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Hailey slowly feels her energy drain, slow and relentless.
The sun had set an eternity ago. She was in her room, surrounded by a ceaseless stack of freshly printed pamphlets. She absentmindedly sorts them into neat piles. The rustling of paper being the only sound in the stillness.
She rubs her burning eyes, glancing at the clock on the wall.
3:40 am.
She lets out a sigh, looking back down at the unfinished piles. Frankly, she wasn’t tired. Night after night, she had been struggling to fall asleep. Her nights were filled with staring at the ceiling, watching the clock tick by and entertaining herself with her own thoughts.
So she tried to distract herself with mundane everyday tasks.
Four hours ago, Hailey was frowning, frustration building with every passing minute at her inability to sleep.
Now, finally , she could actually feel an ounce of exhaustion creeping in. She leaned against the chair. The noises blur all together. She couldn’t make out the words on the pamphlets even if she focused. Both her limbs and eyelids grow heavy.
And then the world blacks out.
💙 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
Hailey wakes up to dry parchment scratching against her face.
And a throbbing pain pounding in her head.
She blinks slowly, blurred vision struggling to adjust to the bright lights. She groans as a wave of exhaustion washes over her. Her hand instinctively rubs her head, a futile attempt to smooth away the increasing dizziness.
Her eyes scan the room. It’s the music room at school. The welcoming air conditioning. Instruments scattered across the space. Her eyes snag on a stand-up microphone at the centre of the room.
Strange. She flinches, distinctively remembering that it was buried deep in boxes, forgotten for years.
Hailey slowly sits up, wincing at the ache from her back. Looking down, she notices her brown music notebook staring back at her. Did I fall asleep writing songs?
At the top of the page, the title reads “Orientation Performance.” But that can’t be right – orientation isn’t for another three months. The pages were filled with scribbled lyrics. It was clearly unfinished and needed lots more refining.
She doesn’t remember writing this. Ever.
The words written were in two different ink colours, and two distinct handwriting. She recognises hers, but the other handwriting? Hailey narrows her eyes. Something feels wrong…
“I’m back!”
An energetic voice calls out from behind her, one that she doesn’t recognise.
When she whirls around, Hailey falls off her chair and her world freezes. Her eyes widen at the unexpected sight as her heart jumps out from her chest. The ringing in her head intensifies.
“Hailey? Hailey!”
Calling out to her was none other than Jake Sterling. But it’s not the Jake she knows. For once, he wasn’t wearing a mocking sneer. Jake's expression is different . His eyes are soft. Concerned, even. He stared at Hailey, eyebrows furrowed.
“Hailey? You good?”
His question sounds so foreign. So wrong.
“What the heck are you doing here?” she spats out, out of habit, raising an eyebrow, “Are you lost or something?”
She notices his shoulders tense. Weird, she was so sure he would’ve fired back insults that she’s so used to. Instead, he remains silent. No mocking grin, no annoying ‘princess’ nickname. His gaze steady, almost… worried.
I must be dreaming. Hailey shuts her eyes as her breathing gets heavier. Jake isn’t supposed to be here. He is supposed to be a jerk that would attack her with an endless string of insults. Putting her down for her passion for music.
Footsteps get louder and suddenly, she feels warmth clasping over her trembling hands. She jerks back, snapping her eyes open and retracts her hand.
“Hey, talk to me,” he pleads, concern evident in his soft voice, “Are you okay?”
She isn’t okay. Hailey looks at anywhere that isn’t his face . For a split second, Hailey almost believes he means it with such worry in his voice. Almost. She bites her lips, trying to understand this bizarre version of him.
She doesn’t know what to say. The silence stretches on, heavy and confusing.
Finally, Hailey hears clothes shuffling and footsteps fading away. She thinks he has left before she feels an item placed gently into her hands.
She hesitantly opens her eyes and in her hand, lies an unfamiliar pink water bottle.
“Here, drink up,” he murmurs, kneeling in front of her, “And remember to breathe.”
Right, breathe. She closes her eyes and lets a deep breath out. She feels her worries slightly lighten off her shoulders.
A myriad of questions were swirling in her head and she could feel another headache coming to hit her. She stares at the water bottle again.
“This isn’t mine, I don’t even use one…” she mutters. It feels so weird talking to him.
Jake tilts his head, staring at her. He looks puzzled.
“It’s yours,” he points to a small label with her name on it, “You got a new one after that argument at the water vending machine with Drew, remember?”
Hailey doesn’t remember. Her heart pounds again.
“What the hell is going on,” she voice shakes, looking down at her shoes, “Why are you here?”
“Hailey… do you know who I am?” he starts.
How could she not. This very guy had made fun of her every single day. She looks up at Jake, who was wearing a reassuring smile, waiting for an answer.
“You’re Jake,” she says, her voice sharper than she intends. Out of habit.
Jake lets out a satisfied hum in agreement, reaching over to unscrew the water bottle cap, motioning for her to drink. She hesitantly sips, the cool water soothing her dry throat.
“Hailey,” Jake asked slowly, “what day is it?”
“Friday.”
A beat crawls by and Hailey feels like shrinking under Jake’s gaze. He doesn’t blink.
“It’s Friday,” Hailey repeats.
Jake’s hand fishes out a phone from his pocket and flips it for Hailey to see. The light screen seemed so ominous.
Monday. 2 November.
A chill. Hailey’s eyes widen in horror. It’s wrong. She’s certain it's Friday, she was just finishing organising the Music Club pamphlets. Then put them up on Monday after the weekends. Her stomach churns. This isn’t real. Millions of questions race in her mind. No explanations. No answers.
“No,” panic rising in her voice, “You have to believe me! It’s Friday!” Hailey pleads louder to him, and to herself. She’s not sure why this jerk would even give her the time of day to listen to her.
Her nails dig into the carpet floor. “I was just organising the Music Club pamphlets. Making sure there were enough to pass out! It was supposed to be done by 10 August” She spills out, feeling each breath getting heavier, “It’s not Monday!”
She realises how absurd and stupid she sounds. How is she suppose to convince herself, let alone Jake, that she’s been thrown into the future. She shut her eyes, bracing for the incessant taunts Jake would throw at her.
To her immense surprise, Jake lets out a shaky breath.
“Okay,” he says softly.
Hailey's eyes blink open in disbelief, “What?”
“I believe you,” he replies softly and Hailey feels the air grow lighter.
Jake gets up, “Something was off. When I came in, you weren’t acting like…the Hailey I know from this time.”
Hailey stares at him, dumbfounded. The me from this time that he knows . His words linger in the air. What does that even mean? Surely nothing drastic could change in only 2 months.
“Weird, isn’t it?” Jake offers a hand for her.
“Yeah…” Hailey replies sharply, ignoring his hand and standing up by herself.
She doesn’t know if he’s talking about the whole time travel situation, or the fact that they were conversing like everyday friends.
🧡 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
This is a lot to take in. Jake is still struggling to wrap his head around this strange revelation. His eyes never once leaving her. Her arms were crossed defensively, eyes guarded. She doesn’t look very pleased. Detached. Jake’s heart aches a bit for her. This whole situation is very confusing. It would take some time for her to get used to it.
He knew something was amiss the moment he heard her sharp voice.
It wasn’t suppose to be like this. This was Hailey before their friendship, before all their shared vulnerable moments. This was Hailey stuck in a timeline where he was the bully. Goddammit.
Will she believe me if I told her we are close friends? Jake ponders. Probably not. So he decides to keep it a secret…for now. She still looks shaken up. If he spills out the truth, he’s certain she would dash out and run away, tangling herself in a greater mess. He had to tread slowly, give her time to adjust.
He takes in a deep breath, “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Hailey’s eyes snap to him and scrutinises him. Jake’s hand instinctively flies to fidget with a loose strand from his jacket. The atmosphere is suffocating and awkward. With the other Hailey, it was never like that.
For a brief moment, Jake wonders deep down – where is his Hailey? Is she okay? Is she in the past timeline? Worry gnaws in his mind.
“Why are you really here Jake?” Hailey asks, her voice dripping in suspicion, “If you want something, just say it now.”
He feels his heart sting, he racks his head trying to explain to her convincingly without scaring her away.
He feels his throat tighten, “Well, you see… We–”
The music room door swung open, cutting him short. Two familiar faces pop in and Jake heaves a sigh of relief.
💙 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
Hailey recognises them immediately. Zander and Luke! Finally something normal. Relief rushes through her, but it fades when she sees their intertwined hands, looking like lovers. Her heart almost stops .
“Hope the song isn’t a disaster, Mr Simp,” Zander grins at Jake. Hailey blinks several times as her eyes flicker between the two. None of the puzzle pieces were connecting.
“How encouraging of you, Mr Grapelord…” Jake drawls back, his face unamused, though a faint smile tugs his lips. Jake glances at her, catching her bewildered stare. For a moment, she swears that his own expression softens into concern.
“We’re not done yet though,” He nervously scratches the back of his neck, putting on a smile, “Probably need a few more disastrous hours.”
Hailey feels more pain in her head. Everything was so conflicting. The scene unfolding in front of her eyes was so wrong. The easy banter, the comfort.
She was also so tired. The exhaustion is catching up to her, feeling her eyelids forcing themselves to shut close.
“Everything okay Hailey?” Luke's warm voice cuts through, “You look a little pale.”
She doesn’t even know anymore. Jake Sterling of all people is having a normal conversation with her brother and closest friend. The Jake she knew wouldn’t have talked to Zander, let alone tell jokes with him.
Zander rushes to her, eyes furrowing in worry. Her mouth opens but her voice is stuck in her chest.
“She’s a little tired,” Jake interjects smoothly. Hailey lets out a silent sigh of relief, grateful she didn’t need to come up with an excuse. Though, it was true. Her mind was extremely drained by all the odd discoveries today.
“Oh, well we’re heading home now, you should get some rest,” Zander relaxes and Hailey weakly nods.
When Hailey was about to follow them out the room, Jake dashes towards her, handing over her music notebook.
“Hey uh, you probably shouldn’t mention that you're not you to anyone,” he whispers in a low voice. His eyes filled with concern strangely brings her comfort.
For once, Hailey agrees. The thought of explaining the situation exhausts her even more. It would only raise more questions and worry. She lets out a long yawn.
“Also, uh,” Jake pauses, another thing she found so unexpectedly strange. It’s so unlike the usual arrogant Jake she knows, the Jake who always had something smug to say. “Is there like… a way for me to know that you're not my Hailey, just in case you suddenly go back to your time?”
Hailey admits he makes a good point, it would be confusing having to differentiate. She glances around the room, eyes fighting to stay awake. Her fingers absentmindedly touches the sharp edge of her teal star clip in her hair. Perfect. She unclasp the iconic clip and tucks it safely in her pockets. “Without my clip, I’m not your Hailey.”
Jake lips curl into a proud smirk and Hailey is taken aback at his gentle expression. “Smart, princ-,” He instinctively cuts himself off, looking away with a flushed face.
Hailey's eyes widen. She knows exactly what he was gonna say. That familiar nickname that he used to get on her nerves countless of times seems more like a harmless tease now. She surprisingly doesn’t feel irritated.
“Sorry,” Jake mumbles awkwardly, “Out of habit.”
Hailey nods silently and leaves to catch up to Zander and Luke. Jake’s slip-up lingers in her mind. The nickname had seemed so natural coming from him, and saying it to her. Almost as if it was normal.
She shakes the feeling away. This was Jake – a jerk.
And yet, she hears her conscious screaming at her, that maybe she's wrong.
💙 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
Everything is so confusing.
Hailey can’t shake off the weirdness of it all. Firstly, Zander and Luke were clearly dating from their cheesy pet names.
And Jake… Jake was everywhere.
When she had reached for her phone, she realised Jake was even in her contacts. The last message was her asking him when he was going to be at the music room. Out of curiosity, she scrolls through their messages.
Everything was… normal. No spite, no venom. Just casual everyday exchanges, with even some jokes thrown around. She lets out a deep sigh.
It feels unreal.
“You sure you’re okay?” Zander snaps her out of her thoughts.
Hailey agrees a little too fast, her eyes drooping dangerously low.
“Jake’s right though,” Luke remarks, “You look tired. Make sure to get some rest tonight, Hailey.”
There it was again – Jake's name. Why is he everywhere?
“I’m fine,” she reassures, vague enough of an answer.
When they reach home, Hailey darts into her room and shuts the door. She leans against it and lets out a long exasperated sigh, rubbing her eyes.
Her room looks the same, thankfully . Blue sheets, a lamp and filled bookshelves. Her eyes zoom into an unfamiliar framed photo sitting on her nightstand. She approaches it cautiously.
It was a selfie in her dad’s music room with all her club members.
And Jake…
Her future self was holding the camera. Everyone was squeezing closely together, smiling right at the camera, looking like a bunch of bosom buddies. Jake’s smile is wide and easy, like he’s a perfect puzzle piece that fits perfectly in the photo.
It feels unreal.
Ping! Her phone pings. Hailey checks the screen and almost jumps at Jake’s name appearing.
Jake: Hope you're home. I know all this must be pretty confusing. Hope you catch some zz’s and relax!
Hailey flops onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Fine, if Jake wants to play this stupid game, she’ll go along with it and see what happens. The second he steps out of line, she’ll just avoid him.
Yet, unease tugs her. Her memory flashes back to the easy conversations Jake was having with Luke and Zander, and through texts between them. She’s surely missing something. She swears to figure it out.
Her head refuses to shut up, filled with a storm of a thousand questions. She tries to make sense of it all but her thoughts become more tangled.
Yeah, she’s not getting any sleep tonight.
Again…
🧡 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
The music club room isn’t small. There’s plenty of space for everyone and their equipment.
And yet, Jake feels suffocated.
All the club members are busy checking on their instruments, tuning them for rehearsal. He sees the teal girl awkwardly fiddling with the strings of the guitar. Her movements are sluggish and slow. The silence between them feels deafening.
Her star clip still isn’t there.
They’re barely a few metres apart, yet Jake feels so distant. He doesn’t know how to help her, and it gnaws at him. This Hailey hated his guts. He misses his Hailey – her wit, her jokes and their silly banter.
But it is really his fault. He was the one that teased her relentlessly for years. He was the one who created this giant riff between them. He feels guilt crawling in.
“Did you guys have a lover’s quarrel or something? Milly’s voice rings across the room, facing the both of them.
Jake feels his cheeks flush. He hates how well he knows what Milly is implying. He whirls around, blurting, “No!”
“I can feel the tension,” Milly grins mischievously.
“Jake…” Zander eyes him and he feels a chill crawl up his spine, “What did you do?”
Jake raises his hands up in surrender, shaking his head rapidly, “Nothing! I swear.”
“Hailey, what happened,” Zander turns to face her.
He glances at the girl in question. Hailey still looking lost as ever, with the smallest tinge of pink on her face. For a moment, he almost laughs. Guess some things never change. He sends a pleading glance to her, praying that she’d get the message.
“Nothing happened, quit worrying Zander,” she reassures him. Jake feels a weight lift off his shoulders. Hailey then turns to stare at Jake dead in the eye, sharp and suspicious.
They fall into their usual routine after that – setting up the instruments while Jake reads through the lyric sheet. Due to the ordeal yesterday, they had barely made progress on the song they were supposed to perform during the school’s orientation ceremony. But regardless, the show must go on. The band was going to practise playing the first verse they wrote.
While attaching the microphone to its stand, he feels eyes burning a hole in his back. Jake turns and notices Hailey still staring at him with a sceptical expression. Like he doesn’t belong here. Her gaze shifts to the microphone his hand is holding.
Right… She doesn’t know I sing.
Jake facepalms and internally scolds himself before Sean signals for them to start rehearsal.
He sings, eyes flickering to Hailey once in a while to make sure she’s fine. He notices her wide-eyed expression and flushed face. A sense of deja vu hits him.
Some things really never change.
“THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!” Milly cheers, bouncing with energy, “We’re totally gonna show those freshmen who's boss!”
The whole room erupts in laughter. Even Hailey lets out a small chuckle.
Sean nods and adds, “Though it would be great for Hailey and Jake to finish up the lyrics.”
Right… the lyrics. Mixed emotions cloud his mind. With his Hailey, they would've been done in a flash. But this Hailey doesn’t know about their current friendship. And adding more burden to this Hailey feels wrong.
“Don’t worry,” Hailey unexpectedly cuts in with a yawn, “It’ll be done in no time.”
Jake stares at her but nods slightly to the club members, who are oblivious to the tension.
“Oh, by the way, Milly and I are throwing a pizza party picnic tomorrow,” Sean announces, “You guys are welcome to join! It’ll be a well-deserved break.”
In the corner of his eye, Jake sees Milly punching the air, excitedly jumping up and down, screaming at Zander to join the “P.P.P.” She hears Hailey laugh softly at the sight.
He turns to face Hailey, unsure about what she’ll say. She weakly nods while letting out a yawn. Jake forces a smile and salutes to Sean, “Can’t wait!”
🧡 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
As soon as all the club members left the music room, Hailey abruptly turns to face him. Unease hits Jake.
“I can’t deny that you’re good,” she states, not making eye contact with him.
Jake’s heart skips a beat. He can’t help but smile, the familiarity warms up his heart. She had said the exact same thing when she first heard him sing in the future. It was as if, for a brief moment, his Hailey was here again. A small victory, but it means the world to Jake.
Hailey catches his smile and quickly adds, “Don’t let it get to your head.”
Jake chuckles. Hearing compliments from both Hailey’s are always rare, yet they were always honest. He feels lighter for the first time in days.
“Too late,” the tease slips out easily, “I’m already insufferable.”
Hailey’s eyes widen in surprise. Jake winces inwardly, internally facepalming himself for letting his old habits slip out again. He opens his mouth to apologise immediately before he was interrupted.
“Were we… Are we friends now?” She asks hesitantly with genuine curiosity.
Jake stuns at the unexpected question. How does he even answer this? Part of him was afraid of how she would react. “Yes, we are,” he answers cautiously, “I know it's hard to believe, but… yeah.”
“Are you still friends with Drew and his posse?” she asks, expression serious. Jake violently shakes his head.
Hailey looks deep in thought, processing his answer before she speaks again, “How did you get into the music club?”
“I auditioned,” Jake replies honestly, “And you let me in.”
Hailey scrutinises him, her sharp gaze trying to detect any hint of lies. Jake met her stare with quiet patience and hope that she believed him.
“We got closer after I joined the club,” Jake starts rambling, after realising she isn’t saying anything, “Your favourite colour is pink. We wrote songs together. You even got me a gift to show your gratitude. And… we even won the band competition with your amazing singing voice.”
At his last few words, Hailey flinches. He immediately feels like an asshole. The memory of her stage fright hits him like a tsunami. “I’m so sorry for bringing that up, Hailey,” he apologises with a tone as sincere as possible, “I shouldn’t have mentioned your stage fright. That was really low of me.”
The silence between them stretched on, thick with tension and uncertainty. He could see the gears turning in her head. Jake holds his breath, waiting for her to say something – anything.
After what seems like an eternity of silence, she says, “I’ll believe you.”
Jake closes his eyes and lets out a long relieved sigh, “Thank God,” a smile creeping onto his face, “I honestly thought you would’ve just left, since… you hate me.”
“Hate is a strong word…” Hailey whispers, barely audible to Jake, “I never actually hated you.”
He feels the familiar connection flicker back to life. An uncontrollable wide smile spreads across his lips.
“Thanks Hailey.” Jake opens his eyes and finds her looking at him with the faintest smile.
He glances at her music notebook sitting on the table and it jogs his memory about the Orientation song. Hailey’s eyes follow his gaze.
“You don’t have to finish writing the song if you don’t want to,” Jake offers gently, hoping to ease her troubles, “I can finish it myself.”
Hailey walks over to the table and flips through the notebook. Her eyes land on a page and scans through the scribbled words. “We wrote this together?” Her voice curious and tired.
Jake steps closer to peer at the page – the song that they were supposed to perform during orientation. Fond memories of him and his Hailey giggling, playful arguments while brainstorming ideas for the song start floating back. He misses her so much.
“ Yeah,” he replies, voice tinged with bittersweet nostalgia.
Hailey looks up from the page, her face softening slightly. “Then we’ll finish it together,” Hailey concludes with a yawn, “It wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t.”
His heart warms at her sweet words, squeezing it tightly. He nods, pulling out two chairs for them and they fall back into the steady rhythm of writing songs together. The tension eases into a comfortable atmosphere. A small smile here and there. For Jake, he feels like it is a fleeting taste of the past.
After hours of writing, Jake notices a spelling mistake.
“Princ-” he blurts out before stopping himself. He cringes inwardly, “I’m so sorry Hail-”
Hailey immediately looks up and cuts him off, “Don’t.”
Jake feels himself tense up, feeling the unwelcoming tension build up again. His heart starts pounding rapidly against his ribcage. He messed up again.
Hailey’s eyes widen, waving her hands quickly, “No no, I mean… don’t apologise.”
Jake raises an eyebrow, confusion and relief clouds his mind.
“Don’t act like someone else,” she murmurs, setting her pen down. She suddenly looks away with a faint blush dusting her cheeks, “Do you often call me ‘princess’, even after we became friends?”
Jake promises he wouldn’t lie to Hailey. Ever. So he hesitantly nods. “Yeah…” he admits.
Hailey glances back at him, the blush still on her face. “Then just say it,” Hailey says decisively, “I kinda suspected it after you accidentally called me that so many times. As long as you're not lying to yourself… I don’t mind. Really.”
The wall between them crumbles.
Jake stares at her, seeing that she looks perfectly fine. No anger or discomfort. He had braced himself for her to lash out at him.
He heaves a sigh of relief, yet a heavy pang of guilt still tugs his chest. He glances back at Hailey and decides to say what had been bothering him since the whole ordeal. She’s making an effort, so he should too.
“I know you told me not to apologise again,” Jake starts, his tone serious, “but let me say this.”
Hailey narrows her eyes slightly.
“I’m really sorry for what I’ve done to you in the past. I know this apology doesn’t erase the hurt I’ve caused. But… just know I’m really grateful for all you’ve done for me. Thank you for giving me a second chance,” he echoes sincerely, genuine words coming out easily, “You mean a lot to me. More than you could know.”
Hailey sits there stunned, staring at him. Her face fades into pink. Speechless and surprised. Jake feels the air thicken while the weight of his words sink in.
In this tense moment, he feels old habits kick in again. “Your amazing Princess,” he playfully smirks.
Hailey gasps and swiftly jab his shoulder lightly, with a tired smile. She leans in and whispers a soft, “Thank you.”
Jake chuckles. He feels free for what seems like forever.
💙 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
The warm sun kissed Hailey’s skin as she strolls towards the park alongside Zander and Luke. A gentle breeze tickled her cheeks, and the mouthwatering scent of pizza wafts through the air.
As they approach under the tree, Sean is busy unpacking boxes of pizza, Jake waving animatedly to them while Milly drowns herself in a mountain of pizza slices.
“Glad you guys could make it!” Sean grins, motioning to the pizza boxes, “Help yourself.”
Hailey grabs a slice and sits down onto the picnic blanket. She leans back with her hand supporting behind, feeling the soft grass gliding beneath her palms. Around her, everyone chats, laughs and playfully argues.
So this is what her future is going to look like? A carefree environment under the warmth of the sun, surrounded by friends and laughter. How lovely.
It is something she would definitely look forward to.
“Lighten up a bit, will you?” Jake nudges her gently, “We’re at a picnic, not a funeral, princess .”
Hailey suppresses a smile. After their successful collaboration yesterday, she realises Jake isn’t as big of an ass as she thought. They loosened up to each other and eased into what Jake had described as “normal” – harmless teasing, jokes, shared laughter.
The walls between them are finally coming down.
“I’m just… thinking,” she replies plainly.
“Dangerous,” Jake quips with a smirk, which Hailey admits is a little cute . She rolls her eyes, with no real malice behind.
She closes her eyes for a moment, letting the peace wash over her. She hasn’t felt so calm in such a long time, amidst all the confusion.
They ate in comfortable silence for a while. Zander and Milly arguing with each other for the nth time. Sean listening to a music playlist with Jake with a shared earpiece.
Hailey lies back on the blanket, feeling oddly happy. She gazes at the sky, watching the fluffy clouds dance by.
As she drowns out the laughter and conversations, her eyes threaten to close. Frankly, she still hasn’t been sleeping well. Her nights were filled with tossing and turning in her bed. After clearing things up with Jake, she definitely feels calmer. But her conscience still worries about how she was going to get back to her time.
Feeling someone staring at her, she tilts her head slightly to see Jake glancing up from Sean’s phone to look at her. He smiles – not the usual cocky smirk. Just a genuine one. She hears her heart skip a beat.
Hailey smiles back. For now, she’ll enjoy this peace.
🧡 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
Hailey looks exhausted.
Over the past few days, Jake notices her increasingly dark eye bags. Her yawns stretch longer and longer. Worry and concern ties a knot in his chest.
“Finally done!” Hailey yawns, clasping her notebook shut after scribbling the last lines. She stretches her arms forward lazily, but Jake can see the weariness hidden beneath.
He can’t stand to see her like this anymore. “Hey Hails,” he gently starts, “Have you been sleeping well?”
Hailey freezes, her eyes flit away immediately. She puts up a half-hearted smile, “I’m fine. It’s just… I can’t sleep…”
“Can’t sleep?” he echoes back, concern bubbling in his throat, “Why?”
Hailey’s smile falters and she starts shifting uncomfortably. Her eyes stay downcast, “Honestly I haven’t been sleeping well,” Hailey recalls the sleepless nights back in her timeline.
“Mostly because of this whole time-travel thing. What if I can’t go back? I’d be stuck here forever,” her fingers start trembling, “When I try to sleep, it’s hard to shut these thoughts… Sometimes I even get nightmares.”
He feels his heart ache at her confession. It must have been so difficult for her to adjust. He leans in, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry for all the troubles. But I’m here, we’ll figure it out together.”
She looks at him and mumbles, “I don’t want to burden you.”
Jake places a finger on her lips, signalling her to hush. He winks, “Never, you’ll never be a burden princess .”
Hailey offers a weak, tired smile. Jake frowns. Surely he could do something. His mind juggled for ideas while scanning the music room for ideas. His eyes land on the microphone stand in the corner. Of course!
To Hailey’s confusion, he gets up and sits against the wall on the floor. Jake pats the floor next to him, beckoning her to join.
She sceptically looks at him and Jake mouths a “trust me”. Hailey joins him on the floor, leaning against the wall.
“What are you doing?” she asks as Jake scoots closer to her until their hips are nearly touching. In Jake’s favour, Hailey doesn’t move.
“We are going to relax,” Jake declares, “I’ll even sing you a lullaby.”
A beat.
Hailey starts bursting into laughter, sounding like delicate wind chimes. Jake thinks he definitely crossed a line before she adds, “How romantic Sterling.”
Jake feels his cheeks warm up, quickly adding, “Unless you're not comfortable.”
“I don’t mind,” Hailey shakes her head. He feels a weight on his shoulder, her teal hair tickling his neck. Jake ignores the butterflies in his stomach. She must just be tired…
“I’m waiting,” she yawns, pulling her knees to her chest.
Jake clears his throat, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He takes a deep breath and starts singing a song. After he notices her eyes starting to droop, he switches to humming. Hailey falls asleep in a flash, breathing even and deep.
Jake thinks about the nightmares Hailey has been experiencing and decides to stay awake. Just in case.
He shifts his focus back to a sleeping figure of Hailey. Ah shit . Jake can’t stop staring. Hailey was stunning. Watching the rise and fall of her chest, he unconsciously matches her breathing.
Keeping an ear out for hints of discomfort from her, Jake gently removes her hair tie. Her teal hair cascades across his shoulder. He slowly tucks a teal lock behind her ear with tenderness he has never done before, hoping to bring some comfort to her.
Hailey suddenly shifts and nuzzles against his chest, bringing him an immense wave of warmth and comfort. Jake feels his face heat up as blush rises to his cheeks. He smiles unknowingly as his heart skips a beat..
He peers down at her hands. In a moment of courage, he takes a deep breath and reaches for her hand. He carefully interlaces their fingers, making sure he doesn’t wake her up. His heart pounds loudly.
The warmth immediately seeps in and Jake closes his eyes. Hailey’s hands were small, soft, and fit perfectly in his, as if it was meant to be.
He doesn’t know why but he starts rubbing each of her knuckles with his thumb. And he feels his heart swell from warmth. His heart flutters with every gentle stroke.
In the lapse of easy silence, Jake’s eyelids grow heavier too. Before he knows it, he’s drifting off too, their hands still intertwined.
🧡 • ♡ɞ * ☆ .
Jake wakes up with a start.
“Slept well, didn’t you?” A teasing voice cuts through. Jake's eyes adjust to the bright lights and falls upon a smirking Hailey, standing in front of him.
Something was…off. Jake couldn’t place his finger on it.
Hailey ties up her hair into her signature low ponytail and pauses. Her hand brushes behind her ears and she frowns. “Weird…” she mutters.
Jake's gaze sharpens and feels his heartbeat getting louder.
He watches closely as Hailey reaches into her pocket and smiles, pulling out her familiar star clip. In one fluid motion, she fastens it effortlessly into her hair.
Everything starts clicking into place.
She looks down at Jake staring at her, “Hey? Are you okay?”
A beat.
Jake's eyes widen as he finally understands. Of course. His lips curve into a wide, uncontrollable grin at the confused girl.
His heart sings at the sight of Hailey, his Hailey. The Hailey from this timeline that Jake was so familiar with. Jake feels his heart bursting with elation and relief.
Charged with exhilaration, Jake launches himself towards her, instinctively pulling her into his arms. The intimate contact sends an electric jolt through him.
“Jake?” Hailey yelps in surprise, stiffening in his hold. Jake's smile doesn’t drop. He breathes into her neck and tighten his hold around him.
A puzzled Hailey melts into his arms and hugs him back, “Did you hit your head or something?”
Jake chuckles softly, refusing to let her go. He buries his head into the crook of her neck, his heart still racing, “I’m so glad you're back.”
Hailey tilts her head. Before she could open her mouth to reply, Jake presses their bodies closer together. His hand drifts to her waist, drawing slow, comforting circles – a silent reassurance that this is real.
They were together again. Jake's face flushes into a deeper red. He lets warmth hug him like a warm blanket on a cold stormy day. His lips stretch into a small content smile as he thinks fondly:
me and you.