CHAPTER NINE
❝ attention ❞

     HAYDEN AND PAUL spent quite a bit of time at the diner in Forks, before retreating to the girl's house. The tan boy insisted on swimming at La Push, even through the harsh cold of the outdoors. Hayden, on the other hand, absolutely refused to do anything of the sort. Thankfully, she had already started feeling better from the day before; but not well enough to spend her time outdoors.

Instead, she suggested that they take to the comforts of her house, where they could find a good movie to rent. And while Paul sat on the couch, flipping through lists of movies, Hayden moved into the kitchen to make some popcorn. However, when she walked in, she was surprised to see her mother sipping on a cup of coffee near the island. The girl swallowed back her questions, and moved right to the cabinets.

"Who's the boy in the living room?" Her mother asks, pulling her tousled hair into a ponytail.

"He's a friend," Hayden says in a clipped tone, grabbing a bowl as she places the popcorn in the microwave.

"Listen- I know you're upset about yesterday, but I-" Amberley begins, but is cut off as Hayden turns to glare at her.

"But you have an excuse, right?" The girl raises an eyebrow, her tone as cold as ice. "I don't want to hear it, nor do I want you to preach about why I shouldn't be upset. It's fine, you have work, I understand."

"We didn't mean to fall asleep," Amberley continues, ignoring Hayden's previous comments. "We were relaxing, Hayden. It was a rare time that we could have a break from everything, and it just slipped away."

"Oh, I don't want to hear it!" Her daughter snaps, running her fingers through her hair. "Every time you open your mouth, you lie to me. At least try to fulfill your promises. Otherwise, you shouldn't be a parent!"

"Hayden, you don't know how hard it is for us," she closes her eyes, shaking her head as her voice stays calm. "I try, your father tries. Sometimes it's just hard to balance with our jobs, each other, and you."

By now, Hayden's blood was boiling with pure anger. She clenched her fist so hard that her nails pierced her palms, and her face grew red hot.

"If you wanted a break from me," Hayden grits out, staring her dead in the eyes as she continues. "All you had to do was ask."

As the microwave finishes the popcorn, Hayden yanks it out, dumping its contents into the bowl. Her mother reached out to grab her arm, but Hayden jerked away, making her way back into the living room. Paul waited on her, already knowing everything that had been going on. But instead of talking about it, he decided to close his mouth and select a movie.

"I'm so sorry," Hayden shakes her head, handing him the bowl of popcorn. "They just . . . don't understand, and it's hard to keep my mouth shut."

"Don't worry yourself over it," Paul tells her, placing his arm around her shoulder. "I understand, you don't have to explain yourself to me."

Hayden nods at his words, letting out a long-needed sigh. She relaxed into the couch, watching as previews for the movie began to play. The girl could only hope that, maybe one day, she would finally be able to get along with her parents.

---

The next morning, Hayden awoke to silence. It was usual, but she expected to hear at least the footsteps of her mother downstairs as she bustled around to make coffee. There was nothing; which made her more relieved than she could imagine. It was early enough for her to take her time while getting ready, and so she did.

Hayden dragged her feet as she picked out an outfit to put on, and to slip on her socks and shoes. She didn't care about the time- all she could think about was the night before. After Paul had left, her mother was already back in bed. She didn't get to see the face of the woman she no longer knew, and was thankful for that. But at the same time, she had wished that her mother had put up more of a fight . . . to prove that she truly cared about Hayden.

But she hadn't, and that made Hayden even more upset.

She fell asleep easily after taking a shower, only taking the time to plug her phone into its charger, and flip off the lights. The crickets outside lulled her to sleep, her dreams filling her mind with nothing but a black hole that should have been filled.

The girl wanted to apologize to Paul a thousand times over for making him sit through their argument. But deep down inside, she knew that his assurance was all she needed to hold back from it. He understood, and that was what mattered the most.

Outside, a car horn resonated down the street. Hayden had dreaded this moment, but was extremely nervous at the same time. This was Emmett- what would she have to worry about? Besides his questions and beautiful complexion, she had nothing to stress over. This was her friend; but at the same time, she had never been completely alone with him at any point in time.

One thing she knew for sure was that she wasn't going to stare like she usually did. Someday he would catch her, and she intended to dodge that bullet any day she could.

Hayden stepped over to her window, glancing down to his silver jeep below. He waved up at her, a grin on his face that would light up any room. Her breath caught in her throat as she waved back slightly, charmed by his utter beauty. And then she was gone from the window, collecting her things as she made her way down the stairs.

She couldn't help but cast a gaze into the kitchen, searching for any sign of her parents. Unfortunately, her mother wasn't sitting on a bar stool with a cup of coffee, nor was her father with a newspaper. The coffee pot was empty, and so was Hayden's mind as she closed the door behind her. The girl wouldn't dwell on them for now- that was the worst she could do.

Making her way over to Emmett's jeep, bag on her shoulder, Hayden's heart raced. She wondered if he could hear it as she opened the passenger door, and slipped into the seat. The vehicle smelled of the forest; pine trees, rushing water, and soil in one. It was pleasant, and something she wished she could smell every day.

"Good morning," Emmett greets as she buckles herself up. "Have a fun afternoon yesterday?"

"At the very least, it was interesting," Hayden lets out a huff, sinking into the leather seat and staring forward as he looks to her. "My parents don't understand me, and I can't help but be infuriated by it."

"What happened?" He questions, looking entranced by her newfound need to fill him in on something important.

"My mother doesn't listen," Hayden frowns, growing quiet as her eyes meet his. "And neither does my father. They aren't parents anymore, they don't waste their time on raising me. I'm no longer a priority."

"If they don't have the audacity to notice what they're missing out on," Emmett pauses, his eyes focused on the beautiful girl in front of him. "Then they don't deserve you at all. Don't let them get to you, Hayden."

"I just wish things could be different, you know," she shakes her head, his words soaking in. "If they'd just take a minute to sit down and listen to what I have to say, I feel like everything could change. It would make a difference."

"Get their attention," Emmett instructs, his dark eyes not moving away from her. "Figure out a way to make them listen to you."

Hayden thought on his words for a moment, before her lips parted and an idea popped into her mind. Emmett was right, and she had already come up with a plan to solve the problem- hopefully.

"Emmett," Hayden says softly, a smile breaking out onto her face. "How would you like to come over to dinner on Friday?"

---

Mike listened intently as Hayden spilled her heart out to him. She told the boy about everything that had went wrong the night before, and he stayed silent. Hayden felt as though the weight of the world was falling from her shoulders as she explained, a sigh falling from her lips.

"I'm so sorry, that was a lot to take in," she breathes out harshly in the hallway, running a hand down her face. "I just needed to get that out, my stress levels are skyrocketing this morning."

"Mine are too," Mike says with a groan, nudging her with his elbow. "I saw you get out of Emmett freaking Cullen's car. I was all worried that maybe he had forced you to ride with him or something."

"Why would that even cross your mind?" The girl rolls her eyes as they near her first period classroom. "Mike, sometimes I worry about you."

"You have to admit," Mike pauses, leaning closer to lower his voice. "He's a little weird. No— the whole family is weird. Just be careful around them, Hayden. And let me know if you ever need me."

As Mike turned and began to walk away, Hayden noticed how similar Mike and Jessica were after all; no matter if they realized or not.

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