Novels by Mary Hailey

"You ready, Lauren?" Trent asked, running a hand through his tussled brown hair.I nodded, tapping my foot on the linoleum floor of the school gym, where we were lined up, and all the while humming with a mixture of nerves and excitement.It was finally the day, we had finished our senior year and were minutes away from officially being high school graduates.The names having already begun being called, Trent and I were approaching the front of the line increasingly fast, especially with the last name Blake. I wiped my sweaty palms on the sides of my blue gown, and took a deep breath...."Lauren Blake"...I stood there for a second before I fully registered the fact that my name was called. I had spaced out a

"I think I'm in love with you."Did he really just say that? Is he playing a cruel joke on me right now. Love. Not even like, but love."I..um..what?" I stammered, taking a step back from him and mentally cursing at myself.The guy might or might not have just confessed his love for you and you say that?"Don't make me say it again," he groaned while not meeting my eyes, his cheeks lightly tinged with pink.My breath caught at the sincerity of his tone, and I stared at him. He just might've actually been serious. His dark hair was falling into his eyes as he continued to look at me, and his rare show of vulnerability prompted me to move.I took a deep breath and lightly punched his shoulder, causing him to look at me instantly."Are you shitting

It had been about two weeks since I started fake dating Brandon, and I was extremely frustrated. Besides that first day, Tyler hadn't even looked at me. He all but refused to be around me anymore, even though he was still living in my house.He started walking in the door around six every night, mumbling something about hanging with his friends whenever I tried to ask. I couldn't help worrying that he was spending too much time time drinking while out because the stench of alcohol was noticeable whenever he walked somewhat close to me. Then, after speed eating his dinner, he'd spend the rest of the night in his guest bedroom.Luckily, I hadn't seen him with any girls lately, but I had a feeling it would hurt really bad when I finally did.It was now a Monday, after school, and I was home alone. Mom had to work late, and my dad was still at work too, as usual.&nb

"Can I draw on her face, please?" I heard a masculine voice ask."Be quiet! I think she's hungover!" Someone hissed."Come on! It's the perfect opportunity to fuc—I mean mess with her!""Hush!"I groaned, still halfway asleep. Whoever it was needed to shut up unless they wanted to be brutally murdered."Honey, are you awake?" I realized that it was my mom asking, and I bolted up so fast I got vertigo, causing me to fall back into my pillow.My eyes fluttered open to see my mother peering at me anxiously, her blonde locks falling into her face."Mom?," I garbled, "I thought you weren't getting home till Sunday.""Sweetie, it's Sunday morning, 9:39 to be exact." My Mom was frownin

All my anger, hurt, and frustration disappeared when he placed his lips on mine. Against my better judgment, my mind went blank, and all I could think about was the swarm of raging butterflies in my stomach.At that moment, I could really care less that we were standing in the middle of a neighborhood sidewalk. All I could focus on--all I wanted to focus on--was Tyler, who had one arm wrapped tightly around me and the other reaching up to caress my cheek.My left hand was tangled in his silky hair, the other clenching his shirt tightly. He ran his tongue along my bottom lip, causing me to shiver, which only seemed to ensue him further.Embarrassingly enough, I let out a little moan when his tongue stroked mine. His hold on me tightened, and shivers of pleasure ran throughout my body. He moved his hand away from my cheek and into my hair, undoubtably messing it up, but

The next day was Wednesday, and having missed two days of school, I knew I had a lot of homework to catch up on.When I arrived at school and was walking to my locker I heard my name being screamed.I turned and saw Audrey running towards me, elbowing onlookers out of the way. It truly was a sight; her sweater was falling off of one shoulder and buttoned unevenly, her blonde curls were flying everywhere, and sheer determination was on her face as she hurtled towards me.I didn't get a chance to reply before she literally pummeled me to the ground, causing my book bag to spill everywhere.I pushed her off me and glared, "Did you really have to fucking tackle me?"She looked at me like I was the one acting crazy, "Helloo? It's an emergency! The girls and I have been going crazy wondering w

After I finished eating, I had seconds so it took a while, I thanked Wyatt for his hospitality and made my way to leave. It was more of an attempt because before I got more than a few steps away I felt him grab onto my arm, stopping me in my tracks. "Where do you think you're going?" He queries. "To school. I know I'm late but I still don't want to miss all of my classes," I reply, trying to yank my arm out of his vice grip and failing miserably. He chuckles and shakes his head at my attempts to remove myself from him. "No can do green eyes. I need to hold up my end of the bargain and one of the most important things you need to learn is to not give a shit

"Hey that was mine," I snap in a very harsh and irritated voice."Yeah, 'was' being the keyword. Now it's the bins." He smirks after saying that, cheeky bastard."Why'd y-you do th-that," I hiccup a bit while speaking."Because it's clear that you're drunk off your arse and it didn't look like you had any intention to stop on your own. I did you a favour green eyes."Green eyes? Oh right, that's my eye colour. Duh, Ari, you idiot."Puh-lease, I can handle myself thank you very much." He just shakes his head in response. "You're infur-iating d-do you know t-that? Why can't you j-just mind your own goddamn b-business" I snap, getting more angry by the second but my hiccuping rids my words of any seriousness. Stupid fucking alcohol, no one takes you seriously when you drink it.He looks pissed off now. "I'm trying to do a good thing and how do you thank me

I think she just wants me to meet a new guy to get my mind off of James and have fun for one night but that's just not me. Yes, I'm trying new things but I'm only willing to go so far. I'm not going to change who I am. As we get out of the car the stench of alcohol immediately hits my nose; it's extremely pungent and can be smelt from a mile away. In the garden some people have passed out on the grass, others are climbing trees half naked and one person has stripped to their birthday suit and is running around singing 'Hakuna Matata'. People do stupid things whilst drunk. We step over the bodies — classy I know — and make our way to the already open door. We could hear the music from down the street so now that we're outside the open door it's deafeningly loud.  

Good moments can't last forever and before I knew it it was morning. Ava and I had both fallen asleep on the couches last night so I didn't have the best sleep in the world.Ignoring the back pain that was inevitable from my awkward sleeping position, I get up to the smell of bacon and eggs.As I walk into the kitchen I see Ava, Hugo and Alice all already pigging out while my mum is just drinking some coffee. "Morning sweetie, how did you sleep?"Thankfully she knows not to ask about James, I'm so fed up of the topic and just want to forget it for now. "Terrible. Remind me to never sleep on the sofa again."She just chuckles as I sit down and start wolfing down my breakfast. I love food like most people so excuse me for enjoying it."I don't get it," Ava says. "You eat so much yet you're so skinny."I shrug. "High metabolism."Hugo and Al

I walk into my house and am met with the smell of my mum's delicious cooking."Aurora sweetie, is that you?" my mother calls from the kitchen."Yeah," I reply, following the beautiful aroma of food."How was school, sweetheart?"How do I explain this? Here goes...Let me tell you something, mum was not happy. She said that if she ever saw James again that he'd no longer have his manhood. My mum's scary, I know. On the plus side she's making a chocolate cake for me to make me feel better — she really is the best. I didn't get any homework today, hallelujah, so I just relaxed until eight. By that I mean I slept, don't judge me today was emotionally draining so I deserved that sleep. &n

Before I can protest, Ava begins sprinting through corridors and downstairs, holding my wrist all the while, until we're in the same toilets I was crying in earlier.Once we've finally stopped, Ava turns to me and begins to glare, "Alright missy, explain."I take a huge breath and tell her everything, from our conversation to me crying in the toilets.Once I've finished I look at Ava dead in the eye, waiting for her reaction. At first, her face holds a blank expression but it soon turns to one full of sympathy."Oh, Ari, I'm so sorry, come here," she says softly, pulling me into a tight hug."Don't apologise. It's not your fault," I murmur, trying to contain my emotions but as soon as she wraps her arms around me I place my head in the crook of her neck and let the tears fall once again. This feels better than before. Having my best friend here makes this so much easier. I may st

| Charlotte P.O.V"Are you sure about this?" I whisper, clasping my palms together nervously. Aaron glances down at me, before nodding his head. My heart is thumping rapidly against my chest, and I tune out of the world around me. The only thing I can focus on is Jason, running away from us. His over-sized school sweatshirt, causes his sleeves to hang loosely and he's dragging his little Spider-man schoolbag towards the swing set. He looks... happy. Excited. Content. Independent. Aaron follows my gaze, watching our son. He reaches out and takes my hand, his palm soft against mine. This action pulls

He looks up.His wrists are in handcuffs, and he's sitting by a desk. In a bare room. All alone.I inhale sharply, as his dark brown eyes slowly lift up to meet mine. And as soon as we make eye contact, his face glimmers with life. The flicker of a smirk, stretches across his lips as he rises to his feet. The only thing separating us is the glass wall."Will they let me inside to talk to him?" I plead, turning my head to look at my Dad. He glances down at me before turning his gaze to the policewoman. She sighs heavily, taking out her keys and unlocking the side door. As soon as the door swings open, I push past both my Dad and the policewoman in order to get to him. Aaron has already risen to his feet, and I race towards him before wrapping my arms around his neck.God, I've missed him so much."You're okay." I whisper, my voice muffled a

"So there's a baby inside of you?" Lily's eyes widen as she places a hand on my stomach. I simply laugh, taking her hand in mine and nodding. She grins excitedly. "Can I be the godmother?""Of course you can!" I giggle."Is it a boy or a girl?" she questions further. Mrs Johnson looks up from drying the dishes before shaking her head sadly. She's been on her feet all day, doing everything she can, for Aaron. I can tell by the way she walks, talks and moves. She's stressed. I feel sorry for her."I don't know yet." I admit. "I hope it's a boy. Raising a girl seems like such a challenge.""It'll have your kindness, your hair and Aaron's eyes." she giggles. "When Aaron comes back from camp, you have to tell him. He'll be so happy."My heart plummets at the mention of his name. Although, we all know where Aaron is right now, Lily has no idea.

I groan, vomiting into the toilet basin once again. Tessa proceeds to hold back my hair, as I wash out my mouth and drink another glass of water. The sickness inside of me, only proceeds to become worse over the past few days. She hands me another packet of tissues, and I flush the vomit away.I bite my lip wistfully. If only it were that simple. If only I could just pull the chain on my life, and wash away my problems, just that easily. I haven't heard from Aaron in a week. The Johnson family, is never home anymore. I'm starting to miss Lily too. How would she be coping with all of this? Her older brother, now in prison.How is Aaron coping?Tessa nudges me with her toe, and I turn to her. She's smirking, showing me the pregnancy test. "Charlotte Knight, you are positive."I grin. "Really?"She nods her head quickly, her face beaming. "I'

I scrunch my eyes at the bright light that is sipping through my closed eyelids. I feel powerless and heavy. The room is pristine clean and gloomy. Typical hospital bed, IV and monitors beeping. The walls are a sickly green colour and the linens are gray.Suddenly, I hear the movement of someone standing right next to me. A hand takes mine, and I angle my head slightly, hoping to see Aaron. But instead, my mother is gazing down at me, her eyes clouding over with worry and anxiety."Good God, you're okay." she whispers, smiling sadly. But I can see the tears forming in her eyes. "You had me so worried, Charlotte. I can't believe you just disappeared without calling or texting. My baby girl..."My stomach churns with guilt and sadness. I sit up properly on the hospital bed, lifting a hand to feel my temple. There is a bandage wound around my head, but the pain is still there. I turn to my

"Are you still sore?"I groan, before shrugging my shoulders and turning over on my side to face him properly. Aaron grins, gently tracing the curves of my lips with his thumb, his palm resting gently on my cheek. I close my eyes, exhausted. "A bit. You were my first."He doesn't say anything at first, before gently tilting up my chin, and pressing his lips against mine softly. "You were my best."2 hours later...."Aaron, where's the bathroom again?" I frown, dragging my fingers through my messy hair. He's still lying under the covers, and doesn't respond to me. Huffing angrily, I slap his arm through the sheets and he groans, turning over on his side."Leave me be." he grumbles, his voice muffled from the sheets. Somehow, his voice sounds even sexier when he's half asleep. If that's even possible. I grin, slapping his arm once again.

"Alright Bye Stel" I said to Stella as I walked away. I had just done a photo shoot and I was currently in tight skinny jeans and a black revealing-ish shirt with my hair curled and makeup done; which I absolutely hated. "Nice job today, Rain" The photographer Kevin called. "Thanks Kevin" I called back then slinging my backpack over my shoulder and walking out of the building. I headed down to the police station since my dad was working late shifts. &

"Let's go Rain"! Jax yelled. "Ok, hold on"! I yelled slipping my converses on and looking the mirror quickly. I was in a black crop-top, a galaxy blue printed skater skirt with matching suspender things and my black Converses; while my hair was curled. I grabbed a leather jacket and ran down the steps and outside. I got in the middle row of the my dad's escalade. My dad was in drivers seat, Jax was in pa

"Rain! Rain! Rain, let me explain!" Blake pleaded as I walked down the hallway and he followed me. "No need to explain Blake" I said. He grabbed my arm and whirled me around to him "I'm sorry, alright". "Blake, you almost killed Ryker"! I yelled. People stopped and stared confused. He pulled me into a classroom and said "I didn't know you knew him"!

It was Friday and I had the date with Blake tonight. "Try this on"! Alex said excitedly as she threw a bunch of clothes at me. "Alex, I know how to dress myself" I said and walked into my closet and shut the door. I threw on a red long sleeve shirt, skinny jeans, a gray beanie, and converses. I walked out and Alex grinned and said "Let me do your hair"! I narrowed my eyes at her.&nb

Rain's POV from 5 years ago. BANG! I ran out of my room and downstairs. I saw my mom and dad screaming at each other. "Rain"! Jax yelled who is my oldest brother who's 20. He grabbed me and pulled me out of the kitchen. "Rain, stay out of it" He said. "No! Jax let me go!" I yelled.

<^> Rain Thompson <^>I walked to my locker and punched in my locker combination and opened it.I put my books in and straightened out my uniformI go to NYC Academy, which is a private school.My uniform is a navy blue plaid skirt; that is to short for my liking, and white blouse, navy blue knee-high socks , and my black high-top converses.The bell rung and I grabbed my black backpack and swung it over one of my shoulders and shut my locker door.I walked down the hallway, since it was the end of the day."Rain!" Mrs. Doyle yelled.I turned around and she stood out by her classroom do