Morgan's POV

"Hayley?" To say I was shocked to see her here —especially as a teacher apparently— was an understatement. "How— what are you doing here?"

"Me? I work here," she then pointed a finger at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Well my brother studies here—"

"I know that, I teach him. What I mean it's what are you doing here in Oregon—in Jerome?" Hayley stood there with her arms crossed.

I couldn't help but stare at her — still not believing she was standing in front of me. Eight years had passed since I last saw or heard of Hayley, I never thought I would see her again after so much time passed. I mean, she left without even telling me where she was going, she changed I didn't have her number and she disappeared from social media. And now she's here back in town, the one place I thought I would never find her in.

I looked at Hayley and noticed how much she's changed since last time I saw her. She still stood taller than me, her dirty blonde hair was longer and darker, it was down in beautiful waves, her face was a bit fuller — more mature looking which was expected as she was no longer a teenager, this was a twenty six years old Hayley — she was a grown woman. Her entrancing dark green eyes looked back at me with confusion and another emotion I could not read.

Part of me missed her— I know we weren't the conventional kind of friends but... I missed her. I thought of her even if the year went by.

"Morgan, Morgan, Morgan!" The yelling of a kid interrupted us and then I felt Matty crash against my leg in a hug — almost making me fall from the impact.

"Hey kiddo, where's the fire?" I chuckled as he kept on hugging my leg.

"Where's mom?" He asked looking up at me.

"She asked me to come and pick you up, don't you like it?"

"Yes!" He then turned and looked at Hayley. "Miss Duvall this is my big sis, she's the best in the whole world. She bought me a Nintendo switch!"

"That's awesome Matthew." Hayley said with a genuine smile towards my brother. One I almost never saw towards me.

"It is we always play fortnite together!"

Hayley nodded at everything he was telling her as she attentively listened to it. I never thought Hayley would be a teacher, like — I didn't see her as the kind to want to teach little kids or have the patience for it but she seems to like her job and be good at it even if I just found out I can tell.

"You are picking him up?" Hayley asked once Matty went to get his bag.

"Yeah, my mom told me I needed to talk to his teacher though..." I responded trying not to stare too much and come out as a weirdo.

She frowned, "You don't have to talk to me, you can take your brother if your mom already told the school."

Well I didn't know that.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

Matty came back and pulled me towards the door. "Let's go, I'm hungry!" He complained while my eyes were still set on his teacher.

"Sure..." I mumbled mindlessly, when we were out of the classroom I shook myself out my daze. "Wait— wait here for a second bud." I ran back into the class room making Hayley turn back around when I entered.

"Left anything?" She asked while letting her attention go back to some papers on her desk.

"No, I just- can we like talk. I mean— not here or right now but like, one of these days."

She stopped her movements and seemed to be thinking about it for a moment. "No."

"No?"

I didn't expect that answer.

"No." She repeated, "Can you go now?"

"Hayley please—"

"I'm busy right now, please go."

I was speechless — my mouth opened and closed, "But—"

"Morgan hurry!" Matty yelled from the door.

"Goodbye Valentine." Hayley said without looking at me.

Unbelievable.

With a sigh I left the classroom and went out the school along with Matthew. The car ride consisted of Matty talking my ear off about his day and what not. I was too busy and lost in my thoughts to pay him any mind beyond a nod or some words every now and then.

As soon as I parked the car on the garage Matthew dashed out of the car and into the house in a blink. I saw that the other car was parked in here as well so that must mean that my mom is home already.

So much for being late.

I turned the car off and got out of it — inside the house I found my mom on the kitchen talking on the phone while I could hear Matty running upstairs. I waited on the stool for my mom to finish her call.

"Hey sweetie," she greeted me after hanging up.

"Why didn't you tell me Hayley was in town or that she was Matty's teacher." I went straight to the point.

My mom arched a brow and inspected me carefully before providing me with an answer. "Why is it so important that I tell you?"

"Because."

"Because what? It's not like we are talking about Kaden."

I narrowed my eyes for a second, "It's not the same I know where Kaden is, where she has been all these years. I haven't seen or known about Hayley in eight years — yet she's back here out all the places."

"Morgan she's not been here for two days, she's been here for nearly three years." My mom reveled.

And why did I not know that?

"Again mom, why didn't you tell me!" I moved my arms.

"Sorry Morgan, I didn't know you cared this much."

Not care? I care about Hayley, I tried to find her and she's been here for over three years.

I was broke out of my thoughts when my mom spoke again. "If you had come over all those times I told you to, you would've find out sooner that she was but you didn't want to come — that's on you young lady."

"Whatever." I grumbled and then I felt my phone ring on my pocket, "I'm going to take this." I told my mom who just went on to start making dinner.

I went outside to the backyard to take the call, I saw the ID and picked up.

"Hello love," Elizabeth's sultry accent received me.

"Well someone is obsessed with me," I teased her.

"I was just trying to be an attentive boss but I just happened to change my mind, goodbye Miss Valentine."

I laughed a little and told her not to go. "So are you this attentive with all your employees?"

"Give me a break Morgan."

"What are friends for if not bothering each other?"

"Oh so we are friends now?"

I sat on the steps of the porches stairs, "Yeah, the beneficial kind of."

That elicited a soft laugh out of Elizabeth making me smile as I stared at the sky that was starting to set. "I guess that's what we are... for now at least."

I sighed knowing what she referred.

"Elizabeth—"

"Don't, just let me."

"How was your day?" I tried to change the subject and she seemed to have taken the hint as she started telling me all about her day. I didn't even notice drifting off to my thoughts that I had left her speaking to herself.

"Morgan are you alright?"

"What— yeah, yes I'm fine, I just got lost in my head for a minute."

"Something in particular in mind?"

More like someone.

"Something like that," I mumbled.

"Competition perhaps?" I could hear some teasing in her voice but some part of me told me she was also being serious.

"What?"

Before I could hear her reply my mom was yelling from inside the house. "Morgan come up and help Matty set up the table!"

"Sorry Liz I have to go, text you later?"

She sighed.

"Right, bye Morgan."

"Bye." I hung up and stayed looking at the screen of my phone for a second before ultimately standing up and going back inside.

Today has surely been a day full of surprises.

-

A/N - Guess whose back, back again lol.
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