The Switch

Chapter 13: Hayley

It's been three months since Will and I went on our first date. We've gone on four dates since then. Two months ago, he asked me to officially be his girlfriend. I said yes, of course.

The beginning of our relationship has so far been better than most of the entirety of my relationship with Kyle. While Will and I live separately, we might as well live together. I spend most of my time at his apartment, with a few exceptions. Summer ended a few weeks ago and I've gotten a job at the library.

Fitting, huh? I figure since he and I are there a lot, I should just work there. It's worked out pretty well, the pay is okay. I'm still trying to find a job that I can have long term, but it's difficult. I majored in English in college, but I never thought too much about where that would take me job-wise.

Will got a job working as a bartender. Unfortunately for us, that means he's usually not home until late. Right now, though, he doesn't have to work tonight. I'm rummaging through his closet, looking for a dictionary. We're currently having an argument over the word "fractious."

He says it has to do with fractions while I'm saying its actual meaning, which is that something is hard to control or ill-tempered. I'm going to prove to him that I'm right.

I spot the dictionary under a small box and I pull at the book. To my dismay, it causes the box on top of it to slide forward. The weight from whatever is in it causes it to fall from atop the dictionary and it hits the floor with a thud. It lands on its side and its contents spill onto the floor.

They look like normal notebooks. I pick one up and flip through it, finding page after page of comic-style drawings. They must be Will's. I wonder what they're doing in the closet. As I'm looking through the notebook, I hear Will's footsteps enter his bedroom. Quickly, I close the notebook and move it behind my back.

"What were you looking at?" he questions me.

"Nothing," I reply, my eyes darting down to the remaining notebooks on the floor.

He sees the quick movement of my eyes and he steps toward the box. His face remains expressionless as he reaches his hand out to me, motioning for me to give him the notebook that I'm holding behind my back. I bite my lip as I slowly bring it around my side and hand it to him. "Where did you find these?"

"They were on top of the dictionary," I answer.

He shakes his head and puts the notebooks back in the box. "You shouldn't have looked at them."

"Will, I only looked in one. Did you draw all those things?" I ask, my voice full of curiosity.

"Doesn't matter," he says in annoyance as he grabs the dictionary off the shelf. He puts the box in its place and says, "Got the dictionary."

He starts walking back to the living room but I grab his arm. "Answer my question."

"No."

I roll my eyes and tug him back to me. "Just tell me."

"No!" he says, raising his voice.

His tone makes me frown, but I continue to question him. "Did you draw that stuff?"

"Yeah, now drop it."

"No, tell me why you stopped drawing. Why didn't you ever show any of us?" I press.

Will's eyes cut into me, growing angrier by the second. "Hayley, I said drop it."

"Just answer the questions, then I'll drop it."

"I showed my dad and he crushed my dreams. Happy?" He tugs his arm away and walks back to the living room.

I rush into the living room after him. He's sitting on the couch again, focusing on his phone. When he hears me come in, he looks up and glares at me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for asking about it," I gush.

"It's fine," he replies coldly.

I shake my head. "It's not, and you know that. I shouldn't have pressed you to tell me, you obviously didn't want to say anything."

"I'm not about to argue with that," he says, looking away from me now.

Shit, I just ruined our night together. Why did I have to keep asking him? I should've just respected that he didn't want to talk about it. He's taking in my silence now, not looking up at me as I sit down next to him. I keep a bit of distance between us, trying not to make him any more mad.

"Do you really want to know?" he asks, keeping his eyes fixated on the wall.

"Of course I want to know," I respond.