Because Of Him

When I couldn't get rid of you

**the next morning**

I woke up with my eyes still feeling droopy and my body numb and not wanting to move. I wasn't much of a person to stay up late at night. I always slept early. Sleeping was a way for me to get away from everything around me.

It was 10 am the last time I closed my eyes and when I checked again it was 10:30. I told Myself to stop moping and get out of bed and somehow, I actually managed to do it. My mom would probably be out of the house and on her way to work by now so I thought I didn't need to do much explaining of why I was still wearing the same clothes that I did yesterday and why I looked like a corpse with the dark circles around my eyes. I dragged my legs down the stairs as I went to get a glass of water to try and wake myself up. I drank the cold water as it swept down my throat waking my system more. "$25 down" a voice said. I realized it was my sister Rachel. I jumped which caused me to choke on my water and spill a bit on the floor. "s**t. You scared me. And what're you talking about?" I said as I took a paper towel and started wiping away the remains of the water on the floor. I felt her glare eyeing my neck as I put my empty glass in the sink.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I saw you last night" my sister blurted as she crossed her arms. "What?"

"Oh please. I saw you with hayes last night"

"How?"

"I was up late last night studying and Nash called and asked if I wanted to hang at his place. I said yes and was gonna walk there because mom would freak if she saw me leave the house at 2 am. Just like how I freaked when I saw you run away with your little boyfriend hayes"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Then why'd you run off with him?" At that moment I didn't know what to say. He wasn't my boyfriend but I wasn't even sure if he was even considered a friend either. I stared at the kitchen floor and picked at a tile with the tip of my shoe. My sister's stare was still haunting me as I felt my skin all over turn blotchy red with embarrassment. "I don't know okay?...he just showed up and..asked me to hang out and then I remembered our bet"

"I see."

"Wait. How'd you know that I went along with one of their pranks?"

"Nash told me where Hayes went and what he was doing. Come on, I'm your older sister. I at least have to worry about you and warn you about boy's who break hearts" she said as she pointed directly at me and gave me a look of seriousness but also made her look like she was just playing around.

"Break my heart? Please, he doesn't even own my heart."

"Whatever you say," my sister said as she turned around. "He doesn't own your heart yet" she mumbled.

"What was that rowdy Rachel?" I joked and she spun around at me with wide eyes.

"How'd you?!-"

"Oh everyone knows" I said sarcastically as I laughed and Rachel started chasing me around the kitchen table like we were that mouse and cat from that animated cartoon. She wasn't mad, nor was she serious with me. She was laughing as well I was.

We just kept running around the house for several minutes when my phone got a call. Which was strange because I barley ever got calls. My sister stopped chasing me and stomped her foot as she watched me answer the call.

"Hello?" My voice seeped through the phone

"Hey. It's hayes, busy schedule right now to hang or?" I eyed my sister who was giving me a smirk and making a s****l remark with her hands, I threw a dish towel at her.

"Well-uh, I'm busy with a couple friends of mine but-"

"You're lying. You asshole" Hayes joked. I could hear his laughter through the phone. "Wow. How'd you know? Anyways. Yeah I'm free. Where should we-?"

"Just come outside." Hayes toned voice said without any hesitations.

"What?"

"Come outside." His voice said again. I gave my sister a funny look as I spun my body around, making my way to the front door. My sister followed me. I didn't want her to, but I didn't see why she couldn't follow me to the front of the house. I opened the door and there stood blue eyes.

"Surprised?" He said. He wore a long sleeve that said reckless, black skinny jeans and black vans. His skateboard behind him like he was leaning on it and his brown shaggy hair covered again with a SnapBack.

"You know you're not suppose to call someone and tell them to go outside if you're going to surprise them." I said sarcastically as I let my body lean on the side of the door. My sister was behind me. She didn't say anything but I could feel her stare and crazy thoughts about me pounding inside her head.

"You're funny. At least I'm not wearing the same clothes that I wore yesterday" Hayes said with a smirk

"You have comebacks like a little girl"

"Yeah yeah, hey, I've been up all night. Now do you wanna come with me or?"

"Fine. Hold on give me a couple minutes." I said as I passed my sister and dashed up the stairs to get ready and try to at least look presentable

Hayes's POV:

I wasn't a bad boy. Well. I guess I some what was. But there was a reason I became like this and that's too much of a story and drama. I'm more about living life freely and doing crazy s**t when people are asleep and the streets and moonlight are awake. I hung out with "honey" last night because I saw something in her that she was just too afraid to reveal. When I saw her do her first little vandalism act I saw how her face lightened up over that little thing, the way her lips parted in awe of her first nightly get away, the way the street lights lit into her dark brown eyes. I saw something, and it was something beautiful.

I waited there outside by the front door as honey dashed up the stairs leaving her sister and her incredibly hot sister alone as silence dimmed over us. She wore a pink short sleeve and spandex and her blonde hair flew back as she crossed her arms at me and scowled. "Don't hurt her" she said to me. "What makes you think I'll hurt her?"

"Well what are you going to do with her then? Toy with her? Break her heart? Leave her? Abandon her? What?"

"I'm just friends with her. Okay?"

"Don't get her arrested either. I don't need my 17 year old little sister in jail because she was drunk driving or having her end up in the hospital or something because she was raped." Her voice said clearly in a strong tone like venom was escaping from her lips. "Look, I know I have a reputation of being bad and all. But I would never hurt a girl like that. And besides I don't even know her name."

"What? How the hell do you not know her name?"

"She doesn't want to tell me." I mumbled.

"Oh. Well I'll tell you, her name is-"

"ready." Honey said as she sped down the stairs running towards me and shut the door behind her. leaving her sister in a confused trance.

Honey's POV:

"So where we off to?"

"The skate park" Hayes said

"Seriously? Why? I can't even skate."

"I'll teach you. And hey, we can just sit there and talk. That sound better?"

"Very"

"Good, now let's go Debbie downer"

"You thought my sister was hot didn't you?"

"Yeah but don't worry"

"What do you mean Hayes?"

"You'll always be my favorite hot sister"

"You're funny you ass" I sarcastically said as we started making our way to the skatepark

*

When Hayes and I got to the skatepark no one else was there except Dylan. Dylan sat on one of the benches and his back was face towards us. The sun kept beaming into my eyes as Hayes and I got closer to Dylan. Dylan had something in his hands but I wasn't able to see what it was.

"Dylan man" Hayes said. And that's when I saw what Dylan had.

Weed.

Dylan and Hayes traded high fives. "Hey, want some?" Dylan asked and he handed Hayes the bag of weed before Hayes could even part his lips to reply. Dylan seemed stoned as his eyes were bloodshot red. And I knew his eyes weren't red because he had been crying. Dylan took off on his skateboard through the skatepark running off to do whatever. Hayes and I sat down on the bench that Dylan was on before.

Hayes opened the bag and I could already smell the weed. I didn't gag like most people, instead I watched Hayes open the bag and roll one up. Hayes must've seen my eyeing him because he chuckled. "Want one?"

Hayes asked. A lump formed into my throat. As my tongue dried up to even reply.

3. If you smoke weed with them you owe me $10

I sighed. "Sure"

Goodbye $35

Hayes took more out, rolled another one up and lit it for me. I watched the fire burn the tip of the blunt as he handed it to me. I held it out staring at it as I watched hayes insert the blunt into his mouth, shut his Eyes, inhale deeply and then watch a good amount of smoke escape from his eye catching lips that were irresistible to put your lips against. I chewed my bottom lip as I resisted and watched hayes more and how his eye lashes were something I couldn't pull my eyes away from.

"First time?" Hayes asked.

"Yeah" I muttered beneath my breath slightly embarrassed as my blunt's tip still burned.

"Don't think about it. Just breathe"

Totally, I can definitely breathe as smoke escaped my mouth. I thought to myself.

I followed what Hayes had done and he watched me like he was a judge and I was a contestant that he had to observe. The smoke escaped my mouth and I ended up coughing and unsure if that was suppose to happen.

Hayes let out a small laugh as small amounts of smoke escaped his mouth this time.

"I was like that too my first time" Hayes said. I put the blunt to the side and stared at Hayes as he continued. I took the blunt away from his lips and put it to the side Like I did with mine.

"Hayes. How did this all start?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like you and all this bad boy stuff. you know? Vandalism, smoking, all that." I asked.

"Well," Hayes said as he exhaled deeply as his skateboard rolled away from the bench a few inches. "I guess it was all crystal. I wasn't like this before, but she showed me things in life. Living free, just doing whatever you want. The stuff I told you."

"That's all?"

"I guess so, it all sort of became a habit. All of it. The pranks, the smoking, the small tattoos, crystal showed me all of it. It was all a drug I became addicted to, she was a drug that I was hooked on," Hayes said as he stared at his shoes. I could see the sadness In his eyes even though he wasn't facing me. How his eyes and face were ready to break down in disappointment. "And when she cheated on me, I guess all of this stuff was all I had left of her."

"Where do I come into this picture?"

"You're different"

"How so?" I asked

"I don't know. You're like an urge. I just like having your presence around me where I can say anything. I like your constant nagging and put downs. I don't know, I just like you in general"

Hayes traced his small tattoos on his arm and I saw that he had a small tattoo that had a diamond that looked exactly like the one that was drawn on the school steps last night. Hayes looked up at me and I swear I could see something in his eyes like they were trying to tell me a story. I know everyone says that Hayes has beautiful eyes, which he does, but there was something there that seemed like nobody else could see except me. Like behind that bad boy look is a screaming and crying boy just trying to find love again.

Hayes's face started leaning in towards mine. I could smell the weed bouncing off his lips and his soft axe cologne from himself. His eyes shut softly as I eyed his face of how beautiful he actually looked. Guys aren't suppose to be called beautiful. But my god, he was beautiful.

Our lips were inches apart as I started debating whether or not I should do this. Like I was actually someone who would hesitate from a kiss by Hayes Grier. I shut my eyes and let my mind wander as I waited for the touch of my lips to pressed against someone else's

Debating if this was worth losing another $20