Haze Bois

Chapter 3

Have you ever become so thoroughly engrossed in a TV show that even after the credits have ended you can’t dissociate? The make-believe world is so real and vivid, that just for a moment you feel a sinking dread in your stomach, hit by the realisation you must now return to your own mundane existence. Sure, you can watch it again, but it isn’t the same as seeing it with fresh eyes. The new discoveries, the plot twists, the unexpected turns—they don’t have the same effect the second time round.

Haley felt this way after watching the latest episode of the series LOSS. The shock of seeing her favourite character beaten to death, inches from the doorstep of her saviour and one true love was too much to bear. She tried to swallow back the tears, aware her friends sat just feet away. They blared comments about the ending, asking questions and giving their opinions but she could only stare through the black screen. In her mind’s eye, she was the beautiful and ethereal Rineya, constantly on the run and perpetually sad.

‘Why do I feel as though I want to be her? Her life sucks.’

Haley was the exact opposite, bright and bubbly and positive... on the outside, at least. Lately, her love-life was taking a toll on her happiness.

Katie, her best friend, poked her in the side. “So? Are you coming to Jay’s party?”

“I thought you were joking about that,” Haley frowned. Earlier, when talk had turned to Jay’s imminent release from prison the word ‘party’ had been thrown about. She didn’t know him too well, but Jay had never seemed like the party type, and if there was going to be a celebration, it was bound to end in trouble.

“Steve is going,” Katie whispered into her ear, prodding her side again.

Steve. Gorgeous, reliable, perfect Steve. Everything she could want in a man and more. Yet, she didn’t want him. If only she did, her life would be perfect. But Greg had started talking to her again, and though she tried to resist his mind games, he had a way of worming his way back into her heart.

Haley wished she’d decided to watch LOSS alone, curled up comfortably in her room rather than at her friend Katie’s house, with her on-again-off-again boyfriend Steve sneaking her glances every few minutes. He sat on the other sofa with Jade and Ross, and Jade was clearly trying to use the opportunity to get her claws into Steve, even though she'd been flirting with Ross.

‘She is so obvious. She will probably be all over Jay when he’s back.’

The front door opened with a squeak and a young man let himself in. He looked confused.

“Erm... Cal sent me round to get more bowls,” he announced, looking at Katie.

“Doesn’t his mum have bowls? I mean really?” Katie sighed. “You know, when most people need something they go to the shops? Not my Auntie Mel. She just borrows stuff from our house and never gives it back so I have to go to the shops.”

“I just want bowls,” the lad said. “Not a massive conversation about bowls and shit...” he trailed off as Cal appeared at his side and nudged him out of the way.

“Bowls?” Cal said.

Haley felt the mood in the room shift. Cal had a way of putting people on edge, whether he meant to do it or not. It wasn’t just his reputation. There was something off about his aura.

“Cupboard above the sink,” Katie conceded and hung her head.

“I can’t believe they killed off Rineya,” Katie said, probably just to fill the silence.

“She’s not dead,” Cal said, returning to the room with a stack of 6 bowls in each hand. “You would know that if you ever opened a book.”

Haley didn’t mind the spoiler, though a warning would have been nice. She knew Rineya would be alright. Why would the writers let her get so far just to kill her off?

“Big reader are you?” Jade asked, scowling.

Cal nodded. “Knowledge is power.”

“And here I thought you spend all your spare time dreaming up inventive ways to become even more of an asshole.”

“Jade—” Katie hissed.

“For instance, did you know that your brother Jonas owes me three hundred quid?” Cal asked.

“Stay away from Jonas, he’s clean now, he doesn’t need your dirty drugs,” Jade said.

“Oh, really, well it’s funny you should say that because I saw him just yesterday and he begged me to give him more drugs on tick,” Cal told her with a big false smile.

Jade’s jaw dropped. Her cheek twitched as though desperate to continue the argument, but she had to know deep down that her brother had been lying. Her brother had a reason to lie. Cal didn’t.

“Don’t you have to get back to sucking each others d***s?” Steve aimed the question at Cal and his dopey mate.

Cal tutted, “Really? Homophobia, in this day and age? Sort yourself out.”

Haley had to agree with Cal. She hated it when Steve made homophobic comments, but moaning about it seemed to egg him on rather than stop him.

After she was sure Cal was out of ear shot, Jade muttered, “I can’t wait until Jay comes home and puts that little s**t back in his box.”

“Yeah, right,” Katie rolled her eyes. “But I still wouldn’t wind him up. You know what he’s like.”

Jade made a non-committal noise and stomped off without saying goodbye. Ross followed her and Steve followed Ross, both giving apologetic waves as they passed.

Haley locked eyes with Katie, and after a moment of staring fell into each other, giggling. The tears that threatened earlier streamed down her face as she laughed away the pent up tension and sadness, not sure why it was so hilarious.

“My lord, Jade is a t**t sometimes. Sometimes I wonder why we are friends. I honestly don’t even like her.”

“Oh I can’t stand her.” Haley grinned. “I’m so attracted to your cousin right now.”

“Really?” Katie frowned.

“No... he’s a school kid.”

“Oh.” Katie sounded disappointed.

“Why? Were you hoping I would marry him and we could be related?”

“No... it’s just... is it that weird?”

“To have a crush on your cousin? Wait... you don’t, do you?”

“No!” Katie punched her lightly on the arm. “Gross.”

“I sort of have a thing for one of his friends,” Katie admitted. “He is so gorgeous. He looks exactly like Remy from LOSS.”

Haley highly doubted that. She couldn’t remember the name of the guy who played him, it was a long one, but he had been voted the worlds hottest guy by some rubbish magazine.

“Ooo... which one is it?” Haley asked. She moved to the window and peeked out below the lace voile. Katie joined her side. She saw a few of Cal’s mates smoking by the wheelie bins but the guy in question wasn’t there.

“He isn’t there. He’s the new kid so you probably haven’t seen him.”

“He might be inside.” Haley flashed a mischievous grin. “We should go and offer to help out.”

“Seriously? I don’t want to seem too obvious.” Katie protested but Haley grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. She desperately wanted to see Katie’s newest obsession. She felt bad for her best friend, who never seemed to get the attention of the guys she liked despite being both a lovely person and insanely hot. It was probably down her family’s bad rep.

‘Life is so unfair. I can vouch for that.’

Katie lived next door to her Aunt Mel, Cousin Cal and his brother Jay—when he wasn’t in prison. The detached three bed houses were identical in layout, but the interior decoration couldn’t be more different. Most of the rooms in were only partially decorated and filled with what Haley could only describe as junk. Katie said Mel was a hoarder, but nobody had bothered trying to help with the problem because she had other more pressing issues. She seemed fine for the moment, prancing about the living room, twirling between the mountains of old magazines boxes filled with boxes—that were probably filled with more, smaller boxes.

“Katie!” she smiled. “I’m so excited.”

“Who’s going to collect Jay?” Katie asked.

“Oh, s**t. Buggery! I knew I’d forgot something. Where's my phone, I need to ring for a taxi?” She muttered, searching under the various items on the coffee table before running to check the kitchen.

“For f**k sake mum,” Cal shook his head and tutted.

“What do you two want?” he scowled, turning to Haley and Katie as they scanned the room for the new guy. Disappointingly, it was just the usual suspects; the familiar lot that were always hanging around.

“Nothing,” they replied, too quickly and in tandem.

Way to not look suspicious, Haley scolded herself.

“Anything we can do to help?” Haley asked, smile stretching her lips unnaturally wide.

'I suck at this spy shit.'

She felt a pinch in her side as a newcomer poked his head around the door. With jet black hair, dark skin and striking turquoise eyes, he did actually look a bit like the famous actor with the long name.

'Damn, he's beautiful,'

He met Haley’s eyes and quickly looked away. Poor guy seemed nervous about something, not quite at home in his surroundings. Haley didn’t blame him.

“Na. I got it sorted.” Cal said, crushing their single reason for being there. “Jade isn’t invited, by the way.”

“But she’s Jays friend. They sort of had a thing,” Katie started to protest.

“How many times did she visit him in prison? Hmm? None. She can go f**k herself. If she’s not busy getting f****d by the douchebags she left with.”

“Steve only has eyes for Haley,” Katie said.

Haley heard the involuntary groan escape her lips and saw the questioning looks.

“He’s really not a bad guy,” she sighed. “I’m just not over my ex.”

“Your ex is a loser. Sorry, but he was horrible to you.”

Katie had a point. An excellent point. But no matter what Greg did to her, or how badly he hurt her, she couldn’t stop herself from crawling back to him. She thought it was over, but as soon as she found happiness with a nice, normal guy, Greg was messaging again.

“It’s like he has this hold on you,” Katie astutely pointed out.

“Let me guess... he wasn’t interested until he found out you were in a new relationship?” Cal asked.

Haley nodded.

“And he makes you feel guilty for being with someone new?”

Haley nodded again.

“He tells you that you don’t love this new guy. He is the only man you’ve ever loved.”

“Oh my god!” Haley cried. “He literally said those exact words. How did you know that?”

Cal smirked. “Just a hunch.”

“No really... how did you know that?” Haley demanded a deeper explanation.

“I’m psychic,” Cal teased.

“So how do I get him to stop messing me around and commit to a relationship?” Haley asked. She didn’t honestly believe this schoolboy had any answers, but keeping him talking gave Katie a perfect opportunity to go and talk to her crush.

“How do you talk to him? Text?”

“E-mail,” Haley said.

“You’re so old,” Cal screwed up his nose.

“I’m like... two years older than you, if that. I had to E-mail so Steve didn’t see.”

The messages had started during the relationship, and at the time she was clinging to the hope things would magically work out. Deep down she knew it never would. Greg was like some sort of disease, or drug habit she couldn’t kick.

“You really want my help?” Cal asked.

“Yeah.” Haley nodded. When he didn’t respond after a second she added, “please?”

“Okay, follow me.” Cal led her upstairs. She turned in time to see Katie wandering over to Caleb’s friends. She smiled to herself, hoping their plan would succeed.

Cal’s room was nothing like the rest of the house. Everything was clean, tidy and minimalist.

I guess you crave order when your mum is a hoarding loony.

“Log on to your email,” Cal said.

Haley did so. The keyboard felt large and clumpy. She was accustomed to using her laptop, with its beautifully light-to-the-touch keys.

When she was done she moved to let Cal into his swivel chair, but hovered just over his shoulder.

“You trust me?” Cal asked.

Do I? Haley cringed inwardly. ‘Hell... what do I have to lose?’

“I trust you.”

Cal pointed to the bed.

“Oh come on... you aren’t gonna let me see what you’re typing?”

“Nope.”

His tone didn’t suggest there was any room for argument, so she dropped onto the bed and sank into the soft mattress. It was comfortable but she couldn’t relax. The loud clacking of keys seemed to go on for an eternity. She hoped Katie was making the most of this time with lover boy.

When he finally stopped typing, Haley asked, “Can I read it before you send it?”

“Nope.”

“Please?” Haley whined. She had no intention of letting him send it. He didn’t know Greg like she did. There was no way he could improve her situation, as intuitive as he was.

“No.”

“Oh come on, please let me see.” Haley got up and tried to peek but he spun the chair, blocking her view.

“I already sent it. It’s done. And I deleted your E-mails so you can’t read it and retract.”

A hot rush of pins and needles spread from Haley’s chest out to her extremities. Little fingers of dread at what Greg might be reading right now poked at her stomach, trying to vacate her lunch.

“Oh s**t, this was a mistake,” she muttered. “Tell me what you said to him.”

“Wait till he replies. I’m almost one hundred percent sure this will work.”

“Almost?” Haley choked on the word, her throat closing up.

“Well, ninety percent. Maybe eighty.” Cal shrugged.

‘Oh great, thanks! It’s only my life you are betting on.’

“Will you just tell me?” Haley asked. She knitted her fingers together and made her most pathetic puppy dog eyes. “Pleeease?”

“No.”

That was it. No. No explanation or wiggle room. It was pointless to keep going on at him. Earlier he said Jade’s brother begged him for drugs. She had a mental image of a guy, shaking and drenched in sweat, crying out for just one more hit: an amalgamation of her imagination and a memory from some tv show. She imagined what it would be like to be so desperate, to need something so badly and have it denied. Of course, it was for the best in the long run. It was never just one more. One led to one more.

“Does Jade’s brother really owe you money?” she blurted.

“Yeah.” Cal made a face, probably not seeing the connection and wondering why the sudden topic change. “What do you care?”

“It must suck to be addicted.”

“Yeah, so?”

Looking into his eyes, she saw no compassion. No empathy.

“Don’t you feel even a tiny bit bad?”

“For?”

“Selling people drugs that ruin their life.”

Cal shook his head. “Do car manufacturers feel bad when people die or get hurt in car crashes? I sell a product. If people don’t use it responsibly that’s their own fault.”

It’s a little bit different, she thought but didn’t say.

When the pair reached the bottom of the stairs Katie popped her head out of the living room door.

“Did I hear you say drugs? Did you ask him to get us some weed?” Katie asked.

“Hah! Really, you’re going to call me out for selling drugs and then ask me to get you some drugs in the space of the same conversation?”

Katie frowned in confusion.

“Whatever. I can get it from a guy at College. We don’t need him,” Haley assured her.

“College guy skims of the top,” Katie said. She linked Haley’s arm and as a couple they walked back to Katie’s house.

“Is there a way to retrieve deleted E-mails?” Haley asked.

“Huh? Aren’t you going to ask me how it went?” Katie was grinning from ear to ear, so the answer was pretty obvious.

“You spoke to him then?”

“Yup. He is so smart. His parents are both scientists so it’s got to be in the genes.”

“You know he’s going to end up like a others though,” Haley said and made a sheep noise.

“Maybe not, if I can drag him a safe distance away.”

*** Please drop me a comment if you are enjoying this story! Happy new year everyone xxx ***