The VC of Matisse University de Paris was an old man. Vincent and nobody that he knew could ever confidently say that they knew his real name. Everybody referred to him as Vice Chancellor Mattise, and if Vincent did not know any better, he might have thought for certain that even his son, Henri, did not know the name of his father.
That would have been a terribly comedic thing if it were really true, Vincent thought within himself, having once again one of those inner monologues that he usually had as he was held on both arms to the office of the VC by two security guards.
He nearly let out a chuckle as he got thrown into the office immediately, with the view of the old VC staring at him with a face full of scorn; his son just standing beside him, quiet, his lips and parts of his face still swollen.
Vice Chancellor Mattise was said to be in his fifties, but his head was already so crowded with white hair, his face, always with a frown reeking of wrinkles, had people guessing that he was actually beyond those years. Vincent agreed, especially seeing the man up close. A thought came dancing in his mind that maybe, maybe he was really as old as 100, but somehow at night, he transformed into a vampire to go around sucking blood that kept him still alive and standing.
"Why the smug look, young man?" Vice Chancellor Mattise finally said, noticing that Vincent had a look on his face that did not exactly give off the idea that he was in trouble. He seemed to be smiling.
"Nothing sir" Vincent said with all the seriousness he could muster out of himself, standing upright to look at the old VC.
"Don't sir me" VC Mattise thundered, what do you have to say for yourself you degenerate piece of trash?"
Before Vincent could reply to that the VC continued with his words, not waiting at all to hear Vincent's side of the story.
—"you know I'm tired of you degenerates in this school, thinking you own the place because you are able to pay the fees. I'm tired. What would it take me to be free from you? I guess I should increase the tuition fee once again to finally see you cut loose because you are poor just as everyone in your family has ever been. Oh, I forgot. You don't have a family."
Vincent felt himself flinch from those words, but he refused to react to it, chosing to merely stare, not at the white face of the VC, nor his son, but at the space between them.
"Look what you did to my son. Look! How dare you lay your filthy hands on him? What did you think that would prove? That you're not a degenerate? To impress a girl? I am surprised Mr. Vincen, that you are even able to afford thinking of women. You should be scared shitless every day if you'll be able to afford a day's food but you rather fight for lassies instead."
Henri who was still standing now had a smug look on his face. His eyes glittered with every insult his old father hammered down at Vincent.
Vincent stood motionless. There was nothing much he could do. The words he was being told had been echoed to him time and time again without number. There was pretty much nothing he could do about it than to listen, or shut himself up from listening by tuning out of reality again into his inner monologue. He almost did so but a sound from the door woke him back up.
"I'm here" a familiar voice broke in. It was Rory, she looked as beautiful as ever. Vincent's face turned to her. His eyes following her petite body as it pranced in the office, in a steady gait, as nimble as that of a cat, waiting that she might look at him and act like he was a human being standing right there, but she did not, and that did not shock him, after her actions at the date, nothing it seemed coming from her could shock him anymore. Or atleast that was what he thought.
"Oh welcome mom Cheri" VC Mattise let out in a happy gesture, his old teeth brimming from beneath his lips. Vincent had never seen him smile that way before. Well, untill today, he had never even thought the old man could smile at all.
Rory went on to hug Henri who proceeded to give off once again his mocking smile back at Vincent.
"Oh watch. I command you to" the VC exclaimed. "Watch them and perhaps you would be able to learn a lesson or two from this, since it seems school does not teach you anything. Not even manners."
The two of them, Henri and Rory went on to kiss right there. Vincent immediately felt exactly what he had felt in the restaurant yesterday. He moulded his hand into a fist. ‘He was wrong,’ he thought. Rory had shocked him once again. How on earth could she do this to him? His mind once more was full of rage that in an instant, with full leap, he jumped right into Henri, plummeting him to the floor and left on his face, imprints from his fists.
Rory cowered away in fear. "Vincent!" she screamed. Now he had her attention.
In a minute more, security was called in, and once again, Vincent found himself in the clutches of the two hefty looking men that had escorted him inside.
"You're an animal, Vincent!" Rory screamed at him, rushing off to go tend to the battered Henri who laid on the floor. He pushed her away, standing up to point at Vincent.
"See papa, see what he's done." He cried out.
"Enough. How dare you?" The VC said, walking up to Vincent and leaving on his face a slap. "And in my presence? I can see you have truly not learnt a thing and need to be thought a thorough lesson. I hereby expell you from this school. You shall not be found on its premises any longer. And security take him to the station. Charge him with battery. He should be able to learn a thing or two from there.”
Vincent did not offer to fight back. He promptly let himself swing on the hands of the security guards as they strolled out of the premises.With one final swing of his head backwards, he was able to steal for what he felt was the last time, the view of the University. ‘So just like that,’ he thought within himself, he was about to lose the only shot he had at gaining an education and making it out of the pitiful penniless life that he had been leading right untill now.He fought back tooth and nail against the tears that were about falling right across his face. He wished for a second that his eyes had the suction power possessed by his nose to pull back on whatever it had excreted. He has worked hard in getting an admission there. He had to work twelve hours doing multiple jobs everyday in order to pay for his bills. Now everything had gone down the drain and all for what? All for nothing but a girl who was ready to betray him at the mere sound of money.Again, he let his head dan
On a windy evening the next day around the school premises, another luxurious car came parking just close to the school's gate. A Rolls Royce. It brought forth the attention of students who all crowded around it with their eyes all lit up in awe of its beauty.The door was flung open and a bald man with pitch black glasses, well framed cheekbones and jaw line and a muscular build, stepped outside of it wearing a white suit.He looked around, as if selecting for a student. His demeanor was nothing short of intimidating, but this did not stop the students from admiring from the distance that they were perched on."Hey you," he called out, pointing at one of the students, a tall lanky boy with glasses and a bulb haircut. The boy walked foreward although his eyes were filled with uncertainty."Take me to the Vice Chancellor of this school," the man demanded, his voice was hoarse and as intimidating as his looks were."Y-yes." The boy replied, his tone shaking.In a few minutes there were
It took them thirty minutes to get to their destination. At that time, Vincent finally broke out of the surprise bubble that he had found himself. He was finally back in the real world, in a car with a one-eyed bald stranger that had just paid a huge amount of money to the VC like some sort of trade to get him.His chest vibrated with the thumping of his heart. For all he knew the man in question could be some sort of organ trafficker that he had just been sold to. Sweat dripped down his face as he bit his lip."I'm sorry, Monsieur driver, sir—""The name is Frank." Frank cut his sentence short, his eyes still focused on the road attentively. "Frank Guillaume. But just call me Frank.""Okay, Frank. I'm genuinely happy to have met you. You took me away from jail so I infact am very happy. But where are we going to?" Vincent sounded unsure and nervous. He had every reason to. Frank was still very much just a stranger to him."Well, no need to panic. It seems you have had a little encoun
Monsieur Dubois stood waiting with a scowl on his face in front of Vincent's apartment waiting for him. He finally saw him with a look of happiness on his face. His eyes possessed what Monsieur Dubois would casually call a fool's glimmer.Today was the day the rent was supposed to be due, why on earth did he look so happy? Monsieur Dubois asked, his hand grasping hard to the walking stick that he held, shaking with tremendous annoyance at the young fool's behavior, prancing into the hall way like he owned the place.Once he got closer, Monsieur Dubois fired off with his question. "Where is my money?" It caught Vincent off guard, but in no time, he returned the scowling look on Monsieur Dubois with a smile.His behavior was shocking, but not any more than it was annoying and provoking to the man's anger. But before he could say any other word, Vincent was with a wad of cash that Monsieur Dubois' eyes were not fast enough to see from where it was that he pulled the money."Take," Vince
For the next few days the entire school had been covered by wallpapers and fliers all depicting the so called party by Henri."I heard there is going to be a pool party there too," Denis said, inspecting the flier as it perched just right there on his locker, "I get it's going to be all big and boujee by the "infamous and rich" Henri Matisse, what I don't get is why they have to put it on our faces. Why are they trying to get us to go by all means?"He ripped off the flier from his locker, his face ridden with an annoying disgusted look."Because they want us to come. It's that simple," Vincent said, tearing the flier off his locker too, "So they will be able to embarrass and make fun of us there. That's his plan. And it's low."Speaking of the devil, there were approached by Judee, a very huge man with a considerable muscular frame. He was known as the most fearsome student in Mattise University de Paris."Oh great." Denis retorted, about to leave with Vincent when Judee blocked them
The forced invitation was a problem as Vincent had thought it to be, but there was another equal issue that he had to face if he really was going to go to the party. On the day before the party, he was standing in front of a mirror again when he found out this one thing, and even felt gobsmacked and stupid that he had never thought of it before: he had absolutely no clothes to wear to a party. The clothes he has bought on the day he was supposed to be on a date with Rory were worn out and spoilt from the fight he got into with Henri and the subsequent events that happened."I have to get myself new clothes," he finally said to himself as he looked on his reflection. With that thought he ran across the house, grabbed a bag and his trustee bicycle, and off he went. There were several boutiques in Paris that were well said to be of impeccable quality, but one, only one of them did he fancy in entering. The large boutique de Gentry. It was the most beautiful according to him, and the onl
In the boutique once again Vincent was greeted with condescending eyes. He could not only see it, he could also feel it; deep resentment resting in the heart of the staff as they saw him strolling behind Marie."Hey, who let you in here?" One internal security guard hallowed in a thunderous tone at Vincent who paused like a man frozen in time. "He's with me." Marie said, touching Vincent by the shoulder. A mere touch from her was enough to make him melt inside. "But Madame, look at his dressing. He looks like a street urchin. Why would you let him here?" The security guard's eyes were still focused on Vincent."Because this is a boutique and I can bring anyone I want inside here," she said, her tone like a fiery sword made from the coldness of ice."No, you don't—”"If you have further complaints you should take it up with my mother."The security guard kept quite and decided to leave, but he gave one look at Vincent that made his blood freeze. Vincent has decided in his mind that
He arrived home that day with all the goods he had bought. His hands full, his pockets empty, and his heart full of shame, thinking about what had happened and how he could have been so stupid and careless.He remembered the face he saw on Marie as the Cashier told her everything. She was not just disappointed, she was also embarrassed. He made way to his room and crashed on the bed like a meteorite crashing into the depths of an ocean. He could feel the stress at that point in time dissipating out of his body. He had sweat all getting drenched out of him and being soaked by the bed sheet.One move of his head to the side and he saw the so-called premium card lying just right next to him. His head spun around as he thought about the problem he had gotten into just for forgetting itHe got up, picked it up, stood up from the bed, grabbed his bag and shoved it into one of its many pockets. "That would do it,” he said to himself. "I would never let this out of my sight again." He had l