Tonight Is All We Have

4 - I should've guessed

I'm a little early for English class, so when I enter the class Mr Woods looks up from his crossword puzzle in surprise. I look away, awkward because it's the first time I've seen him since yesterday morning.

However, he smiles as I sit down. "Morning, Kaylie."

"To you too." I mutter.

"You asked whether I could change your partner, right?" Mr Woods asks, and I snap my head back up and nod.

He continues, "Well, I may have a preposition for you." He pauses, "I gather you've met the new British transfer student?"

I furrow my brow, not connecting the dots. Then it comes to me, "Oh! Hayden?"

Mr Woods nods, "Yeah. Well, he doesn't have a partner yet, so I wondered if you wanted to...?"

"Yeah, sure." I say a little too fast, but luckily Mr Woods doesn't raise a brow. "Wait- Only if you agree to tutor him. He's a little behind on our syllabus, having come from another school and stuff."

I'm taken aback, not knowing how this would work if I said yes. However, I think about having to deal with Carla Anderson and in a split second, I accept Mr Woods' offer.

A few students trudge in the door, and I look up nervously as Hayden talks to Mr Woods for a few minutes, then walks over and sits next to me.

"Morning princess", he grins, his blue eyes twinkling. "You're supposed to tutor me or something?" He nods to Mr Woods, who's clapping his hands to gain attention of the students.

"Yeah." I smile, "And we've also got to do an assignment together. It's due next week."

Hayden furrows his brow, "What sort of assignment?"

When I tell him that it's an essay, his features smooth out. "That won't be too hard, right?"

"I don't think so." I reply, tilting my head. "Do you write?"

Hayden smiles, "Used to."

I'm about to ask him what changed, but Mr Woods calls my name. "You ready for this class to start, Ms Costello?"

I grin, "Yeah. I'm done now."

A smirk begins to pull at the corner of Hayden's lips, "Are you though?"

._._.

Kat, Kristi and I are walking to the caff when Carla Anderson walks by, and bumps into Kristi, spilling her mineral water all over Kristi's jeans.

"Watch where you're walking, honey."

Carla's voice is soaked in sarcasm, and as she begins to sashay away I turn around, angry. I've never given Carla a reason to hate me or my friends, but obviously everything's changed now. She's convinced that something's going on between Hayden and I, and since I don't really care about correcting her, I suppose she's out to get me.

But messing with my friends? That's crossing the limit a little too much.

I begin to tell her off, but before I say anything, Kristi grips my arm tight.

"It's okay, Kaylie, really. Leave it." One glance at her tells me it's not okay at all, but as I know we've got the entire cafeteria's attention, Kristi will just be humiliated more.

I let it go, knowing that Carla won't be so lucky a second time around.

After the girls and I finish eat lunch and the bell rings, I head to my next class, which is Music. I tell myself that I'm not going to run away again, that I've got to face the music. So when I push open the door to the music room, my eyes fly to the piano, but it's unoccupied; the seat empty.

Ms Gomez, the music teacher, claps her hands once the class is full. My eyes pass over the students taking this class, and I realize with a jolt that Hayden is sitting a row behind me. As our eyes connect, a slight smile pulls at his lips.

Ms Gomez is talking about a new musician in class, but my attention strays away from the topic to the guy sitting behind me. He's been turning up everywhere lately, but he remains a bit of a mystery.

Not that I mind, about him turning up everywhere.

I realize where my train of thought is headed, and my eyes go wide. I push my thoughts to the back of my mind as Ms Gomez calls the musician to the front of the class.

However, when Hayden pushes his chair back and stands up, my hand flies to my mouth in shock. Of course, the guitar yesterday.

I should've guessed.

Hayden stands in the front of the class, and begins to strum his guitar. He opens his mouth, and I realize that he probably sings as well. I sit back, tapping the head of my pencil against the edge of my seat.

Oh.

My.

God.

I am transfixed. We are transfixed.

Hayden's voice is amazing. It holds a haunted echo and so much feeling that the hair on the back of my neck instantly rises. Brokenness, like crushed glass, fills his voice and I can't concentrate on the words because the voice itself is mesmerizing. He sings a sad song about losing someone he trusted, and he sounds hair-raisingly amazing.

As he lets his voice fade out, the class is silent for a second and then bursts into whistles and applause. Students are watching Hayden with amazement in their eyes; I'm just as stunned.

The way he sang; his words, his voice. Damn, that voice. It was beautiful.

As the students congratulate and talk to Hayden, I tilt my head thoughtfully at him. The words of his song were about losing someone he loved, and that was one thing I could relate to.

It felt like someone finally understood.

As I watch Hayden, his gaze turns away from the small crowd of students around him and turns to mine. His blue eyes pierce through mine like he can see right through my soul, and I don't doubt that he can.

._._.

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