Stay With Me

Chapter 3

It was early in the morning, and Ruby was leaving for work. She wore a white shirt with long sleeves, a knee-length grey skirt, and white stilettoes. Ruby made a quick breakfast. Before she left the house, she picked up a Post-it and wrote something hastily before placing a magnet on top of the fridge.

Sierra would wake up in an hour or more. By that time, Ruby was long gone. Sierra woke up and took a shower before breakfast. She checked her phone for any notifications during breakfast. The instructor had uploaded new files, but they would not open for some reason.

She realized it was running late and dropped her phone on the bed. She would download the files after reaching the university. Her spirits were low after recalling the accident last night. Sierra quickly wore a dark grey top with black skinnies and sneakers. Looking in the mirror, she noticed her pale complexion as she tied her hair in a ponytail. She just wanted to get done with today. Walking to the university, Sierra entered her department. Without paying much attention to the people around her, she checked the venue for her current class and walked to that room.Sitting in the first row, she tried downloading the files again. The first file stated the details of a project the instructor had assigned to the class. The second file mentioned the groups with group members in which the class had to work. Sierra opened the last file to find her name in the list.

She was in a group with three other individuals. The other members were Rebecca Anderson, Scott Wilson, and Damien Turner. Sierra had heard these names before. But she was partially unaware of who they belonged to. Sierra overheard her name called from the back of the room. She twisted in her seat to see a girl dressed fashionably in a white turtleneck, light blue jeans, a printed pastel jacket, and a white bag heading towards her. Sierra was internally hoping the girl was not Rebecca Anderson. She seemed like a slightly mature version of Regina George. Mother nature had blessed her with sharp features. She had high cheekbones, a well-defined jawline, an angular nose, a defined chin, prominent brow ridges, and perfect facial contours with porcelain complexion.

"Hey, I am Rebecca Anderson, one of your group members for this course project."

"Hi, how did you know my name?"

"Please, you sit in the front row and know the answers to every question the instructors have asked in class. Everyone knows your name. Honestly, I got psyched to know you are in my group!"

"Oh. Umm. Yeah, I just read the names."

"Do you know who the rest of the group members are?"

"Well, I have not talked to them. I know Damien just by name."

"I know Scott. I will ask him if he knows Damien Turner."

Sierra silently thanked this girl for interacting with the group members. That reminded her she had to talk to the creep her mother had stalked online. She got her chance since they got grouped. Hopefully, it will be less awkward once this project is over. Sierra noticed Rebecca walking back to her.

"I just asked Scott about him, and he says he knows Damien from football practice."