Fishing Time

It took a few hours, but David was ready to meet Hailey for their date. Things have been really stressful, so he was hoping that they could catch up on old times.

When he saw her, he almost didn’t recognize her.

“You look really nice. I like the blonde hair.” She smiled and blushed slightly.

“Yeah, I figured that. You have three blondes and three brunettes in your Harem. It seems like you have a preference.” David quickly picked up on the bitterness in her voice.

“Hailey, I liked your original hair just fine. Just because it doesn’t fit into the exact category of hair that I find attractive, doesn’t mean that I hated it or anything.” Hailey sighed and slouched.

“I know. I understand that you’re not at fault here, but I still get these thoughts that unfairly put the blame on you.” David gently reached out for her hand, but she jerked it away.

“I get it. You’re in a shitty situation, one that I do benefit from. I don’t blame you for holding some resentment, even if you know that it’s not my fault.” Hailey took a deep breath before looking at him with a mixture of frustration and warmth.

“You saying stuff like that is why so many women fall for you so often. Your charisma is on another level, and you don’t even seem to notice it, which makes you even more charming.” David stared at her in confusion.

“Come on, I have something nice planned for us. No more feeling bad.” She grabbed his arm and started to drag him away. Not wanting to delay any more, David let her take the lead. She pulled him along a nice walking path until they reached a beautiful pond.

“Wow, that looks really nice. Wait, are you taking me fishing?” Hailey gave him a smirk, which answered his question.

“I haven’t been fishing in a long time. Not since the last time we went.” Hailey looked downcast for a moment before the two of them took some time to settle in, after David checked for any warning signs. They were sitting next to each other on the dock when Hailey spoke up.

“David, the reason I chose fishing for our date is because there is a lot that I want to talk to you about, and it’s all pretty heavy.” David gave her a smile that eased the tension.

“You can always talk to me. What’s up?” Hailey cast her line again, letting out some frustration.

“First off, Fiora. I can’t help but feel like her cheery attitude is just a mask. I feel like she’s still hurting.” David tried, but failed at hiding his laughter.

“What are you laughing at? I’m being serious here.”

“I know I know, I’m sorry. But when I first met Fiora, I had the exact same reaction. I don’t know her as well as I hope to, but trust me, it’s not a mask. Yes, she’s still hurting, but she’s not using her cheerfulness as a mask. That is how she truly feels. I’m worried about her too, I’m worried about all of you, but she really is simply happy to be alive.” Hailey smiled, thinking back on the girl who’s already broken down some of her walls.

“Ok, I trust you. But what’s really been bothering me for a long time now is, well.” David waited while Hailey gathered her thoughts. Then she snapped around and looked him dead in the eyes.

“What happened to us? We were close, really close. You were my best friend. Then over the course of a few months, I barely heard from you.” Her eyes held many emotions, too many for David to count.

“Hailey, I’m sorry for how things turned out. I wasn’t trying to shove you out, but those four months were the worst time in mine and Rachel’s lives. So much happened, we lost so much in just those four months, it felt like our world was falling apart. And in the chaos, I lost you too. And for that, I am truly sorry.” All of the anger in Hailey’s body melted away as she saw David tear up, and cry. She gently reached up and wiped his tears away.

“What happened?” David took a deep breath before telling her.

“It started small. Her family’s dog died of old age, the same dog she grew up with. Then my cat was hit by a car two days later. That was hard enough, but then the next week she got robbed at gunpoint the day after I found a dead body in a dumpster. Both of us have been traumatized by those things. About a month later, my mom died. Sorry.” More tears were falling from David’s eyes, tears that he was trying to hide. Hailey tenderly reached up and turned his face so she could look him in the eyes.

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize for having emotions. I remember that day. I tried to reach out to you, but Rachel aggressively shot me down.”

“I know, I remember. The problem between you and Rachel is another issue entirely. Anyways, my mom and I were really close. After Rachel, she was my best friend. When I lost her, it was terrible. It felt like I was losing part of myself. Rachel is the only reason I was able to get through it. But then, she had her accident. So I guess with all of that, I kinda got lost in everything.” Hailey let everything sink in as David was wiping his eyes.

“That was all only what, 2 years ago? How did you survive that at 21?” David chuckled and looked up to the sky.

“I already told you, Rachel. Rachel, and my books.” Hailey nodded and leaned against him, neither of them having caught a fish yet.

“I don’t really know much about Rachel’s accident, but you make it sound pretty terrible. What happened?” David cast his line again.

“I’m not comfortable with telling you everything without her explicit permission, but I’ll at least give you the details that you can find on the internet, as it did reach local news. She was driving with her sister when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit them. Rachel was the only survivor. The driver, the driver's passenger, her sister, and the pedestrian that she was knocked into all died. The wife of the driver tried to get her arrested for vehicle homicide, but she was cleared. The entire situation has left her traumatized though. Especially since it was right after my mom died.” Hailey went silent for a while, seemingly just trying to process everything.

“I understand. That doesn't excuse her treatment of me, because that extends before any of this, but I understand. I guess I always just assumed that she was the main reason that you and I stopped being friends.”

“I will admit, she did tell me her side of the story and why she doesn't like you. And yes, I am inclined to believe my fiancee. But I also recognize that she isn’t perfect and that just talking to her isn’t going to get me the full story. So, let me ask you, why do you hate my fiancee?” Hailey took a deep breath and cast her line again.

“We never really got along. When you and me started being friends, she would always give me fake smiles and fake kindness. It felt like she was only tolerating me. Then overtime, she started being rude to me. And I’ll admit, I was rude back, but only because she started it. The last time I spoke to her was when I reached out to you after your mom died. And although I understand why she responded in the way she did now, I didn’t at the time. I said some things that I’m not proud of. I never realized how close Rachel and your mom were”. A fond smile pulled onto David’s face.

“Yeah, they were really close. Rachel’s mom isn’t terrible, but she’s not very motherly and never has been. So Rachel saw my mom as her own. She was just as devastated as I was. As for the rest of your story, Rachel has the exact same one, nearly word for word. It sounds like the two of you need to sit down and talk it out. I know it’s been said a lot, but the only way any of us are getting through this is together. So we really can’t have the two of you fighting all the time.” Hailey sighed, but nodded.

“I understand. Maybe we should go to the sparring room and hit each other for a while too. That would probably help.” The two chuckled slightly as Hailey closed her eyes.

“Thanks for telling me everything. I’ll try to work with everyone, including Rachel, to create a better future for all of us.” David smiled, and rested his head against hers.

That’s when they were both pulled into the water by a big fish.