4 Chapter 3
Somehow, Haylee had managed to run away and leave the infirmary.
What was she thinking, why did she say it? She had to be careful.
She had locked herself in the bathroom after giving Byron a pathetic explanation before running away.
"No, I… I meant that… that boys are all like that. Um... I have a lesson. Sorry I'm late.", she had told him.
Someone knocked on the door. «Haylee is something wrong?», it was Selene's voice.
Haylee came out of the bathroom. «No, everything's alright. It must have been the sight of blood.»
«Do you want to go back to the infirmary?»
«No, no. I'm fine. I can do it, there are only a few lessons left.»
«As you like. We have art now.»
The two friends reached the classroom together. Amy was already waiting for them sitting in her place.
Byron was there too, but Haylee tried not to stare at him. Unlike him who didn't take his eyes off her.
What did she mean before? he wondered. Maybe she knows something… I have to ask her.
He began to prepare a speech, to prepare what to say to her on the way home. Haylee, in fact, had promised him a ride back home.
But when he saw her in the hallways with Percy, he began to feel immense anger.
He was furious, so he decided to walk home.
But Haylee had waited for him. She had waited until all the students had left.
No trace of Byron.
It was pouring rain and she was getting wet despite being under her yellow umbrella. But she didn't want to get into the car. She was afraid Byron wouldn't remember how her car looked like.
«Haylee... », unfortunately it wasn't Byron's voice, but Percy's. «What are you doing standing in the rain? Do you have problems starting the car?»
«No.» she replied annoyed. «I'm waiting for someone, leave me alone.»
«Are you angry for what I did? I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it too.»
Percy had tried to kiss her in the hallway. It was just then that Byron had surprised them. But he hadn't seen when Haylee had rejected the quarterback.
"Since I helped you, I think I deserve a reward…", he had told her before pulling her close to him. Then she pushed him and ran away.
«Just because you're being nice to me, it doesn't mean you're allowed to jump on me.»
«I know I'm sorry. It's just that I like you and I don't just want to be your friend.»
There's something fishy, but I'll still play your game, she thought. «Apologies accepted. Now I have to go.»
«Weren't you waiting for someone?»
«At this point I think he's already gone home. There is no one here anymore.»
«Are you talking about your neighbor? The guy with the black hair? I saw him go by foot... several minutes ago.»
Haylee sighed. «Thanks for the information. He's really an idiot... »
With that storm, crossing the woods... what was he thinking?
She closed the umbrella and hurried to get into the car. She started the engine and headed home.
But the path, with the rain, had turned into a mud trap and her car got bogged down almost immediately.
Haylee took the bag with the boots from the back seats and put them on. She always carried them with her, it wasn't the first time she was forced to cross that path on foot in the rain. Unfortunately, it happened too often.
As she dipped her rubber boots into the mud she thought of Byron. He had certainly not been as provident as she was. For him it was the first time.
When she finally reached her driveway, Carter, Byron's father surprised her. Maybe he was there to complain about the fact that she had let his son walk back in the rain, when it was him, of his own free will, to go away alone.
«Where is he?» he asked.
«Who?»
«My son… Why isn't he back yet?»
«I waited for him, but he had already left… »
Haylee suddenly thought of a red spot in the mud in the woods. She remembered Byron's red backpack.
Without saying anything else, she started running.
She ran, she ran nonstop. Through the branches, tripping over mud and roots. She was injured but didn't stop her run.
She got to where she had to momentarily abandon her car. She looked around her nervously.
She was out of breath but there was no time to waste.
He must have been there, in the mud.
She saw the red spot, walked over quickly and saw him.
Byron was lying on the ground dirty with mud and completely soaked.
He was hot, despite the icy water tapping on his face.
With the little strength she had left, she dragged him into the car.
She tried to start the engine, but the wheels were still locked.
On the seat next to her there was a stain of blood, which extended more and more. He must have hit his head and passed out in the middle of the path.
«Please, come on damn car!», Haylee pressed hard on the accelerator in hopes that the car would be able to free itself from the mud. «Damn, come on!»
She finally managed to speed away from there.
She tried not to get nervous, but it was not easy to keep control knowing that Byron was injured his head.
As soon as Carter saw the car arriving, he ran out again.
Haylee was trying to get the boy out when Carter pushed her away and took his son in his arms. «I'll take care of him. You have already done enough.» he told her in a grumpy tone.
The girl stood in the driveway in the pouring rain watching them entering the house. It wasn't her fault, but that boy was hurt and she certainly couldn't be happy in such a moment. She was feeling so sorry.
Haylee went back home and went upstairs to her room before her mother could ask anything.
That night she clearly couldn't sleep. She wanted to know if Byron was okay, if the injury was serious.
She was anxiously awaiting the moment when the alarm would go off.
And in fact, as soon as daylight came, and her alarm went off, Haylee got dressed and knocked on the door of the house next to hers.
Carter opened it. «Go home.» he told her before she could make any sound.
Behind the man appeared Byron, with his head bandaged. «Let her in. It wasn't her fault. I chose to walk.»
Carter said nothing, went into the kitchen and left them alone in the living room.
«The wound... is it so serious?»
«Don't worry, it's nothing. My father took me to the hospital, but they didn't even stitch me. I just have to disinfect it and change the bandages.»
«Why did you leave? I waited for you… »
Byron looked down. To answer her he would have to confess his jealousy. And she would surely take him for a fool. He had barely known her for a day, how could he even bring up any sort of feeling?
«I'm sorry... you ran away after the infirmary and kept your distance in class. I thought you didn't want to give me a ride anymore.»
«Sorry. I don't know why I behaved like that. To make up for it, I'll help you disinfect the wound.»
«Won't you run away this time?»
They looked at each other intently, without speaking.
The sound of a horn interrupted that moment.
«Where do I find the disinfectant and the gauze?» Haylee asked.
Byron pointed to the sofa. It was already all there ready. Haylee took some cotton wool and wet it with disinfectant while Byron removed the gauze that wrapped his head.
The horn blew again just as Haylee was tapping the damp cotton wool on Byron's wound.
Then Haylee's cell phone started ringing too. «Excuse me for a moment, it's my mother.»
«Yes, sure, go ahead.»
«Mom, what's going on?»
Byron tried to interpret the expressions on the girl's face to understand what was happening. «Something wrong?» he asked out of curiosity.
«Percy came to pick me… » Haylee said puzzled. She didn't look very happy, and neither did Byron, when he heard her say that name. «Um I... »
«You have to go. Of course. You don't want to be late for school… », Byron couldn't hold back his anger and his voice sounded somewhat annoyed.
«That wasn't what I meant, but since you look quite upset, maybe I really better go.»
Haylee headed for the door and Byron couldn't say anything to hold her back.
As soon as she crossed the threshold Percy joined her. «Hey! Your mother told me you were with the neighbor. I wanted to give you a ride to school, I hope it's not a problem. He can come too.»
«No, he has a fever after walking in the rain yesterday. It's better if he rests.» Haylee replied nervously.
«Alright. So are you coming?»
«Sorry but I prefer to drive my car.»
«Are you still angry? I've already apologized.»
«It's not that. I have to take it to wash. Byron slipped on the path yesterday, and he stained my seat with an injury.»
«I see… Is he ok?»
«Yeah, nothing serious.»
«Alright. But tomorrow I'll pick you up, no excuses.»
«Ok.»
Haylee went up to her room, only to get her backpack and then got into her car.
Percy was right behind her in his car.
After leaving the car at the car wash, she walked a few meters and arrived at school. It was a small town, it was all concentrated downtown.
Percy was waiting for her at the school entrance. Haylee pretended to like all his being caring, but in reality she still didn't understand why, overnight, he had decided that an invisible girl like her deserved his attention.
He kept appearing in the school hallways, outside her classroom, when she hadn't even met him by chance, until a few days before.
After school, that afternoon, like the previous one, it was raining heavily.
Haylee offered to give her friends a ride. So she, along with Selene and Amy, under the umbrellas, quickly reached the car wash.
First she checked if the stain was still there. Fortunately, it was practically gone. You really had to look intently to notice the very slight halo.
She took Amy home and then Selene. She quickly reversed the car and accelerated towards the path in the woods that would take her home.
Nothing could be seen in that rain, so she kept going very slowly. She didn't want to risk killing anyone.
She was about to take the path in the woods when she saw something moving in front of her.
Haylee stopped the car suddenly.
It could have been a person, or an animal.
She lifted her face off the wheel slowly and tried to focus on what she had in front of her. But every time the windshield wipers cleared the windshield glass, the rain returned to obscure her vision. Only when the rain began to fall more gently, she was finally able to see something.
She stared at the staggering figure. It was Byron, still with his head bandaged and wet from head to toe.
Haylee got out of the car instantly. She even left the door half open.
She ran over to Byron and held him up before he hit the ground. He was exhausted.
The rain began to thicken again.
«What happens? Why are you in the woods again?» Haylee asked. She had to raise her voice for him to hear her in the rain.
He reached out a hand to her face. «I shouldn't have let you go with him... I should have stopped you... This isn't our world.» Byron said and then passed out.
Haylee couldn't hold him anymore. She lost her balance.
They both ended up in the mud.
