Damion was sweating profusely as he sat down in the police station. His face was bloodied, one of his eyes swollen shut, and he was hurting everywhere, which was the handiwork of some boys at the institution.Before the police arrived, the crowd had surged forward, wanting to take matters into their own hands. And while one of the security guards was trying his best to keep the mob back, four boys had broken from the crowd and had started beating him and the second one just stood and watched the scene without providing any help.Well, that was how things were done anyway but he had hoped the guard would see past his status and help him as a fellow human being. But even that was too much to ask for. Even now in the police station, he was regarded as a filthy animal polluting their station by the officers. He sat patiently, although nervous, hoping someone would attend to him.His right hand was handcuffed to the leg of the table he was sitting at, so he had no means of escape and ther
“Hey cousin. It’s Damion speaking. I’m in the police station and I need someone to bail me out. Can you please…” Damion had not finished speaking when the call was cut off. It was the beep that sounded in his ears that made him realize that Bella had hung up on him.Devastated, he handed the phone back to the officer. “Well…?” the officer asked him.“She hung up,” he whispered, his voice cracking at the end. He swallowed the tears that threatened to fall as he avoided the officer’s pitiful gaze.“Is there no one else you can call?” Damion just shook his head. He was grateful to the officer because he knew he was helping him. For once, someone was treating him like a human being and his throat swelled with emotions again.The only other person he could call in this kind of situation was his grandfather, but he was sure the old man was listening in on the call. And the way Bella hung up on him showed that they were disgraced and ashamed of him.He felt so bitter at the way his life was
Damion stayed at the Lance mansion for over a week until he recovered. His cousin had phoned his workplace and requested for a sick leave for him. She also wanted to call the Chancellor of the institution where Damion was supposed to be offered admission and work the details out so he didn’t have to go there by himself anymore.But Damion refused, wanting to sort it out himself. If he continued to rely on them, word would get out sooner or later and suspicions would start to arise. And to be honest, Damion was not ready for the drama just yet.A couple of days after the incident, Damion was able to walk around without pain and the dark bruise on his eye had faded. He decided to go to the registration office again and pay the acceptance fee.This time around, he had clearance from the police station for the money he carried with him and no one would dare accuse him of robbery again, he hoped. He joined the small queue that was forming in front of the cashie
“I knew you were going to come back here. From the first day I saw you here, you looked like a stubborn animal who would not recognize the signs and follow them. Was my message not clear the first time that we don’t want the likes of you at our school?” the big boy in front spat with venom.Damion swallowed as he continued backwards. He knew that he shouldn’t be surprised at the turn of events. Life for him had never been easy and it was not going to start getting easy now.Bad luck seemed to follow him wherever he went. He had finally crossed over the hurdle in the way of his admission and now he must suffer for it. Why was life being so unfair?He watched the muscles ripple on the arms of the boy that spoke as he also eyed the boys following him. The boy that spoke seemed to be their leader though.Damion’s eye darted to his bike as he calculated the distance between them and if he could successfully drive away and escape this group of bullies.<
Damion roused from his sleep with a banging headache. He saw Bella staring down at him, smoothing his forehead and his heart ached.Never had anyone shown him that kind of affection before. He never knew his mother and there was no way the old ladies in the orphanage would do this when they were so exhausted everyday, they almost slept on their feet.He tried to sit up and groaned when he felt a sharp pain in his side. Bella shushed him as she continued to smoothen his forehead, “Just lie down and rest. You need it.”“W-wat-ter,” Damion croaked and Bella snatched the bottle she had kept for him on his nightstand and extended it to him. He gulped down the water like a man that had been trapped in the desert for years and didn’t stop until the bottle was empty.Bella regarded him for a while before she asked the question that had been gnawing on her mind since she saw his appearance when the bodyguards helped him in. “Who did this to you?”
Damion woke up energetic that morning. It was the first day of school when he would start lectures. He had been researching so much on his courses, reading and soaking up the knowledge he could get during the night.His routine at work had also changed the day before, and now he only worked part-time, delivering pizzas in the evenings. His grandfather and cousin had tried to talk him out of it but he remained as stubborn as ever, and it was safe to say that they weren’t happy with his decision.He hurriedly dressed up, excited about his first day at college. He wondered how different it would feel compared to high school, and he was about to find out.He arrived at the institution two hours before his first lecture, just so that he would have ample time to survey and appreciate the beauty of the buildings. He found a spot for his bike in the parking lot and trekked down the sidewalk, awe in his gaze.Riverdale College was not named the most beautiful college in the whole of the state
Bianca stood beside Damion's desk, silently waiting. For what? Damion couldn't say but he observed her nervously.He was sure they were eyes on him but the row at which he sat was empty. He stared at the girl in front of him and she stared back at him, no words exchanged.Finally, he worked up the courage to speak. "I'm sorr...""Shift." She interrupted him with one word and the moment he heard her voice, he was awestruck. If he had thought her voice sounded velvety when she was singing, it was nothing compared to this.She spoke with so much authority in her voice but at the same time, there was a tone of gentleness and kindness there.It took him a minute to process what she just said to him due to the fact he was lost in his own world. She nudged him on the shoulder and he blinked, embarrassed as he made room for her. She sat down as elegant as a princess and Damion could not help but wonder who her family was. She had this regal air around her without even trying which meant that
Bianca climbed the wooden stairs slowly and on tiptoes when she got home from school to prevent making any noise that would alert her parents that she was back home. The stairs had elaborate railings, carved balusters, and inlaid wood, making it look like something out of a fairytale.Her family was among the top five richest families in the country but what baffled her was how much they loved wood.They lived in an opulent home with two stories, a swimming pool, and a front and back yard. The house was floored with wooden floorboards, which offered a subtle warmth to the touch and is rarely ever cold and since it was used alongside heated floors, it ensured a cozy and pleasant floor while still looking regal. The living room, family room, dining room, kitchen, and two bedrooms and baths for the housekeeper and chef were all on the first floor, and she was relieved that her parents were not there when she snuck in. There were three bedrooms–one for her and the master bedroom for he