Chapter 15 – Oh My Virgin Ears!

 

            “Are the cops sure it’s her?” Emily asked me.

My eyes were sore from the tears and my head was pounding. Even though Paul had been holding me the whole time, I still felt alone. “Yes…she confessed last night.”

“I'll show that damn ass monkey...I'll kick the crap outta her for you Hailey...how bout that...ill give the biatch something to cry about"

I laughed, “Yes Em, please do...”

“Hey, I think you should come tonight. You need cheering up and I need a friend because Benji’s gone.”

“I don’t know...” I replied.

“Come on…its going to be fun.”

“I guess.” I said while Paul rubbed my arm up and down.

Paul kissed my forehead. He whispered, “You’ll be fine” in my ear.

Emily helped me get ready while she got ready herself. Paul threw on something else and we headed off to the bar.

When we got to the club, I looked around, and noticed Benji's spikes from a mile away. I could see him forcing his way through the crowd toward us.

"Emily!!! I've been looking for you everywhere," he cried, "I went to look for you earlier, and I couldn't find you, so I thought you might be here,"

At that moment, Benji looked as if he couldn't of loved anyone more than Emily in the whole world. They started making out in the middle of the dance floor. Those two were so crazy about each other.

Joel and Maddie headed out onto the dance floor and Paul left for the bathroom leaving Billy and me at the table.

“So what happened today?” Billy asked me.

“Oh, um, stuff happened back in New York.”

“Like?”

“Ayla stole my shit and wrecked the rest of my apartment.”

Billy held my hand from across the table. As he looked me in the eyes and said, “I’m sorry, this is all my fault...” I noticed how sincere his eyes were--like they were hiding something and wanted me to pursue it.

“No. Billy, This is not your fault.”

“I know, but I can’t help but feel like it is.”

I squeezed Billy’s hand for comfort. “Come on, lets go get a drink.”

I found Paul floating around looking for me. I signaled him over to the bar.

“Hey there, lets go dance.”

“Paul, you know I don’t like dancing.”

“So?” Paul replied. He took my hand and led me to the dance floor. As we walked hand in hand, I felt like everything was going to be ok. Despite the fast paced music, we stood there in the middle of the dance floor just holding each other.

“I love you Hailey. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

“I know, I’ve been through worse situations. I’m not scared. But I think I’m going to leave early so I can get a grip on everything…you know, with school ”

Paul hugged me tighter. I couldn’t think of how my life would be without him. As we stood there holding each other, I let out a tear.

“I’m sorry, I gotta go to the bathroom.”

I ran away before Paul could even ask me what was wrong. I sat in a chair in the bathroom crying when I heard Emily’s voice talking to me.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

She sat next to me and gave me a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s just…I’ve worked so hard to get where I was, and now its gone…all gone.”

“Shh, it’s ok…”

People came and went into the bathroom; each looking at me like I had seven heads.

“I miss my parents…”

“Call them.” Emily handed me her cell phone.

“I can’t.”

“Why?” Emily asked.

“Because they’re dead.”

“What?”

“They died when I was six…in a car accident.”

“Oh man, I’m so sorry.”

Whenever I was nervous or scared, I had a tendency to ramble on. “I lived on the west coast, in Arizona with my grandma. She raised me until I was 16.” I stopped to blow my nose.

“Why up until 16?”

“Because she died also. So I flew to the east coast to my aunt’s house in Waldorf.”

“Where you met Paul?”

“Yeah. Well, actually, we didn’t become friends until after we graduated. We dated for about a year and I put off going to college for that year.”

“Then what?”

“He left to record the album and we just kind of…grew apart.”

“Oh, I see.” Emily said.

“And then we didn’t talk a lot for about a year. Then he came to visit me in New York a few months ago.”

“Yeah, I know the New York story.” We laughed. It felt good to have someone to talk to.

“How did you meet Benji?”

“I was working in a Starbucks.”

“How romantic.” I said sarcastically.

“Actually it was.” Emily laughed, “I served him…and when we looked at each other it was this, electric feeling…you know?”

“Oh yeah, I know.”

“Well, I had been evicted from my apartment earlier that day. I only had a few things—pants, shirts and accessories—so I had my stuff with me. I started talking to Benji and my supervisor was a real asshole and fired me.”

“Wow, that must have been you’re worst day ever.” I said.

“No…it wasn’t. It was the day I met Benji. He felt sorry for me, because he got me fired, and he offered me to stay with them in the hotel they were in. That first night we talked and things clicked. They were in town for a week or so, and when he left he asked me to go on tour with him.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah. We’ve been together for a year now.”

“You two are so in love.”

“Yeah…so are you and Paul.”

I smiled and felt all warm in fuzzy inside. I was feeling much better than before.

“Thanks Em.”

“No problem.”

Emily and I walked to the bar to find Benji and Paul sitting there with their heads in their hands and Billy talking a girl.

Paul stood and gave me a hug while Benji asked me, “Hey Hailey, are you feeling ok?”

“Yeah, thanks Benj…much better now.”

Paul kissed me on the cheek and hugged me tighter.

 

I woke up the next morning to the sound of Benji signing.

“You must have had a good night.” I told him.

“He jumped on my bed and sat next to me. “Sure did!”

“My...virgin…ears...” I laughed and realized what I had said “No, I meant…please, don’t go there!”

Benji chuckled. “Ok, I wont…”