School is bustling on the first day of the new Fall semester, and I realize that after the Winter semester, I will be in going into my third year. That is a daunting thought, I admit because I can’t believe the amount of change that had occurred in my life during these past few months. I mean, when I came to King’s College, I was but a scholarship kid who had to work about two jobs to fend for myself. I was hurting, my fear of the world only coming second to my anger, hating my father and missing my mother, and getting beat up on an almost daily basis.It's bizarre to ponder upon how much I’ve changed. I got friends now, although they are an odd bunch. I’m not all that pissed at my dad, and contrary to my past belief, he does actually care for me. I got a best friend who is amazing, a pseudo-father figure who’s not afraid to call out my bullshit as well as come to my rescue should I find myself needing it, and I have a decent job that might have been given to me solely on nepotism, bu
My gaze travels up the hand. It is a very meaty arm if I do say so myself, veined as if it belongs to a boxer, clad in a short-sleeved shirt. Then comes a broad shoulder, connected to a thick neck. And then there is a square jaw, a gritting mouth, a flared nose, and eyes that are glaring at me so hard that I feel I should have perished under the diamond-cut hardness in them.I blink as this strange dude keeps glaring at me, bent towards me so his face is only inches away from me, unmoving like a rock. For a moment, I’m not certain what I’m supposed to do.This is highly unexpected. I notice that the cafeteria had turned silent, and my friends are all wearing the same signs of confusion I am.Before I can open my mouth, Louise asks, “hey man, what’s wrong?”He is ignored, and the only reaction he gets from the man is a nostril flare.How interesting. “Look, buddy,” I finally find my voice, “is there anything I can help you with?” I do not even sound peeved. I’m genuinely curious as to
It is a TA who had been assigned to monitor duties, standing next to Annabelle. Anabelle looks like she is about to cry, with her eyes all huge and shining, and her small stature convoluted into a posture that screamed baby bunny that needed rescuing. She is fiddling with the hem of her shirt, lower lip bitten and flushed red alarmingly.Was she that frightened about this whole ordeal? I didn't even realize. Had she not been chortling just moments ago?“What’s going on here?” The TA questions, looking between the bully and me, “this young lady came to me, all frightened because you boys looked like you were going to re-enact WWE right in the middle of the cafeteria. What’s wrong with you? Weren't a group of students just expelled last semester for fighting one boy?”“And that ‘boy’ would be me, sir,” I reply, taking a step away from the bully, knowing that if I appeared to be intimidating, I would be lumped up with him as well, “I was just minding my own business when this guy came he
When I tell Coraline about my new friends, she’s ecstatic.“It’s really good you have people to depend on while you're at school, Jace,” she tells me while we pore through the analytical reports from engineering division of the factory and make the supply inventory for next month, “I was a bit worried about you having no one at school to even talk with sometimes, and now you have three people who are even willing to stand up to a bully for you.”“Yeah, it feels good to have that kind of support, I guess,” I reply, “I have to admit, it might take some getting used to. A lot to be honest. Half the time I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”“Sometimes, I really want to go and punch everyone who made you feel so damned alone,” Coraline mutters darkly, “ever since you were only a kid.” She tilts her head at me, “you told me you didn’t have friends in school either, right?”“I was never an interesting child, to begin with,” I shrug, “I didn’t have any special talent, you know? I was p
“So, what’s your deal?” Malic asks me a few days later as we all sit for lunch. It was quickly becoming our tradition, being seated at the same table we used the first day if we could, or using another in case our table is occupied, and partaking in the meal together. We had not transgressed to the stage in our friendship where we would meet one another after or before school hours, it’s still lunch and classes. But as I could tell, everyone was warming up to each other, laughing and joking, and talking about things that would be considered personal.I am excited for our relationship to grow, of course, so much so that at times I feel like a giddy child who had been led into a candy store. I do hope that no one can actually see it on my face, because that would be really embarrassing.“What do you mean what my deal is?” I question him back. Louise and Annabelle are discussing something philosophical on the other side of the desk, and today, Malic has decided to sit next to me.He tilt
I needed to find the bully’s name, so I ask around the campus.Turns out his name is Talon. Talon Moss. I don’t know if it’s his real name, but that’s what he introduces himself to anyone he takes a liking to. And to nobody’s surprise, all of them are the rich kids of King’s College. According to the rumors surrounding his characters, he's even more classist and obnoxious than Stone is, but less inclined to take leadership when harassing those that he deems lesser. I’m not the only one who is his target, a lot of other scholarship kids had been mistreated by him as well.But he does not stalk them as he does me.I do not know why he is so obsessed with me. Half the time I find myself walking through the campus, I feel his eyes on me. Sometimes it’s just phantom, but most of the time, I see him turning his burning gaze away. When I turn my own head fast enough to catch his eyes, I glimpse the sheer hatred in there.Was it because I got Stone expelled? As far as I remembered, Stone and
Everything is swell, except for one fact.I had forgotten my wallet.Of all the stupid things in the world, forgetting my wallet on this specific day was not on my agenda. Everything monetary is in my wallet, including the cards for the subway passes. I had no other money on my person because I had not even bought lunch today.Instead, I cooked in the morning, attempting to master the talent.That’s when it dawns on me, that I’ve probably left my wallet on the kitchen counter.I can’t help but slap a hand on my face with a groan. I don’t know what to do now. My friends were all gone, so I could not borrow some money from them.What am I supposed to do now? It’s quite a dilemma.I won’t really risk trying to sneak in a bus, and there’s no way any driver would let me ride free. I had the worse luck on the best days, so there’s no way I’m going to risk being humiliated by a bus driver on top of it all.So, that leaves one logical course of action to follow.I sigh and give Laurent a call
On one hand, I could stay and confront him about this stalking of his. But there’s no one around to help me in case Talon tries to do something drastic, and while I don’t believe that he would try to kill me or anything, I really don’t want to get in a fight on campus grounds yet again.And so ,I did the best thing I could think of. I turn and start to walk away.I know that I should keep to the outer section of the campus because Gerald would be driving by the road to pick me up, and there are people present in case Talon attempts something. I try to make myself look inconspicuous enough because I don’t want anyone to think I’m acting suspiciously. Previous experience had shown that this will not work in my favor. And so, I walked, trying my hardest to be nonchalant, putting a spring in my step and shoving my hands in my pockets, the very essence of a chill dude going home after a long day at the university.I look over my shoulder after walking a couple of yards, and sure enough, I