Jayden was fazed, but obviously didn't show it. He hadn't even said or done anything... Actually he had, he saved a freaking damsel in distress, literally. But here she was, glaring at, and accusing him of being a bad person, what an unjust world.
"I don't unders..."
"I'm not finished," Jessica interrupted his statement. "You are a heartless monster, one who knows nothing about emotions," she said
Jayden immediately got a look of understanding, he already knew what was happening. "I didn't mean to," he sighed
Jessica scoffed. "Well, you sure as hell didn't. But it's fine, it's not your fault. Really, I don't blame you, I blame my idiot sister for falling for a guy who clearly doesn't have a place in his heart for feelings, isn't it?" she stated, with a deep frown, staring daggers into poor Jayden.
He sighed deeply. "I didn't know that she wanted to... I was only speaking to her that way to make her comfortable, I would never hurt or disrespect Tasha. She has been nice to me ever since I returned," Jayden explained with an apologetic expression.
Jessica was stunned, she didn't expect Jayden to be sorry. She had believed, he was a cold hearted mf. "Hm, you should tell her that, yourself," she muttered, before letting a sigh escape her lips. "You know, when you were... In coma, Tasha refused to eat, train and attend school. I had to be the one to force her to do those things, but a day never passed without her thinking about you,"
Jayden was surprised, he hadn't expected anyone to be worried about him, aside Jacob and probably Harleen. Jessica looked into his eyes and continued. "At first, I was a bit jealous. Lord knows I wasn't that worried about you, I was but not like Tasha. She even prayed for goodness sake, not sure who she prayed to but her prayers were answered anyways. But now you know why what you did, really hurt her," she explained
Jayden smiled bitterly, he was feeling guilty at the moment. He hated it but at the same time, he accepted it. He didn't know much about human feelings to even acknowledging them, but the last thing he would think of doing, was to hurt Tasha.
"I... I would make sure to apologize for my mistakes. I might not know how to... Understand emotions on that level, but I know that as a boy, I must make things right," he muttered
"Huh? I'm I hearing this right? He wants to apologize, but... He never apologizes for anything," Jessica thought. She opened her mouth to speak but before a single word could be uttered, a voice called out
"Jessica, Jayden. If you two have dinner plans to make, do it after my lecture, or better still, do it outside," Miss Kate scolded, making the whole class direct their gaze towards the lovebirds.
Jessica looked down in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed red. "S.. Sorry, Miss Kate," she muttered, before taking a glimpse at Jayden. And in contrast to what she had expected, he looked unfazed.
"Of course, indifferent at always. Why'd I even bother?" she thought, having quickly recovered.
"But it's better than five years ago, right?" Jessica pondered, staring deeply at Jayden. "I saw what you did, Jayden. How you saved that girl, I was there the whole time. You could have gone inside immediately, but you didn't. Perhaps, you have truly changed, even though it came with a few complications, you certainly have," she muttered to herself, a sweet smile forming on her face.
The lecture ended quickly, and soon, it was time for break. Jayden left the class and began heading out of the school, he had no interest in whatever lecture was going to take place after recess. He walked through the corridors, quickly walking past the astonished gazes of the other students, who couldn't help but voice out their opinions.
-"Holy crap! It's true, he's really alive,"
-"He's only an ordinary human and yet he survived a lightening strike. That's terrifying,"
-"Hey, I heard he's an evolved now. If I were you, I'll be mindful around him,"
-"So what if he now has an ability, he's probably just around level 3,"
-"Do you think his ability might be super speed?"
They all murmured to each other, making sure to keep a low tone. But Jayden paid them no mind, he keep walking. "Hmm, it looks like rumours of me now having abilities has began to spread. Only it's not a rumour, but them not knowing the exact ability is good. I can use it to my advantage," he thought. But Jayden knew it was only a matter of time before they begin to ask questions about the ability.
He made his way to the gate and surprisingly, he was allowed to leave. He was already prepared to voice out his claim as the almighty hero, and that he had a pass, but it looked like the principal already did that for him.
Jayden left the school premises and started to jog across the sidewalk. He slowly increased his pace and soon, he was sprinting through the city. He ran past different tall buildings, shops and houses and after a while, he stopped by a certain building.
It was a Two-storey building, with a steel body and silver platings. And it had a sign above the entrance, one that read "Bon Apetit". This was clearly indicating that it was a restaurant, but Jayden furrowed his eyebrows. It wasn't supposed to be a restaurant.
"What happened to the gym?" he muttered with a shocked expression. "Ofcourse, what was I even thinking? It's been five years, things would have changed," Jayden sighed in disappointed, staring at the restaurant, which was supposedly a gym five years ago.
"Well, since I'm here, I suppose I could check it out," he muttered to himself, before walking into the restaurant.
As Jayden entered the building, he was immediately struck by the warm and inviting atmosphere. The decor was modern and sleek, with a hint of elegance. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, making his stomach growl with hunger.
Jayden was greeted by a friendly hostess, who showed him to a table by the window. He took a seat, perusing the menu as he waited for his server to arrive. Jacob had given him a decent amount of money, it wouldn't hurt to spend from it.
As he scanned the menu, Jayden's eyes widened in surprise. The dishes were all familiar, yet with a unique twist. He spotted a "Lightning Bolt Burger" and a "Stormy Weather Salad," both of which made him chuckle. "Is this restaurant trying to mock me?" he thought
"Huh, that reminds me. I ran all the way here, shouldn't it be ten kilometres already?" Jayden muttered, and thought about opening the system to check his progress. But before he could view the screen that had appeared before him, a loud voice was heard through the entire restaurant.
The loud voice was followed by a heated argument between a woman and two men. They stood near the bar, their voices raised in a fierce debate. The woman, with a determined look on her face, stood her ground against the two men, who towered over her.
"...you're just trying to intimidate me!" the woman exclaimed, her voice shaking with anger. "I won't back down!"
One of the men, a burly individual with a menacing scowl, sneered at her. "You're just a weak little thing," he spat. "You don't know what's good for you."
The other man, leaner but just as aggressive, chimed in. "Yeah, you should just shut up and listen to us."
The woman's face reddened with anger, but she refused to be defeated by the men. The argument continued to escalate, with the two men becoming increasingly belligerent.
Jayden watched the scene unfold with a mixture of disinterest and annoyance. He didn't know what the argument was about, and he didn't care. He just wanted to enjoy his meal in peace.
The other patrons of the restaurant seemed to share his sentiment. They watched the argument with a mixture of curiosity and fear, but no one intervened. The two men were clearly high-level fighters, and no one wanted to mess with them.
Just as it seemed like the argument was about to turn physical, one of the men hurled a glass at the woman. She dodged it easily, but Jayden's eyes narrowed. The glass had sailed close to his head, and he didn't appreciate the careless behavior.
Without thinking, Jayden stood up and strode over to the arguing trio. "Hey, watch it," he said, his voice low and even. "You're being reckless."
The two men turned to face him, their eyes flashing with anger. "Mind your own business, kid," the burly man growled.
But Jayden wasn't finished. He was offended, and he wanted to make that clear. "I'm making it my business," he said, his eyes locked on the men. "You're being disrespectful, and I don't like it."
The woman's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back, looking at Jayden with gratitude. The other patrons of the restaurant watched in awe, thinking that Jayden was standing up for the woman.
But Jayden's motivations were far from altruistic. He was simply offended by the men's behavior, and he wanted to assert his dominance. Little did he know, his actions would be misinterpreted, and he would be hailed as a hero. A devoted feminist!