The Causeway, July 1 Mid-Day

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hayley didn't even have the nerves to look the GCPD officers in the eye. The fact that a Gotham City police squad car was taking her off the island, it was just demoralizing. At least they let her put her suitcases in the trunk.

They gave her a nod of acknowledgment when she asked if she could wait a moment in case anyone wanted to say goodbye. While she thought that she might come back, she was completely worried that they'd lock her up forever.

So Hayley, she was treating this like it was the big goodbye.

[ooc: Hayley's last post before going alum (and the plot will be thickening. Muhuahaha). Handwavey voicemails will have gone out that morning telling her friends about leaving and where to say goodbye (but not explaining why), so feel free to mod receiving one. tl;dr, post is open!]

Comments

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hayley gladly hugged Karla back, just a little clingy.

"It won't be so bad," she said, her voice a little shaky. Hayley was going to try her best not to lose her seemingly calm demeanor. If she started bawling, who knows what the fuzz would think. She had to act as calm and sane and normal as possible.

"See, some old friends even showed up to take me home," she said. Apparently lying to your dear friends qualified as normal in Hayley's book.

Or maybe, just maybe, she was afraid what Karla would think of the truth.

[glacial_queen]

"Course it won't," Karla said, shoving her personal abandonment issue back to make this easier for Hayley. "You probably won't be gone long, either. You've got to come back and be a model, remember? And teach me more about the King?"

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you bet," Hayley said. "Just as soon as I get the stamp of approval I'll be right back, I promise. And I'll be nice and sweet and not that I've ever been not nice and sweet but you know."

Hayley was sadly partly performing for the benefit of her armed escort, which probably made her seem a bit more manic than normal despite all her efforts.

"A promise is a promise."

[glacial_queen]

"Just relax," Karla breathed into her ear. "You've come a long way in the year since you've arrived. You needn't put on a show for anyone."

She drew back and looked Hayley in the eye. "You can do this, you know. You really can."

Karla wasn't entirely sure what 'this' was, but Hayley could do it anyway.

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hearing Karla say that meant a lot, and Hayley visibly took a deep breath and nodded, a tiny bit of calm seeping over her. "I have, haven't I?" she said.

She took another deep breath. "Thanks, Karla. For being my friend." Hayley didn't want to make this a big goodbye, she really didn't. But she also didn't want to disappear forever without saying that.

[glacial_queen]

"Thank you for being my friend, too, Hayley," Karla said honestly. "And if anyone ever doubts you, know that I don't. And the opinion of a Queen who is friends with unicorns counts way more than theirs does," she added with a wink.

Of course, Hayley trying to convince anyone in Gotham of that wasn't likely to win her any supporters, but...

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hayley actually got a hint of a smile on her face. "I'll send you a letter with my phone number as soon as I know it, okay?"

[glacial_queen]

"You'd better," Karla said. "You have mine, too, right? You can call me anytime. For any reason, even just to chat. Especially just to chat, actually."

She gave Hayley a smile. "Call me when you get there, too, if you can. Just to let me know you arrived all safe and sound?"

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"If I can, I will," Hayley agreed, nodding. "Don't exactly know where they're taking me."

[glacial_queen]

"Do you really want to go?" Karla asked in an undertone. "We could find some other way."

[I'm so sorry. LJ never posted this]