Eight

                                                                          Jayden

Jayden sat quietly in the library, going through a music book he had found earlier while waiting for the free period to end. He never expected to hear the soft thud of a book being placed on the desk in front of him.

He looked up instinctively, wanting to know who would willingly choose to sit across from him when there were countless empty tables scattered around the library.

A face flashed through his mind before he fully lifted his head, but he still wasn’t prepared for it to actually be her.

Aimee.

Ever since the field trip, he had noticed her slowly crossing the distance between them in subtle ways. She no longer stood outside the music room like before. Now she entered quietly and leaned against the door while watching him play.

At first, it had unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

There was a difference between secretly being watched and openly being observed.

But since she never interrupted him, never tried to force a conversation, and never approached him beyond that invisible line he always kept around himself, he gradually got used to her presence.

Still, this was different.

Now she was standing directly in front of him, her book resting only a few inches away from his own.

Jayden wanted to ask what she was doing. Wanted to finally understand what exactly she was trying to do with him. Because ever since the field trip and that long ride back home, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried.

Why did it feel like she wanted to get close to him and yet barely spoke to him?

Why did she keep making her presence known in his life without fully stepping into it?

And most importantly…what could someone like her possibly want with him?

Even though Jayden kept to himself and rarely associated with their classmates, his hearing had always been annoyingly sharp. He overheard things often without meaning to, and over the past weeks, he had heard enough conversations to understand exactly who Aimee Lawson was.

A rich heiress.

The daughter of a billionaire businessman.

Even though she dressed simply and acted like every other student in school, people still knew who she was, and most of them treated her carefully because of it.

So even though Jayden badly wanted answers, he couldn’t bring himself to ask her anything directly. Not only because he couldn’t afford to offend someone like her or the family behind her, but because if he was being honest with himself, her presence hadn’t ruined anything for him.

In fact…

He didn’t mind it.

Aimee’s green eyes rested on him quietly, silently asking a question she didn’t voice aloud.

Can I sit here?

Jayden could easily shake his head. He could stand up and leave like he usually would whenever people tried to invade his space.

Instead, he lowered his gaze back to his book and turned the page calmly, offering silent permission without saying a word.

He wondered briefly if she would understand what he meant or if she would misunderstand him the same way everyone else usually did and walk away thinking he had ignored her.

But he wasn’t surprised when she sat down and quietly opened her book.

He had somehow known she would understand.

He couldn’t explain how. Perhaps spending so much time around each other in silence had created a strange understanding between them that didn’t need words anymore.

Jayden forced himself to focus back on the notes inside the music book, though a small part of his attention remained painfully aware of her sitting across from him.

If someone had told him that this would slowly become normal between them, he wouldn’t have believed it.

Yet somehow, it did.

Every free period, Aimee would casually appear at his table in the library and begin reading or working on assignments due the following day. She never announced herself anymore. She simply came and sat down like his space had somehow become part of her routine too.

Jayden couldn’t understand why.

There were countless empty tables in the library. Other students she could sit with. Friends she could spend time around. Yet somehow, she always ended up choosing his table.

At first, it had felt strange enough to keep him constantly tense, waiting for the moment she would suddenly stop.

But before he realized it, he started expecting her presence.

And worse—anticipating it.

That realization unsettled him more than anything else.

Every time Jayden looked forward to something, life had a way of taking it away from him before he could properly have it. The field trip was the only exception, and even now, he still couldn’t fully understand why the school had made an exception for him.

Mr. Lance insisted it was because he was the best student in school, but the explanation still felt too unrealistic to completely believe.

Eventually, Jayden had stopped asking questions about it.

And now, he treated Aimee’s presence the same way.

Temporary.

Something that would eventually disappear on its own.

The best thing he could do for himself was not to attach meaning to it or allow it to become too important to him. Because if there was one thing life had taught him repeatedly, it was that hope always hurt more in the end.

And he never wanted to feel that crushing disappointment again.

Jayden stood outside the staff room during lunch break, waiting after Mr. Lance had asked for his assistance like he often did after midterm tests.

Usually, he would knock immediately and enter without hesitation.

But today, something stopped him.

Voices drifted through the partially opened door, and he quickly recognized them as Mr. Lance and the music teacher, Ms. Blossom.

It wasn’t their conversation itself that made him pause.

It was who they were talking about.

“I guess being a young heiress doesn’t automatically mean someone would be intelligent,” Mr. Lance sighed.

“Is it Aimee? Why do you say that?” Ms. Blossom asked curiously.

“Her grades are the worst in the class, and the frustrating part is that she doesn’t even seem to be trying properly. I honestly don’t understand how she got to this level.”

Jayden frowned slightly.

“Maybe her father pays schools to push her through,” Ms. Blossom suggested lightly.

“I’ve read enough about Eric Lawson to know he doesn’t seem like that type of man,” Mr. Lance replied. “Overprotective? Yes. Strict? Definitely. But not careless about education.”

“Then what could it be?”

Mr. Lance sighed heavily. “I think she simply doesn’t care enough. Maybe this school feels too small and unimportant compared to the private schools she attended in the city.”

Jayden heard papers rustling before the teacher continued in frustration.

“This is giving me a headache honestly. I want to grade her fairly, but at the same time, I don’t want Eric Lawson appearing here demanding explanations when his daughter fails. She’s graduating high school for goodness’ sake.”

Ms. Blossom laughed softly in that melodic way she always did. “Then arrange a tutor for her.”

“I already have someone in mind actually,” Mr. Lance replied immediately. “But first, I’ll try speaking to her directly. Maybe she’ll improve before exams.”

Jayden stayed outside a few seconds longer until their discussion shifted away from Aimee completely before finally knocking and entering like nothing had happened.

But strangely enough, the conversation stayed in his mind long after that day ended.

The next afternoon, Aimee sat across from him once again in the library, quietly working through a Math assignment.

And for the first time, Jayden truly paid attention to what she was doing.

Within minutes, confusion settled heavily inside him.

It wasn’t just that she kept getting the answers wrong.

It was how she approached the questions.

She barely spent time thinking before choosing formulas randomly and solving equations in completely incorrect ways, writing answers down with full confidence even when they made absolutely no sense.

Half the time, she seemed more distracted by her own thoughts than focused on the actual assignment in front of her.

Jayden couldn’t understand how he hadn’t noticed this earlier despite spending nearly every free period with her for almost two weeks now.

Their final exams were approaching quickly. Everyone in class had become more serious because their grades would determine which universities accepted them.

But maybe Aimee didn’t have to worry about things like that.

Someone like her could probably enter any university she wanted the moment her father stepped in.

Unlike him.

Even with his grades, college still felt more like a distant possibility than an actual future. The principal had promised to recommend him for scholarships if he maintained his performance, but Jayden refused to place too much hope in it.

It was easier not to expect anything at all than to build dreams only for life to tear them apart afterward.

He watched Aimee begin solving another question and internally winced the moment she reached for the wrong formula again.

She worked through it confidently before writing down the final answer like she fully believed it was correct.

Jayden stared at the page longer than he should have, caught between minding his business and speaking up.

Mr. Lance had already mentioned arranging a tutor for her, and while most people would naturally assume he was the perfect candidate, Jayden knew better. Mr. Lance understood more than anyone how much he hated involving himself with other people.

So why was he even considering it?

Why was he sitting there debating whether to help her instead of ignoring the problem completely?

He watched her move on to the next question, completely unaware that every answer before it was wrong too.

And before he could stop himself—

“That’s not the answer.”

The words left his mouth suddenly, surprising even him.

A second earlier, he had still been arguing with himself internally about whether to interfere at all.

But somehow, his subconscious had already made the decision for him.

And now, it was too late to take it back.