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As the end of September approached, the outside of the school campus was crowded with students as the final school bell rang. Many green leaves were now painted in autumn colors as the breeze blew slowly, gradually causing the majority of the leaves to fly off onto the ground. Most students wore sweaters, something light to cover themselves from the slight breeze, as they walked straight to vehicles or homes, their laughter and chit-chat filled the air from left to right, mingling with the sounds of leaves being crunched underneath people’s shoes or boots.
Minutes passed, and the school became more of a ghost town with every passing second, other than a few staff members or students who stayed after school for fall sports and clubs. Speaking of clubs, just two members of the music club were heading towards the exit after the crowds of students had decreased intensely.
“Maybe if you quit showing up a few minutes late, we would've made more progress with the duet that you came up with,” Hailey added in, her tone leaking with sarcasm, which awfully reminded Jake a lot of Zander’s sarcastic attitude. Even though Zander and Hailey weren't related by blood, they were related by something one way or another— according to Jake himself (his suffering of being mocked by the step-siblings 24/7), answering back to his complaint about her overdoing everything all at once—more yapping sessions she goes off on for who knows how long…
It's not like it bothered Jake much— he's too used to listening to her mumble every now and then, sharing her thoughts with him about their upcoming band competition performance. Jake understood that, but he wanted something more with her than that, like before. He wanted to have the exact closeness he had with her when the club went to the mall on the weekend. And how one way or another, he had somehow opened up to her. It felt really nice, something swelled in his chest at that moment, in a good way. Jake also knew if Hailey doesn't get her mind off the competition right now, she’ll have a whole head of gray hair from the stress in the next 30 minutes. And he was confident of it.
“Awh, come on… Don't be like that with me, Princess.” Jake whined, letting out one of his teasing weak chuckles as he lightly shoved Hailey in a joking manner as payback.
“Quit calling me that! And also, I'm not wrong about your horrible timing. It’s something I shouldn't be surprised about either way, especially when it comes to you.” Hailey grinned, letting out a giggle that made Jake feel funny in his guts but somehow relieved. She finally smiled at him, her dark gray eyes beaming instead of having those eyes stuck onto her music notebook and panicking over the performance.
Jake let out a dramatic huff after that, rolling his eyes playfully.
“If you keep complaining, you're gonna make me seriously regret ditching Zander and Luke to walk with you.”
"Oh, shut up!" Jake's eyebrows scrunched up but his cheeky grin expanded, the sound of his chuckles increasing as he acted annoyed with her—walking ahead of Hailey before she was running back to her original place, right beside him. Their dumb conversations continued during their walk home, then it would switch to the performance again and again.
During their walk together alone, Jake would catch himself staring at her for any little behavior, every little detail of her expressions during their long conversations. Which he found pretty stupid since he probably had seen her a thousand times for the past three years in high school. Jake couldn't deny that Hailey was a pretty girl, he knew that, of course. But in that moment, he began to genuinely notice she was really, really gorgeous. Especially with those pretty little dimples of hers.
He didn't understand why he felt a type of yearning warmth creeping into his cheeks, or why his heartbeat quickened, causing a strange tightness in his chest. Was it just the heat of the moment, with summer coming to an end? That's what he tried to tell himself, as he brushed off the feelings once Hailey caught him staring at her, awkwardly shifting his gaze the opposite way she was walking beside him.
Shit.
"Uhh, look at that tree!" Jake blurted out suddenly, walking ahead of her again, his voice slightly strained as he pointed towards the nearest tree. He felt the heat going straight to his ears, burning them in hot red. Gosh, why was he like this?
Hailey raised an eyebrow, her eyes enlarged a bit from his strange outburst as she followed where he was pointing at. She looked at him as if he were a crazy person who had escaped a well-secured prison. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, really great actually. Y’know, I bet I could climb this tree,” Jake huffed out under his breath as he impulsively headed towards the tree, tugging slightly at the collar of his shirt as if it were 100 degrees in early fall. He didn't realize his hands were already on the tree branches, pulling himself up in a swift movement out of panic.
“Jake! What the hell do you think you're doing?” Hailey's eyebrows furrowed immediately, her voice rising more as if she were scolding her six-year-old sister (he wasn't much different from a six-year-old in her opinion). She dashed towards the tree he had begun to climb, glancing up at him halfway up the tall trunk.
Jake didn't listen to her words or her warnings that he’d get hurt if he didn't get down now. Honestly, she sounded like his mother at that moment, which sent shivers down his spine. Jake managed to climb at least three-fourths of the way up the tree. He gasped hard as he clung to the branches, his feet slipping occasionally, but he didn't fall, much to his surprise. Finally, Jake managed to sit himself down on a thick branch of the tree. He looked down for a second before cursing at himself.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
Jake didn't really think this through at all. Hell, he didn't even know the actual reason he climbed this tree in the first place! His body just acted on its own. Now he's sitting on a branch of the tree while he hears Hailey screaming at him to get down. He saw she was getting close to climbing the tree to force him down, but she had a brain, unlike him.
“Jake, quit it! You're gonna get hurt!” Hailey shouted at him, looking up in irritation, but her eyes were painted in concern.
Jake laughed nervously, “Jeez, relax a little, won't you, Hails? I'm fine!” Jake added in, gradually climbing down the tree.
As he was climbing down the tree, about seven feet from the ground now, he accidentally missed a step on a branch. He tried to grasp onto a branch, but gravity was definitely not on his side as the branch he tried to grab was pretty sharp on the sides. So, he felt a sudden stinging sensation on his palm and wrist from his right hand. Soon after, his back was on the ground, which didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. His eyes saw straight to the leaves and branches of the tree, the sky, and the teal-haired girl’s face, who looked shocked to her core.
Maybe he wasn't alright now.
“Jesus, Jake! Are you okay?” Hailey let out in a panic. She immediately went on her knees right beside him. Jake couldn't help but laugh at how cute she looked being so worried.
“I’m okay—” The stinging sensation sent lightning bolts through his body as Jake hissed in pain— sitting up, grasping onto his right hand instinctively. He looked down immediately at his hand, noticing a red color staining his hand and navy blue jacket sleeves.
He didn't expect to be the reason why Hailey would've had a whole set of gray hair on her head.
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“Jake, if you don't quit moving around, I'll tape you down on the ground!" Hailey’s eyebrows furrowed, lowering as she tugged on his right arm, bringing it closer to her right after Jake flinched instantly at the first touch of a cotton ball filled with alcohol on his wound. He thought washing the wound off with soap and water was the only thing they’d do.
Who would've imagined this would happen?
Thankfully for Jake, Hailey insisted on taking him to her house to help treat the wound since she knew he had no idea how to. With nobody at her home, things wouldn't be as awkward and embarrassing as they already were.
“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to! Gosh, what the hell did you put in that little piece of cotton?” Jake raised an eyebrow, hissing at the pain as he used all his power to keep his wounded wrist in place. He would jump every once in a while when something touched the wound.
“It’s alcohol, you dork. To clean the wound, so it won't get infected! What on earth were you thinking when you climbed that tree?” Hailey answered back, returning the same tone but probably more aggressive than he did. He felt guilty making her this on edge, with her eyebrows scrunched up in sweet worry and her eyes concentrated on his wrist. Half of his palm was slightly opened, a long cut extending from the start of his wrist.
“I..” It was the only thing Jake could say. He didn't know the answer to it either. It was out of his impulsive acts, or that strange feeling he got around her back there. What was it? He couldn't put a finger on it. His heart was still beating hard in his chest— he couldn't tell if it was from that weird feeling from earlier or the adrenaline rush from the fall.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know?” Hailey looked up at him in disbelief, accidentally pressing down the recent cotton ball onto his wound, which made him squeal in reaction.
“Sorry, sorry...” Hailey mumbled, chuckling nervously as she watched him slowly loosen up after the outburst of stinging pain she caused by mistake.
“It’s fine, don't worry.” Jake cracked a smile with pure intentions, his eyes filled with something that warmed Hailey’s heart.
As the clock ticked away from that moment, a comfortable silence settled between them. Sometimes, Jake would realize how close they were. Hailey’s legs were touching his, with her barely sitting between his legs. She positioned his hand onto her chest, causing his face to turn all red, so she could have a good look and grasp of his wounded wrist. Heat had traveled up his neck, to his face, and ears. He would look the other way a few times, pretending he wasn't melting away as he tried to play it cool. Little did he know, he wasn't the only one panicking over their sitting positions. Hailey felt her heart was going to burst out of her chest, feeling the rims of his rings against her sweater.
Thankfully, the pain was more of a burning feeling in the forefront of his mind since it was physically hurting.
Every now and then, Jake would whine about the aching pain through the process of cleaning the wound, but Hailey would quickly remind him of his poor choice to climb the tree earlier that day.
“Eek!”
“Ouch!”
“Hails!”
“Ow!”
“Princess, have a little more mercy on me, won't you?” Jake let out a weak sigh, chuckling quietly as if he were trying to distract himself from the stinging sensation that sent bolts through his body.
That nickname would be the end of her one day—Hailey was sure of it as her face heated up, biting her inner cheek.
“Do you want me to finish fast or not? We’re taking longer because you won't stop being such a big baby.” Being flustered wasn't Hailey’s strongest suit. She couldn't even look at him since she knew Jake would tease her relentlessly as always. But he didn't, which was strange, but hey, she wasn't complaining!
Hailey continued cleaning up the wound with alcohol until her hand reached for the items in the first aid kit on the table to her left. Jake didn't realize she wasn't done yet, so he jumped up from the chair he was sitting in with sweet relief.
“Where do you think you're going?” Hailey raised the question, her eyebrows knitted together while holding a bottle of antibiotics cream in one hand after she noticed him standing up.
“I thought— I thought you were done-”
“Just sit down.” She grabbed a small bottle of antibiotic cream and applied a little bit to the wound, which felt soothing once she gently rubbed it onto his wrist as soon as he sat back down.
Why wouldn't his heart quit racing? He felt his guts filled with a fuzzy feeling, which was nearly making him giggle from it. He felt his face burning up, biting the inner of his bottom lips to keep him from letting out a groan out of frustration from all of this. She was more focused on his wrist than his face, and he wanted to keep it like that.
At last, she was finishing up with his wound by patching him up with bandages. Her hands trembled slightly as she wrapped the thick fabric bandage around his wrist, her touch lingering longer than before. Then, with a shaky breath, she applied a second, thinner bandage around his palm, her fingers brushing against his skin in a way that sent shivers down his spine.
Their eyes met after a somewhat comforting but uncomfortable silence, the air thick with a weird, fuzzy feeling. Their faces were equally red, tension crackling between them like electricity, and they could hear each other’s loud heartbeats in the small distance between them
“Umm, Uh.. Thanks for fixing me up,” Jake was the first person to snap out of it, immediately backing away and replacing his hand from Hailey’s chest, then scooting the chair further away from her.
Hailey blinked a couple of times to actually wake up from it, her cheeks still reddened from their moment. “Yeah, No problem,” she gulped, her eyes looking at the ground instead of his eyes.
The way he coped with these things was really weird, he chuckled as he realized he wasn't the only one noticing this. He felt less alone than freaking out mentally for the billionth time in the span of 40 minutes, thinking something was wrong with him.
“See? That wasn't so bad, right? You're such a crybaby,” Hailey added in, the fuzzy feeling thickening more in his guts. “Do you want me to fetch an ice pack for you? Maybe it’ll feel better,” she suggested, adjusting herself where she was sitting since she had been in the same position for the last hour and a half.
Jake had this habit of making these cheesy phrases right out of his ass to mess with her. Of course, he couldn't prevent himself from shutting his mouth.
“Why don't you kiss it better?” Jake taunted, sneering with a weak, cheeky smirk as he raised an eyebrow.
Out of the blue, Jake felt the hasty movement from Hailey bending down to his patched-up wrist and placing her lips on it, giving it a gentle kiss which caused Jake’s body to flinch so badly he nearly fell off his seat, his face probably never redder than ever.
He couldn't even muster up the courage to say a word, only muffled sounds escaping his mouth. Hailey’s cheeks reddened even more, letting out her little mumbles which sounded like squeaks.
“Gosh, you told me to!” Hailey added in, as if he was insulting her even though he was melting off from where he was sitting.
“I didn't think you’d actually do it!” Jake managed to let out, his ears flaming, and he wouldn't be surprised if they just dissolved right there and then.
Hailey was already out of her seat since she felt embarrassed enough, so she ran out of the dining table where the teenage boy was as she grabbed an ice pack from the fridge. She tossed it at him, an ice pack landed hard on his chest as he groaned in response. She was about to apologize right after, but he definitely deserved it in her opinion. After that.. and the scare he gave her during their walk home.
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The uncomfortable silence was eating Jake alive, and he was sure that Hailey felt the same way as they awkwardly sat in the living room on the same couch. Jake noticed how shaky Hailey’s hands were as she was using the controller to go on Netflix, clicking on some random movie. It was a friendly movie called ‘Paddington’ that Bethany would constantly play on repeat for weeks. Just great, she thought to herself.
Minutes passed, and Jake didn't really pay attention to the movie she started playing, and neither did she. Not until Hailey unintentionally moved her hand, touching his hand that wasn't patched up in bandages by accident, which caused both of the teenagers to flinch. Both of them were too scared to back away, frozen in place. Jake’s fingers were nudged on hers, hesitating, but he slowly began interlocking his fingers with hers. He kept his eyes on the television in front of them to avoid her gaze, as Hailey immediately looked down at their hands then at him.
In return, Hailey turned her body toward his direction as she began bringing his hand closer toward hers so they would hold hands properly, which made him look at her instantly. That's the moment they locked eye contact, that's the moment they had been very intimately close for the first time. They both chuckled nervously. Hailey’s other free hand unhurriedly reached over to hold Jake’s jawline—cupping his warmed-up cheeks, breaking the little bits of distance they had between each other. He didn't stop her at all. In fact, he began leaning in closer toward her even though he was tensed up. They've never had their first kiss before, neither of them as they were very hesitant at first. His eyes had fallen closed first, and she followed him, as their lips eventually locked the distance between them, melting in each other’s arms. Hailey felt Jake tensed up from his sudden movement, she was shaking as well. Or maybe it was just her.
At first, they managed to press their lips firmly against each other’s—scared to move at all until one of them started the movement.
Unlike earlier, Jake began to stop acting more shy as he grew more comfortable. As inexperienced as they were, two teenagers executed a good rhythm. Hailey’s fingers found their way to Jake’s hair, tangling themselves between his strawberry-blonde hair, and Jake’s free hand was gliding on the girl’s back. Giggles would be shared in between kisses, letting out slight huffs, but they kept their eyes closed and foreheads touching.
The moment was special, they could feel each other’s matching dumb grins between their lips. Well, not until Hailey accidentally grasped onto his bandaged wrist. He completely forgot about it until the stinging sensation was burning his wrist more. He felt his wound slightly reopening even more again, gasping immediately and backing away from her out of reaction. Hailey instantly flinched from the sudden pull away, raising an eyebrow until she realized since he was hissing at the pain, holding onto his wrist.
“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to—” Hailey let out, her fingers rubbing on his bandages as a way to soothe him from the bolts of pain he felt traveling down and up his right arm.
“It’s okay, I’m okay,” Jake huffed out with his stupid grin building up, giggling softly.
“So, does this mean you're mine?” Jake smiled as he recalled their kiss, Hailey chuckled at his cheesy question as she leaned against his shoulder.
“All yours.”