Sam walked up to the front door of Hayley's house and immediately heard the impala speeding away. Dean really wanted to go see that girl, and Sam really wanted to get to the bottom of the case.
"Hey." The ugly screen door opened, and the smell of stale cigarettes filled Sam's sinuses. He coughed three times before responding with a quiet "Hello."
"I don't do charities, girl scout cookies, or stripper grams." The woman was middle-aged with a knotted blonde perm accompanied by dark brown roots. She had a spray tan that made her look double what Sam assumed her age to be, and to reenforce her out-of-style look, she was wearing a droopy floral shirt that exposed most of her drooping chest and super short shorts that suggested there was a recent mix up between her laundry and her teenage daughter's.
"I'm Sam Scott. F.B.I. I'm here to speak with Hayley."
"That money is hers, not that rotten kid at school's. She didn't take his lunch money every year. She won it fair and square." Sam swallowed and immediantly realized what Robert was talking about when he said Hayley was 'out of Meredith's league'. Assuming Hayley was similar to this woman, she'd be the polar opposite to a straight A, jeopardy-watching, family-girl.
"Uh, no. This is about her friend Meredith's disappearance." The woman then came as close to Sam's face as she possibly could without touching him. He could see her cheap lipstick and eyeshadow clumping up on her face in a few places.
"You think she had something to do with that priss running away?"
"Running away?" Sam asked. "What makes you think Meredith ran away?"
"Did you meet her parents? Mr. and Mrs. Uptight?" Sam smirked.
"I take it you're not close."
"Mmm." She hummed in agreement, taking a step back to then take a drag of the cigarette Sam hadn't even noticed was in her hand. "But our daughters are. Beats me."
"Could I talk to Hayley?" Sam asked politely.
"What would you do to make that happen?" The woman grinned deviously. "What would 'Sam Scott' do for a Klondike bar? Mmm?"
"Uh…"
"I'm just kiddin'. You feds are wired as tight as a suburban kid's braces." She cackled. "Hay!" She hollered to her daughter. "A fed is here to see you!" There was stomping down stairs before a girl with emo-cut black hair came into view. Her hair's under layers were purple, and her dark eyeliner made her bright aquamarine eyes stand out. She was around Sam's age, and he must have looked startled because she laughed.
"I wasn't on the school campus when he gave me the lunch money." She explained.
"Not that story, Shawshank. This is about Meredith." Her mother told her. The information made Hayley's expression change instantly.
"You have information on it?" She asked hopefully.
"Sorry, I don't, but I'd like to speak with you about your relationship, if you don't mind."
"Fine." She had a diamond piercing in her nose that sparkled when she moved in the sunlight that hit her from the doorway. Sam peeled his eyes away from her's and moved them to stare at the ground.
"May I come in?" He asked.
"I'd rather go outside. My mom's an eavesdropper."
"Really?" The woman placed her hands on her hips.
"If the slipper fits, Cinderella." Hayley responded rudely.
"Meh!" Her mother mocked childishly.
"Mehhh!" Hayley responded. With that, the older woman made her way inside and left them on the doorstep alone. "Sorry." Hayley looked down.
"That's okay." Sam said, lifting his head "Could you start with how you two met?"
Sam spent an hour and a half with Hayley, and pretty soon the girl was reduced to tears. "I'm not perfect," She said honestly, "but I did NOT take that girl. We were real close friends after I babysat her a few times for her ridiculous helicopter parents." Sam nodded.
"I believe you." He said genuinely.
"You do?" She asked, wiping a tear. "No cop who ever questions me actually believes me. Especially feds like you." She stated.
"Judging by how close you two were… I don't think you'd randomly kidnap her. I lost someone close to me not too long ago..."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." They were sitting close together: one was in tears, the other was empathetic, and in the spur of the moment, they kissed. It was deep and lasted a good couple of seconds before Hayley looked into Sam's eyes.
"Ya know, my mom is usually passed out drunk by now…" She smiled gently. "Come with me." Then, she brought him inside.