Hayden Romero

**Hayden Romero** is the semi-main character in *The First Year, The Second Year, The Third Year,* and *The Fourth and Final Year*.

Throughout the series he is a student at Eden State University, in the second year, he also joins The Untitled when he makes his debut as a Singer alongside Faye Washington as well as playing guitar for the band. He graduates with the rest of the gang at Eden State University with a Bachelor of Physical Education and Psychology.

## Personality

Hayden is perceived to be the boy next door type of person, he has a massive heart and wants to make everyone happy which unfortunately leads him to hurt a lot of people he cares about by neglecting them which is shown in *The First Year*. He may be perceived as The Jock from high school but he fights out of that label and does his best to branch out discovering his passion and even secret talent for music.

## Book Appearances

### The First Year

* Chapter Two
* Chapter Three
* Chapter Four
* Chapter Five
* Chapter Six
* Chapter Seven
* Chapter Nine
* Chapter Ten
* Chapter Eleven
* Chapter Fifteen
* Chapter Sixteen
* Chapter Eighteen
* Chapter Nineteen
* Chapter Twenty

### The Second Year

* Chapter One
* Chapter Three
* Chapter Five
* Chapter Six
* Chapter Eight
* Chapter Nine
* Chapter Ten (Mentioned)
* Chapter Twelve
* Chapter Fourteen (Flashback)
* Chapter Sixteen
* Chapter Seventeen
* Chapter Nineteen
* Chapter Twenty
* Chapter Twenty One

## Relationships

### Casey Stephens

"*You were the girl who I fell in love with at the start of my time here, some things change but that hasn't.*"
— Hayden to Casey in The Third Year, Chapter 6.
Hayden starts out the year being quite attracted to Casey despite having a bad breakup from a previous relationship back in New Jersey. Originally he tells Casey he isn't looking for a fully committed relationship but then forms an attraction to Casey, throughout *The First Year* Hayden juggles with Casey's heart even as to go as far as having sex with her in Chapter 6 of *The First Year*. After proceeding to date Charlotte for the majority of *The First Year*, Hayden then finds himself always being drawn to Casey and wants to be with her. After breaking up with Charlotte, Casey and Hayden become official in Chapter 18. Casey and Hayden proceed to have a relationship that dives into The *Second Year*, however, Hayden's antics get the better of him and he begins to neglect Casey throughout the book, even forgetting her birthday. Despite apologizing their relationship is still strained and consistently argue throughout the majority of *The Second Year*.

Hayden begins to feel bad for neglecting Casey and in Chapter 19 of *The Second Year*, he surprises her with a romantic dinner on their one-year anniversary. After having sex, Hayden finds a notification on his phone of Casey's infidelity with Izzy and breaks up with her on the spot out of heartbreak. It isn't until Chapter 21 that they reunite, and Hayden explains that he needs some time to heal from his heartbreak but he and Casey still remain friends. Jumping into *The Third Year*, Casey reveals to Hayden that she fell pregnant the year before but decided to get rid of the baby because she didn't know who the father was and wasn't ready to be a mother. Unlike Izzy in this situation, Hayden supports Casey's decision to have ended her pregnancy.

Hayden reveals to Casey that she is the first girl he has ever truly fallen in love with and wishes that in another world they would find themselves happy together. Despite not being in a relationship, Casey and Hayden still maintain an unbeatable friendship where they are constantly there for each other in times of need.

### Charlotte Cosby

Charlotte is Hayden's first girlfriend in *The First Year* when she unexpectedly kisses him at a Football game and ropes him into being her boyfriend despite his feelings for Casey. Their relationship is incredibly rocky as Charlotte pulls him away from his friends and he felt like he was back in his high school days as the quarterback when he was with her, which he hated. After choosing Casey, Hayden breaks up with Charlotte which leaves her irritated.

After the events of last year, Hayden is seen in Chapter 4 of *The Second Year* with Charlotte where she is confiding in him about something, later revealed to be her harsh breakup with Oliver King. Hayden is consistently there for Charlotte despite his current girlfriend feeling uneasy about it, but Hayden saw a side of Charlotte that no one ever has, her soft and kind side which he was the first to see. After the events of *The Second Year*, Charlotte and Hayden grow a very hilarious friendship where they constantly pick on each other and joke about their relationship. When she is shot in *The Fourth and Final Year*, Hayden is the 3rd person (after Casey and Faye) to be the most affected by this as she meant a great deal to him.

### Izzy Washington

Hayden never expected to grow close to someone like Izzy after Casey cheated on Hayden with Izzy. However, it turns out the two have quite a bit in common and form a friendship where they are there for each other in times of need.

### Lucas Styles

Lucas and Hayden, despite being polar opposites are quite the pair of friends as Hayden considers Lucas to be one of his closest friends and even as far as living together in *The Third Year* after their friends ditch them to live with each other.

### Amy Romero

Amy and Hayden at first glance seem to have a great sibling relationship, however, like a lot of people throughout the series, Hayden constantly neglected Amy as she was a part of the Kappa Phi sorority he had no idea what was going on in Amy's life behind closed doors. When Amy shoots up the university, Hayden grows depressed with the idea that he could've done more to be there for his sister and deeply mourns her throughout the rest of *The Third Year*, it is Amy's death that teaches him to wiggle out of his Jock life and become a better and more dedicated friend.

## Trivia

* Hayden is not shown on any of the covers of the books, before the rewrite he was featured on *The First Year, The Second Year*, and *The Fourth and Final Year* but with the rewrite, he is only featured on the cover of *The Fourth and Final Year*.
* Hayden is the youngest member of the gang
* Hayden chooses Psychology as a second major after revealing in Chapter 17 of *The First Year* he snuck into one of his friend's classes.
* In *The Second Year* Chapter 4, it is revealed he wanted to go for Team Captain for his football team but backed out as he had committed himself to too many things.
* It is revealed in *The Second Year* Chapter 6 that he has a secret talent for singing which is shown when he auditions for Faye's band.
* Hayden's own original song is featured in Chapter 21 of *The Second Year* named 'Till We Meet Again' which is something he wrote about his relationship with Casey. It is the only original song he shows throughout the series.
* Hayden was cheated on twice in the series, once mentioned before he came to Eden State in a previous relationship.
* Hayden graduates with a Bachelor of Physical Education.
* It is mentioned that Hayden will go on tour with Faye and The Untitled after he graduates.
* The author of The Years resembles his appearance with Pierson Fode.