"Travis... I really don't want you to go"
I bite back my frustration and smile my most patient smile
I've spent all day teaching children about Geology
I've spent all evening teaching children how to play football
And now it looks like I'm going to spend all night watching my girlfriend do her best impression of a child...
Massaging the space between my eyes I tell her 'fine, I won't go' but she just huffs at me and then turns back to the cartoon she has playing on silent, the same cartoon i know she would never watch in a million years
Sighing, I ask Hailey what the matter is.
I thought the thing she would be most upset about was the fact that I would be missing her 'big moment' but apparently it's not that, as she's assured me ten times already.
I know what the real problem is, but i give her the chance to explain anyways
"I don't want you to go to New York"
I cross my arms over my chest and inform her that I've already said I won't go but she simply shakes her head and turns back to the T.V.
For a further 5 minutes we sit in silence and I'm just beginning to question whether I have actually gone deaf and just haven't realised it when Hailey turns back to me and says my name. The look on her face tells me I might be about to wish I actually was deaf, but I sigh again and then dutifully ask her 'what?'
"I don't want to be a possessive girlfriend"
I tell her she isn't, but she's just about to lose my attention to the T.V where a cartoon character with a head shaped like a football is silently intriguing me
"And I understand that it's work and it's a fantastic opportunity"
"But?"
I know there's one coming, we might as well just get it out of the way now, before that kid with the funny shaped head gets eaten by that he/she with pig tails
"It's New York"
"So great they named it twice"
My attempt to break the tension with humour falls flat as she again turns away from me and I fall back into a word of silence. I know what's bothering her, she doesn't want me to go to New York because that's where Taylor is and as far as Haileys concerned me being on the same planet as my ex-girlfriend is two planets too close. I fully understand her insecurities, but she has to know that I'm not the type of guy that would do anything to purposely hurt her. Yes I might flirt with my ex-girlfriend on the phone some times but I would never act on that flirtation. I've been on the receiving end of that kind of betrayal and I would never subject somebody else to it.
"Hailey, is this because of the show or because Taylor is in New York?" She looks at me as though she can't believe that I even had to ask the question and I shrug as I say "It's only Taylor"
The look that crosses her face tells me that I couldn't have said a more wrong thing if I'd told her that I like to wear her underwear on weekends
"Only Taylor?! Travis, are you out of your mind? Do you actually remember what happened the last time we were together and 'only Taylor' showed up?"
Hmm... she might have a point there, and I might have just landed myself in a conversation that I really don't want to be part of
"Hailey, nothing happened, you know that"
"Maybe not, but we were never the same after it, you were always off somewhere, or too busy to call"
I can either attempt to talk my way out of this or I can pretend that the conversation didn't just sneak down this horrible alley, somewhere off memory lane. I decide on the latter
"So... I'm not going to New York huh? Well I'll just let 'Creepy Cartwright' know tomorrow then and we can just forget this ever came up. Coffee?"
I attempt to quickly escape to the kitchen but Hailey grabs my arm and pulls me back down on to the sofa
"Travis, I know you never felt the same for me as you did for her... back then"
Now would be a really good time for the phone to ring, or for someone to knock on the door
"I know I was always sort of a... 'replacement' for her"
Why is there never an unwanted interruption when you need one?
"I knew it all along, I guess I just tried to fool myself because I cared about you so much"
And are we not well over due for a torrential downpour? There's nothing like watching all your worldly goods floating by to act as a conversation stopper, and I really need to stop this conversation...now!
"So that's a no to New York then... bummer. Never mind, jeez I'm tired..."
"Promise me that you're over her"
Please God... please help me out of this and I will never take your name in vain again.
I haven't even had time to think about this myself, I can't promise things I don't know the answer to
"Travis...?"
Realising that I'm not about to be rescued by divine intervention all I manage is a stutter
"She was my first love Hailey... it was... it was years ago"
It's not a lie
"It's just... at the reunion I kind of got the feeling that people were expecting you to leave with her not me"
"Shawn has no love life of his own so he likes to make up stories about mine... most of them involve me and Taylor getting back together... it's a hobby to him"
But I can't admit that I wasn't hoping for the same thing.
When Taylor had caught me raiding the vending machine in the early hours there'd been a moment...
I could have kissed her...
She could have wanted me too, but I was a coward and the next night I was doing shots with Hailey and now...
"Promise me you won't meet up with her whilst you're in New York"
My stomach drops like a stone
Did she just say promise?
As in one of those things you're never supposed to break?
"Hailey, Taylor will be really hurt if she finds out I was in New York and never even called her to go for a coffee"
"How will she know?"
Oooh... that's right, I never did get around to telling her that Taylor had called, I guess now would be a really good time to do that..."
"Promise me Travis"
...Promise?
"I promise"
I'm a fuckin dead man walking