Hayley

In another apartment across the country, a young woman snarled at shrill beeps of her alarm. Slapping at her phone, Hayley let a few whimpers escape. Six thirty AM came too quickly by her estimation. Although her usual midnight collapse into sleep could be the culprit there. While trying to will herself get moving, her brain was a few steps ahead of her and flipping through the day ahead. She'd get a run in, and come back to get ready for the first half of the work day at PIN. Around five, she'd be behind the bar around the corner until close at 11. Then she'd crawl home, trying to focus on the good that would be only working one job for the following two nights.

Happy Friday, indeed.

Accepting the choice, Hayley shook some of the fatigue away and got up to get her running clothes on. Hoping enough of the sidewalks were cleared to make it count, she moved briskly but quietly through the scant two bedroom apartment. Her roommate worked even later hours than Hayley did, and probably only just got in two hours ago.

The second she reached the outside of the building, Hayley closed her eyes as her head fell back in annoyance. Yesterday's snow was already well on its way to being a memory, but in its wake was still a slushy mess. Too much of a mess for running, so after a few pouting stomps, Hayley settled for a brisk walk.

She'd been in the city for years now and while she felt she had grown used to the neighborhoods and where she was going, the feeling of settlement had never come over her. Had never bouncing around upstate in Buffalo either. The city merely seemed the obvious move when she'd landed on journalism as a career. Though she couldn't call her job journalism, merely hoped it was a stepping stone.

Huffing out a breath she was pleased she couldn't see, she turned a corner and let her thoughts drift to Cole Masen and the possibility of the story.

During her schooling there was a few stories she told through her articles that gave her the buzz she felt now. None came this fast and strong though. Feeling uneasy about it, she wrote off the sensation as loneliness. She'd yet to find her tribe in life, and hearing of someone having theirs and such a lovely one just leaked into her own wishes. She could write of it, and maybe it would push through the cynicism that her generation was under. It could matter.

Perhaps she'd even be able to truly work with Cole. If his friends agreed, they could add his pictures to the story. The melding of images to the words would make it her first true collaboration. Already her mind drifted to a scrapbook style article, with cattycorner shots, made to look like scratchy polaroid's.

Laughing at herself, Hayley picked up her pace. Thinking too far, she lectured. She hadn't even written anything yet, and they didn't know if his other halves would be alright with the concept. Her heart tightened at the thought. Already attached to the idea, she knew.

Rounding another block she stopped short and blinked. Up the street was Cole, head down, walking right to her. If thoughts could conjure, she chuckled.

"Cole!" She answered his tentative smile with her own as he raised his head. "Early bird are you?"

"More like night owl, so you'll have to excuse me if I'm a crank for seeing this hour. I wanted to get some dawn shots before the snow was gone." He gestured to his camera bag. "You?"

"Certainly not, but only time I can fit in before work."

"I'm actually really glad I caught you. I'm taking the train upstate tomorrow."

Feeling her heart tighten again, Hayley raised her brows. "Already. Wow."

"Well none of us are all that good at keeping something to ourselves so better to bring it up now, and see what they think. Plus I don't want to get too invested before I know their feelings for sure. Might keep my mind from getting too far ahead."

"Oh good, reassuring that I'm not the only one. I've been going quietly insane since last night." Hayley laughed. "All these ideas are spinning. It's wild, I can't remember getting this pulled in."

Surprised at herself for saying it to someone she barely knew, she bit the inside of her lip. But Cole was quick to agree, leaning one shoulder on the building they were next to.

"I've already sorted through two USB's for pictures I'd want to show you to give a more perspective. We wouldn't want them in the article, but…."

"But this isn't just an article." She finished. "I think I've been realizing that. I've only ever written them. This would be a series. Its own segment, I don't know. And I doubt PIN would go for it, so we'd have to find a home for it elsewhere."

"Then we'll do that." He agreed.

"If Ethan and Anna are on board."

"They will be." Cole nodded to himself and then looked back at Hayley. "I'm going because I need to tell them in person, and I need to see them anyways. But all three of us have been, unsettled recently. Something about this idea has me thinking it's what we're waiting on." He shrugged. "That sounds weird."

"It doesn't." Hayley shook her head. "Not to me."

"Might be that's why you're the one to hear it and find your own way to tell it." Pushing off of the wall, Cole pushed his cap further down his head. "I ought to get going, I have two projects I wanted to get done before I settle things to leave. I'll be back in town Monday."

"Sounds good. You have my number if you need anything."

"No I don't." Cole reached into his pocket.

"No? I guess yesterday was more of a day than I thought." Laughing at herself, Hayley took the phone he offered to enter it, and then just stared.

"You alright?" He looked over. "Oh. Well you knew we were cheesy."

"No, lovely. It's lovely what you have." Hayley managed as she looked at his lock screen and the three faces looking out.

The picture was a few years old. She could tell by the longer length in Cole's hair, the stamp on his hand that the bartender in her recognized as an under twenty one. The unknown photographer captured him mid laugh as his barstool tipped into another's. His arms flailed out in front of him and he fell to Ethan's chest. Ethan's eyes were closed and his smile was stretched wide, Hayley could almost hear the yell. One arm caught Cole around the chest while the other raised high and around Anna Jane who was crouching atop the bar, hands framing the two boys faces.

They could have been standing feet apart and still the love would pour out of the picture.

Even not meeting them, Hayley felt closer to knowing. She felt it looking at the way Cole seemed unconcerned at falling. The way Ethan caught him, and held Anna with both affection and to keep her steady. The way Anna looked at the boys rather than the camera. And she felt it in the click of recognition that confused and excited her.

Trying to keep her head, she swiped up and into Cole's contacts, adding her own. When she looked up to hand him back the phone he was staring back at her. She'd seen that look on his face before. When he had first shared about them. The feeling came over her again. That when he looked at her just like that, he saw enough that she knew she shared something back.

Taking a step away from him she perked up her smile. "There, so if you need anything or they have questions you can get in touch. Have fun, I know you're missing them."

Cole narrowed his eyes a fraction but nodded, "I am. See you when I'm back."

He started walking, half jogging the way she had come, as Hayley turned back to continue up the block. At the crossing she turning back once and saw him glance back with a crooked smile that had her wondering what it would be like to forget her responsibilities and run with him.