She called him Chéri

CHAPTER VII (uwu)

 'How many times did I tell you to complete this project when you had the time?' the professor scolded Hayden as he folded his lips inside, trying his best not to laugh.

'Look, now you don't have any time left. Your whole semester would be pointless, you're putting your graduation in danger.' Hayden looks down and places his hand on his face, trying not to laugh.

'Why are you laughing?' the professor asked in a serious tone.

He looked up at the teacher, trying to keep a straight face, 'Nothing, professor.'

'Go, and finish this project, go. Who knows if you are able to complete it? Leave.' Hayden quickly runs out of the teacher's room.

'how did it go?' his friend who was standing outside, asked.

'I really messed with his nerves,' he laughed.

'Well, how to you plan on completing it?'

'The project is ready; it'll only miss the deadline. Ill solve in a day or two.'

'Well, good luck,' they do a bro hug and the guy leaves, as Hayden pulls out his phone to call Olivia.

'Olivia,' she doesn't reply, instead, he hears her crying. 'Baby, what happened? Why are you crying?'

--

She wipes her nose. 'Nothing like this has ever happened in my life. I've never been this careless and stupid in my life. Can you even imagine? I missed the deadlines. Field work. It's impossible to complete it in time now.'

Hayden places his hands on her shoulder and massages them, 'Olivia, baby, look, it'll be fine, we can complete it.'

'Easy for you to say. The scholarship is just a dream now,' she wipes her eyes. 'I just want to rip myself into pieces and feed to the dogs.' She places her hands on her face.

'It's okay,'

'Come on, Hayden,'

He gets closer and holds both her hands. 'It's okay, baby. Tell me. What's the field work? Can it really not be done?'

'It's impossible, really. One hundred and five surveys mean one hundred and five houses. We'll have to do them one by one, and then make inventory. Impossible, it can't be done.' Hayden cups her cheeks.

'Look, impossible is a distant place, we don't know anything about it.'

'Hayden, really,' she moves her head to the side, making Hayden's hands fall to the bench.

'I'll help you out, okay? We'll divide the houses. Or you can ask, and I'll write, or vice versa.' He makes her look at him, then cups her cheeks again, pecking her lips.

--

Hayden knocks on the door, and gives Olivia a smile, who's standing with the questionnaires. An old woman opens the door. 'Yes?'

'Hello miss, I'm sorry we disturbed you. We just have to ask you a few questions. We came from the university.'

'Sorry, son. I don't have the time.'

'Miss, I swear these won't take any time. They're really short. Just 3 questions.' He took the cap of his marker with his mouth and showed the woman the clipboard in his hand.

'Okay, ask.' she sighed.

Hayden motioned Olivia to come in the front and ask the questions.

One house

Three houses

Fifteen houses

Twenty-three