The Odd One Out (Hailee Steinfeld)

Chapter 12

Alex woke up as she took up her surroundings. Her head was pounding and she was lying on cold hard floor. She look around and quickly realized she was in her bathroom. She went to sit up but she quickly grabbed her ribs as they screamed out in pain. She laid back down on the floor as she kept her hand on her ribs. She softly flipped over onto her stomach as it hovered above the floor and her hands touched the floor in front of her as she lifted herself up. Once she was up she had to grab her head from how much it was throbbing. She looked at the floor infront of her and saw blood where she had been lying but it was all dried. She went to lift up her shirt to look at her stomach but then she saw that her hand had a huge cut on it that had been bleeding for a while. She still lifted up her shirt and saw that her stomach was starting to bruise. She let her shirt fall back over it. She waked over to the sink and turned on the water letting cold water run onto her cut making her scrunch up her face as the pain from her hand made her whole body ache. She made her way out of the bathroom to her empty bedroom. She went over to her phone and grabbed it seeing text messages and missed calls. She quickly grabbed it to see who they were from.

You never texted me back so just tell me another time that works for you.

Alex read her mother's text almost in disbelief from how nice she was being. Then she moved onto the others. There were three from Hailee

5:15   -Hey I hope we can talk another time let me know when.

6:00.    -You usually would have responded by now what going on?

7:39.    -Alex I'm worried now what's happening?!

Alex looked at her text messages then she saw a few more from Tracy and Lizzie

Tracy:  Hey Hailee came and talked to us and said she was worried about you what going on?

Lizzie-  Are you doing okay I would really like it if you responded to us.

Alex looked at the missed calls from all of them then she saw one voice mail from Hailee. She quickly put her phone up to her ear as it played and Hailee's soft voice which sounded like she had been crying played into her ear.

Hey Alex it's Haiz, I don't know what's going on but I have tried going to your house and knocking on the door but you never answered if you just don't ever wanna talk again that's okay, just please let me know or tell me so I know you are okay. That's all I need is a simple yes or no from you. Please please text or call me back when you hear this message.

Alex took the phone down from her ear and looked at it for a second before powering it off and heading to the living area.

The soft sound of her feet hitting the floor was the only sound disturbing the deafening silence. She looked around her house but found it was empty. Braden was gone. Alex quickly headed back into her room throwing on some clothes that were all black then slipping into her white converse and heading out the door and to her truck. She quickly jumped in and headed for Hailee's house.

Alex jumped out of her truck and jogged up to her front door knocking on it as she heard footsteps slowly approaching as they opened the door, "No Niall, I am never-" Hailee stopped talking when she looked up to see Alex standing in her doorway. Hailee flung herself at her wrapping her arms around her neck engulfing her into a hug. Alex's ribs were screaming out with pain as Hailee's body made contact with hers. She winced just a bit but quickly wrapped her arms around Hailee's waist hugging her back. Hailee pulled back, "What were you thinking!" She yelled making Alex wince once more at her loud voice. Hailee looked at her for a moment before grabbing her hand and leading her inside.

"Sit" Hailee said pushing her hand against Alex's stomach making her fall onto the couch as her ribs ached. But Alex kept a small smile on her face trying to forget about the pain. Alex rested her hand over her cut on her other hand making sure Hailee didn't see it and start getting worried and asking her tons of questions. Hailee sat down close to her as she eyed her. There was a small moment of silence that rested in the room. "You said you needed to talk so what's up?" Alex asked as her eyes drifted around the room of the celebrity's house. "What's going on?" Alex snapped her head around at Hailee when those words came out of her mouth, "What do you mean?" "You were gone for the whole rest of the day yesterday without responding to anyone or picking up anyone's calls. That's not like you. What happening?" Alex looked back down at her feet, she thought about telling Hailee she really did but she knew if she did Braden would give her a real good beating. Would Hailee even care if Alex told her or would she laugh at her and tell her that she was being a baby. "Alex" Hailee's word brought Alex out of her thoughts and her eyes flicked back over to her. "My phone was dead and I never got up to charge it." "Your phone was dead?" Hailee questioned as Alex nodded knowing Hailee did not believe her lie. Hailee hummed as her eyes stayed fixated on Alex. Alex turned her eyes away not being able to keep eye contact that long especially since she was lying. "So is that all I'm here about?" "Actually no I wanted to talk because you and I are blowing up on the media. Everyone keeps saying how they wished we were together other people were saying how they think we are together we just haven't gone public." Hailee kept talking about what other people said but Alex's mind was somewhere else.

What if Braden comes back home and sees that I'm gone. What's he gonna do come find me or wait for me to get back home and beat me there.

"Um Alex are you listening?" Alex turned her head toward her, "Yes I was sorry I just sometimes get a little distracted." Hailee nodded, "It's okay don't apologize." There was another round of silence that settled in the room making Alex a little uncomfortable. "So what are we going to do about it?" Alex asked breaking the awkward silence. Hailee took a deep breath letting it out slowly, "Well apparently hiding it hasn't worked so I don't know anymore." "We could do what I said in the beginning." Alex suggested as her eyes stayed on her feet. "And what's that?" Hailee questioned as never took her eyes off Alex. "We could never talk ever again and just act like we never knew each other."