Walking Heartthrob

Chapter 11 Peter Pan and Pixie Dust

Class after class, I found myself enjoying it all—I loved getting immersed in literature and the bar was pretty high at King's; that stimulated all my creative juices and I felt charged up. Until about midday when my stomach grumbled after a long discussion in Film Studies. I needed to go find the mess hall, wherever it was. I still wasn't very familiar with the hallways; most of them looked alike to me. But I didn't feel like asking anyone's help so I was on my own.

I passed by a library a few times (there were like three routes to it) looking for a map or a guide or something that would say 'food court' or 'cafeteria'. I didn't find anything and started to feel lost. What's a girl gotta do to get lunch in a foreign country?

"You're lost." A voice startled me and I jumped around. It was Daylen. He was leering at me with a bored look in his eyes. I raised my eyebrows.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked rhetorically.

"You've been passing by the library a few times. What are you looking for?" Oh, that British accent that rolled off his tongue like yummy melted butter... It really was the most alluring thing I ever heard. But I wasn't gonna let him know.

"Er, I don't think I need to tell you," I said turning away to the forks of hallways before me. Better brave them on my own than get directions from him.

"You're a distraction for me and I'll never be able to read in peace if you don't stop pacing in front of me," He said with an unexpressive tone. "So tell me what you're looking for and I'll help you find it."

"Someone's feeling generous suddenly..." I muttered to myself. He wrinkled his eyes trying to hear what I said. I raised my head and swallowed my pride.

"Fine. I was looking for the mess hall."

"Mess hall?"

"You know, where people eat?" I said quizzically. "A food court or cafeteria."

"You mean the dining room?" He asked like I was too stupid to know what it was called. "What, were you raised in the army or something?" I rolled my eyes.

"Forget it, I'll find it myself," I said and walked away. To my surprise, he caught my wrist and held me so that I couldn't move another inch.

"Hey!"

"Wait a bit," he said. "I'll show you where it is. You'll never find it on your own."

"I think I'm capable of it," I retorted with a slight frown. A shadow of a smile crossed his lips.

"You could pass by here a hundred times and not find it. Just give me a minute, I need to collect something. Then we'll go." He returned to the library, leaving me alone. I had half a mind to just ditch him and make a run for it but since he committed—and my stomach was growling... I glanced through the door and saw him pick a satchel and come out.

"Let's go," he said, leading the way. I glanced back at the library getting a deja vu of the Beast's library which he gave Belle and made up my mind to come here alone next time. The arrays of books were tantalizing to my literary soul.

Daylen led me outside the building and I became doubtful. Was he pulling a fast one on me? No, he seemed too serious for that.

He led me right out of the campus and we even crossed the road. Finally, deciding that he was playing with me, I stopped.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" I asked, folding my arms. "We're not even inside the college anymore!"

"Do you want to get to the 'mess hall' or not?" He asked, sounding irked. I felt annoyed and retaliated.

"Look, if you didn't want to take me—"

"Look out!" He suddenly grabbed me and pulled me forward so that I slammed against his chest, locked in his arms. I gasped in shock. I turned around and saw a car speeding away along the exact path where I had been standing—I forgot I had stopped in the middle of the road.