014.

Hayley couldn't believe that John Allerdyce was really standing in front of her. He looked like he hadn't slept well for a long time. His clothes were a bit ratty and he had a backpack over one shoulder. His brown eyes looked tired and sad. John looked like hell but Hayley couldn't be any happier seeing him, disheveled state and all. But she couldn't move her body, couldn't move to give him a hug, to punch him in the face, to kiss him.

But something seemed wrong.

John's hand dangled next to his pocket, his fingers twitching slightly. They were edging a little too close to his pocket. His eyes were full of suspicion, darting back and forth from Hayley to Gambit. Hayley hadn't been expecting a warm welcome but the reaction she was receiving wasn't something that she expected either.

"John..."

.

John ran his other hand through his hair. "What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding a little frustrated.

Not exactly the emotion that Hayley wanted to hear either.

"You, John. I wanted to see you," Hayley replied softly.

"Hayley-,"

She suddenly felt a surge of energy and threw her arms around his neck, catching him off guard. The tears streamed down her face as she held onto him tight. Relief washed over her when she felt his own arms wrap around her waist. He was still John, he was still the same guy that she had known and loved for so long.

"John, I missed you so much," she sobbed.

But she suddenly felt his hands unravel from her body and push her away from him. She was suddenly confused at his sudden move. "John?"

"Get out of here," he suddenly growled.

"What do you mean? I'm not leaving without you," she said firmly.

John rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Just get the hell out of here, Hayley. I'm not coming back to the school... no way in hell I'm coming back."

Hayley forced her tears back and took a step towards him. "John... stop it. You don't know what you're saying. What about us? You're just going to leave our relationship hanging? You're going to leave me?"

Fear ran through her body when John stood up straight and looked at her dead in the eye.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

She could feel herself about to lose it and it would not be a good thing to lose control when there were people all around her. She clenched her fists and breathed deeply. From the corner of her eye, the mailbox was starting to shake.

"John.. if we could just go sit and talk-,"

"What's there to talk about?" he spat.

"Where the fuck is this all coming from?" Hayley cried. Her shaky hands reached out for his but he pulled his hands away from her as if she had some contagious disease. "Why are you doing this?"

John sighed, frustrated. "Because it has to be done. I'm never going to be some fucking Prince Charming that you want in your life."

"I never wanted Prince Charming!" Hayley hissed, still trying to maintain her anger. "I just wanted you! I wanted John Allerdyce."

"Perhaps it would be best if you two talked inside," the old man, Mister Davis spoke up meekly. "To have some privacy."

"It's alright, Mister Davis. I was about to leave."

"You are not leaving until we figure this shit out," she snarled.

John glared at her. "What's there to figure out? We're done, its' over. I'm not going back to the school and I don't want to see you again."

Hayley's heart almost stopped beating. "Bullshit," she managed to spit out.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling," he said sarcastically before turning around to walk away.

Hayley found herself walking after him. Her hands grabbed his arm and she spun him around. She placed his hands on his face and held him close. "Please.. don't do this," she whispered. "We can figure this out. We really can.. please.."

"No we can't. Get the fuck out of my face." He pushed her away with force, causing her to almost fall backwards but Gambit caught her right away.

"That ain't no way to treat a lady." Gambit helped Hayley steady on her feet and narrowed his red eyes at him. His arm was wrapped protectively around Hayley.

John's hatefilled eyes observed the body language between the two and snorted. "And who's this guy?"

"Just a friend," Hayley snapped.

"Really?" he said sarcastically. "Well, enjoy your life with this guy, Hayley."

Hayley suddenly felt scared. This was a John that she hadn't seen before. John Allerdyce was sarcastic and rude but never this much. "I love you, John Allerdyce. Please tell me that you still feel the same and that this whole trip coming here wasn't in vain." She choked out a please.

But when John didn't answer right away, Hayley knew his answer. Tears slipped out of her eyes and she walked back up to him and held onto him tight, as if that would suck the words that she desperately wanted to hear right out of his mouth. But he didn't. He didn't say a word.

"Why," she choked out. "Why won't you say it?"

John sighed angrily and pushed her off of him. "We were just kids, we were just fooling around! Get that through your damn head, okay? I don't love you, I've never loved you! We were just kids!"

Hayley had never experienced such a feeling before. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed deep by a knife. Her legs trembled and her vision was getting blurry. He was wrong. He didn't mean it.

"No.. you're-,"

"I'm not lying," John snapped. "I don't love you, Hayley Madden. So just get the fuck out of my way and don't ever come back looking for me. I'm done with you." He was about to push her off again but Gambit pulled her back behind him and he stepped up towards John who merely snorted. "Now what?"

"Now what did I say earlier about how pushin' ain't gon get you the ladies?"

"Well buddy, that's how I treat ladies."

"John, please.. don't leave me," Hayley managed to choke out as she ran after him. Gambit tried to hold her back but she squirmed out of his grip.

"John!"

John turned around, furious. She saw him reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small lighter. Her eyes widened in shock. He wouldn't.

There was such a bitterness in his eyes that Hayley couldn't fathom. Where had this hatred suddenly come from?

"Just get out of here, Hayley! What more do I have to do? We were just kids! I don't love you. Never have, never will!" he yelled, flipping the lighter open and creating a huge fireball in his hands.

People screamed when they saw fire coming from John's hands. They screamed "Mutant! Mutant!" and ran for their lives. Hayley stood her ground, not wanting to leave John. "Please," she whispered.

"I don't love you," he spat and threw the fireball towards her.

Hayley felt someone grab her by the waist, moving her out of the way. She felt the heat of the fire against her body as they tumbled onto the hard concrete ground. She looked up to find Gambit smiling down at her. "You alright, cherie?"

She looked up to see John with an envious and angry look on his face. "Stay down, petite," Gambit whispered.

"No, you'll get yourself killed!" she hissed but he didn't listen to her.

He stood up from the ground and faced John. "So you're the infamous Pyro that everyone over at the school's been talkin' about," Gambit said loudly. "Don't see why they talk about you- you ain't worth talkin' about in my book."

John didn't say anything but threw another fireball at Gambit. He leaped high into the air and onto a car, avoiding the fire. But John wasn't done yet. He threw one after another, each one just barely missing Gambit.

Gambit dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a deck of cards that started to levitate in the air. At the movement of his arms, the cards raced towards John and hit him hard in the chest. John flew backwards, skidding along the street.

"You best learn how to treat a lady, Pyro," Gambit called out to him with a smirk. "That sorta attitude ain't gon help you score with them."

John got back up to his feet, eyeballing Hayley. "Well, you can have that one," he growled and threw another fireball at him.

Hayley got up and ran in front of Gambit. She held up her arms in defense, using her telekinesis to deflect the stream of fire from hurting Gambit. She could feel the intense heat beating down on her but she had to hold it up for Gambit. John didn't look like he'd stop the fight.

With all her strength that she had left inside, she gave it into her telekinesis. The force of it destroyed the stream of fire and sent John flying backwards, this time hitting the concrete wall hard.

Hayley fell to the ground herself, drained from the use of her powers. She felt Gambit pulling her body up onto her feet. "C'mon cherie, I'm sorry but we need to get outta here."

"But John..." she mumbled.

"He's on his own."

Even in her disoriented state of mind, she could hear the faint police sirens that were getting louder and louder. She opened her eyes long enough to take another look at John who was still unconcious on the ground.

A part of her wanted to help him. This would be the perfect opportunity to bring him back to the school even if it was against his own will. But she knew that Gambit would never allow it after the fiasco from today. And she wasn't even sure if she herself wanted to bring him back now.. now that she knew the truth.

Gambit carried Hayley back to their car, avoiding the stares and murmurs of the people. He placed her in the passenger seat and buckled her up. As he got inside to start the car, Hayley felt exhausted, humuliated and broken. All this time she had been moping, wishing that he'd come back. All this time she had thought he loved her but the truth was now clear that he didn't love her.

She jumped slightly when Gambit's hand touched her own. She turned her head to him, seeing a soft sympathetic smile on his face. "Don't worry, petite. It'll get better," he comforted, giving her a hand a tight squeeze.

She couldn't even bring herself to smile. Instead, she turned her head away from him and cried.

Thanks again for the many reviews! They really do mean a lot and helps me with the writing process.