VII. Others' Approval
1779 Words
Hailey's POV:
“What are you two doing?” Joel asks.
Josh releases my lock arms, then rest an arm on my shoulders. “Just playing around,” Josh responds.
Sometimes, Josh and I played around a bit too much, forgetting that there are others around us.
Joel nods, deciding not to question our odd manners any further “Shall we go?” he asks, walking towards the car and opening the back door.
Josh takes my hand and walks us towards the car. I was about to jump inside the vehicle until Josh stops me. “Brains before beauty,” he said with a teasing grin and jump in before me.
I roll my eyes because we both know Josh is the smart one and well...let’s say I’m not the brightest lightbulb in the room....not the brightest even in the darkest room.
Once inside the car, I notice Josh’s hand is still on mine. I smile, feeling everything was back to normal, and Josh was acting weird like earlier. He tugs my arm. “Why are you sitting so far?”
I laugh and slide over placing my legs on his lap as I rest my head on his shoulder. My eyes motion towards the tinted glass, watching the tall buildings of New York.
My brows furrowed as the screen dividing us from the front seat slide upward. Josh’s hand tighten on my mine as we come to a slow stop, probably a red light or the horrendous city traffic.
“What happened?” his voice is no longer playful.
I bit on my lower lip as my hands’ grip on the shirt. “I thought I give my hair a trim,” I respond, scratching my head knowing that’s the worst excuse in the world.
Josh places his forearm underneath my chin and lifts it, meeting his. “Hailey...What happened?” his voice is much sterner, deeper.
I began twiddling with the tip of my fingers. “I...I wanted to become...prettier.”
He releases my chin and with gravity, my face fell onto our lap and soon a deep sigh follows. Josh hung his elbow onto the glass window, with his forehead press against his palm. “Hailey...You’re pretty already,” he sounds slightly irritated.
I remove my legs. “No...I’m pretty now...I-” my words got caught inside my throat, mouth half hung open. “I was a fat pig back then,” tears began brimming inside my eyes.
“You’re not a -” he closes his eyes momentarily to catch his thoughts. “You’re not.”
“Yes, I am Josh! I was 13 years old and 180 pounds with acne all over my face! I was ugly!”
“Who says that?!”
“Everyone!”
“And they matter?”
“Yes!”
“What about me? Doesn’t my words matter?!”
My eyes widen stun by his sudden outburst. Every time he opens his mouth the anger strikes harder. “You keep mentioning all these other people, but doesn’t what I think matter? For f**k sake Hailey, do you know how dangerous it is to lose so much weight in such a short time?”
“I lost 80 pounds in a year. That’s not unhealthy!” I swallow, feeling my stomach tightening up. At that moment, I want to run back into my bedroom and shove chocolate down my throat.
There’s a reason why you’re fat.
That single line echoed in the back of my mind. I want to say something - anything, but nothing came out.
“And your reason for losing it was because you wanted to become prettier? You want others’ approval? That’s your reason?”
No, that’s not my reason.
The silence only made it worse.
Josh had always been a calm and collected person. Right now as I look at him with a redden face as he rakes his fingers through his dark hair. My heart is beating erratically, thighs tightening as his harden eyes skew towards me. “You’re pretty in my eyes...Isn’t that enough?” he whispers, lips tilting downward into a full-fledged frown.
Before I can respond, the car came to a stop. Josh shakes his head once and opens the door, purposely slamming it shut for me to hear.
Joel clears his throat, and I remember how he is still in the driver’s seat, probably heard all of our bickerings. “We are here” he said, keeping the glass diving between us.
“Thank you, Joel,” I respond, wiping the edge of my eyes. Releasing a deep breath, I grab the handle and leap out of the car.
Taking a few blinks, the Greyson’s house came into view. The house looks like a cut out from some famous magazine. It is stunning, which I guess you could say about almost any pitch roof abode with square glass windows, but on this house, you couldn’t help but notice it. The dark roof is flat, and the white door is full as it was tall. The windows take up the entire walls with only bright steel beams to break them into more rectangles.
The house is new - very new - the Greyson’s built - yes, built - it not too long ago. From what I had heard, Josh’s siblings refused to live in their old house because there wasn’t enough room. Mrs.Greyson caved with their constant bickering and in the end - Mr.Greyson decided to hire a bunch of the world’s best professional architects and build a house.
Joel grab my luggage and pull it into the house. A smile appears on my face when the look open, showing Jada. Jada is the Greyson’s caretaker - or the Greyson’s boys would call mama.
Quickly, she rushes towards me and granted me a giant loving hug. “Bienvenido carino! Tienes hambre? Debes estar cansado!”
I smile, unable to reply. I don’t know Spanish or any other language, but I know how to do a cartwheel which is the same thing. No, it’s not.
“Hailey!” a high pitch voice echoes behind her, and I tilt my body to see Lola, Jada’s daughter. Instantly, she crashes into my body, granting me a hug as tight as her mom.
From what I had heard, Mrs.Greyson stumble upon Jada and Lola threw out of their house. Jada’s ex-husband wasn’t the nicest husband or dad. She helps them get out of their troublesome situation, but Lola’s large brown eyes sucked her right in. From what I had heard, Lola reminded her of someone.
Lola throws up a lollipop. “Look! Look! Mrs.Greyson gave me a lollipop,” she smiles showing off her two missing front teeth, “And she told me she would bake a cake with me. We will put in gummy worms, ice creams, sprinkles, and chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate!” she began doing her scary evil laugh, then stop and held my hands. “Bake it together with us?”
Jada tug against her ear. “Comportarse. Hailey esta cansada.”
“But, mama! I miss Hailey!”
Josh stepped up and smiles, messing up Lola’s hair causing her to pout. “Listen to mama,” he turns towards Jada. “Mama donde esta mom and dad?” the words roll off of his tongue perfectly.
“Mr.Greyson esta de camino a casa y Mrs.Greyson se esta tambaleando por las escaleras. El estomago de tu mama es tan grande. Creo que esta a punto de estallar!” She throw both arms in the air and made an explosive sound.
She glances at me and smiles “Hailey esta bien? Ella se ve tan flaca.” She smacked the backside of Josh’s head. “Te dije que te ocuparas de ella!”
Josh rub his head. “Mama! No se que paso, pero desearia que me lo contara,” he mumbles.
Jada sighs, “Voy a cocinar mucha comida con tu madre esta noche. Asegurate de que ella se lo coma. La nina necesita carne.”
Josh smiles, “Gracias mama,” he responds.
She pinches his cheeks. Jada looks at me and kisses my cheeks. “Welcome Hailey,” she said and walk back inside.
“What did she said?” I ask.
Lola leaps onto Josh’s arms, and he holds her while she kicks her feet in the air. “That you need to eat all the food she cooks tonight,” he responds.
“Hailey!” My eyes snap back towards the large front door to see Mrs.Greyson...pregnant...again.
Why does it feel like she is always pregnant when I see her?
She places a hand behind her arching back and began wobbling towards us with her usual gleaming smile. Once she reaches us, she spread her arms granting me a huge hug. It’s quite tricky considering the bump between us. Placing her hands on my shoulders, she looks up and down. “Wow...Your mom is right...You...Did you cut your hair?” she giggles.
My cheeks redden, and I twirl my finger around my hair, peeking at Josh who’s baby talking with Lola. “Who’s the cutest girl in the world?”
“Me!” she squeals, wrapping her arms around Josh’s neck.
“Y-Yes I did Mrs.Greyson.”
She brushes my hair behind my ear. “I told you, call me Nina,” she pats my shoulder once. “Come inside! I baked cookies!” she said, and Lola squeals.
Lola leaps off of Josh and rushes towards Mrs.Greyson. “Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!” she sang.
We follow them into the house. “Your mom is pregnant...again” I whisper.
Josh sigh, “Yeah...twins.”
My eyes widen, “Twins?”
His smile tightens, “Twin boys.”
“Hailey!” I hear a bunch of voices shout simultaneously. Instantly, I whip around to see five boys. Before I can react, they leap on top of me resulting in a back slam against the carpet. I groan, feeling the aching sensation.
“Hailey! You’re not fluffy anymore,” Calvin said.
“F-Fluffy?” I repeat the five years old words.
He nods, “Fluffy and squis-”
Josh grab him by the collar and pull him up. “That’s enough boys,” his big brother mood activates.
Josh is the oldest in the family of six boys. Next, is Caleb, Theodore, Mike, Calvin, Miles - I look at Mrs.Greyson’s stomach - and two unknown little twins.
Yup, all boys.
Mike hold my hand and tug on it. “Hailey! Let’s play!” He smiled widely showing off his sing missing front tooth.
Oh...boy.
- Writer
