XI. J&H
1766 Words
Hailey's POV:
I rested on the bed while Josh sat in front of the cashier and paid for all the furniture. Once I hear the ding, I roll off of it and walk toward his side. My eyes almost popped out of my socket when I saw the final price. I look at Josh, who smiles and puffs out his chest while handing the cashier his card.
Afterward, Josh and I head out for a quick snack before going to Pandora’s dormitory. I rest my chin on the metal table while Josh grabs us the pretzels. Twisting my legs together, I felt the most considerable urge to pee.
I took out my phone and message Josh, then looked at him until he received it. Josh pulled out his phone.
Hay Bug: The sprinklers are about to burst.
Joshie Pooh: Plug it.
I look up at Josh, who made a circle with his thumb and forefinger then pokes his finger through it while wiggling his brows.
Indiscreetly, I flip him off before going to the restroom.
I finish the bathroom and pat my flat stomach, ready to eat a delicious pretzel. I grip onto the strap of my purse when I saw Josh with the salty pretzel. A smile appears on my face, and I lift a hand in the air. I was about to call him until I saw him following this random girl.
He lifts a hand and does a karate chop on her head, causing my mouth to drop. “About time!” he said.
She places a hand on her hands on her head and turns around, “Why?!”
Josh stands there, body in a frozen mood as he looks at the stranger.
I walk up behind him. “Josh, why did you just karate chop a stranger’s head?”
“I thought she was you...I was giving a divine punishment for making me wait,” he mumbles, cheeks turned extremely red. He set his attention back towards the lady. “I’m sorry for karate chopping you. I thought you were her.” He gave an awkward smile and shrugged.
The strange girl’s cheeks turn light pink as she openly checks out Josh. She nods once. “Don’t go chopping other people’s heads anymore even if they do look like your girlfriend,” she said in a stern voice.
“I understand,” he politely responds.
She walks away, rubbing her head, and I smile, knowing it’s better her than me, being karate chop.
“Did she just call me your girlfriend?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he responds blankly.
“But, I’m not-”
He takes my hand. “Meh, too much work to explain to her. Just go with it,” he said, leading us towards the game arcade. “Geez, all short people look alike from up here,” he grumbles.
I gave him the dirtiest look possible. “We do not!”
He shrugs.
“How can you say that? I don’t say all tall people look alike from down here!”
Josh gave me a tight smile. “Technically, if you don’t look up. All tall people look the same from down there,” his sarcastic comment is irritating my very sour soul.
I grab the pretzel from him, then shove it inside my mouth. I eat one piece after another, like an animal, while Josh stares at me with wide eyes. “No pretzel for Mister Sassy Pants!” I wiggle a finger in front of his face and walk away.
The whole day we spent it roaming around town, eating, and playing.
Josh hung upside down on the monkey bars and made a rock star sign with his tongue sticking out. I burst out laughing while taking a photo then hung beside him.
“Come on! Do it with me, Josh!” I whine.
“Hailey. That’s embarrassing!”
“Says the guy hanging upside down in the children’s playground area.”
“Enough said.”
He put out his hands, and we began playing Patty Cakes.
“Pat a cake, Pat a cake
Baker man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Pat it, and roll it, and Mark it with a ‘B.’
Throw it in the oven for Baby and me.”
“One...two...three! Staring contest!” We scream, eyes widening at the same time.
We hung there, and glared at each other as the people passed by - probably wondering what we were doing. My eyes narrow as the wind blew past us, and Josh’s face scrunches. Water forms from his eyes, and he sniffs, trying to keep it open. His nose wiggled and he smacked his face. “Greyson’s don’t lose,” he mumbles under his breath, face turning a light shade of red.
Unexpectedly, he grabs my face. “Josh, what are y-” He swung his head towards mine. My eyes widened when his lips smashed against mine, and our heads banged against each other, causing me to lose balance and fell off the monkey bars. “Josh!” I scream, rubbing my aching head while he laughs, falling off the monkey bar.
He laid sideways on the ground, holding onto his stomach. “Did you see the look on your face?” he screams, rolling around the bark, kicking it everywhere.
My eyes narrow, and he instantly jolts towards the grass. Without a second thought, I rush after him wanting to strangle his neck. When I caught up, I leaped on his back while he entered a roar of laughter. “You like seeing me hurt, huh! See how you like it!”
I twist his n*****s.
He stops jumping around. “Oh, I kind of like that. Do it again.”
I slap his back then jump off. “You’re so gross!”
He turns around with a mischievous look on his face.
I take a step back. “Josh... don’t.”
His lips tug up into a smile. “Now, it’s my turn!”
“No! We’re even-steven!” I shouted and ran away.
“I don’t know who Steven is, but he doesn’t decide whether or not we are even!” he screams and runs after me.
After a wild day of randomly running and playing around the park, we flop down on the glass while gazing at the stars. The racing inside my chest was still erratic from Josh tickling me earlier as my head rests on his arm.
“I miss this,” he said, tucking his other arm behind his head.
“This?”
“You know...us.” He curls his arm inward, pulling me closer.
I grab his shirt, finger playing with the silver ring around his neck. “I miss us too.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. I got a gift for you,” Josh said, digging into his pocket.
Josh unravels a small box in front of me. I grab it, motioning to my back for some comfort. Opening the box, the smile on my face shows it all as I pull out a J&H necklace. “If I wear this, then you have to wear something too.”
His plump lips curved upward.
I sat up. “Unless-”
He follows my lead. “Guilty as charged.” He slides his sleeve down, revealing a silver J&H bracelet, then places both arms out. “Cuff me, Officer Hay Bug.”
I pushed him away and hid my face, attempting to calm my emotions. He grabs the necklace. “Here,” he said while I turned around, lifting my hair. Once the necklace wraps around my neck, I allow my hair to drop, feeling his arms around my waist.
The sun sparks through the curtains while my lips curve up into a smile when I smell french toast. I wrap the blanket around my body and take mini-steps until I reach the living room.
Last night Josh and I stayed at the arcade, playing games until it closed. The owner had to escort us out because we kept saying personally. “One more level.” I feel so special.
When we got to a hotel, we decided to do a movie marathon but was knocked out in the middle of The Godfather - which was the first movie.
I caught Josh flipping pancakes in the kitchen and hurried towards him. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he said, licking the batter off his fingers.
I look at the mirror across the room to see my mohawk. “Feed me,” I told him, and he places a piece of french toast inside my mouth. I chew it. “Ew, you didn’t wash your hands,” I swallow. “Feed me another one.”
“Go sit down, and I’ll give you a proper breakfast,” he said.
I push up my glasses and nod. Pushing the sweater on top of my knees, I bang my fists on the table. “Food! Hailey, hungry!” I grunt.
Josh rolls his eyes. “Of course, my elegant lady,” he said mockingly with a half-ass bow.
“What is elegant? Hailey only knows hunger!”
Once he finishes, he places the plates down. Josh began eating his french toast.
French Toast.
Fried Eggs.
White Toast.
Bacon.
Oranges.
Ham.
Quesadilla.
You’re fat enough. Why are you still eating?
“What’s wrong, Hailey?” Josh asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I shake my head. “No...Nothing is wrong. Everything looks great,” I said, getting ready to eat the food.
The silence is covered by the sound of utensils and milk pouring into the cup. It’s a nice kind of quiet.
“Ready to meet Pandora Academy?” Josh asks.
I shake my head.
“When will you be ready?”
“Never,” I reply, honestly.
He messes up my hair. “You’re ready.”
Once we finish breakfast, we hop back into the car and roll towards Pandora Academy.
Resting my chin on my palm, I gaze out the window seeing us pass one modern house after another. Soon, a silver bridge marvel with steel and cables came to view. I pressed the button, and the glass rolled down to give me a better view of the entry gate. My mouth drop hearing helicopters were roaring in the sky. An ivy league school soon came to view - large, stone buildings, grassy knolls, and beautiful trees.
I turned towards Josh, who was observing me intently. “Woah.”
“Welcome to Pandora Academy, Hailey Vaughn.”
- Writer
