The Anklebiters
So Lost and Disillusioned
1 month later
Alex walked Hayley to her next class after lunch, still chuckling to himself at the joke Jack had made earlier. Hayley hadn’t truly thought the joke was funny, but laughed along to fulfill the job she was doing here. Lately, she had been reminding herself that what she was doing here was fake and there were rules to it that had already been made clear. Despite this, Hayley had been growing more and more attached to Alex in just a month, even though the rules of this plan were still fresh in her mind.
She kissed his cheek before she started to walk into her History class, but noticing he was still gripping her hand. “I gotta go, Lex.” She reminded, sauntering back to him with a pout.
“Can I ask you something first? It’s been bothering me.” He swung their tangled hands back and forth.
She sighed and leaned against the wall in back of her. “What is it?”
“My parents have been bugging me for a while about meeting you lately.”
Oh no.
He avoided her eyes. “Do you think you can come over to meet them this Friday?”
Hayley looked down and scratched the top of her head. This was a fake relationship, a plan, and she was doing so much now to make it believable―even for herself. Jack was now off her case, and the whole school was used to the obscure couple now. Meeting his parents was a complete selling point … so why was she so reluctant?
“I’m not really great with parents, Alex.”
He flashed his best puppy dog-eyes. “Please?”
After a moment, she sighed. “Fine. But I need to get to class.”
He beamed his large teeth. “See you later, babe.”
---
“Check point,” Hayley said once the room quieted down, “he asked me to meet his parents.”
She had skipped Alex’s football practice for a regular Anklebiters meeting in Jenna’s basement. She couldn’t be seen in public with her friends often, because someone might suspect something of the plan, so these meetings were mandatory by Taylor.
Said leader had been pacing, as usual, and quickly turned when Hayley spoke up. “Are you serious?”
The orange-haired girl rubbed her hand up and down her arm. “I don’t really want to go.”
“No, you have to!” Taylor’s giddiness was odd to Hayley; she had never seen their leader so excited before.
“She’s right, Clementine.” Jenna nodded as she put an arm around Hayley’s shoulders. “You had been saying that the boys weren’t believing it. Once they find out you met Gaskarth’s parents, they’ll be sold. Everyone will finally believe it.”
Hayley scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. “I hate meeting another person’s family.”
“You can do it,” Tay smiled warmly and patted her friend’s leg.
“What am I even going to wear?” Hayley offered up. “What do you wear to make yourself presentable to parents? Vintages clothes from the eighties?”
Jenna furrowed her brow. “Why the fuck would you―”
“Tay can help you!” Taylor suggested, pointing to the brunette. “Right, Tay?”
Tay nodded with a sigh. “I can see if I can find an outfit.”
“Awesome,” Taylor grinned, her eyes burning into Hayley’s as she thought of how well the relationship was progressing. “It times really flies this fast, it’ll only be a little while before we break him.”
Hayley swallowed down the lump in her throat.
Alex walked Hayley to her next class after lunch, still chuckling to himself at the joke Jack had made earlier. Hayley hadn’t truly thought the joke was funny, but laughed along to fulfill the job she was doing here. Lately, she had been reminding herself that what she was doing here was fake and there were rules to it that had already been made clear. Despite this, Hayley had been growing more and more attached to Alex in just a month, even though the rules of this plan were still fresh in her mind.
She kissed his cheek before she started to walk into her History class, but noticing he was still gripping her hand. “I gotta go, Lex.” She reminded, sauntering back to him with a pout.
“Can I ask you something first? It’s been bothering me.” He swung their tangled hands back and forth.
She sighed and leaned against the wall in back of her. “What is it?”
“My parents have been bugging me for a while about meeting you lately.”
Oh no.
He avoided her eyes. “Do you think you can come over to meet them this Friday?”
Hayley looked down and scratched the top of her head. This was a fake relationship, a plan, and she was doing so much now to make it believable―even for herself. Jack was now off her case, and the whole school was used to the obscure couple now. Meeting his parents was a complete selling point … so why was she so reluctant?
“I’m not really great with parents, Alex.”
He flashed his best puppy dog-eyes. “Please?”
After a moment, she sighed. “Fine. But I need to get to class.”
He beamed his large teeth. “See you later, babe.”
---
“Check point,” Hayley said once the room quieted down, “he asked me to meet his parents.”
She had skipped Alex’s football practice for a regular Anklebiters meeting in Jenna’s basement. She couldn’t be seen in public with her friends often, because someone might suspect something of the plan, so these meetings were mandatory by Taylor.
Said leader had been pacing, as usual, and quickly turned when Hayley spoke up. “Are you serious?”
The orange-haired girl rubbed her hand up and down her arm. “I don’t really want to go.”
“No, you have to!” Taylor’s giddiness was odd to Hayley; she had never seen their leader so excited before.
“She’s right, Clementine.” Jenna nodded as she put an arm around Hayley’s shoulders. “You had been saying that the boys weren’t believing it. Once they find out you met Gaskarth’s parents, they’ll be sold. Everyone will finally believe it.”
Hayley scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. “I hate meeting another person’s family.”
“You can do it,” Tay smiled warmly and patted her friend’s leg.
“What am I even going to wear?” Hayley offered up. “What do you wear to make yourself presentable to parents? Vintages clothes from the eighties?”
Jenna furrowed her brow. “Why the fuck would you―”
“Tay can help you!” Taylor suggested, pointing to the brunette. “Right, Tay?”
Tay nodded with a sigh. “I can see if I can find an outfit.”
“Awesome,” Taylor grinned, her eyes burning into Hayley’s as she thought of how well the relationship was progressing. “It times really flies this fast, it’ll only be a little while before we break him.”
Hayley swallowed down the lump in her throat.
Notes
Sorry for the reupload! I accidentally deleted the chapter :/
But I'm writing the new chapter right now!
Subscribe/ comment/ rate :)
Rock on \m/
Haha, wait a minute, hold up. HOLD UP.
I started reading this story, thinking it was your other story I have yet to read with multiple installments... and then I just got to this last update, realizing I confused the stories the whole time AND THIS WAS NEVER FINISHED. UGH.
OMG. This story though...
This story is seriously amazing. Very John Tucker Must Die, but different. I've seen people take that plot and incorporate it with an ATL story before, but this story is definitely different with it; not as much of a direct influence, but kind of a similar thing going on, and able to stand alone on its own and be great. I'm really bummed that this was never continued; you're a really talented writer and I'm itching to know how this would have ended now. Especially considering I was thrown for a loop since I mixed it up with the other story, ugh! SO FRUSTRATING.
I hope maybe you still get on here, or get notifications, or are just able to see this comment... I see another person commented around a month ago, so you definitely still have readers!
That being said, I know that life can be hell with hecticness and just reality and so... that seemed to be catching up with you in your last author's note. I hope everything is okay with you. Even if this story isn't ever continued, I hope at the very least, you're still writing on your own time... you definitely have a knack for it.
And as Taylex_Jarkarth said... this story made me feel weird things as well. Maybe butterflies? Hayley's emotions definitely transpired through me as a reader; whatever she was feeling, I was feeling. You conveyed her as a very relatable character, and I commend you for that. I'm just bummed that things had to go down the way they did. :/ I'm just wondering how you planned to end it all, now. lol. I have faith that Alex still loves her, and if he knew the full truth (and Hayley plucks up the courage to tell him how she truly feels and how it changed for her), there may be chance for reconciliation. But idk. What she did was pretty big, so it's hard to tell and you honestly can't blame him for being angry. But I'm an optimist, lol.
How did I confuse the multiple installment stories. Ugh. I guess I would've had to reach the end of what you had eventually. XD But it just frustrates me that there isn't more to read!
But anyway, you are seriously an amazing writer, and I just wanted to let you know that. This story had me in with just the first chapter. Even though it's been a minute, I have faith that you could come back to it; I've seen other authors do so before. :) I will be here to read and leave feedback if you do, for sure.
7/2/17