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Eileen stares at herself in the school's bathroom mirror, the grime on the reflective surface so thick and prominent that it almost covers all her flaws. Almost. She can still see the dark circles under her eyes, the result of staying up too late for the past few nights due to her being behind on so many of her assignments. No amount of foundation can hide the eye bags, and no amount of concealer can disguise the new pimples that dot her forehead. She sighs loudly, running her fingers through her knotted hair and grimacing at how exhausted she really looks.
She purses her lips and raises her eyebrows, her eyes staying trained on her reflection as she does so. At least her lipstick and mascara were successfully done. She shakes her head gently, attempting to make her bed hair look artfully messy instead of disgusting, then walks out.
She turns a few corners, smiling politely at acquaintances and waving at her friends as they walk to class. Normally, she'd strut around with them, the epitome of squad goals, laughing and joking around before having to face the stress and struggle of school. But today, they knew she was off to meet up with Hayden in the cafeteria, and they acknowledged that fact with suggestive eyebrow raises and toothy smirks.
Eileen rolls her eyes as her best friend elbows her while they pass by each other, grins spreading across both their faces. The blonde used to accompany her ginger friend to her morning meet-ups but now Eileen had gotten comfortable enough with the routine that she no longer needed (or accepted) the moral support. She looks over her shoulder though, calling out to her friend and assuring they'd go out during their lunch break.
It takes her just under five minutes to get to the caf doors, and her eyes immediately search for him as she steps in. She's partially aware of the scent of waffles and freshly-baked bread wafting in from the kitchen, and the slightly long line of people who are waiting to eat breakfast - probably because they left home in a rush and didn't eat a thing. Just like her.
Eileen's stomach grumbles, but she pushes the thought of food aside when she finally spots him. He's sitting at one of the tables with quite a few of his friends, all of them either on their phones or joking around with each other. Eileen scans through the group, mentally taking note that she knows all of them from the previous times she's come down here, and is even in some of their classes. The thought comforts her as she walks over and calls out hello's to the boys, who all nod at her or reply with a greeting of their own; those who are close to Hayden even nudge him and share knowing glances.
Eileen feels her face heat up; no matter how many times she's dared to come here, it never gets easier. Not really. It doesn't matter that they're all friendly and easy going - they're Hayden's friends and she's smart enough to know that if she can't be accepted by them, she won't be accepted by him.
She exhales slowly, feeling the redness of her face finally go away as she takes her usual spot beside him. He's wearing a blue and black varsity jacket today and for a moment, she marvels at how striking he looks, before reminding herself not to stare.
Hayden shifts, turning towards her just obviously enough for her to know he's acknowledged that she's here, and that he'll listen to her if she starts to talk. He always does the same gesture every time she comes, while Eileen always tucks her hair behind her ear so it doesn't cover her face when she manages to look him in the eye.
They've talked enough that they consider each other friends now, and Hayden has even gone as far as to visit her locker every other day after school, just to say hi. But he notices that the bashfulness never leaves her. He doesn't mind though, as its one of the qualities that makes her likeable as a person; not to mention, as a girl who has actual feelings for him and not just some lustful desire to kiss him in stairwells or against lockers.
"Miss me?" Eileen finally asks, giving him her trademark smile that only shows her front teeth. Hayden knows it's her flirty smile, and even if Eileen isn't the type to flaunt herself blatantly around him or other boys, she still had an idea how to maneuver her way around the romance category.
Hayden grins back, understanding that she's referring to when she left to go to the bathroom, and raises his eyes to the ceiling, as if he's thinking about his answer. "Hmm, nope," he responds, as if he didn't even notice she'd left.
Eileen scrutinizes his passive expression after he looks away from her, trying hard to gauge if he's serious. But as she watches the way his jaw clenches when he smiles or the way his eyes sparkle when he laughs at his friends' jokes, she realizes she doesn't care. Seeing Hayden happy was good enough for her.
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