BECAUSE IT WAS YOU

Chapter 3

"How do you guys know each other?" Chris asks.
Looking a little less nervous than she did before.

Her question had brought me back to life from the whole Jayden thingy.

"Kent, Zach and Sam are sophomores. Zach and Jordan are childhood friends. Jordan, Jayden and myself, we are highschool friends." Ash explains.

"That so cool!!" I respond.

"I guess it is." she giggles. "All of us, we met at a party the first time. Been friends ever since."

"What do you say we have a movie night tonight?" Zach asks.

"How exactly would we do that?" Jordan asks.

"I live here. Remember?" he answers.

"Great!!! Let's do it!" Jordan smiles cheerfully.

"You guys in?" Ash asks us.

After looking at each other and then at Kent, I respond.

"Will do."

"What genre?" Sam asks.

"Not romance." Jayden drops his phone inside the pocket in his jacket, finally deciding to speak.
He has an elegant British accent.

"Ah yes!" Ash rolls her eyes.

"Why not?" Chris asks.

"He doesn't like em." laughs Kent, pointing at Jayden.

"Romance is the greatest myth of all time." Jayden says.

"Oh no!" I can hear both Kent and Chris murmer.

"Why don't we go get something to eat Emma?" Chris asks me.

"Yea why don't yo-" starts Kent.

I know they are trying to take me away so I don't correct Jayden's opinion in any possible way. But to be contained, I was way too offended by his belief.

"It's not a myth. It's real." I respond to Jayden.

I can feel everyone else look at each other. I don't bother checking.
Although, yes, obviously, Jayden looks surprised.

"Codswallop! Love is only the biggest fiction ever. Romance is no genre of it's own. It's supposed to be a subcategory."

"You're telling me you don't believe in love?" I ask him.

"Why would I believe in something that doesn't exist?" he shakes his head.

"Is that as human as you get? A nonbeliever of love? What are you? An atheist?"

"Save me the pep talk. It's understandable you live in a perfect fairytale with romance and roses." he says. "This is as real as it gets. No true love exists."

I decide to end the conversation before it gets any worse and awkward for all of us.
"It would probably be a waste on you. If it's any consolation to myself, love is far too precious to be thrown away into a roaring fire."

Ashley laughs at this.
"Alright alright. This ends here." she walks next to me, her arm around my shoulders. "It must be the first time someone went this far in an argument with Jayden."

"I know dude! That was something else!" Jordan gives me a high five.

A few minutes later, it was decided to go ahead and watch some horror and thriller.

On the way to our first class, Ash walks along with us.
"Don't mind Jayden." she smiles. "He's always like that. He doesn't believe in love. And he's got his reasons. So don't get offended alright?" she asks.

"No! It's all good." I smile back.
It's not my place to ask what reasons he has. So I decide not to.

"It's lovely to have the two of you as friends! You guys are so cool!!!" she hugs us both.
We can't help but giggle.
"Well, this is me. See you guys later!" she goes inside the lecture hall.

"Isn't she sweet?" Chris laughs while taking me by the hand.
"Lezz go!" she says.

A disturbing first day morning was the last thing I needed on my first day at college.

What reasons does he have?
More importantly, why do I care?