Songs for the chapter

• Awkward smile - Shedhead
• Brave - Sara Bareilles

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I was paddling my way towards the CC as it was going to
be 4 pm soon. I was thinking how am I going to talk to Austin after running away from him today. Things are going to be super awkward for me.

Jesus! Please help me today.

As I reached there, I parked my bike in the parking area and went inside. I ordered two hot chocolates, one with whipped cream and another with marshmallows and choco chips. And one hamburger and one french fries for Austin and myself.

I was sitting in my usual corner and I was waiting for Austin the, giving-my-body-electric-jolts-by-his-touch-guy.
I opened my Spanish textbook and started reading. I was progressing in it because of Austin.

I checked my phone to see the time. 15 minutes have passed but Austin still didn't come. The detention may have been an issue maybe. But it should have ended by 3:30 pm or 3:45 pm as our school gets over at 3 pm. And he must have gone to his place to change or to refresh himself.

I started reading again and Savannah came to me with the order I placed.

"You don't have to do this, Savannah. You could have announced my order like always.", I said trying to smile.

"Nah! It's fine. There are not many customers today and you, my friend, looked a little lost.", she said with her beautiful smile.

"Thanks and I am not lost. It is just this Spanish which is making me feel lost", I chuckled non humorously.

"Where is your boyfriend?", she asked.

"He had some work", I said realizing what I said. Jesus! "Oh and he is not my boyfriend", I said smiling awkwardly.

"Sorry, I thought he is your...er...the way you two are...leave it. Sorry", she smiled awkwardly too.

I checked my phone it was past 4:30.

Jesus! He is not going to come today. Why would he? The way I reacted just by his touch and that kiss on my knuckles. He must have thought I am just a stupid girl who has haphephobia.

I looked at my table. The food which I ordered for Austin and myself rested there untouched.

"Hey, Savannah", I called her as she was going.

"Yeah?", she said.

"Would you mind looking at the food? I am going to meet Aunt Annie backside and I'll call her to have it with me.", I said.

"Sure", she said.

Aunt Annie had a room backside where she stayed during the open hours of CC and kept going there frequently.
And right now she was inside because, mostly, at this hour she is inside and I realize her awkward meet with Austin. Well, it was really awkward for me.

As I reached there, I heard voices of something falling like someone threw a glass material quite harshly, I opened the door and saw the least expected person standing there.

"Son, don't throw things like that. You'll get hurt", Aunt Annie said with a whimpering voice.

"Why Mom? We can get a new one. And I am not getting hurt by this fucking vase. I have got hurt because of you Mom. Because of this fucking garbage like cheap cafe of yours.", Turner said rudely which riled up anger inside me and made me want to slap him and kick his balls and beat him up with that lucky shoe.

I can't believe that this jerk is the son of my Aunt Annie. I knew she had a son but I never met him and the way he is behaving is so awful. I shifted a little so that they can't see me and I started eavesdropping. I know it's wrong. Sorry Jesus! But this conversation needed to be eavesdropped on by me.

"Enough! You know it was my passion and how many memories I have with this place. This cafe was my dream, son. And although it doesn't look like those fancy restaurants. I love it and it's not a garbage. And I don't understand how does this hurts you!", Aunt Annie yelled at Turner.

Yes! This douchè deserves it.

"Mom, please", he scoffed. "Don't tell me all the things I've been hearing since the last two years. My friends make fun of me by always saying how my rich mother runs a cheap place like this. We are not a poor family that we need some money from this little fucking cafe of yours. Dad's business is enough for us to live happily for a thousand years and if you want to work then you can join dad's business but you never understand anything. My friends troll me, Mom. Just because of you. It makes me feel the worse", Turner yelled.

I peeked as silence took place and saw tears in Aunt Annie's eyes.

"Now say something.", Turner yelled again making me clench my fists tighter.

"You will not be hurt anymore, honey.", she said softly.

And Turner came outside shutting the door very loudly.
He was in a rush so he didn't see me standing there. As he moved forward, I shouted from the back,

"Turner wait", and went towards him.

"What are you doing here?", he said amused.

"What were YOU doing here?", I asked folding both my arms.

"I do donations at small cafes and shops like this one. Rich people stuff y'know", he lied fluently.

"Really, Turner? This is the lie you are feeding me?", I scoffed.

"What do you mean, HAYDEN?", he said my name as it was world history.

"You know what I mean. Don't you? Okay, leave that. I am shocked to know that you are Aunt Annie's son. How dare you talk to her like that? How could you make her cry?", I said to him.

"H..how do you know m..my mother?", he looked shocked.

"I know her since I was born and I know that she is the wisest and the nicest person I've ever seen and she doesn't deserve a son like you. How could you do this to her? The problem is not with her or this 'beautiful' cafe. The problem is with you and your fake friends. The friends you have aren't good for you Turner.", I said.

"W..wait! Who permitted you to give me a lecture? And who are you to judge my friends? You are no one so just mind your own fucking business.", he said rudely.

"I am not giving you a lecture because of you. It's because I care about Aunt Annie and she's like a mother to me. And I am not judging your friends Turner. I am stating the obvious. If your friends cared about you then they would have respected you and your mother and her decision, her dream. But why would they? You, her son is the one talking rubbish about all of it. What can anyone expect from your friends? Learn to respect your mother, Turner. She's an angel. You're lucky to have her and don't listen to all the rubbish things your friends say. You should take a stand for her and her dream.", I said as he rolled his eyes.

"Is it over? Great. Now I am impressed. You can ask me directly to fuck you. You don't have to act like this good girl shit, baby. Come let's do it", he said taking my hand forcefully.

"What? Are you kidding me? You are a big pervert. Leave my hand", I said removing my hand from his grip.

"I know you did all that so that I fuck you. So it's cool. Girls do that to me but they do not give me a lecture on my friends and mother. Don't be such a tease. Come on!", he laughed.

"I am not doing anything for sleeping with you. Alright? You are just a delusional pervert. So just get lost.", I said angrily.

"What are YOU doing here?", I heard Austin's voice from behind which brightened my frustrated mood.

"Hooking up with a girl. Seems like you missed it?", Turner said.

"Turner, go from here.", I said.

"Why, baby?", Turner said cupping my cheeks.

And the next I know is, he was knocked down. Austin punched him in his chest.

"Did you track me down to finish the fight, arsehole?", Turner said grunting while he tried getting up.

"I don't have time for pricks like you, Turner. Why were you messing with her?", Austin said grabbing Turner's shirt's collar.

"Chill manwhore! I can finish our fight.", Turner said and kicked at Austin's leg which, somehow, he managed to avoid and he was going to hit Turner again.

"Stop fighting here, guys", I shouted, and luckily they stopped.

"Aw, babe! You care about me a lot. Sweet!", Turner said with a smirk walking towards me."Don't tell about the cafe thing to anyone, please", Turner whispered to me.

"What are you saying to her now?", Austin said as his jaw clenched.

"That she chose the guy with a small dick to hook up with.", Turner said smirking.

"Which you enjoyed sucking, didn't you?", Austin said ferociously at the same time when I said,

"Get lost.", slapping Turner and he left without saying anything which was quite shocking.

"That was brave. He deserved that," Austin said cleaning his jacket.

"Yeah", I said turning to face him. His hand had a little cut which was bleeding.

"Oh my God! your hand is bleeding", I said terrified.

"It's nothing. just a little cut", he said pouting.

"Go inside. There's a band-aid in my bag, use it. I am coming.", I said.

"But-"

"I have to meet Aunt Annie", I said and he nodded.

As I went inside the room, she was sitting and doing something on her phone. She looked sad and I knew the reason.

"What happened to my favorite person?", I asked softly and hugged her.

"What could happen to me when I have my little sweetheart here?", she said half smiling.

"Aw. I love you", I cooed.

"I love you too", she said.

I talked to her for a little more and managed to make her laugh a little by telling her some lame jokes. And then I told her to rest for some time and left. As I went inside CC. I saw Austin, fidgeting with a packet of twinkies.

He looks so endearing whenever he does the fidgeting thingy.

"Mm...hey", I said awkwardly.

"H...hey", he said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"You came?", I said.

"Yes I guess", he said running his hand in his hair.

"I thought, you will not come", I said settling down.

"Why? Oh, the time! My detention extended as I abused Mr. Henderson and lit up a paper accidentally.", he said focusing on the Twinkies.

"Lit up a paper accidentally?", I frowned.

"Yeah!', he said.

"You didn't apply the band-aid. Why?", I said narrowing my eyes at him as I saw the band-aid kept on the table.

"Yeah, I didn't", he said looking here and there.

"Why? And you stole my Twinkies?", I grabbed it from his hands.

"Give it back. I didn't steal, I just took it out", he said again looking everywhere but me.

"Give me your right hand", I said.

"Why?", he said looking down.

"Just give me.", I said and he stretched out his hand in front of me. I took out the band-aid,

"Noooooo", he cried out as few people watched him jump out of his table and I raised an eyebrow tilting my head sideways to look at him. Although I look weird while raising an eyebrow.

"I don't like band-aids. I am scared of them", he said whining softly and looked terrified as if a wild vampire was chasing him and I laughed.

"What are you? 5 or 6?", I laughed.

"Are you asking about my shoe size or my umm..d-"

"Your age, Austin Flynn", I rolled my eyes cutting him from asking that stupid question in such a serious way.

"O, I ....uh...sorry.", he said sitting down.

"So why are you scared of band-aids?", I asked trying hard to not laugh.

"I just don't like it. When you apply a band-aid it feels so sticky and gross. And when you remove it, it's so painful. It hurts like someone peeled off your skin.", he said explaining.

"Really?", I started laughing again.

"Hey, don't laugh like that. It's not funny", he whined.

"Throwing punches, getting hit and a bleeding cut doesn't hurt but applying and peeling off a band-aid does?", I said folding my arms.

"Yeah", he said with a proud smile.

"You are unbelievable.", I shook-sighed. Then we fell into an awkward silence.

"You ordered for us?", he asked breaking the silence.

"No, it just appeared from magic", I said sarcastically.

"Oh!", he said looking at the hot chocolate.

"Why didn't you eat, drink whatever?'', he asked focusing on his hands.

"I went to meet Aunt Annie and then you saw what happened.", I said eating the french fries.

"What was that dickhead doing here?", he asked referring to Turner of course.

"I don't know. Just being the jerk as always", I said the half-truth.

"How do you know him? You said 'jerk as always'. You are new here, so how?", he said sipping the hot chocolate.

"I....er..he messed up with me on my first day.", I said looking at him as he was doing something on his phone.

"What did he do?", he asked looking at the phone and now it was getting annoying.

"What's wrong with you today?", I asked avoiding his question.

"Nothing.", he said looking at the phone.

"You are acting very strange today. You aren't even looking at me while talking. What is it?", I said eyeing him carefully.

"I am not.", he said looking at his phone.

"Yes, you are.", I said.

"No, I ain't."

"Yes you are", I said snatching his phone from his hands.

"What the fuck Heidi?", he said finally looking at me.

"Now speak.", I said and he shooked his head and then I nodded my head in response. And he opened his mouth to speak but then he closed. He continued to do it for few seconds just like some fish.

"Ok, yes. I must be acting quite weird or maybe very weird but what can I do? I don't know how to talk normally with you after that stupid stunt I pulled in the library corridor. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. It was so stupid of me to do that. I don't even know what was going on inside my fucking douchy mind. I....I shouldn't have done that. It's not like I wanted to do it. No, I wanted to...... do it. But I didn't want to be a creep or some pervert. I don't know what I am saying. I don't do babbling but right now I am doing-"

"Calm down!", I said cutting his rambling. He was saying it all so quickly that I didn't even get half of it except that he was feeling stupid for that kissing stunt.

"I....er...okay.", he said.

"Look it was okay. I mean no, it was not okay but it's fine, no not fine either. Okay look, it wasn't your fault. I was the one running away like a creep but that doesn't mean you could t..touch me like that and ki...kiss me. You shouldn't have but I was stupid not to stop you there and running out like some coward. I don't. I...let's not talk about it.", I said puzzled.

"Chill out, Heidi! Let's just forget it", he said smirking. "Give me my phone and come, let's study.", he said.

"Fine", I said handing him the phone back which was switched off.

All this time he was looking at a switched-off phone! So stupid.

I facepalmed.

"What happened?", he said.

"Nothing", I smiled at his obliviousness.

"You made that face when you plug in your phone in charger and after three hours later you find out that you forget to turn on the switch and your phone is still dead.", he said and I giggled.

We studied for an hour and it was getting late as it was 7 pm already and I was supposed to be home by 8 pm.

"I think I should go now.", I said.

"Today's question is left", he said.

"But I have to go. It's getting late.", I said.

"Late?", he raised an eyebrow.

His raised-eyebrow look is so perfect! I am jealous.

"Yeah. My curfew is till 8 pm", I told him pouting.

"Curfew? What is your age, Heidi?", he chuckled and I just glared at him.

"Alright. It won't take time. Just 10 minutes. You could be home on time. I promise.", he said.

"Be quick", I said.

"Why did you change the city?", he asked and I flinched because that was difficult for me to answer.

"If you don't want to answer just drop it there", he said concerned.

"I didn't change the city. I used to live here till I was 11 or 12 with my parents but then they, uh, they just, umm, they left. And after that, my grandparents took care of me. They thought I'll feel bad here so we shifted back to my mother's hometown and then after 2 years when I was 14, my grandfather died which was a hard time for GM. And two weeks ago, she got a deal to take care of a few foster homes here in Brookville and she's a philanthropist so she found it hard to deny the deal, and here I am telling you my story.", I said trying hard not to let a tear escape from eyes and fake smiled.

"I won't say I am sorry for you. I know that's a little mean but I see how brave you are and you clearly don't need sympathy from people because you don't have your parents. You are a very courageous girl, Hayden. I am luc...You are very lucky.", he said with a genuine smile which made me think about his words deeper.

"Were you listening? Heidi?", he said snapping his finger in front of my face and breaking my thoughts.

"Yes. Sorry. Uh, thanks", I said and he half-smiled.

"Okay, so answer me that, why don't you share your phone number with anyone?", I asked again after a long time or so I guess.

"How do you know I don't share my number? Were you stalking me, Heidi?", he smirked.

"No, I will never stalk stupid people like you and it's your time to answer not to question", I rolled my eyes.

"I don't like sharing my number because I don't like talking to people on the call. I just don't like it", he said like he wanted to say more but he stopped.

"This reason? Nothing more?", I said frowning.

"Yeah. Come let's drop you home.", he said getting up.

"Nooo! You don't have to drop me. I have my means of transport.", I said amused.

"Sure, Ma'am", he mock-saluted.

As we walked outside silently, I thought about going to see Aunt Annie once more.

"You leave. I'll go meet Aunt Annie and then go", I told him.

"Mm-hmm", he mumbled as he was busy on his phone.

The guy doesn't like to talk on call but is really into chatting!

When I came to the parking area after meeting Aunt Annie, I saw Austin still standing there.

"Why didn't you leave?", I asked.

"I forgot.", he said looking at his phone.

"Really?", I rolled my eyes. How can someone forget such things? As I started moving away,

"Hey, Heidi!", he called from the back.

Why does he always do that?

"Yes, Austin Flynn?", I fake smiled.

"Nothing.", he said and turned away.

"Hey, Austin Flynn!", I called him and earned an eye roll in return.

"Yes, HEIDI?", he fake smiled.

"You know you are very stupid right?", I asked trying to be serious.

"I do. You are always here to remind me of that. Aren't you?", he said wiggling his eyebrows.

Cuteness alert!

"Right.", I said and turned around towards my bike.

"Hey!", I heard his voice a little far away from before.

"Yeah?", I said.

"Adios", he smiled.

"Adios", I smiled back.

As I was on my way home, I thought again about what Austin said earlier about my parent's thing.
I don't know how but he said it all like he read my mind.
I never want people to give me a sorry look or sympathy just because I don't have my parents. I never want people to feel sorry for me when it's not their fault and Austin didn't act like people. He acted like Austin. He said the exact words I would have wanted someone to say. I feel I am brave and I am courageous enough to not cry every day for my parents. No offense to people who cry but my parents would never want me to cry and just get stuck at a stage of my life, they would have wanted me to move on and to do something for them, to be happy for them and that's what I am doing.

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Did y'all like the chapter?

What do you think about Austin and Hayden's moment in this chapter?

What do you think about Austin and Turner's fight?

What about the moment outside of the library? Did you like it? Tell me in the comments. Don't be a silent reader.

Hello dear people, whoever is reading this. Thank you so much for reading it till here. I hope you liked this chapter. Please let me know if you did. And if you find any mistake, feel free to point out. At last, don't forget to vote and comment.

PS: Turner on the side.