Double Trouble (A Jack and Finn Harries FanFiction)

Chapter 25

This can't be happening.

"Haha, I'm sorry! I didn't mean t--" the person I bumped into stopped talking, and his carefree expression twisted into a rather surprised, and even shocked, expression. He was holding a drink in his hand until it slipped from his fingers and splattered into the sand.

"Holy...."

I stood still, shaking a bit. I was extremely surprised, to the point where my eyes bulged out. I could throw up. Maybe even cry.

The brown hair. The blue eyes. The accent.

"....H-Hayden....?" My voice cracked. Don't cry, Anna. Don't cry. 

"....Andrea....Anna..."

We both stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether to hug or to stay away. We were in denial.

He started walking closer towards me, but I remained where I stood. His face held a serious expression. It's really him.

I took a good look at him to see how he had changed over the past few years. He's still got the same messy brown hair, and his eyes still shone with youth and spirit. He's also gotten taller...not quite as tall as Jack and Finn, but a good 5' 10", I'd say.

Speaking of Jack and Finn, where are they?

I looked around, but they were nowhere to my sight. Wow, thanks guys. The music still played loudly, and people were still dancing. Except us. We stayed stationary.

I looked back at my old friend and blushed. He's....hot. I can't lie, he really has gotten hotter over time. Just a couple years gave him more prominent features, like jaw, cheekbones, and muscles as well.

"It's....been a while."

I shrugged slowly, my shoulders carrying an imaginary weight. "I suppose it has been."

Another awkward silence. This is uncomfortable. I decided to attempt creating a lighter atmosphere.

"Still got those braces, huh?" I chuckled, and Hayden returned one.

"Yeah, once I hit junior year, I took 'em off. Heaven knows why I did that. My teeth became terrible again, and I put them back on towards the end of senior year. Got another two years to go."

I laughed, and I slowly felt the weight float away. Hayden smiled, showing his clear braces off.

"D'you still love photography like you used to, Anna?"

My heart softened when I heard Anna. It's been a while since I heard that nickname come from his lips. His irish accent thickened as well when he said it. Did I mention he was irish? Well, he is.

"Yeah, I do." I smiled in reminiscence of when I used to go to a nearby park with Hayden to take some snaps. He was great at photography too. "But I don't get as much time, I guess. I'm in Graphic Design this year."

"Aw," he grinned, "little freshie's taking graphic design! And in Oxford too! Good luck with that. You're just as smart as you were before."

I smirked. There's his cheekiness. I missed it. But wait a second....

"Wait, how do you know I attend Oxford?"

His smile quickly diminished, and he awkwardly scratched his neck.

"Erm...well, Julia told me."

"O-oh..." I thought back to when I had asked for his number from Julia. Did she tell him about me?

"A bit, I guess. She just told me about how you're in Oxford, and that you're doing fine."

My eyes widened, and I realized that Hayden just replied back to me.