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Hayden leans against a locker, one foot up against one of the metal doors in the typical boyish way. His leg is bent so much that a good chunk of his knee is piercing through the fabric of his ripped jeans, and his neck is bent over as he scrolls through his Instagram feed on his phone. His posture is casual, yet he can still feel girls' stares on him, lingering a little bit longer than they should as they walk by. He has the urge to scoff at their pretentiousness and remark on how ashamed they should be, flaunting themselves so much around boys who were already disgusted by them.
He doesn't do either though, because he doesn't want Eileen to come down the hall and see him picking fights with people that aren't worth his time. He smiles to himself, the thought of her causing him to look up and check if she's on her way. Sure enough, she's coming down the hall, her bright red hair creating a halo around her face. Hayden raises his hand in a wave - as if there was any doubt that she wouldn't see him; in the time they'd spent together, he'd noticed her eyes always seemed to travel to him first, even in a crowded classroom.
He smiles at the memory of every time he caught her gaze, watching as her cheeks reddened. God damn, she was cute, and Hayden had started to tell her so. It always made her blush even more, the colour of her face almost changing enough that it could put up quite a fight with the redness of her hair.
The grin is still plastered on his face when Eileen finally gets to him, shooing him away with her free hand. He moves sideways, watching as she unlocks her locker and pulls it open, swiftly shoving book after book inside and in turn, grabbing different books and her backpack. When she finishes, she nods at him, telling him she's ready to leave.
They walk down the hallways side by side, staying quiet as they trot down the four levels of stairs, and out one of the school's side doors. Hayden glances at her, watching as she adjusts her hold on the books in her hand. He has half a mind to carry them for her, but he doesn't want to insult her capability of carrying her own things. Plus, he knew that it's the kind of thing a boyfriend would do and he wasn't ready to implement that role.
Eileen can feel his eyes on her; no, she's just looking at him through her peripheral vision and can see the angle of his head as he stares at her. She's gotten used to this routine, walking from school together then splitting up when they got to their neighbourhood, since their houses were in opposite directions. But the silence is new; usually one of them would've started a conversation by now.
Her thoughts are interrupted when Hayden reaches out to her, tugging her books out of her hands and saying he'll carry them for her. She's so surprised that she doesn't protest, and instead, willingly hands them over as she smiles up at him.
Hayden can't help but flash a smile back, the gratitude in her face making him glad that he'd decided to do this. Eileen finally starts talking, breaking the somewhat awkward silence as she rants about school and about the crap her teachers made her do today. Hayden listens to her, responding with his own remarks when necessary and even complimenting and reassuring her, here and there.
It's still too soon when they get to their designated split-up spot. In a lapse of judgment, Hayden decides not to head home right away, and instead, walk Eileen directly to her house.
She's shocked to say the least - this is the first time Hayden's ever made the move to walk her home - but she doesn't comment on it. Instead, she starts up conversation again, this time talking about her vocal lessons and the upcoming school concert.
Hayden listens quietly now, noticing the spring in her step as she walks next to him, realizing that she's actually happy he's taking her home. By the time they pass the park and reach her house, they're laughing and joking around; neither of them really want to leave now, having just adjusted comfortably in the change in routine.
Hayden gives Eileen's books back, running a hand through his hair, and shaking his head as she repeats thank you after thank you. He watches as she turns on her heel, hair flying as she runs up the sidewalk to her house.
Before she gets too far though, Eileen turns back to him, a smile playing across her lips. "Don't miss me too much, okay?" she calls out. She tucks a strand of her behind her ear, waiting for his reply.
"Don't worry, I won't," Hayden replies, giving her a cheeky grin. He turns away, ready to head home, when he hears her footsteps on the pavement, running to catch up to him. He turns around just as she catches up, and before he asks what she needs, Eileen throws her arms around his neck.
Her boldness is new to him, and he hugs her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. She whispers another breathless thank you into his ear, and Hayden wonders if she's just grateful for the walk home, or a whole lot more.
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