Adrift

Chapter 3

November marveled at the university and it's walls.
Everything screamed prestigious and elite with its walls decorating the notable alumni and the various batches and their achievements from as far back as 1885.
Since then the university has been a private, recluse entity with its kids forming a close knit community of money, status, power and rank.
And these days, a generous dash of Rebellion as well.

How the university was going to adapt to an average middle-class girl with currently no money and no family, with no class, rank or status was beyond November.
She immediately reprimanded herself for thinking like that. University hadn't even officially started and she was already passing heavy judgements on the kids she hadn't even met yet.
She assured herself it will all be good. That it will all go smoothly as long as she kept to herself, worked hard and didn't meddle with anyone's business.
Then she could graduate from an extremely prestigious university and see where life takes her then.
It will all be good. It has to be. November counted on it with her whole heart.

Even though she had decided against it, November stood in front of the cafeteria that was operational 24/7. The rumbling in her stomach was way past hungry now. She was starving.

She stared at the menu, raking through it to find something affordable. November was running low on dough and wanted to be as cautious as she could possibly be atleast until she bagged herself a job.

But as she went over the menu, her eyes widened with disbelief. 2 singular slices of pizza for 25$. November thought that everything in there was hideously overpriced and that even if she did have the money, she wouldn't opt for anything that was priced so ridiculously.

Deciding to settle with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, November left the cafeteria. Even though there was no way the orange juice could suffice as dinner on any given day, tonight it will have to do. There wasn't much of a choice anyways regarding the matter. And with that thought November walked out of the cafeteria and into the hallways.

Sipping on her drink November's eyes moved from the walls all the way to the ceilings. Her eyes grew wide at the intricate detailing of the artwork that adorned the ceiling.

She couldn't believe it. She always knew this was gonna be a high class establishment, but it was like walking down the hallways of an old castle. History and riches all along.

If this academy was built to fit into the grandeur and extravagance of the kids hailing from such families, she could only imagine the lifestyle the children here were used to.

Boy, she was dreading the first day of classes. She was going to stick out like a sore thumb.

With her head still marveling at the ceiling, November crashed into a wall that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

She lets out a gasp as instead of finding out a wall of concrete, her eyes find a leather-jacket clad broad chest. So broad she actually thought for a second she had bumped into a wall.

As she hesitantly looks up, November's breath hitches as she comes face-to-face with someone who November thought was quite possibly the most attractive man she had ever set eyes on.

To say he was beautiful would be a complete understatement of his face. His perfectly chiseled jaw was grazed with a stubble that looked nothing short of delicious. His nose seemed like it was perfectly sculpted, as if God himself spent overtime working on this piece of art. His lips were perfect. As lame as that sounded, November couldn't find any other word to describe it. Perfect was it. But he looked as intimidating as beautiful. His neck alone was inked with so many tattoos, November could only imagine how much of it was strewn over the rest of his frame. Plus, the fact that he was so much taller than her freaked her out a little bit. November guessed he was a 6'3" minimum.

But when the man in front of her didn't budge, November became hyper aware of his hands on her waist. She was terrified. The man may be attractive but he did not seem kind, or happy for that matter. November tried not to judge; after all it was she who bumped into him and she didn't presume anyone could be much happy about that. His blue eyes were sharp and brimming with so much rage, November could only hope it was not ALL directed at her.

Reprimanding herself for ogling shamelessly, November clears her throat immediately and makes a feeble attempt to create some space between them.

That seemed to gain his attention and he lets go of his hold on her waist. November hurriedly takes a handful of steps back, almost stumbling again and is supremely grateful when she manages to not lose her balance.

It is only then that November notices the trail of orange juice seeping all over the front of his shirt.

Oh. So that's why he seemed so mad. November pales out as she fishes for napkins, tissues, anything really in her handbag and finds nothing. She could have sworn she had packed some in here.

It didn't matter though she thought angrily as she never did find anything on time anyways. But her anger was short lived as the scary dude in front of her takes a daunting step forward.

That halts November from whatever that she was doing as she inadvertently walks backwards as if on a routine.

"I- I am so sorry, this won't happen again. I'll be more careful next time.-"

November ceased to ramble more as a soft gasp escapes her lips when her back was pressed flat out against the wall behind her and she could no more take any more steps backwards.

He however, paid no heed to any of that, and didn't stop until he was standing almost as close to November as the wall behind her.

He places his hands on either side of her face and dips his head down right next to her ear, and November bites down on her lips so hard, to prevent herself from screaming, its almost painful.

Meanwhile he couldn't help but notice how tiny she was. Her small frame almost quivered from underneath him and her chest heaved up and down rapidly as she took deep breaths. He wondered if the girl realized she was so scared she was actually holding onto his arm now, around the biceps for support. He found that a little amusing, but refrained from commenting on that.

His face now next to hers, he whispers into her ear

"There won't be a next time, you better make sure of that."

November didn't know how to respond. It didn't matter anyway cause its not like she could actually act on it. She had completely frozen up. No boy had ever stood so close to her before and the proximity was freaking her out.

He leans back, removing his face from being so close to hers. She smelled nice, he registered. All fruit-y types. He noticed how she was still biting down on that lower lip of hers. That goes on any longer and it might just start bleeding. They were pretty lips he realized. So for her sake, he takes a step back. And another; and another. And walks away before he has the urge to stay. And that confuses the fuck out of him.

November lets out a breath of relief as he slowly disappears from her line of sight.

What even was that. November had promised herself she would keep to herself and not stumble into any kind of problems. Classes hadn't even started yet and she had literally already bumped into the scariest looking person ever.

Reprimanding herself for not being more careful, November hurriedly walks back to her room.

She was going to keep her distance from now on. She knew for a fact she was all out of space and energy for any kind of new trouble or drama.

She must be the new scholarship student he realizes as he enters his room. No one else in the entirety of this ridiculous university would ever smell like apples and peaches. Nor would anyone else dare to actually look at him in the eye.

That felt different. Almost nice, he thinks as he removes his revolver from under his belt.