[GL] Black Gold

Chapter 51

Camie didn't make the news but word spread fast around campus. She noticed the next time she went to class that people were staring at her. It took her a long time to notice that something was wrong. At first she thought she was being paranoid but after three hours she realized that she wasn't. People really were indeed staring at her and they didn't even look away when she looked at them, whispering and pointing.

Camie didn't really care what was going on but she did find it surprising. People didn't really pay attention to others at the University. Something very big needed to happen for people to notice a stranger. Even when she went to class to continue working on her project, she realized that most of her classmates sat further away from her. They had been sitting at the same place since the beginning of the year therefore people sitting somewhere else was rather surprising. Once again, Camie didn't care and focused on her work. Her classmates didn't sit that far away and she rather liked the calm.

At lunch time she thought that she would eat with her classmates because they were going to come back to class and continue working on their project anyway. However, her classmates rushed out of the classroom and didn't even wait for her or ask her if she wanted to eat with them. Camie didn't want to impose and preferred to eat alone. One of her classmates did catch up to her in the queue and she started talking to Camie about her project.

This made her think that maybe she had imagined things and her classmates just rushed because they were really hungry. Camie could understand that. She was the first person to always put food before anything else. They joined their classmates and they ate and talked as if nothing happened. Camie was ready to move on but after class ended, she walked past a coffee shop on campus. Two women sitting on the terrasse immediately exclaimed:

"It's her!

-She's the hysterical girl."

Camie didn't care about what was being said but the women were so loud that she couldn't help listening to them. She felt relieved somewhere. She hadn't been imagining things. People really were acting weird it seemed and she caught up on it. Well done her.

"I heard that she lost it on friday and started beating up a student.

-I heard that too! Lula Beril. She's in one of my classes. You should have seen how shaken she was.

-Poor girl..."

Camie wasn't listening to what was being said, too lost in her thoughts. She was wondering how many steps it would take her to pass the coffee shop and then started wondering how many steps it took her to go from her bed to her table. When she woke up next, she saw one of the women open her mouth to say something mean judging by her smirk. She didn't have the opportunity to say anything however because she suddenly fell off her chair. It all happened so fast that Camie thought she had dreamed it but it seemed as if she had been pulled off her chair. Except there was no one around her.

Or just as she thought. The next second, the other friend got covered in coffee. She immediately stood up, screaming. When she turned around, the stranger found herself face to face with a blond woman. She had very long curly hair and was wearing a colorful fur coat as well as pink sunglasses. Ember was holding an empty cup of coffee, her hand raised above the stranger's head. She put the cup down and started wiping her hand with a disgusted face:

"You!

-What? Do you have something to say?

-You spilled your coffee on me!"

Ember looked down at the strangers shirt:

"Don't worry, nothing could destroy your outfit more than this hideous scarf. Did you find it in your little sister's crib?"

With all those eyes on them, the two women didn't seem very interested in having a fight with Ember. The first woman didn't dare say anything and just grabbed her friend before running away. Being left alone in the center of attention, Ember glared at the crowd:

"What? Do you want me to get more coffee?"

People immediately turned away doing their best to ignore Ember. Seeing their reactions, Ember rolled her eyes before turning towards Camie. She walked up to the latter with a frown:

"Don't you get bored of being the talk of town?"

It had been a long time since Camie last saw Ember and she looked somewhat... Different.

"Let me guess, you didn't mean to help."

Ember rolled her eyes again:

"If you already know the answer then why bother asking?

-Well, thank you for being so clumsy."

Ember sighed:

"I don't need your gratitude."

Camie started laughing:

"Too late to take back I guess."

Ember pinched her lips and looked around before asking:

"How are you doing?"

Camie got so surprised by the question that she blinked a few times. Ember on the other side, looked away, pretending not to care. While Camie was blinking, she started inspecting her nails pretending to be absorbed by them.

"Fine.

-Good.

-And you?

-Fine.

-Good."

Ember looked somewhere behind Camie and said:

"I should get going."

She didn't even wait for an answer and turned around. As Ember was leaving, Camie turned towards where Ember had looked and saw Théa rushing up to her. The latter looked very angry:

"Camie! Are you okay?"

She frowned. Why was everyone asking her about how she was doing?

"Yes.

-Are you sure?

-Why wouldn't I be?"

Théa looked very relieved but the anger still wasn't leaving her face:

"I am glad that you are fine.

-Théa? What happened?

-I... Nothing. I heard people talking about you in my class. Don't worry I made them stop but it seems rumors started about you again. Don't worry. I am sure that by tomorrow, everyone will stop talking about you.

-So I was right! I felt that everyone was weird."

Théa frowned:

"Who was weird?"

Camie told Théa everything about her day.

"I am so sorry, Camie...

-Don't be. We said that we wouldn't apologize to each other anymore.

-Right, sorry... I mean... Sorry."

Théa was so cute that Camie couldn't help laughing. She really didn't care about what other people were saying but seeing Théa so worried about her was just adorable. She really wanted to rub her hair because she reminded her of a sad puppy. Camie didn't realize how tall Théa was until she raised her hand and she even had to tiptoe if she didn't want her arm to hurt.

Feeling Camie's hand on her head made Théa freeze. She didn't dare move, scared that the touch would go away, staring right in front of her, having no idea what was going on.

"Don't worry about it. If they are gossiping then either they are bored or they are just as stupid as the others. Either way, I don't care about what they say."

Théa raised her hand to where Camie's used to be, still puzzled.

"I have to go."

Théa continued staring at Camie as she left for her next class.