reason, I took a step forward; putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. It was merely a touch and then I felt the weirdest feeling I had ever felt, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. I pulled back and felt his eyes on me. I walked away before he could say anything.

“Good luck.” I heard him shout after a while.

I thought about the fishing trip somehow. When I caught that perch and how Josh said that the first fish you caught were supposed to bring you luck. But I didn’t need luck right now. I needed and wanted the truth and I was ready for it. I had to be.

--

“Wait, you said what? Friends don’t let friends get drugged?!” Laura’s voice rang on the other end following with insane laughter, as she quoted me.

I was on my way home, on my way to face John, Lily and Linda. To face the truth. And what better way to prep myself than with Laura? At least that was I told myself as she so conveniently had called after my visit at Josh’s. I explained how I had gotten grounded, which was why I couldn’t see her. And so she asked me where I was and I told her…which I now realized was completely stupid of me, knowing Laura and her romantic thoughts on practically everything. Only it was too late and she had already started with her giggly behavior.

“What’s wrong with saying that? It’s true, besides, I think he was just agreeing because he didn’t want to admit that he was pissed about the apartment, which he has every right to be.” I said, keeping my eyes on my footsteps and holding my phone tightly against the ear. I only felt people passing by, never saw them as I was locked on putting my feet straight on the pavement whilst trying to hear Laura in all the noise.

“Uh-huh okay, how about this: friends don’t kiss friends on the cheek?” Laura asked and I rolled my eyes yet again. I just had to tell her that too, did I? Okay, so, perhaps that was dumb and I didn’t even know why I did it, but it was no big deal really. Kissing people on the cheek was like shaking someone’s hand, okay maybe not as intimate but it was seen as the most custom way to greet someone in several countries, France for example. Why was I defending myself anyways?

“Oh come on, you’ve kissed multiple guys on the cheek! And they were no more than friends, if even that.” I replied to Laura, while crossing a street, trying not to bump into everyone flying at me. I had no idea what time it was, but I guessed it was just about when everyone had lunch break because I was flooded with people. I heard Laura’s voice again.

“Haha, yeah but I was flirting! Like you wouldn’t know…”

“Fine, but this wasn’t me flirting with anyone, okay? I’m sure, no in fact I know, that it’s not on his mind and not on mine either, only if you keep bringing it up so drop it and move on.”

“Hm…”

I wasn’t trying to flirt with him. I wasn’t even sure on what the definition of our acquaintance was. Like, guy-you’ve-met-several-times,-counting-in-a-mental-hospital-and-who-later-saved-you-from-certain-scenarios-and-also-took-you-on-a-fishing-trip.Yup, that pretty much covers it. Oh, also, guy-I’ve-managed-to-tell-my-most-personal-problems-to. So what did all of this make us really? Friends was my first thought, if not strangers, but calling him a stranger might be a tad weird now. Still, there was something yet mysterious about him. Or all of this, like, could it really be just by chance all those times we’d encountered? Especially at the mental hospital.

But I did know what Laura meant about the flirting; all those times we’d hooked up with some boys or whatever at a party, we would kiss them on the cheek to flirt, just to play with them and have fun, nothing serious really. But that wasn’t my intention with Josh at all and maybe that was the problem.. The fact that I didn’t flirt with him?

Wait what was I thinking? Problem? Why would it be a problem? Ugh, this was probably exactly how Laura wanted me to resonate. She had watched too many C.S.I episodes..

“….So let me get this straight, you’re grounded or you’re supposed to be grounded but then you took a walk with Lily, which you had a fight with and then you went to Josh but you shouldn’t have really because you’re grounded. So even though you were grounded you went to him..”

My mind focused back on Laura’s voice and I realized she had been speaking while I had been drifting away myself.

“Hello? Hayles, are you even listening to me?”

I tuned in again, as well as I could while looking ahead of me to see where I was going.

“Yes. Of course. You were saying…?” I tried to lead her to finish the sentence, which she luckily did.

“So I was saying.. I think this proves something else..”

“What does?” I asked.

“The whole grounding-thing. That you went to him even though you weren’t supposed to. It proves that..”

“Yes, it proves that I don’t care whether I’m grounded or not.” Gosh we both needed to stop saying the word ‘grounded’.

I looked up and realized I had no idea where I was. Usually, I would take the bus, which I had only done once considering coming here today was actually my choice.. But I couldn’t find that same bus-station again and everything just looked so much. There were streets in all directions, places in every building, corner.. Maybe I had to get a cab home. How did I even find his place earlier? And then I remembered, I was still on the phone with Laura! It’s weird how her voice worked like a background filter underneath my thoughts. I knew she wouldn’t take it the wrong way though. I was getting tired of hearing the same story over and over again anyways.

And then, while I was looking for that bus station, a car pulled up with the passenger window rolling down. Assuming it was for someone else, I quickly walked on, but it went after me, like a dog following his mate. I squinted my eyes under the sunglasses, trying to see whoever had pulled up.

“Looking for a ride?” His voice reached my ears before my eyes could reach his and I knew who it was. But.. it wasn’t who I thought it would be.. Not that I was expecting it to be someone else, but the only times I had bumped into someone..well, it was always Josh. But this was not. This was Pete. And I could hardly believe that he even had the nerve to speak to me after what happened last. I tried to ignore him as much as possible, but his black BMW kept following me and I glared at him angrily.

“No, I’m not.”

“What?” Laura said panicky.

“Uhm, nothing Laura.” I walked on.

“Come on, get in the car and I’ll drive you.” I heard him say. Totally thrown off by his offer, I looked back at him and nearly shouted. Seriously, that was it. Who did he think he was?

“What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you recall anything? Last time I let you take me anywhere you drugged me! Drugged me! I thought I told you to stay away from me, so stay away.”

Judging by the look on his face he wasn’t expecting my rage towards him, but honestly, what did he expect? It was like he had hit his head or something and I was not interested in hearing his attempts at apologies again.

“Hayley, I’m sorry! Really okay! I.. I did it because this guy told me that this “thing” was supposed to make you more energetic and all, and I wanted to be with you, but I knew you didn’t like me so…”

“So you thought that you could drug me into liking you? Well, guess what, it didn’t work and I will never ever trust you again. So get away from me.”

“Fine, but tell your boyfriend to stay away from me then! Jeez, I was only trying to apologize.”

And that really threw me off. Boyfriend? What the hell was he talking about?

“Hayley why are you shouting?” Laura’s voice suddenly reached my ears.

“I ran in to someone. I-”

“Who?”

“..Pete.”

“Whaaaaat? Get away from him!-“

“Laura, I gotta go. Call you later.” I kept my eyes on Pete and as he realized I had slowed down my pace, he knew he had made me curious in some way. And I wanted to punch that smirk off his face again, but.. I needed to calm myself in order to find out what he was talking about.

“But-”

I hung up on her. She would hate me for a few minutes, but she’d probably understand. Or since it was Pete, she probably wouldn’t. But I had to do this.

 He bent down his head so that he’d be able to see me. He smirked.

“So, you’re looking for a ride or what?”

Angry and absolutely amazed at myself for actually doing this, I got in the car and shut the door.

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wooop woop... what did you think?? Tell me your thoughts and a billion thanks for reading! Happy belated Halloween everyone! ;)

note: i'll try and update within a few weeks, it might take some time but please be patient, i will update!