Chapter 17 – Just a Wrong Number

 

 

It was only two hours into the flight and I was already missing Paul. I wondered where he was and what he was doing…who he was talking to or, if he was sleeping like he usually is. I was missing his touch, his voice and the smell of his cologne.

            Emily was awake listening to her music and looking out of the window. She was looking a lot better than this morning; but her eyes were screaming, “I miss Benji”. I tapped her knee, which made her jump.

“Oh hey” she said

“Feeling any better?”

“Well, yes but, no. I miss him so much. We’ve never been apart from each other for so long.”

“Aww, you’ll be ok. I promise.”

“Yeah, but…” She turned and looked at me, “The first time you and Paul went out, you were always together. And then he left and you two drifted apart.”

“Yeah, but it’s different with you and Benji.”

“Not really…”

I looked Emily in the eyes. “I think it went wrong with Paul the first time because we were so young. But trust me, I’m so scared that it’s going to happen again because instead of him being some nobody in New York recording an album, he’s on tour, a celebrity, with thousands of girls throwing themselves at him.”

“Paul loves you too much to let something like that happen.” Emily said.

“He let it happen with Ayla.” Saying her name sent a shiver down my spine.

“Eww, don’t say her name…it gives me this, feeling.”

“I laughed. “Yeah, it gives me one too.”

Emily leaned her head back in her chair. “So why do you want a new flat? What’s wrong with the one you have?”

“It has too many memories.”

“But…you don’t pay rent!”

“That doesn’t matter. Besides, after college I’m going back on tour with Paul.”

“YOU ARE?!?!” Emily squealed.

“Yeah!”

“Oh my god!!” Emily was ecstatic. She gave me a hug, “I couldn’t stand to say goodbye to you another time!”

“Yeah I know. Goodbyes suck!”

“But then you don’t need to get a new apartment then…right?”

I thought about that question for a few minutes. “Yeah I guess I don’t. It makes no sense to just get one for 3 weeks.”

I put my headphones on and the song “Change” started up from where it left off. “Now you’ve got me thinkin’ ‘bout the first time that I met you…standing in a crowded room but I could only see you…” I thought back to when Paul mouthed those lyrics to my onstage and let out a sigh.

“Girl! You need to stop think’ about that boy and have fun!”

I laughed at Emily trying to conceal her English accent with ghetto-ness. “I can’t. I have to think about him now as much as possible. The next three weeks are going to be crazy.”

“Aww you poor thing.”

I shrugged and eventually dozed off to sleep listening to Good Charlotte.

 

After the plane ride...

 

“Hailey!!” Emily was shaking me, “Hailey! Get UP!”

“Huh…ohhh…hi.”

“We gotta get off the plane!”

I blinked and jumped up. “Fire?”

“No, we’re in New York!”

I sighed because I was relieved, “I’m home!”

 

I looked out the car window and saw everything that I had left behind. I loved New York so much. The cab pulled up to my apartment building and I felt my heart start to race.

“What’s wrong Hailey?”

“I just…don’t know what to expect. I know the place was trashed, but I don’t know how bad.”

“Aww, it’s ok, I’m here.”

I walked up the stairs and opened my apartment door. My heart dropped as I saw the TV and stereo gone, red paint splattered on my walls and food stains on my carpet.

“Oh…my…” I felt myself getting lightheaded.

“Oh that bitch! It’s on!” Emily exclaimed.

I slowly took steps into my apartment trying not to step on the broken glass.

“This is…this..” I said.

“Are you ok? Come on, we need to clean this up.”

“No. We’re not cleaning anything up.”

“What?”

“She did this, I’m not cleaning this up.”

“Come on Hailey, we have to.”

“No.” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had worked so hard trying to get this place to look great, and now it’s all over. Why? Because that stupid bitch had to ruin it.

“You’re being stubborn!” Emily grabbed the broom and started to sweep. I stood there watching her for a few seconds before I decided that it was the right thing to do. Together, we spent our first afternoon cleaning up the tattered apartment.

 

Emily and I were walking home from the paint store the next day getting paint so we could re-do the living room.

"Oh my god...it's Ayla...I'm gonna kick that little bitch's ass" I heard Emily hiss into my ear, and before I could stop her, I saw Emily dodge through the traffic to get to Ayla.

I had no choice but to follow her, and after nearly getting hit by 2 taxis and a bus, I got to the other side, just to see Emily stomping up to Ayla. She tapped Ayla on the shoulder, and Ayla turned around and nearly died of shock.

"This is for Hailey!!!" I heard her scream, and then I saw hand fly up and hit Ayla in the chin. “This is for Billy!” She kicked her in her shin, "And this is for me," and she gave her an even bigger kick than the last. People on the sidewalk were stopping to watch...and all I did was inch closer to match my ex-friend having her ass kicked by my REAL best friend.

Ayla looked up at me pleadingly, but I gave her a cold stare back, and let the pleasure of watching her having the shit kicked out of her wash over me. Emily walked back over to me after a few minutes, her were knuckles cut from the punch.

“I can’t believe you just did that!”

“She needed a good ass kicking.”

Ayla stood up and starting running towards us. I handed Emily one of the paint cans and we ran as fast as we could to my apartment, which thankfully was only a few blocks away.
            Emily and I ran up the stairs with the paint cans clanking against the railing. We were both hysterically laughing, which made it hard to breathe.

“Wait! Let me get my key.”

“It’s ok, I think she’s gone.”

We walked into my apartment and put the cans on the floor. I had left my cell phone of the charger while I was out, and there were now 2 voicemails.

“Hey Hailey it’s Paul…I was just wondering how your flight went and your first night. Gimme a call when you get this. I love you, bye.”

“Who was that?” Emily asked.

I smiled. “Paul.”

“Hey Hail it’s me. Remember when I said that we were the only ones that understood each other? Well I need to have another one of those heart to hearts with you so gimme a call. Oh yeah, how was your flight? Well I gotta get going to some promo stuff, I should be back around 5. Gimme a call then. Bye!”

“Who was that?” Emily asked.

“Oh no one, just a wrong number.” Something was wrong with Benj and it probably had to do with Emily.

 

I sat on my couch looking at my watch nervously waiting for 5 o’clock to come.

“What are you doing?” Emily said while sitting next to me.

“Waiting…”

“For what?”

“5 o’clock.”

“You’re whipped!” Emily said sarcastically.

“I am not!”

“Yes, you are. It’s ok though, you’ll grow out of it.” She stood up, “I’m gonna take a shower, be back in a bit…”

The alarm went off on my watch signaling that it was 5 o’clock. I waited a couple of minutes before calling Paul on his cell.

“Hey babe.” I said.

“Hey!” His voice sounded tired but happy. I was so relieved to hear his voice. “How was your flight?”

“Long…I slept almost the while time.”

“And the apartment?”

“Completely trashed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh and Emily kicked the shit out of Ayla.”

“What?!?!” Paul exclaimed.

“Yeah, we were walking down the street and Emily saw her across the street. She ran through traffic…the next thing I know we’re running back to my apartment.”

“Is Emily ok?”

“What? What happened to Emily?” I heard Benj ask in the background.

“Oh nothing Benj, she just got hit by a bus, no biggie.” Paul replied to him. “So anyway, how is she?”

“She’s good, her hand is just cut up. That’s about it.”

“And Ayla?”

“Well, her lips were bleeding and the side of her face looked like it was gonna bruise.”

“That sucks.”

“Hey! Let me talk to Hailey!” I heard Benj scream in the background.

“Well ok, Benj wants to talk to you. I’ll call you back tonight.”

“Yeah.”

“I love you.” Paul said.

“I love you too.”

Benji took a minute to get to the phone, leaving me time to go into my bedroom.

“Hey Hailey.” Benji sounded tired and worn out.

“Hey Benj!”

“Did you get my voicemail?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong?

“I have to talk to you…” Benji said

“About?”

“Well, I wasn’t completely honest…”

“About?”

“When I told Emily I was looking for her…”