When Haley arrived home that evening, she took a hot shower to wash away the proof of her union with Keida. The soap and shampoo did wonders, but it failed to rid her of the unease that had fallen over her like a blanket. Keida's text message only amplified her negative emotions, but she ignored him because he'd deleted the photo and she had no reason to continue to seeing him. She should have left that day - when he'd trapped her in his web and taken her purity. She'd found herself in his web, but she'd left now and that was all that mattered. She'd washed the skirt when her parents had gone to bed, taking the basin and laundry soap from their garage and sneaking the items into her bathroom. She'd scrubbed her skirt until no trace of Keida remained, until the piece of fabric smelled like peaches and soapy water.<br/><br/>No one would know, not her family or Cain or anyone.<br/><br/>Once the evidence had been taken care of, she smothered the guilt inside her and fed lies into her computer - fabricating essays until the wee hours of the morning until she fell into a fitful slumber. She dreamed of Keida and Cain that evening and of the sordid scene that took place in the living room while Cain stood unaware.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">---<br/>​</div>She'd forgotten to set her alarm, so when Cassandra opened the front door to let Cain in, Haley was still dozing off in bed. The girl didn't awaken until Cain began rapping against her dorm. Assuming it was her mother, she threw herself out of bed and opened the door without a second thought. She was still dressed in her pajamas, bunny-themed and made of thin fabric that revealed she wasn't wearing a bra underneath.<br/><br/>Her eyes went wide. Cain was supposed to help her with her essay today. She'd invited him over and she'd forgotten. There he was, as proper and radiant as always while she was in her pajamas and sporting some very bad bed hair. "Cain!" She sputtered as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "I'm so sorry! I ended up sleeping in, I forgot you were coming! I'm glad mom let you in." Embarrassed, she began to ramble. "I was up late typing the essay, forgot to set my alarm. Um, grab a seat! I'll be right back."<br/><br/>Haley was quick to disappear into her bathroom. She made sure to wash her face, brush her teeth, and change into a pair of sweatpants and an acceptable t-shirt. It wasn't the greatest combination, but she was in the comfort of her own home and there was no reason to make Cain wait any longer. Eventually, she emerged from the bathroom with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. How was your family gathering yesterday? Is your grandma doing alright?" Small talk to kill the lingering awkwardness. "Keida and I had to scrap most of my essay, I had to start over when I got back last night." More lies. She made her way to her study table and pulled out the three pages she'd whipped up in the dead of night. It was a standard personal essay that most colleges seemed to look for. "It's not too great, but it's something." She passed him the pages and smiled. The guilt had crept back into her thoughts, even though a part of her was just happy to sit down and have a nice morning with Cain. He was nice, and she hoped spending some time with him would help her forget the previous evening she'd spent with Keida.