This is my second story on here, and as always all feedback is deeply appreciated. Hayley is one of my favourite celebs and I loved writing this story. I hope you like it!
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I paced the room, repeatedly looking out the window and glancing down to my phone, wondering whether I could actually go through with it. I think I wanted to talk to her, but what was I supposed to say? Every word had to count, and every time I practiced it in my head I always fucked it up. I wanted her to remember me, to make her want to listen to me, but how?
Maybe I wouldn't even get through to her. If not, I would have no regret later. It wouldn't be my fault. I'd have tried, and failed, but I wouldn't be to blame. I dialed the number.
I continued to pace throughout the room, and held my breath as I listened to the buzz of a call trying to go through. Someone picks up the phone on the other end.
"Congratulations you're the ninth caller!" a female voice called out. I froze. Now I was truly fucked. I had no idea what I was going to say. "What's your name?" For a second I didn't say anything.
"I'm Raymond," I choked out.
"Okay, thanks for calling Raymond. Stay on the line I'll put you through in a few seconds." I swallowed hard and was left in the dead silence with nothing but the thudding of my blood pulsing through every artery in my body.
"Hey, ninety-seven seven rock fm, Raymond how are you doin'?" A confident man asked. I forced myself to breathe.
"Hey Doug, I'm great thanks," I started. "I love the show by the way thanks for, uh, having me on today." My voice shook with nearly every word.
"Thanks buddy. Anything you'd like to say to Ms. Williams?" I paused. I could write a small book on the things I would've liked to have said to Hayley Williams. But I couldn't focus at all, and I just spoke without thinking.
"Well first, I'm a huge fan, and I love Paramore. I'm sure she's heard it a million times but I guess they have a lot of fans." There was a silence. That was where she was supposed to thank me. But no one spoke, so I continued.
"So I guess my question is, uh, whether the Paramore fans in Toronto can expect a concert on their next tour? I know a bunch of people that are dying to see them." That was the best question I could think of. There was another silence, but she spoke this time.
"Yeah, of course, we love Canada. We'll see you there," she said. Her voice was missing the usual energy and life that it usually had in her interviews.
"Well thanks for calling Raymond, and I hope--"
"Wait, there's one more thing," I began. At some point I decided it was now or never. "Hayley, listen... I just wanted you to know... that... I'm sorry." I hung up and threw my phone down on the couch. There, I said it. I had probably embarrassed her in front of everyone who was listening to the station, but whatever. I sat on the couch for what might have been five, ten, thirty minutes, I really had no idea. I thought of her, and all the talk show guys asking her who the hell I was. But she'd deny everything, deny that I even existed. That's how she treated me anyways.
A harsh buzzing brought me out of my trance. It was muffled but very familiar. I reached between the cushions and pulled out my vibrating phone.
"Hello?" I asked, still lying down.
"Hey, is this Ray?" A female voice asked. Only my friends call me Ray.
"It is."
"FUCK YOU RAY!" I pulled the phone off my ear so I didn't go deaf. "Who the hell do you think you are, calling me while I'm on the fucking radio to say 'I'm sorry'?!"
"Look, Hayley, I really am--"
"Oh are you?! That's great news Ray, I'm so glad you're sorry."
"You never let me tell you what happened! Look it's a really long story but trust--"
"Oh, you want me to trust you now?" she said, with less volume but just as accusingly.
"C'mon, Hayley you know me! I would never do something like that and you know it. Besides what would I possibly get out of doing that? Think about it. Just let me explain myself." She let out a loud sigh. A long awkward pause followed.
"Fine... but I don't have time to talk about it now." She paused. "How about we meet at the Starbucks by Bloor and Parkside in an hour?"
"The one by High Park? Yeah I could do that," I told her, kind of surprised. "Okay, I'll see--" I began to say, but she had already hung up.
In all the times I practiced our conversation in my head, not once did she call me back. And now, here I was, getting ready to go have coffee with her. Maybe there was hope for me after all.
I quickly showered and dressed in my nicest pair of jeans. They were really tight, and that could explain why I hadn't worn them in a while. I gelled my hair up a bit at the front, and put on my best cologne. Grabbing my jacket, I flew out the door.
As I got closer and closer my heart rate started to climb, much like it did on the phone. I hadn't seen her in what seemed like forever, not even in pictures. I had more or less forgotten completely about her and everything we had, which was kind of my plan anyways. Only when I heard this morning that she was coming on the radio did I think of her. And clearly, I couldn't resist.
The shop was smaller than most, which made me wonder how she knew of it anyways. It's not like it was in an area someone would go to if they were visiting the city. But there she was sitting by the window. I could hardly move I was so nervous. I tried to walk as casually as I could until I sat down across from her.
Her face was bathed in orange from the setting sun, and hiding behind a big pair of sunglasses. The purple frames matched her purple toque, which sat atop her hair fiery, red hair.
She didn't say anything. I couldn't tell whether or not she was looking at me through her glasses. I didn't like that. It was no secret I was staring right at her. For a minute, neither of us moved, until she slid one of her two coffees over to me. I wanted to say "Thanks", or at least mumble it, but I couldn't move my lips. I brought my coffee up to my mouth to do something else than stare at her. Turned out she still remembered how I took it, which surprised me. And it was almost cold. She must've been there a little while. She finally broke the silence.
"So let me hear it." She said simply. So, I told her.
I told her how I had gone to my buddies' house for a party, and that's where it happened. They all knew I was good friends with Hayley at the time. And we had been for a while.
I met Hayley way back in Junior High, where she first met Josh and Zac Farro. For a while I never had the opportunity to talk to her, but when we did we immediately clicked. We were two happy kids, and we used to talk every day. We'd hang out at recess, do all our group projects together, and I was over at the Williams' so much they felt like an aunt and uncle to me.
It was when Hayley and the Farro's started to play together that we began to grow apart. I would hang out with them and listen to them sometimes, but I couldn't play an instrument to save my life. But I will say that they were damn good, and Hayley was already under the radar of the fat cats in the music industry. It seemed as though it was only a matter of time. Before I knew it, they were touring the globe as one of the biggest rock bands in the world.