Extraordinary Girl, chapter 4
I guess I was shocked, because in all honesty, I'd never thought I'd live to see the day I met a fan that didn't...jump on me, first thing. Then again, I would never be able to feel what Hailey had just been through, and she was probably still in shock herself after riding the train home with...well, not to sound stuck up, but...me. The rest of the train ride home, I don't have Hailey talk to me about her home, but instead she opens up on her taste in music and how much she loves Green Day.
By the time we stumble through the door of my apartment, it's 1:30 AM and Sarah's practically worn holes in the carpeted living room from pacing back and forth so much. The look on her face almost made me laugh. I mean, she was expecting her boyfriend with a good excuse why he was so late; instead she got her boyfriend holding a bloody jacket, helping a limping 14-year-old girl who looked like she'd been picked up by a tornado and dropped in my arms.
I had thought out a lot of things on the train, but one obvious topic I'd skipped was how to explain everythign to Sarah. We all stood in the kitchen for a second, unsure of what to say. Hailey's nervous eyes dart from her feet to me to Sarah and back to her feet. Finally, I open my mouth.
"Um, Sarah, this is Hailey."
Sarah's mouth is half open in surprise, and she stares at Hailey for what seems like 10 minutes before muttering, "Um. Hi."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hailey smiley slightly. The first time I'd seen her smile since I met her.
I decide to do the explaining to Sarah later and lead Hailey to the guest bedroom (Sarah follows, still not saying anything). "You can sleep here. Bathroom's right across the hall, and...um, you can borrow a pair of Sarah's pajama's, I guess." I look at Sarah who takes the hint and hurries to our bedroom, returning with a pair of pajama's.
Hailey stands there, looking at us both, and says softly, "Thank you. Really." I smile, and Sarah manages to snap out of her shock-trance and smiles too.
We leave her room, shutting the door softly, and head back into the living room. Sarah sits on the couch and doesn't say anything for a few minutes. I sit on the chair oppisite her and put my head in my hands.
"Okay, look, I'm sorry you had to have me come home...like that."
"Just...who is she?" Sarah asks.
"I...I was walking home from Billie Joe and Adrienne's, to the train station. Some asshole shoved me and I fell into an alley...Hailey was there...man, she was a mess. She was crying and bleeding real bad from the neck..." Suddenly I realize I forgot to put a bandage on Hailey's neck.
Sarah remains silent, patient.
"Anyways, I don't know what happened to her. Her clothes were ripped. She didn't have shoes. She's only 14, God knows what happened to her or how long she'd been sitting there..."
"You didn't ask her what happened?" Sarah says, sounding surprised.
"How could I? I mean, what if she was raped? Assaulted? I couldn't just be like, 'Hi, I'm Mike Dirnt, I'm going to take you home now. So, what happened to you anyways?' She knew who I was, too. It took me like, 20 minutes just to get her to trust me and get on the train with me."
"Does she have a family?"
"Yeah, well, I got that much out of her. Her parents and brother died when she was 2, she's been in foster homes ever since. Apparently her foster family now weren't exactly treating her like royality. She said she was just out, going to grab some dinner or something..."
Sarah nods slightly, examines her hands for a minute. "Look, again, I'm sorry..." I mutter.
"Why?" Sarah gets up and sits next to me on the couch, holding my hand in hers. "I'm proud of you. I know I looked like a moron when you came in, but really...I'm proud of you. And I love you."
Right then, I feel more affection for Sarah than I ever had before. "I love you, too," I whisper, leaning in and giving her a long kiss on the lips. When I pull away, she's smiling, then frowns. "Shit, I'm sick. You might get my germs."
"It's worth it, to kiss you," I smile again.
She sighs. "I guess tomorrow we'll have to contact Hailey's foster home."
I frown, realizing this. In the few hours I'd met Hailey, and barely gotten to know her, I still grew attatched. "Yeah..."
"Don't worry, it'll be okay," Sarah says, giving me another kiss.
But for once, I don't know if she's right, and something deep inside me says everythign won't be okay.
By the time we stumble through the door of my apartment, it's 1:30 AM and Sarah's practically worn holes in the carpeted living room from pacing back and forth so much. The look on her face almost made me laugh. I mean, she was expecting her boyfriend with a good excuse why he was so late; instead she got her boyfriend holding a bloody jacket, helping a limping 14-year-old girl who looked like she'd been picked up by a tornado and dropped in my arms.
I had thought out a lot of things on the train, but one obvious topic I'd skipped was how to explain everythign to Sarah. We all stood in the kitchen for a second, unsure of what to say. Hailey's nervous eyes dart from her feet to me to Sarah and back to her feet. Finally, I open my mouth.
"Um, Sarah, this is Hailey."
Sarah's mouth is half open in surprise, and she stares at Hailey for what seems like 10 minutes before muttering, "Um. Hi."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hailey smiley slightly. The first time I'd seen her smile since I met her.
I decide to do the explaining to Sarah later and lead Hailey to the guest bedroom (Sarah follows, still not saying anything). "You can sleep here. Bathroom's right across the hall, and...um, you can borrow a pair of Sarah's pajama's, I guess." I look at Sarah who takes the hint and hurries to our bedroom, returning with a pair of pajama's.
Hailey stands there, looking at us both, and says softly, "Thank you. Really." I smile, and Sarah manages to snap out of her shock-trance and smiles too.
We leave her room, shutting the door softly, and head back into the living room. Sarah sits on the couch and doesn't say anything for a few minutes. I sit on the chair oppisite her and put my head in my hands.
"Okay, look, I'm sorry you had to have me come home...like that."
"Just...who is she?" Sarah asks.
"I...I was walking home from Billie Joe and Adrienne's, to the train station. Some asshole shoved me and I fell into an alley...Hailey was there...man, she was a mess. She was crying and bleeding real bad from the neck..." Suddenly I realize I forgot to put a bandage on Hailey's neck.
Sarah remains silent, patient.
"Anyways, I don't know what happened to her. Her clothes were ripped. She didn't have shoes. She's only 14, God knows what happened to her or how long she'd been sitting there..."
"You didn't ask her what happened?" Sarah says, sounding surprised.
"How could I? I mean, what if she was raped? Assaulted? I couldn't just be like, 'Hi, I'm Mike Dirnt, I'm going to take you home now. So, what happened to you anyways?' She knew who I was, too. It took me like, 20 minutes just to get her to trust me and get on the train with me."
"Does she have a family?"
"Yeah, well, I got that much out of her. Her parents and brother died when she was 2, she's been in foster homes ever since. Apparently her foster family now weren't exactly treating her like royality. She said she was just out, going to grab some dinner or something..."
Sarah nods slightly, examines her hands for a minute. "Look, again, I'm sorry..." I mutter.
"Why?" Sarah gets up and sits next to me on the couch, holding my hand in hers. "I'm proud of you. I know I looked like a moron when you came in, but really...I'm proud of you. And I love you."
Right then, I feel more affection for Sarah than I ever had before. "I love you, too," I whisper, leaning in and giving her a long kiss on the lips. When I pull away, she's smiling, then frowns. "Shit, I'm sick. You might get my germs."
"It's worth it, to kiss you," I smile again.
She sighs. "I guess tomorrow we'll have to contact Hailey's foster home."
I frown, realizing this. In the few hours I'd met Hailey, and barely gotten to know her, I still grew attatched. "Yeah..."
"Don't worry, it'll be okay," Sarah says, giving me another kiss.
But for once, I don't know if she's right, and something deep inside me says everythign won't be okay.
