Rescue ▶▶A Hunter Hayes Faniction◀◀

ELEVEN

“He’s awful.”

Rip.

“I hate him.”

Rip.

“Why does he have to be our dad?”

Rip.

“Ugh!” Haley rolls over on her bed, now facing me. She’s been ripping up pictures she took of Dad when she was younger and didn’t despise him. “I’m exhausted. Totally pooped. Wiped out.” She pauses. “What’s another word for tired?” I give her a look. She rolls her eyes. “What?”

I shrug, slipping my homework into my backpack. “I’m not encouraging your mean thoughts about Dad.”

Haley groans. “You. Are. Im-poss-ib-le,” she emphasizes dramatically. “Dad is an awful dad. I shouldn’t even be calling him our dad. He’s such a-”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” I interrupt. “Please.”

Haley gives me a confused look. “I know I’ve asked you a million times before, but why do you even defend him?”

I sigh, running my hands through my hair. “It’s complicated.”

Haley lets out a huff of air in exasperation. “Then uncomplicate it.”

I pause, deep in thought. “Fine. I’ll try.” I lean back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. “I think that Dad’s trying his best, you know? I mean, being a single dad to two girls while trying to maintain his job that is all we have to support this house and to buy our food-”

“And his alcohol,” Haley adds.

I continue as if she’d never interrupted me. “And I think that we weren’t the only ones affected by Mom’s sudden leaving. Dad has a right to try to cope with her absence, as do we. He just isn’t taking it as well as I wish he would, but what can you do? He’s still our dad. And I love him, no matter how hard he makes it.”

~~~~~~~~~

Haley and I are over at Hunter’s place again. It’s sort of like a paradise for us; a home away from home in a way. Hunter and his parents are always welcoming us over, but I always end up feeling guilty for coming over almost every day no matter how many times Lynette tells us she really appreciates our presence. She still invites us over for dinner every time we come over.

Haley has really started to bloom. She takes pictures of Hunter singing and playing instruments, and sometimes she just takes pictures of the instruments. She always sings along, too. Her voice is like a smooth river, always drawing Hunter and my’s attention.

Hunter and I have been getting closer. He’s still teaching me the piano, which is nice of him. He swears that I’ve played before because he claims that I’m almost up to his speed at playing, but I’ve never even laid a finger on one before I met Hunter.

As we’re just jamming together, Hunter lets out a frustrated sigh. I glance at him beside me on the piano bench. He’s running his hand through his hair, biting his lip.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I stop playing.

Hunter turns. “Nothing. It’s just that my mom heard about that talent show and she really really wants me to enter. And when she really really wants something, she gets it.” He does air quotes with his fingers. “She says that I need to be more ‘involved’ with the school.”

I nudge him lightly. “Hey, you’ll knock ‘em all dead with your talent. Well, talents.”

Haley asks, “Can I come see you perform at the talent show?”

Hunter smiles. “It’d be nice to have some familiar faces in the audience, yeah.” His eyes find mine. “But if y’all are busy, you don’t have to come.”

“We’ll come,” I promise him. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Right on cue, Lynette pops her head into the room. “Hey girls!” she greets Haley and I. We smile back as she continues, “If y’all want to stay for dinner, the invitation is still open. It’s always open for you too.”

“Thanks,” I tell her. “But we really should get going. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Haley and I pack up our things. Hunter catches my wrist, making me stop and look at him. He smiles lightly.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” I say, then lead Haley out the door.

When we get home, Haley points out the red car in our driveway. She growls, “Great, she’s here again.”

I interlock our fingers and squeeze her small hand, not saying anything. Mom used to teach us that if we don’t have anything nice to say, then we shouldn’t say anything at all.

Inside the house, Malenda and Dad are lounging on the couch with Dad’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. Dad turns his head when he hears us enter.

“There you two are.” He glances down at Malenda. “What do you want for dinner, sweetie?”

Malanda kisses Dad’s cheek. “I’m feeling Chinese.”

“Me too.” Dad turns back to us. “Go to that fancy Chinese restaurant and order to go.”

“Yes sir,” I say. “What do you want us to get you?”

“A variety of things,” Dad answers.

Haley and I exchange looks. I guess we’ll be gone for a while. I snatch Dad’s wallet off the counter before taking Haley’s hand in mine, setting off for the restaurant. By the time we get home, Dad and Malenda are already eating pizza together, laughing and giggling as they feed each other the pieces. They are both clearly drunk.

They look up at us when we set the expensive Chinese on the counter.

Dad shoos us away. “You were taking too long. Now, leave us alone.”

Haley lets out a huff of air before sneakily taking a box from the food we had just bought, hiding it behind her back. I take a box too before we head up to our room.

We eat our food in silence, the only sounds coming from the wind outside and our quiet chewing.

After a while, when we finish, I ask, “So can I see the pictures you took today?”

Haley reaches for her phone since her camera was destroyed and then passes it to me. I scroll through pictures.

The first one is of Hunter’s hand on the piano, then his hands on a guitar on the second. There are more expertly taken photos of Hunter playing his instruments or singing. As I browse through them, I stop on one. It’s of Hunter and me sitting side-by-side on the piano bench as we play. The next is exactly like the one before, except that Hunter’s head is turned towards me and he’s looking at me as I play. I don’t recall Hunter watching me when I played. The last picture is of us again, except we’re both laughing. A smile forms on my lips when I remember what we were laughing at; Hunter’s awkwardness when it comes to girls.

Haley may only be ten, but she is an expert when it comes to photography.

And spotting love.

A/N: Hey hayniacs! I’m sorry my very few readers, but I do not have much inspiration left for this fanfiction, so I will be wrapping it up earlier than expected! It’s still not over yet, but it will be soon. I honestly feel like this is going nowhere. Sorry!