Lexi was cold and after talking to Wes, she decided that she’d sleep in between Matt and Wes both. She was hoping that tonight, she would actually be able to sleep for once. Chewing on her bottom lip, Lexi crawled between the two, turning to face Wes, hiding her face in his chest, her back pressed against Matt. “Warm, you’re both warm.” The girl whispers, feeling small between the two of them. “Love you guys.”
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Maybe Elijah was a little bored, and maybe he was a little lonely, but he knew someone that could fix that right away. See, Elijah never really knew what kind of relationship him and Wes had because it had always been a little flirty, but it was just a friendship, after all. Nothing was intimate, and they never kissed, but sometimes they both just needed that closer and happiness of being held by another person. It wasn't weird to them, and if they wanted to do it, they didn't need anyone to tell them otherwise. So, Elijah put on a pair of his shorts that were smaller, thigh high, and had cute little cream lace-line around the bottoms, along with a hippie-headband to hold his hair in place that had been a wreck. A new edition was also the piercing on his left eyebrow that hurt a little bit still, but just felt more like a bruise than anything. As he tiptoed his way across the hall, he walked straight into Wes' apartment. Not seeing him anywhere meant that Wes was probably still sleeping. The room smelled like acrylic paints, but the windows were also open to obviously air the place out. When he walked into the boys room, he noticed the boy still sleeping, on his stomach, with his hair in a complete mess. Elijah made his way to the bed before crawling on it and laying down next to him, kissing at his face. "Hey, you, wake up! Let's go do something, I'm bored."
Something vibrated through Charlie, like a swift blow to the stomach that sent her senses on fire as she lowered her axes in alarm. The bodies they had spent so much time burying had risen from their graves, teeth snapping and ready to make a bloody mess of their gravediggers. All that effort only to have the dead bite back and that would make Charlie’s skin crawl if it wasn’t already shifting with unease. What had that been? The wave that washed over her like someone banging on her coffin?
Her movements were fast, flashes like the lightening Layla used to produce as Charlie raced towards the door someone had installed in the metal wall and she had felt thankful for that. Changing the wall had pissed her off enough, but at least someone had thought to give them access to freedom. They’d just been sitting ducks before, rats in a cage.
“Did you feel that?” Charlie stopped suddenly beside someone when another wave pounded into frame. Someone was bashing through something and her arm instinctively reached out for Wes, the person next to her who she barely knew. But he was a familiar face, and on her group’s side. He was her kin now. And, just maybe, he had felt it too. The vibrations. The pounding against her door. But he couldn’t. Because he didn’t have the same abilities she did. “C’mon.”
Charlie would need backup and she could only hope Wes would follow her as she took off for the door set into the solid, metal wall. Tearing it open, the redhead built dirt steps with ease into the next wall they met, like she had done this all before. She had found some new, bizarre confidence in working with Mike, in constructing something that functioned, something that worked and kept the group safe from harm. Only now it was being tested. And when she ran up the steps to peer over the edge, her eyes were met with the glowing red fists of an angry man upon the second wall.
Letting out a long sigh, Delaney cast her gaze around her room one last time, trying in vain to remember if she had packed everything she needed for the weekend back at home. She'd spent the last hour packing, throwing whatever was in her line of sight into her suitcase. Technically, Del was supposed to be home already, cuddling up with her sisters as they watched the dog show - Delia always wanted the Shih Tzu to win best in show - and helping her mom with the cooking for their yearly dinner with the Whittakers. instead, Del was going to arrive into Myrtle Beach only half an hour before the dinner was set to start. Her mother hadn't been too happy when she'd found out, but Delaney had seen it as the best compromise. And anyways, it was only a few hours. Not seeing anything more that was essential, Del zipped up her suitcase and stood up, glancing at her phone for the time. It was 6:30 already, which meant that she needed to get moving in order to meet Wes in time, so that they would be able to make it to the treatment center by 9.
A large bouquet of yellow and white flowers, wrapped up with a neat pink bow, and a small pumpkin pie lay on her bed. She'd spent close to an hour at the local florist before she'd been satisfied, trying to pick out the perfect bouquet. Scooping them up, Del placed the items inside of a bag, before grabbing her suitcase and heading out of the room. It was already quite cool outside, though it wasn't even December yet. Still, Del loved this sort of weather. There wasn't this sort of thing in South Carolina, where mild winters were the norm. She found something magical in the bitter cold and snow, even if it left her freezing and chilled to the bone. Pulling her scarf tighter around herself, Del stepped outside of Trinity and stood by the door, shielded at least from the gusty wind. Clutching the flowers, Delaney waited for Wes, slightly nervous for the upcoming hours. It wasn't that she was meeting his mom for the first time - it wasn't - but this felt different for some reason.
Maybe it was the fact that is was a holiday, a holiday that was meant to be spent with family. It was supposed to be a happy time, not a time that should be spent in a hospital. It almost felt like she was intruding in some way on Wes' family dinner. Which was a silly notion, Del knew, but that's what it felt like. They were friends - close friends - in her mind, but this felt like it required more than that. In any case, Del felt like the most important part was just that she was here for him. Ever since her father had passed away, Delaney had found herself with a new perspective on life. Seeing the easiness and relative painlessness that many of her peers took for granted almost literally pained her. Meeting Wes, to her, was a breath of fresh air. They'd connected almost instantly, and the fact that she had the chance to help someone go through the same pain she had gone through lifted her spirits. Leaning against the wall, Del let her eyes fall closed for a short moment, a small smile playing across her lips as she thought of past memories, as she waited for Wes to show.
Who: Hailey Shein and Wes Clarington
Where: Pinkberry and the beach
When: Sunday night
What: Hailey and Wes go out and it gets a little awkward.
Wes pulled up to Hailey's dorm, spotting her waiting on a bench outside. She looked nice as usual, he thought. He appreciated a girl--or a guy, of course--who dressed well and made themselves look good. He opened the door, rolling down the window. "Climb on in," he called. "Off we go to froyo and who knows where else."
Hailey smiled as she stood up, tucking her hair behind her ear as she walked towards the car. She slid into the passenger seat. "How are you?" she asked as she buckled herself in.
Wes shrugged. "Okay. I don't know how much you're up on the Knights interpersonal drama, but everybody's just...driving me nuts at the moment. Sometimes people are awesome and other times they make me want to go live a celibate hermit life, to be honest. What about you?"
Hailey raised an eyebrow. "I've noticed this school is kind of like a soap opera. Too many artsy people and there's bound to be drama, right?" She shook her head. "I'm pretty good. Slowly making friends... although there's a lot of people whose reputations precede them and I'm trying to steer clear."
Wes nodded. "It's insane. And don't even get me started on the romantic entanglements and who's slept with who. I would need to draw a damn polygon to figure it out." He laughed. "So, whose reputation are you wary of?"
Hailey blushed slightly. "I don't even want to know about all of that," she looked down, clearing her throat. "Um, Cody mostly? Everyone says he's a jerk. And one of the Smythes. Or two of the Smythes. I don't know. Austin doesn't like them."
Wes shrugged. "Yeah, Cody seems like an ass to me too. I'm trying to befriend Chris--Cody's brother who seems like an asshole too but who I suspect is just hiding something--and Cody keeps talking shit about him. About his own brother." He raised an eyebrow. "Ha, which Smythe? Sebastian?" He winked.
Hailey scrunched her nose. That seemed to fit with what she'd heard about Cody. Then she shrugged. "Maybe? Is he the gay one? He seems like a jerk, but mostly harmless. I think the bad one was... Ty? Is that his name?"
Wes shrugged. "Yeah, Sebastian's the gay one. Probably harmless to you except he'll steal all your boyfriends. To guys he's pretty much heaven or hell or usually both. I haven't really dealt with Ty. Benji's a cutie, though. I did a body shot off him last weekend while he was super wasted and I think I traumatized him, he thought I was trying to eat him."
Hailey raised an eyebrow at Wes's comment about Sebastian. That was something she didn't really want to think about. Well, she did, but she wasn't going to. She sighed. "People here are so interesting."
Wes chuckled. "Interesting is...one word for it. It's a fun place, though. I hope you like it here at Knights." He pulled into the Pinkberry parking lot. "Stop number one," he announced. "Frozen fortification."
Hailey grinned as they stopped in front of the store, hopping out of the car. "I'm a huge froyo fan. Just so you know. My cups usually end up costing like 8 dollars."
Wes shrugged. "I actually hate froyo, so we will even out. I just get a cup full of random toppings." He indicated all the different things and flavors the store had to offer. "Go nuts."
Hailey stared at Wes with mock horror. "How can you possibly hate froyo?" she gasped. Then she reached for a cup, heading for the back to fill it up with at least four different flavors.
Wes laughed, grabbing his own cup and ladling in a bizarre mixture of shredded coconut, candy, and fresh fruit. "It's the yogurt taste, see. I don't like yogurt, frozen or unfrozen. I don't understand why they can't have some ice cream in here instead."
Hailey sighed as she came back from filling her cup nearly to the brim with froyo. "I don't like yogurt either. The plain kind is nasty. But all the other flavors taste just like ice cream." She spooned some popping bobas into her cup.
Wes shook his head, wrinkling his nose. "Nope, they have that weird sour yogurty taste in the back of your mouth. You won't convince me," he said with a smile. "I do like the part where you serve yourself and weigh it. It's a fun idea."
Hailey nodded. "It is fun. It's nice because if you only want a little, you don't have to pay for more and then waste it. Or you can get enough for an entire meal. Which is pretty much what I ended up with."
Wes laughed. "A meal of froyo. Awesome. Chris would hate that, he's a complete health nut. Tomorrow I have to bring him cucumber for lunch. Like, I think he means actual just sliced cucumber." He rolled his eyes. "So where to now?"
Hailey scrunched up her nose, "Shh, froyo is healthy." She knew she should probably eat better, but screw that, she ate what she liked and wouldn't let anyone judge her. "I don't know, I'm new here, you're supposed to be showing me places."
Wes grinned. "And even if it isn't healthy, who cares?" He shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm also an indecisive little bitch, so not sure how well that will work out. We can always go to the beach, it's kind of nice at night...."
Hailey laughed. "The beach sounds fun. I haven't been yet since I got here."
Wes smiled. "Beach, then. Not that I have a swim suit. Or anything. I do have an old blanket in my trunk, I think, so we can lay out and look at the stars and stuff."
Hailey smiled. "That's okay. I don't really like swimming anyways. But looking at the stars sounds really nice."
Wes gasped. "Don't like swimming?" Then he grinned. "I like swimming but not in the ocean, and specially not at night. God only knows what's out there." He glanced over at her cup of froyo. "You good to go? Need any more nasty cold yogurt?"
Hailey shook her head. "Ocean's terrify me, even in the day. And I don't really like being under water," she shrugged. "Yeah, I'm all set."
Wes chuckled. "Oh well, I won't make you go in the ocean then. Just beach walking and star gazing." He got in the car, waiting until she was buckled in and situated before heading towards the nearest beach.
Hailey hadn't been to a beach in ages. She'd gone to San Diego a few years ago with her parents, but she hadn't been near the ocean since then. Well, aside from Greece, but that hadn't counted because it was so cold. She smiled over at Wes and how nice and gentlemanly he was.
Wes noticed Hailey smiling at him and smiled back, thinking that her good humor was contagious. "Knights is awesome," he remarked. "But there's not that much to do in town. Eat, drink, and go to the beach pretty much...."
Hailey shrugged. "That all sound fun to me. I mean, I spend most of my time curled up in a blanket reading or watching TV, so I think Encinitas has enough excitement for me."
Wes laughed. "Well, yeah, there is that. Somehow when I went away to college I don't think I understood just how much time I would spend on my bed being a lazy ass."
Hailey laughed. "I've always been really good at being on my own. Kind of an only child thing. I like solitary activities," she shrugged. "I mean, I like people too. I'm not antisocial or anything."
Wes shook his head in amazement. "Only child, wow. You don't see many of those around here." He nodded. "People are...well. People can be annoying as hell. But overall I guess you could say I'm social. I'm trying to be more so."
Hailey chewed her bottom lip. "Well, I might not be an only child after all... But I'm trying to not be too optimistic about that." She looked down at her hands, thinking about Austin.
Wes raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked as he pulled into the gravel parking lot of a small state park beach.
Hailey looked up at Wes, clasping her hands together. "You know how I said I was adopted when I was a baby? Austin was adopted too, when he was three, and he's three years older than me. And there are just a lot of coincidences," she took a breath. "He's going to look at his adoption file when he gets home, but... he might be my brother."
Wes 's eyes widened. "Wow, that would be crazy, huh? But it sounds like it might be true. You don't know that many people from Montana, anyway. Would that..." He hesitated. "Would that be a good thing? Would you want him to be your brother?"
Hailey pursed her lips together, looking down. "I don't know. I've always wanted a brother. I just can't get my hopes up, because what if we're not siblings?" She frowned. "Anyway, we'll see what happens, right?"
Wes shrugged. "I mean, it would be pretty cool, but even if you're not brother and sister you still have a lot in common and you could be good friends, so I wouldn't worry that much about it." He opened the trunk, drawing out a big blanket. "Would you like to pick out the spot, milady?" He asked.
Hailey nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to try not to think about it until he looks at the file." She glanced out at the beach, spotting the life guard stand. "Over there looks good, she said pointing.
Wes smiled. "Wherever you want," he replied, laying out the blanket where she had indicated and lying down. "Wow," he breathed. "The stars out here never cease to amaze me. "I grew up in Chicago and believe me there were no stars there."
Hailey nodded, "It's pretty hard to see them in Seattle too, unless you go out towards the mountains." She sat down next to him on the blanket, pulling her knees up to her chest. It was a little breezy, and she definitely wasn't wearing warm enough clothes.
Wes looked over. "Oh shit, are you cold? Sorry, I--" He shrugged off his jacket. "Here, take this."
Hailey took the jacket, slipping her arms into it. "Thank you," she said, looking down and biting back a smile.
Wes grinned. "No worries. You get used to it out here, but it's weird. No matter how hot it is during the day, the temperature drops off drastically after dark."
Hailey nodded, shivering slightly. Wes's jacket was warm, and smelled like his expensive body spray. She felt a heat rising in her cheeks at the thought and looked away, out at the ocean. She could hear the waves crashing onto the beach and could just barely see the whitecaps through the darkness. "This is really nice," she said.
Wes smiled. "Yeah, it is, isn't it," he murmured quietly. "There's something about the beach at night that's even nicer than during the day."
Hailey smiled, "Well, the lack of people is one plus." She pulled the jacket tighter around her body and lay down on the blanket, moving a little closer to Wes.
Wes felt the warmth of Hailey's body and unconsciously moved closer as well, snuggling into the blanket as much as he could. "Oh I know. Something I've never understood--why is it okay for a woman to lay out in a bikini but not in her underwear?"
Hailey laughed at the question. "Um, material difference?" she suggested. "I'm not really a fan of bikinis though so I wouldn't really know."
Wes shrugged. "But like, I feel like it's something about how revealing it is, but a bikini is probably more revealing....and oh yeah, you don't even like water so you probably don't have much use for a swimsuit. So how's your independent study going?"
Hailey shrugged, "Who knows? Girls are weird or something." She turned her head to rest it on Wes's shoulder. "It's going well. I've only had one meeting with my professor so far, but it was amazing. He's so cool and really knows what he's doing."
Wes let Hailey rest her head on his shoulder, leaning back. "That's great! You'll probably get sick of him by the end of summer so hang on to that feeling," he joked.
Hailey was timed out 4 hours ago
Hailey joined the chat 97 minutes ago
Hailey laughed. "Maybe, I don't know, I'm a total geek about cello."
Wes nodded. "I kind of wish I was a total geek about something," he admitted. "I always admire people that have that strong passion. He shivered lightly, pressing closer to her without thinking.
Hailey smiled, cheeks burning slightly as he moved closer. She was glad it was dark out so she couldn't see. "Well, you're at art school, doesn't that make you passionate about your major?"
Wes shook his head. "Not as much as you'd think. Theatre was a big thing for me when I was a kid but I--I'm pretty sure now that that's not what I want to do. Honestly, I mainly came here because my siblings did and my parents expected me to. Otherwise I would have probably gone to a regular college. Maybe I should have. But I like it here okay anyway@
Hailey shrugged, "Well, at least you figured that out now, right? Before it was too late?"
Wes nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I'll find something that I want to do." He looked up again at the stars,
Hailey let out a breath, turning onto her side and curling into Wes, head on his shoulder.
Wes let Hailey curl into his side, surprising himself with how he didn't mind the physical contact. He sat there quietly for a moment, looking around and trying not to think about all the things he had to do.
Hailey was a little surprised that Wes didn't try to nudge her off or anything. She couldn't help but read into it that maybe... maybe she had a chance or something.
Wes almost didn't want to break the silence of the waves crashing against the shore. "So do you miss home?" He asked quietly. "Or are you glad to be here?"
Hailey shrugged. "I really like it here so far. I miss my parents, but it's okay. I can call them whenever so it's not really bad."
Wes nodded. "That's awesome. I--I don't really miss anything from home. I've got my siblings here, and when I was at home my parents were always busy with something or other anyway...." He sighed.
Hailey frowned slightly. "My parents were always around. Almost too much sometimes. But it's okay. We get along really well most of the time."
Wes laughed. "Probably nobody's completely happy with their childhood, huh?" He considered. "Do you want kids someday?"
Hailey scrunched her nose. "I have no idea." It wasn't completely true. While she was dating Stephen she'd had these ideas that they were going to be together forever and get married and have a family. But when he'd ended it, he'd kind of shattered her faith in true love. So who knew anymore?
Wes shrugged. "Do you like them?" He smiled. "I kind of do. But I'd be a shit dad, so, we'll see."
Hailey nodded. "I love kids. I've worked at a music camp for the last few summers. They're great." She turned her head, reading her chin on Wes' shoulder and looking up at him. "I'm sure you'd be a really good dad."
Wes shook his head, looking down at her. "Not right now, anyway. Not for a while. I just--when you're a parent you have to be able to sacrifice everything for this other person, dedicate yourself to them in a way I'm not used to doing with anybody. Maybe someday. Plus I ideally need to find somebody to have these kids with."
Hailey laughed a little. "It's okay, you have ages to figure all that out. We're only in college." She sighed, letting her eyes close as she leaned into Wes, snaking her arm around his waist.
Wes jolted a little as he felt Hailey's arm around his waist. Surely she knew he was gay--otherwise he would think she was trying to make a move on him. But it was probably just what girls did with their gay friends, he decided.
Hailey felt Wes jolt and blushed crimson, pulling her arm back. "Shoot sorry, I thought..." She choked on her words in embarrassment.
Wes laid a hand on her shoulder. Apparently there had been a miscommunication somehow--"It's okay," he said gently, not knowing how to put it. "I was just surprised. And..."
Hailey looked away, completely mortified. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that..." She chewed her lip. She'd clearly misread the situation.
Wes shook his head vehemently. "No, oh my God, don't worry about it. I didn't mind, in fact it was kind of...nice." He looked her in the eye. "You know I'm gay, though, right?"
Hailey sucked in a breath. Yeah, of course, she knew that. But she'd still thought that maybe... maybe he wasn't /completely/ gay. She'd clearly mistaken his friendliness for interest. "I k-know," she said.
Wes bit his lip, considering. He'd had a role in this, he knew, because at some level Hailey wasn't wrong--at some weird level he was interested in her, hadn't minded the way she had her arm around him. But he had just--never imagined being with a girl, wasn't sure he could. "I'm sorry," he said. "I think I fucked up."
Hailey shook her head. "No, it's my fault." She looked away. "I um, I think I want to go home now..."
Wes frowned, angry at himself. He had been having such a good time and now Hailey was all upset and he'd ruined everything. "Hailey, look at me," he entreated, trying to make direct eye contact with you. "I'll take you home soon if that's what you want, promise, but I'd like to talk to you first."
Hailey swallowed, finally turning to look at Wes. "Okay..." she said quietly.
Wes looked at her, sighing. "Here's the deal. First of all, there's nothing to be stressed or embarrassed about. It's okay. I--you're a great girl and I've enjoyed hanging out with you and if you've been confused that's my fault because I'm confused myself. I didn't mind when you had your arm around me, even if it surprised me a little, but I--I've never liked a girl in my life, you know, like that, and so I'm not sure what's going on, and I wouldn't want to--wouldn't want you to think something could happen that can't. But I'm not--not sure myself."
Hailey narrowed her eyes slightly, working through what he'd said. "So..." she chewed her lip. "Where does that leave us?"
Wes shrugged. "I don't know. I hope it at least leaves us as good friends who--hell, I don't know."
Hailey nodded. "Yeah, definitely friends." She sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them to her chest.
Wes sighed. "You're still stressing, aren't you? I told you it's not a big deal. Here, come here," he invited, opening his arms.
Hailey took a breath and pursed her lips. Then she moved towards him, letting him wrap his arms around her.
Wes buried his face in Hailey's hair, sighing. "I'm sorry," he muttered again.
Hailey wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him and burying her face in his chest. "It's okay," she said, voice muffled by his shirt.
Wes breathed in the scent of her floral shampoo. "You don't want me anyway, I'm pretty fucked up," he commented.
Hailey laughed weakly. Little did Wes know that he was pretty much exactly her type. She sighed. "We should leave now," she said quietly.
Wes nodded. "Okay," he agreed, not able to stop himself from reaching down and pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead, where it met her hairline. "You're awesome, you know that? You're going to find somebody great to be with, who can treat you like you deserve."
Hailey blushed as he kissed her, pressing her lips together and forcing herself not to smile or get too excited about it. "Th-thanks."
Wes shrugged. "Just telling the truth." Reluctantly he disentangled himself, standing up and offering her a hand.
Hailey took his hand, letting him pull her up. Then she helped shake out the blanket and they made their way back to the car.
Wes got in in silence, pulling back onto the road to head back to Knights. "I hope you had an okay time," he said. "Even with--you know."
Hailey nodded. "Yeah, I had a good time. Froyo and the beach.. it was great." She sighed. "And don't worry about it. Seriously, we can pretend that never happened."
Wes smiled. "We can if that's what you want, but it doesn't bother me. I like snuggling with my friends," he joked.
Hailey sighed. Friends. Right. She folded her hands in her lap. "Yeah, okay," she said softly. When they reached her dorm, she got out of the car, and realized she was still wearing his jacket. She started to take it off to give it back to him.
Wes shook his head. "You can go ahead and keep that until you get inside, it's pretty chilly out. Don't worry, you can give it back to me next time we hang out."
Hailey looked down, smiling. "Thanks Wes," she said, pulling the big jacket tightly around her. "See you later," she said, turning to walk back to her dorm.
Wes watched her walk away, sighing. He pulled out his phone to text her before he drove away: "Had a nice time tonight. Don't worry about anything. -W"
Hailey checked her phone when she got inside, smiling at the text. Maybe there was hope?
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Who: Hailey Shein and Wes Clarington
Where: A coffee shop
When: Monday afternoon
What: Hailey and Wes go out for coffee
Hailey ran her hands through her hair, checking her hastily done makeup in the mirror. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, then sat there for about five minutes trying to decide if she needed a sweater. When she heard the car horn, she made a split second decision and grabbed it, along with her wristlet and dorm keys. She headed outside, waving to Wes as she headed to his car.
Wes smiled. "Hop on in. So, which is your favorite coffee shop so far? We can go there if you want. So how are you settling in?"
Hailey got into the car, smiling a little shyly at Wes. He was nine kinds of gorgeous. She scrunched her nose. "I like that one near the bookstore? I don't remember it's name." She looked down at her lap, shrugging. "It's good so far, I think. People are nice, and I'm really excited to start studying with Professor Yang."
Wes grinned back in response. "The Tea Leaf? Yeah, that's a good one, we can go there. You're cello, right? That's your big thing?" He nodded in appreciation. "I can barely sing, much less play any instruments."
Hailey smiled up at him, "Yeah! That's the one." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Yep, cello. Everyone in school made fun of me because I'm so tiny and my cello is so big..." she shrugged. "I didn't care though, because I'm really good at it, and I shut them all up when they heard me play."
Wes laughed. "Doesn't matter as long as you are awesome at it, which it sounds like you are.,,.so why did you decide to show up early like this?"
Hailey smiled. "I graduated high school in December, and then I spent the spring with the Seattle Symphony. And then professor Yang offered me an independent study over the summer, so I'm here now."
Wes nodded, impressed. "Did you--I don't know, miss having the normal high school experience? I mean, a lot of it sucks major ass, but I even kind of miss not going to a regular college."
Hailey shook her head, "Not really. I mean, I guess I missed some of the typical high school kid things, but my music school tried really hard to make things normal for us."
Wes nodded. "That's good, then. Yeah, high school isn't that great, anyway," he commented, thinking back. He pulled into the coffee shop's parking lot. "We've arrived, my lady," he kidded.
Hailey felt a blush creeping up her cheeks at his politeness. She got out of the car, straightening her shorts and running her fingers through her long hair. "Thanks for driving," she said with a shy smile.
Wes smiled back. "Of course, it's no problem. So what have you tried from here? My standard is a caramel macchiato--girly, I know--but a lot of stuff is good."
Hailey laughed. "Grande nonfat chai frappucino, no whip," she recited. Then she amended, "Well, in the summer. In the winter I usually go for a white mocha, or just a latte."
Wes raised an eyebrow. "Such a specific drink order!" He exclaimed. "Ah well, I admire people who know what they want."
Hailey bit her lip, smiling. "I definitely know what I want. In general, I mean. Yeah." She didn't know why she was getting so flustered around Wes. He was so nice and charming, and she was just a mess. She took a breath to compose herself as she opened the door of the coffee shop.
Wes followed Hailey in, getting behind her in line. She seemed nice, and smart. He was glad he had gone and gotten her for coffee. "So, Hailey, tell me about yourself," he proposed. "What do you do when you aren't playing your cello."
Hailey scrunched her nose. "Um, I play some piano, and I draw. I like to read, and I watch a lot of TV. I used to ride horses? Oh, and I love traveling. My parents are big fans of family vacations. You?"
Wes ordered his drink and Hailey's, stepping to the side to wait for them. "Um...I mess around with my photography. Lay around lazily. Eat. I like to read too, but I never really make time for it. I watch some TV, but I usually prefer movies. I guess I'm not very interesting. Hmm, what's your favorite place you've been on vacation?"
Hailey ordered her drink and then followed Wes. "What's the last book you read?" she asked. "My favorite trip was definitely to Greece. I just love mythology, so all the ruins of the temples and everything were really cool. And the islands were just beautiful."
Wes grinned. "That's awesome! I actually love mythology too, and classics and stuff. If I had gone to a regular college that's maybe what I would have done....I don't know it's hard to say. And uh, the last book I read was East of Eden by Steinbeck. Reread, anyway. It's one of my favorites."
Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that's intense. I usually just read YA novels. And sci-fi stuff. I don't like having to think too hard when I'm reading books. Then it's not fun."
Wes smiled. "I mean, those are awesome too. Have you read Divergent? But sometimes I'm willing to put in an effort, especially since I don't have to read much for school anymore."
Hailey picked up her drink from the counter, nodding. "Of course I've read it. And insurgent. And I think the third one is coming out really soon."
Wes picked up his own drink. "So exciting! And they're making a movie, right?"
Hailey nodded. "Yeah, but I'm kind of not optimistic about it. I mean, Shailene Woodley is so not who I pictured for Tris. But I'll probably still go see it anyway. Oh and Catching Fire is coming out soon! I /love/ the Hunger Games."
Wes laughed. "Yeah, I know, but she's a good actress anyway. Did you see her in the Descendants? And oh my god I know. When does it come out?"
Hailey shrugged, "She was good in that, but she was /horrible/ in Secret Life of the American Teenager. I'm mainly worried about who they're going to get to play Four. And I have no idea. Sometime this summer I think?"
Wes grinned. "Hopefully somebody hot," he remarked. "Cool! We should go together."
Hailey narrowed her eyes slightly at Wes's comment. Oh. Of course he would be into guys. Just her luck. But maybe... maybe she still had a chance? Not that she wanted to date him. Not so soon after she'd broken up with Stephen, or rather, he'd broken up with her. She tried not to think about it as she sipped from her frappucino. "We should definitely!" she agreed.
Wes didn't miss Hailey's narrowed eyes. Shit, was she going to be into him? This always happened when he tried to be friends with girls..."sounds perfect. I've been looking for a movie buddy."
Hailey chewed her lip, wondering if she'd freaked Wes out or something. It was stupid. She knew she shouldn't like him, and now she knew she wouldn't try to pursue it, because she liked Wes, as a friend, and she didn't want to mess that up. So she told herself to just forget about it. She brushed her hair out of her face, forcing a cheerful smile. "Movie buddies, sounds great."
Wes smiled back. "Sounds like a plan. So what else is coming out soon? That second Star Trek, right?"
Hailey scrunched her nose, "I haven't actually seen the first one. I probably should though. Oh! The Mortal Instruments is coming out in August. I'm totally obsessed."
Wes shrugged. "It's okay. I saw it on a plane a few years ago....and yes! I saw a preview for it the other day. Well, we can go see that too. So who have you talked to so far on campus?"
Hailey took another sip of her drink. "My roommate Phoebe, a really nice girl named Lily, and this guy named Austin. He's kind of mean and a little abrasive, but I don't know, we bonded which was pretty cool."
Wes chuckled. "A lot of people here are abrasive if you ask me, but most of them are cool deep down. At least that's what I've found." He moved over to a group of plush looking armchairs, pulling one out for her. "Have a seat," he offered.
Hailey sat down in the chair, crossing her legs at the knee. "I have this problem where I'm really good at making acquaintances, and like, surface friendships, but it's really hard for me to get actually close to people," she shrugged.
Wes nodded understandingly. "I kind of have the same issue," he admitted. "I'm not good at letting people in...." He managed a cocky smile. "I mean, not that I have anything to be afraid of, because I'm Wes fucking Clarington, but you know..." He trailed off.
Hailey cocked an eyebrow. "Honestly your name means nothing to me," she laughed a little. "But I know what you mean. People who appear really confident... everyone thinks they've got it all together, you know? But I really don't."
Wes laughed. "It should mean to you that I'm really awesome," he kidded. "But I'll give you a by since you're new here." His face turned serious. "But yeah, that's pretty true. Sucks, doesn't it?" He took a long sip of his coffeeZ
Hailey shook her head in amusement. Wes was so cocky. "I guess. I'm used to it. I have a few good friends back home, so it's okay if I don't find a new bestie here or whatever."
Wes nodded. "For sure, but..." He winked. "I thought you and I were going to be besties!"
Hailey laughed, burying her face in her hand. "You keep this up and it might happen," she joked back.
Wes smiled. "All I need is to take you to get coffee?" He asked, kidding. "I mean, actually that's pretty good. I'm definitely a caffeine addict."
Hailey smiled, "Getting coffee, talking about books and movies... pretty much my favorite things to do."
Wes nodded. "Yeah, all awesome things. So where are you from? And what made you start up the cello?"
Hailey took another sip. "I'm from Seattle, but I was born in Montana. I started cello in kindergarten because my parents took me to a Yo-Yo Ma concert and I fell in love with the sound."
Wes looked astonished. "Montana? Wow, that's weird. There's somebody else here from Montana, but I can't remember who....Seattle sounds a lot better." He sighed enviously. "I'm a little jealous. I'm still not sure what exactly I want to do..."
Hailey frowned slightly, "Really? That's so random. I wonder who it is." She finished off her drink. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You've got plenty of time anyway."
Wes nodded, trying to think. "I know right? What are the chances of two people being from Montana." He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Just--everybody else seems so sure of themselves."
Hailey shrugged. "I'm sure not everyone else has their whole lives planned out like I do. I guess I got lucky in that respect."
Wes grimaced. "Everybody here certainly does," he grumbled, frowning for a second before he plastered a smile on his face. "You're cool," he commented. "I'm glad we hung out."
Hailey smiled. "Thanks, you're cool too," she said, standing up to take her cup to the trash can.
Wes stood up, taking a last swig of his drink before tossing it too in the trash can. "Where to, my lady?" He asked with exaggerated chivalry, pushing the door open for her. "Back to your dorm? I can drop you off anywhere."
Hailey smiled widely at the gesture. "My dorm is fine, thanks Wes."
Wes grinned back, sliding into his car, leaving the passenger door open for Hailey. "Awesome." He frowned. "Were you here for the Cinco de Mayo party yesterday? What a mess." He started the car, shifting smoothly into first.
Hailey shook her head as she got into the car. "Nope. No parties for me. I was way too tired and fell asleep before they even started."
Wes laughed. "That was the same way with me my first night here. I'm from Chicago, so I was pretty jetlagged, and I just passed out at like 9:30. My roommate thought I was wasted."
Hailey laughed. "Well I drove here from Seattle. I could have taken a plane, but I have so much stuff that it wasn't really worth it to ship it and all. So yeah, it was a /really/ long drive."
Wes shook his head in amazement. "Jeez, that's hardcore. I guess I could have driven from Chicago, but just...no. I basically bought all my stuff out here." He found himself sorry that they were nearing Hailey's dorm; he had really enjoyed talking to her. Shame she wasn't a hot guy, she would be exactly his type.
Hailey saw that they were near her dorm. "Thanks so much Wes. This was really fun, and we should definitely do it again!"
Wes smiled at her, pulling right in front of the door so she didn't have far to walk. "Yeah," he remarked a bit shyly. "I'd like that."
Hailey hopped out of the car, smiling. "See you soon," she said and then turned to go into the building.
