WAITING FOR HIM

Chapter 6

This could not be happening. My heart was beating at an impossibly fast rate as I struggled to remember how to breathe. Jayden's eyes stayed glued to me as he addressed the class.
"I'll be speaking to you all about the technicalities of economic reports that companies must address prior to making purchases. It's basically the do's and don'ts of accounting." He finally took his eyes off me and smiled at the class.
"I know it all sounds pretty boring, but I've got a couple interactive exercises for you all to try out to make it more fun."
"Oh I don't think you could make anything boring Mr.Masters." Molly, a girl in the front row piped up, and all the girls in the class laughed.
Jayden laughed as well and winked. "You'd be surprised. Oh and you can call me Jayden." I could almost see Molly sighing dreamily.
Is he for real?
How is it that he can be so flirty with almost every other girl when he couldn't even be mildly polite to me? I huffed as he dove into a speech on how to analyze profit margin charts and returned my attention the laptop, trying to zone out Jayden and the rest of the class. Thankfully he did not return his attention to me for a good little while, until they group work component came up.
"Alright, so I'd like for you two get in to teams of 2 or 3 and I'm going to be handing out profit margin charts, just like the one we just went over together." He explained as he came around his desk with a bunch of sheets in his hand. "And you're gonna have to come up with a 250-500 report on whether your company should or shouldn't make any purchases and explain why. The session is done, so I'd like you all to email the reports to me.  You have two days to complete them."
I had just turned to Phil to ask him to work with me when I heard my name being called.
"Ms.Walters will be working on one with me.  I heard she's struggling in this class. Or am I mistaken?" Jayden smirked as he looked at the class for affirmation as I felt my blood start to boil.
"Oh you're definitely mistaken sir. She has one of the top marks in the class." Phil, bless his heart, spoke up as he levelled his gaze at Jayden. The class laughed, but many people nodded their heads in agreement.
"Ah. I see. Which makes it all the more interesting to see how she performs alone. She shouldn't have any trouble if what you say is true."  Jayden said, all the while looking at me. The rest of the class had already started to get into their groups and pack up their stuff, and I snuck a panicked glance at Phil, who gave me a reassuring smile and a thumbs up. You got this, he mouthed at me as I grudgingly stood up from my desk with my stuff and started walking over to Jayden's desk up at the front.
"Alright, here's yours. You have 15 minutes to complete the report." He said as he handed me the sheet. "And have a great day guys!" He called out to everyone as they started filing out of the auditorium.
"What?"  I stared at him as if he had grown another head. "You just told us we have two days to complete it!"
"Yeah that applies to the rest of the class. Since you're doing so well in this class it should be a breeze for you to complete it in one go."  He smirked and I picked up on a challenge hinted through his eyes.
"Fine." I tilted my chin upwards and sat down at his desk and got to work as he packed up his stuff. In my peripheral vision I could see him sitting down across from me and staring at me as I pounded away on my keyboard.
"Would you stop that?" I finally snapped after several minutes of him staring.
"Why? Does it bother you?"
"Well obviously. I'm trying to get some work done. Work that you assigned me, incidentally."
"I'm just monitoring your method of work."
"No actually you're just staring at me."
"Oh same thing." He smirked infuriatingly.
I sighed. "Doesn't matter anyway. I'm done."  I emailed my completed report to the email he had given the class and stood up as I packed up my stuff.
He stood up as well, looking surprised. "Impressive."
"Yeah well I'm not incompetent, though that's what you seem to think of me. I guess being younger warrants that though huh?" I levelled my gaze at him as I threw his words back at him.
He looked slightly remorseful as he opened his mouth to speak. "Look-"
"No, really, I get it Jayden." I interrupted him. "It's fine, you explained enough that night. Have a good day." I stepped around him and walked out the door of the class. Though I had only taken a couple of steps when I felt hands on my shoulders and I was being turned around.
"Please let me finish. It's complicated." For the first time since his return, his eyes looked truly genuine. "I wasn't being fair to you, and I'm sorry. It's just, a lot has happened. The past four years have not been easy." He let his hands drop and suddenly looked tired.
"Jayden, please all I ask is that you talk to me." I hated that my voice came out shaky. "You're my best friend. We promised to keep in touch, and you completely do a 180 on me. Did that promise mean nothing to you?"
"Is that what you think?" He stared into my eyes.
"You tell me."  I countered.
He sighed. "It meant everything to me. You should know that. Although I understand that my actions would have led you to believe otherwise."  He ran his hand through his hair, and my fingers itched to replace them. "It's just complicated Elena. You wouldn't understand."
"Then help me understand."  I pleaded, and reached for his hand. He looked down at our linked hands, and for a second I was afraid he was going to let go. But he squeezed it, and gave me a smile that was reminiscent of the 18 year old Jayden. Finally, after minutes passed, he looked up at me.
"I have to go. We'll talk later." 
It took a minute for his words to register in my brain, and when I turned around he was gone.