Never Let This Go *Paramore*

Chapter Twenty-Five: Improvements

"There's a vulture on my shoulder

And he's telling me to give in

Always hissing right in my ear

Like it's coming from my own head

It's got me mixed up, trying not to give up

Tell me there's a way to get out of here

Oh, fixed at zero,"

-Fixed At Zero- VersaEmerge

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hayley's P.O.V.

I wake in Taylor's arms, my head still in his chest. I feel him kiss my head, and I smile. I want someone to wake up to every morning. I want to wake up to Taylor every morning. I glance at the alarm clock on the night stand next to the bed; it reads 10:39. Usually, I don't get up this early, but we did. "I'm hungry," I tell him.

"Really?" he asks excitedly, sitting up. "You are?"

"A tiny bit the size of a walnut," I tell him with a small smile, sitting up with him. He chuckles and pulls me into his lap kissing my head.

"I'm glad," he says, kissing my head again. "I'm really glad," and he kisses my head again, and again, and again.

"Stop it!" I complain like a little five year old.

"I'm just really happy," he says holding me in his arms.

"Taylor, half a banana could fill me up until dinner, calm down," I explain to him, not at all annoyed with him kissing me so much.

"That's an improvement," he whispers to me. I giggle and kiss him on his adorable, soft lips, and we both get up.

------

The Next Morning

I throw on my white short shorts, my Ramones shirt, and my orange flip flops. My orange, short hair does its own thing, and I apply a minimal amount of makeup. Today is the last day Jeremy and Kat are going to be here, and we are going to be beach. I walk out of my room, just to find that a note is on my doorknob hanging by a hair band. I open it and move back to my bed, knowing it won't be pleasant.

Dear Williams,

Just wanted to let you know that I am in the process of a big old surprise for you and you're friends. I have Erica, she is really sweet. Her screams are just precious. As for Justin, he is no longer with us. He is with your dear old mother. Don't worry, no one will know. I have some rules for our game for you and the three others. If you break them, I break you.

1. Don't tell a soul about these notes I give, including police. Every person you tell, you loose another person, or one of your friends will instead.

2. If I give you an order, you follow it, or I send pictures of you or one of the three getting dressed to everyone they know.

3. The more rules you break, the more severe the punishments are.

4. If you don't take me seriously, or you try to disobey me, you will be tortured with the rest of them.

Your Puppet Master and Game Maker,

G

After reading it, I immediately spring into tears. It's like every day is a new torture. My poor sister is being tortured by the bitch, Taylor's brother was killed by her, she is threatening us all, and my poor parents...

Jeremy walks in and sees my crying, the note on the bed. He sits and reads it, he is crying now, too. "I'm so sorry, Jeremy, it's all my fault," I tell him as he brings me into a hug.

"Hayley, this isn't your fault, okay?" he tells me. Taylor walks in and Jeremy gives me a look, knowing I have to be the one to tell him. He leaves and Taylor takes his spot on the bed.

He immediately brings me into a hug.

"I'm so so sorry, T, I'm so sorry," I tell him into his shoulder. He notices the note and I hand it to him. He starts to cry too, and I can only blame myself for all of this. "Don't hate me, please, I'm sorry,"

"Hey, hey, this isn't your fault," he tells me, his hands on either side of my head now. Like back at his house, he wipes a tear away with his thumb and gives me a small smile. "I love you," he says kissing me softly.

"I love you too," I respond automatically. It's true. I love him so much it hurts. I wish it could've been just me, instead of all of us knowing. "Should we go home?" I ask him unsure of what to say.

"I think we should," he tells me nodding.

"I'm so sorry about Justin, he was a good man," I tell him.

"It's okay, Hayley. Just don't blame yourself, okay?" Taylor asks.

"It's my fault though, I shouldn't have let you three know all of this, I ruined everything by telling you. I want to tell her to just kill me and leave you all alone but you read her rules, Taylor. She took pictures of us and she has ten times the power we have, this isn't-" I try to get out. Before I can, Taylor kisses me passionately for what feels like too fast, when it has probably been a while.

"Don't blame yourself," he tells me after pulling away, wiping a tear away. I nod and move a curl from blocking his view slowly. Back to business. It's only been a couple of days, but we both know we have to go home before someone else we love dies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry it was so short, I wanted to update for you all.

Do you guys want to see more of what's happening with Angela and her sick ways, or no? Comment below what you want next.

By the way, please don't think I'm hating on Taylor Momsen for using her to play the part of Angela, because I'm not trying to offend anyone. I literally just imagined Angela to look like Taylor Momsen.