C h a p t e r 4 3

Unicorns are real.

That's all I can say, for now.

Hailey and I wore onesies. Which she said were bought earlier while roaming around the town with Stephan. If I had mine colored cotton candy pink, Hailey would don hers in its contrasted color, preferrably in pastel blue. Just to not make things seem like a twinning reunion.

As I switched my attention around, I felt astounded examining my room looked nowhere near like my space at all. There were white blinking lights rounding each four corners of the place, and pale hue balloons with twisted tails, floating up at the ceiling. Seeing that Hailey overdid the preparations for the sleepover made my insides form in knots.

Then, there she was, assembling a medium sized tent inside my freaking room. Almost all of my stuffs had been moved on one side, excluding my bed and the TV rack, just to give enough space for the portable shelter.

After a New York minute, Hailey was back on her feet, tossing all my pillows inside the tent making it turn into a playtime crib for us kiddies in ice cream suits with a cone on our heads.

"Done!" She squealed, while taking a one joyful leap.

I joined her after she threw herself inside it, with the bait. A huge bowl filled with berries, topped with whipped cream.

"Okay, so tell me what happened?" She interrogated, while picking a snack bag from behind her and letting me have the bowl for myself.

I forked berries from the concave dish, and said. "Well..."

Pausing, I chewed down the fruits, and savored the pleasing sweet taste of each pulps.

"Well, what?" Hailey asked, lacing impatience in her voice, after ripping the bag open.

I didn't know how to start. A thing like this to be shared with Hailey, would be like narrating a tale of your eightieth year living in the world of aliens, and walking fishes. It probably would be a never ending story telling.

"Uhm," I trailed off. "...I answered Chase."

Hailey's eyes glistened, and I could already sense an acute piercing sound that's about to come out from her mouth.

"Oh my golly wolly rolly polly!! My best friend, Nikki Rose Cleavage--"

"Clarence." I rectified in a quiet way, as she continued.

"...White, answered Chase A-damned-son Grey!!" She shrilled joyfully, while raising her hands up in the air.

I cringed at how Hailey messed up the holiness of our middle names. "It's Adamson, Hailey."

Her voice reechoed inside my room like a church bell, but then I was quite happy with her idea on fixing up a tent. It somehow constricted her feverish movements.

Suddenly, a pounding noise came up from my door, which froze Hailey and me from what we were doing.

"Girls! Minimize your voices, unless you want me join on your sleepover!" Aunt Crissa exclaimed.

I bit my lip and yelled back a response, "Sorry!"

"So, how?" Hailey stuffed a potato chips in her mouth, munching them down.

My brows knitted in bewilderment, facing her. "What?"

"How?-- How did you answer him?" She clarified.

Hailey fails to spy on my date with Chase, hence she felt eager to know everything in details. Even from how I noticed ants walking on the ground, upto detecting dust floating in the air when it passes a light.

"You do not question how I answered Chase, Hailey." I sighed while adjusting my position to lay my back on the pillows.

"Okay... then, why?" She dug her fingers in the snack bag, taking another one of those crispy baked potatoes.

"Why, what?"

"Why did you answer him? You don't want me to question it how so, why?" She earnestly asked.

"Oh, well maybe because I..." I stopped, and stared at her who gave me a look that never fails to creep me out.

The face that only a clown could wear.

"Yoo-hoo, hey..." Hailey snapped her fingers with her brows raised, waiting for me to continue.

"I hate clowns." I voiced out, before heavily breathing out.

She swallowed the chips down her throat, before nodding. "Yeah, me too. Have you ever wondered why parents considered letting buffoons perform on a kids birthday parties? After all, first impressions are important. Can't they see how terrifying they are in their grotesque outfits and farcial make up applications?"

Our subject was a horror, still it could be taken on account for it was a ticket way to lure Hailey away from talking about my date with Chase. Even just for the time being.

"I never knew why, and I never want to talk about it." I shook my head, letting out a deep sigh.

There goes my fear taking over my mouth as it blew the topic away.

"Oh, okay? Yet how, when, and why are we talking about clowns then?" She pointed her cheese powder coated finger tip on me.

I shrugged, and chaffed. "I don't know. Though, I'm aware it's past one in the morning. I mean, can we take a sleep?"

"You haven't recounted me a bedtime story yet." Hailey smirked, while wiggling her eyebrows.

Bummer.

"Fine..." I groaned, while I began telling her what happened.

"Wow, I actually can't believe what I'm hearing right now. I thought Chase will never be as romantic as a mature aged man." Hailey spoke while emptying her second snack bag.

I was done with mine. So, now I'm only waiting for a belch to come up and say that I'm ready for bed.

"Chase is a... mature-ish teenage boy." I said, resting my hands on my stomach.

"Well, whatever he is, it's pretty much working out."

I smiled as I revisited the scene earlier. The setting was unbelievably surprising, and coming from Chase made it more than the word itself.

"I know right? I'm glad that he's working things out though."

She duplicated the same smile formed on my lips, before she chuckles. "Says the girl who loathes him months ago."

"Look, I gave him a chance, same thing he gave me time." I explained with a shrug.

Hailey giggled, while rubbing her fingers clean on a wet wipe. "Movies are real. Wow to you, and to the guy who made your heart beat faster than normal, yet stops your world."

"Love, is real."

"Yeah, but what about the Nailey project? I want the angel for myself." She let out a plaintive sigh, grabbing her third bag of junk food.

"The what project? And, Hailey enough with the unhealthy salty chips, please?" I took the snack from her, and launched it out of the tent.

I heard her grumbled underneath her breath before swigging a jug of water that she brought with her.

"Nailey project. You know, Nathan plus Hailey?" She explained, while I impassively stared at her with my lips parted. "So?"

"I," I tittered, averting my gaze from her.

An irritated look danced across her face with her eyebrow raised, and arms crossed to her chest "Forgot, again? Really?"

To save my soul, I let my mind work in hell of a wonder for an escape.

"Totally did not forget about it. As a matter of fact," I paused, and cussed to myself before continuing. "Nathan already, uhh..."

She gasped after hearing her long time crush's name from my lips, and openly sent me a nervy look. "Just tell me already!"

"Well," I trailed off, grinning.

A clear lining of sweat made its way down my forehead. Somehow in this situation, Hailey compelled my heart to pace its beat and stop the clock. I couldn't bare lying to her. Especially, not if Chase and I haven't really talked to Nathan. However, I wouldn't also allow Hailey to feel downhill after she bursted out her excitement. And, knowing that I was otherwise jumping with joy on this day so far, I thoroughly claimed a decision to make things even.

"What?! Come on, Nikki, stop stopping!" She exclaimed, clutching her knuckles as she was unable to wait and hear the rest of what I have to say.

Please, let me enter the golden gates after I die.

"Nathan agreed to talk to you tomorrow at the cafeteria on lunch time." I pattered, and closed my eyes while holding my breath.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!! Oh. My. Gosh!! Thank heavens, Nailey is finally about to start!!" Hailey screamed, pulling out a harsh high notes, cracking my eardrums.

"Shh, be quiet. You're gonna wake my aunt." I sat on my knees extending my hands to cover her mouth, refraining her from going further on barfing her lungs out.

I could tell, although I don't feel it just yet, that with the help of Chase, we will make this over tomorrow. Hopefully, in a good way. Nathan is an angel after all, right? It'll be easy to drag him on a small table with two seats with Hailey.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just can't stop myself--"

I cut her off and sat back down, "That's why I'm stopping you."

"I know, I know, but Nathan..." She sighed loving, while staring far beyond the dove gray canvas enveloping us.

As I closed my eyes, an air from my stomach expelled through my mouth. "...Excuse me."

"Bless you." Hailey snapped from to whatever she was imagining, and faced me. "Anyway, what are you guys called together?--"

"We don't need one." I simply said, while I gathered myself to leave the tent.

She shook her head in disagreement, "You two absolutely need one. It's like an identity, you know?"

"No, thank y--"

"Oh! How about Chikki?" She suggested with a wide grin displayed on her face.

I emitted a grunt, "It's like you're calling us, cheeky."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I said." Hailey chuckles while I crawled my way out. "Wait, what about... Chose? I mean, it's pretty cool, right? It's like you guys are Chose-en to be together for eternity!"

I avoided her chatters while slumping myself on my bed, not without glancing at the clock which read past three in the early morning.

"Nikki! I don't feel sleepy yet!" Hailey kept on whining, while tugging my foot.

"That's your problem, I already recited you a bedtime story." I grumbled, pulling my covers up.

"But, please!--"

"Good night, Hailey!" I sang before closing my eyes, to only hear her whimpers bouncing through the walls, before I dozed off.

A/N: And, because of the long wait... I prepared two chapters for you guys! Yay!! 🎉🎊

So, is Chose official, or Chikki? 🤔