{One Month Later...}

I rolled over to my clock, the neon red numbers on it giving me the time, 3:42 A.M. I couldn't sleep; Hayley's face and memories of her danced in my head, making sleep something that didn't exist in my mind. It's been almost a week since we've talked. And in all honesty, I missed her.

I grabbed my phone and unlocked it, opening my messages. I stared at the blinking cursor as I hesitantly typed in Hayley's name to text her. I fought my shyness and wrote the message, sending it to her immediately.

"Hey," it read. "Are you up?" After a three-second wait, a notification popped up on my phone, showing Hayley replied. I smiled a little as I read her message.

"You too again? Meet me at the brick wall by my place," she wrote. I knew exactly what she meant. I got out of bed and slipped my shoes on, along with a jacket as I left the house with nothing but my phone and my keys.

The parking lot was about two blocks from my house; two blocks of night sky all to myself as I walked alone, wishing Hayley was beside me. She would be, eventually. I would be able to see her eyes sparkle the same exact way the stars did on nights like these. I would see that familiar face with those red, half curled lips that always felt like a breath of fresh air whenever I saw her. I knew I was very close. I could see Hayley's silhouette blowing white clouds into the sky. I smiled a little and hopped the wall, sitting next to her on it. She jumped a little, startled by my sudden entrance. She blew a relieved sigh.

"Christ, York," she huffed. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry," I chuckled. Hayley snickered a little, that famous red smile playing on her lips again.

"I swear, I almost thought about smoking a second cigarette considering how long it took you to get here," she joked.

"I didn't mean to take long," I said, feeling myself get lost in her eyes. I switched my gaze to the concrete.

"It's fine," she said, nudging me. "I gotta talk to you about some things, anyway. You're lucky I waited for you."

"What do you wanna say?" I asked, ready for just about anything Hayley would say.

"Well, for starters, I'm releasing you from the the title, 'stiff.' You no longer seem to be one," she smirked. "Good job, York!" I gave a slight shrug with a chuckle. "The other thing is... the usual." We both giggled at the title she gave our conversation. Whenever Hayley couldn't sleep and went for a smoke on the twentieth, she always had a deep consideration of the simplest things in life, such as how a specific person laughed, or why the mind get us to do one thing when we tell ourselves to do something different. Her insight on things were never boring, never confusing. They amused me; not only the way her face and eyes lit up at each subject, but her words too. No one would ever have suspected her to be a renegade with a mind like hers.

"I'm fine with the usual," I said. "Subject of the month is...?"

"Love," she said simply; I felt a pang in my chest. She drew another puff of her cigarette, then blew another cloud of smoke. "It's a crazy thing, ain't it?"

"Hell yes," I agreed with a chuckle.

"It's a lot of things," she said. "Most of all, it's the thing that kills us. Yet, ironically, it's the same thing we can't live without." I nodded. "Funny, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I sighed. Hayley looked over at me, gesturing towards the box of cigarettes, offering one to me. I shook my head in refusal.

"Watch," she said, pointing her cigarette at me. "You're going to fall into this. Smoking once a month, I mean."

"No, I won't," I scoffed.

"If you say so," she vexed in a sing-song voice. "Anyhow, back to love... Do you love anyone, York?"

"Why, uhh," I stammered. I hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Yourself doesn't count," she said bluntly as she drew another cloud from her cigarette, staring into nothing in front of her.

"Well... still. I love someone."

"Do you love yourself?" she asked.

"I... I guess," I struggled. "Do you?"

"No." Hayley's voice was calm, bland; it was very matter-of-fact. She looked up at me, her hazel eyes full of honesty. "No, I don't," she repeated. I tilted my head at her, puzzled why she didn't.

"Why?" I asked.

"I have my reasons, York," she answered.

"Tell them."

"Well, I'm reckless, for one. I... I'm just not meant to be here, you get me?"

"No, I don't," I said, my voice a lot sterner than I expected it be. "I believe everyone was put here for a reason. We just gotta find it."

"What's my reason?" Hayley asked.

"That's not my question to answer," I said. "That's for you to find out."

"Okay, then, what's your reason to be here?" she tried, turning the tables in the conversation. I gave her a shrug.

"I'm not fully sure yet," I said with honesty.

"Well then," she huffed, taking another draw of her cigarette. "Anyhow, back to love again. Why do we say we fall in love?"

"It's a trap," I chuckled, half-way joking. Hayley snickered at my comment.

"Yeah, a death trap, indeed." There was silence between us. Hayley seemed to be thinking of something, telling by how she puckered her lips, then pursed them as she rested her hand on her chin. I studied her as she thought for that silent moment, it feeling like amazing, long years.

"York?" she tried, her voice softer than usual. She looked up at me, her hazel eyes dazzling with the stars. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, anything," I answered.

"What do you do when you're in love?" Hayley blushed a little, her cheeks being a light pink.

"Well, what do I personally do? Or what does a person usually do?"

"Both," she said. I hopped off the wall and landed on my feet; I turned to Hayley, wanting to face her as I explained.

"What I do is... I watch the person. I don't stalk them, I just watch them. I try to get to know them," I started. Hayley nodded, understanding what I meant. She let the cigarette rest between her red lips, taking small draws of it. "What a person, in general, would do is.... They would just... let it happen, y'know?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I get you."

"Why do you ask? Are you in love?" I teased. Hayley laughed a little.

"I just might be," she said with a developing grin.

"You can never be definite about love," I said.

"Yeah, that's true." There was silence again. It wasn't awkward, nor was it comfortable. It wasn't in between, either. It was an undefined silence that settled between me and Hayley. A silence that only we could create.

"York?" she tried again. I looked over at Hayley, curious what she wanted.

"Hm?" I hummed.

"Can I tell you something crazy?"

"Sure."

"It's going to be a lot," she warned with a chuckle. I shrugged.

"I don't mind," I admitted.

"I never thought love existed due to the fact that I've been hurt by it countless times. And now that I've really thought about it, you gave me hope in love again. And..." she trailed off with a snicker as she looked up at me. "Taylor York, I think I'm falling in love with you."

I felt a pang in my chest, followed by this warm feeling that spread through me. But it was a good feeling. Before I even noticed, I was smiling. So was Hayley. I gave a slight chuckle as I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Really?" I asked, still not being able to believe what I've just heard. Hayley nodded, failing to fight back her grin. "Well, can I tell you something pretty crazy, as well?"

"What is it?"

"I love you." Hayley leaned against the wall with a smile. She went in for another draw from her cigarette, but I stopped her, taking the burning item out of her hand. I crushed it against the wall as my lips met hers. We kissed for that amazing moment, nothing existing. One hand was wrapped around her waist as another was caressing her face. Hayley's hands rested on my chest, then slid their way around my neck as she sighed contently. We pulled away from our lip lock, our foreheads rested on each other's, panting. Hayley smiled up at me.

"Whoa," she breathed with a laugh.

"Yeah," I huffed with a smile. "Whoa."

"This is..."

"...unexpected."

"Exactly," she chuckled. She studied me a bit longer, biting at her bottom lip. "What does this mean?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"We just kissed. Does this mean we're... together?"

"Only if you want to be. I won't force you into anything you don't want."

"Well, what if I want you?" she asked, her eyes more intoxicating than before.

"Do you?" I asked, my throat suddenly feeling dry. Hayley nodded with a smile.

"Yes."

"Well, then," I sighed with a smile. "I guess that means we are together."