You Drive Me Crazy

Chapter 2: Long Legs

“What…the hell…was that?” Nikki asked with her eyes wide open.

“What?” I looked at her confused.

“Girl, were you two flirting?” she asked lowering her voice not wanting anyone to hear.

Her comment made me furrow my eyebrows and widened my eyes. Flirting?

“No! Where did you get that from?” I started walking away towards my class remembering what Jayden had said before he left.

‘Although I prefer calling you long legs’

Is that flirting? Of course not, it means nothing he’s just messing with me for what happened earlier today.

I had reached my class by the time I convinced Nikki that nothing happened but a part of me could not dodge the thought of him whispering these words into my ears.

What did he want from me?

The bell rang right on time for the teacher to come in. I chose to sit in the back of the class because I didn’t want to gain any attention already and I started scribbling on the piece of paper in front of me until the teacher started her class.

“Good morning everyone. I’m Mrs. Faye some of you might recognize me from last year but for anyone that doesn’t know me, I will be your math teacher.” She sounded kind and didn’t look too old, maybe in her early or mid-forties.

She was reading the attendance list she took out from her folder and stopped to look at the class from under her glasses.

Her eyes stopped when she found me and took off her glasses placing them on the table next to her before smiling in my direction.

“I see we have a new student. Eva Joan, right?” she said checking her list once again.

I simply nodded with a faint smile realizing that some of the students turned their heads to see who their teacher was talking about.

“How about you introduce yourself.” Mrs. Faye invited me to stand next to her and talk, so I got up slowly and walked to the front of the class, and faced them.

“Hi, I’m Eva and I moved here a week ago,” I said then looked at the teacher asking for permission to go back to my seat.

“That’s it? Come on tell us more. What do you plan on studying in college?” she asked.

“I’m hoping to become an architect one day,” I told her switching my eyes from her to the class that was looking at me like I was some prey.

“Oh, so you listened to Jayden Wright’s speech this morning am I right?” she crossed her arms leaning on the desk with a smile on her face.

I nodded returning the smile.

“Great, this is your class then. Hope to see you excel and become as successful as Mr. Wright. You may take your seat.” She signaled for me to go back to my chair after speaking with the class and I did as she asked.

The class wasn’t very boring. It was the first day so she didn’t want to get into the chapter right away, instead, we spoke about our summer and what our plans were for the future and in the last 15 minutes, she introduced the chapters we were going to study this year.

I closed my textbooks and stood up to go to my next class when a girl stopped me from going anywhere.

“So, Eva. I’d welcome you…but I really don’t care. Anyway, I’m the head cheerleader of our school and I saw you speaking with Jayden in the parking lot this morning." She sounded like a diva and I did not understand how being the head cheerleader was important so I looked at her with a confused face.

"Honey, stay away from him okay? He’s not yours to be around.” That was literally all she said before she swung her hair in my face and left the class clapping her heels on the floor. 

That is why she introduced herself the way she did. She thinks since she's the popular girl I must follow her rules, but I knew better than being someone's followers

I stood there surprised by what just happened. Like seriously what was that?

Plus, it’s not like anything is going on between me and Jayden so I don’t really care about what this cheerleader girl just said.

I just rolled my eyes and left the class to meet with Nikki.

********

After a couple of classes, I went to my locker and entered the combination allowing it to open so that I could put all the stuff I didn’t need in it before going to the cafeteria.

I saw Nikki sitting at a table with other people and approached them when she gestured me to come closer.

“Hey guys, this is Eva. Eva, these are my friends, Emma, Jake, and Mason.” She introduced them to me one by one pointing at each one not to be confused.

I put out my hand and shook each one’s while greeting them with a smile and sat down next to Nikki.

“So, Eva, how’s the new school treating you?” Jake asked.

“It’s okay till now. Though there’s this cheerleader girl that told me stuff. I don’t think she likes me.” I said spotting her sitting on the cafeteria table with a bunch of guys gathered around her.

“Yeah, that’s Camilla Jacobs. She’s a literal cunning b*tch that wants everything to herself.” Emma spits out with disgust.

“Waw, what did she do?” I asked

“See that guy she’s talking to?” Emma turned to point at him with her eyes instead of her finger.

I nodded seeing who she’s talking about.

“Yeah, he was my boyfriend. She kissed him one time and convinced him that he is better off without me so he broke up with me the next day.” She said with a broken voice.

“I’m so sorry,” I said not knowing what to do.

“Meh, it’s not your fault. I’m just an i***t for trusting him.” She said digging into her food.

“Speaking of boys…” Emma put her fork on her plate and looked at me with a playful smile on her face as if she was not sad at all just seconds ago.

“I hear you’re the girl that argued with Jayden Wright.” She said leaning in on her elbows.

I cannot believe it’s my first day and this is what I’m known by.

“It’s nothing really. He almost hit me with his motorcycle and I just told him to apologize and be more careful. Plus, it’s not a big deal.” I answered her hoping to change the subject.

“Not a big deal? You two were basically flirting in the auditorium this morning.” Nikki jumped in.

Everyone sitting with us widened their eyes with surprise waiting for me to explain myself.

“We were not flirting. He didn’t apologize to me when he almost hit me so I didn’t apologize to him when I bumped into him after the workshop. That’s all it is.” I answered

“Oh please, he was whispering into your ear before he left.” Nikki continued waving off my explanation.

“What did he whisper!” Emma asked even more excited than Nikki was when she caught us before.

“Nothing!” I laughed slightly.

“Girls, come on. Leave her alone.” Mason said.

“Thank you.” I looked at him and he nodded in response.

"Of course you're bothered with the subject. You hate your brother." Nikki joked.

His brother? Mason is Jayden's brother? Damn, no wonder he looked uncomfortable since the start.

"I don't hate my brother, it's just I don't want to know anything about my brother's love life," he explained.

"There is no romance. In fact, he annoys me... a lot." I told him to correct his statement.

"Good, you're better off without him." He smiled at me.

We were discussing some other topic and having fun before the principal came into the cafeteria asking for our attention followed by non-other than the star of the day himself, Jayden Wright.

“Everyone, as you all know, Mr. Wright was one of our top students and we are very proud to have been his school. And this year, he agreed to give one of our students studying to become architects, an internship where he or she gets to work and learn alongside Mr. Wright and his team.” The principal explained.

Everyone in the cafeteria was murmuring and some were clapping with joy upon hearing the news.

I diverted my attention from the principal to the man standing beside him only to find him looking right at me like he was waiting for me to notice him.

I quickly looked back at the principal as if nothing happened and waited for him to finish what he came to say.

“The student will be chosen by Mr. Wright and we will ask him or her to come to my office to discuss the offer. Thank you, good day.” After the principal was done, he left the room and I could clearly see how everyone was eyeing Jayden as he followed the old man out of the cafeteria.

However, as he was walking out, I caught a quick glimpse of him still looking at me before he smirked and left.

God that smirk, can't he leave me alone?

********

At the end of the day, I was ready to finally go home after what felt like the longest last first day ever but unfortunately, the teacher approached me and told me to go to the principal’s office before I left.

I had already forgotten about the internship but when I got there and saw Jayden seated on one of the chairs in front of the principal’s desk, it all came back and I realized what was about to happen.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and closed the door behind me.

“Eva, have a seat.” The principal’s hand gestured me to sit on the chair directly facing where Jayden was and I had no other choice but to do as I was told.

As I sat down, I tried as hard as possible not to look at the tall man seated in front of me, but I could feel his eyes on me as I was waiting for the principal to talk.

“Congratulations, Ms. Eva. Jayden here chose you for the internship. I got to say, looking at your file from your previous school, I’m not surprised he chose you. You’re a very bright student with numerous awards.” He smiled after reading the document which I’m guessing was mine.

I nodded with a small smile on my face trying to be respectful.

“So? Do you agree to take this offer?” the old man behind the desk asked.

I was hesitating and I didn’t know why, but the pressure of working closer to Jayden kind of worrying me.

I looked at Jayden in front of me to see him looking back intensely and for some reason, I understood that there was no room for a “no” in this offer, so, I ended up agreeing.

“Wonderful, I’ll leave you two to discuss the terms of this offer, and here’s a small document to explain it. I’ll be right back.” The principal left the office after handing me the small pile of paper leaving me and the other man in the room alone.

I looked in his direction waiting for him to start speaking but he didn’t so instead I started reading the file in my hands.

“You don’t have to read that. I can explain everything.” I heard him speak so I stopped reading and raised my head until I could see him clearly.

“I’ve been sitting here for 5 minutes and you still haven’t said a word,” I answered him.

He scoffed before leaning back on his chair.

“You owe me an apology.” He said crossing his arms.

I could not believe what I just heard. I owe HIM an apology?

I raised my eyebrows with confusion and closed the files in my hands and looked at him.

“You almost hit me with your motorcycle and I owe YOU an apology?” it was a statement more than it was a question.

“You bumped into me in the hall. I could’ve had a cup of water or coffee in my hand and spilled it on myself.” He answered me.

“Yes, you spilling water on yourself is the same as being hit by a vehicle,” I said with annoyance on my face.

“Did I injure you?” he questioned.

“Did I spill anything on your shirt?” I answered him with the same question.

We sat there looking at each other both of us annoyed.

“In the file, you’ll see that you will come to my company 3 days a week after school of course. You will be learning different things about architecture and at the end of the internship, you will be asked to design a building that I will be telling you about. Plus, I will be more involved with the school this year so we will be meeting quite often. Any questions?” he gave in to the silence and explained everything.

I shook my head as I continued reading the file given to me.

“Okay then. I’ll see you on Monday, Mr. Wright.” I stood up and was about to leave.

“Hey, long legs…” he said and I knew who he was referring to.

I turned around waiting for him to finish his sentence.

“Call me Jayden.” He said standing up as well.

“Okay, but you have to stop calling me long legs,” I asked.

“I don’t want to.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Then I will call you Mr. Wright.” I was opening the door when Jayden closed it again turning me so that I was facing him.

“When I ask you to do something you do it without giving me alternatives.” His face was inches away from mine.

“You’re asking me to do something you’re not willing to do yourself.” I talked back.

“Do you know who I am?” He asked narrowing his eyes.

“I know you’re the most respected man in the city, but that doesn’t mean I should respect you just because you’re strong and successful.” I was looking at him hoping my knees don’t fail me.

“Baby, that’s exactly what it means.” When he said the word ‘baby’ I felt a lump in my throat.

“Jayden, please back off.” I couldn’t reply anymore as the heat between us was too high so I tried pushing him back but he didn’t move an inch.

Instead, he kept getting closer.

“What would you do if I got closer?” his annoying smirk was back.

I looked into his eyes not knowing what to reply and my chest was going up and down asking for air.

I didn’t know what to do so I let him come closer even though I was very uncomfortable.