Natalie stepped out of her dressing room just as Hayden was rounding the corner. She immediately turned to go back in but Hayden caught her.
"Hey, Natalie!"
Natalie shut her eyes and then opened them again, fearful of a confrontation.
"What's up Hayden?" she asked turning around to face him.
"I was just wondering what the hell Gael is doing here?" Hayden snapped.
Natalie was completely taken aback at Hayden's hostility. "Excuse me?!" she asked, not sure she had heard him correctly.
"Gael...the guy who did you wrong on so many levels...why would you actually invite him here? How could you do that?" Hayden spoke, his tone full of venom.
Natalie stood there, partially in shock that Hayden had even brought the subject up at all, muchless with this much anger.
"Well, Hayden....some of us can actually forgive someone for past mistakes and are willing to give someone another chance."
Hayden narrowed his eyes, "...oh, so the two of you are back together..."
"Not that its any of your business, but he and I have tried to maintain a friendship...we'll just see what happens from there," Natalie said, her tone full of confidence and reciprocating the anger she had felt from Hayden.
Hayden started to turn on his heel to walk away when Natalie spoke up, "ya know what has astounded me though, Hayden? I still don't understand why the hell you care! You and I had that talk and I thought things would be better but it seems as though they've gotten worse! I only get grief from you for just about everything I say or do and I'm sick of it! I'm trying to reconnect"
Hayden looked down at the ground. She had him there. Things had remained awkward, perhaps even moreso than before and much of that was because of his attitude.
"I've tried and tried with you....but I'm spent," Natalie said, a tinge of sadness hinting in her tone. "I can't seem to do anything right. I try to befriend your girlfriend but that makes you uncomfortable--"
"You're damn right it makes me uncomfortable!" Hayden interrupted. "How the hell do you want me to act? Having my girlfriend and my ex-girlfriend becoming buddies?? I'm sorry but I don't operate like that! I can't just make it seem as though our relationship never existed! It's awkward and its weird--"
At that moment, Hayden looked up, just beyond Natalie's shoulder at the other end of the hall. A small figure had rounded the corner and had to have heard everything they had just been saying.
"Tricia," Hayden said in a tone that was mixed with shock and sadness.
Tricia looked right at Hayden, then to Natalie and back again. Then at that moment, without saying a word, she turned and walked back around the corner. Hayden could hear the metal studio door slam shut.
He didn't take another moment's hesitation to race around the corner and out the door to find her.