Her Safe Haven

Chapter 4 - When Your Escort Was More of a Mystery Than You Were

Previously on Her Safe Haven: Another one of their friends, Dylan Choi, thought about asking a girl named Riley out. The student council meeting discussed the upcoming Sponsorship Exchange Programme where three members of Dews High's Student Council (who were also the children of the school's CEO): Rohan, Lennox, and Jacob Garrison, will be visiting Lakeside High for a week to discuss about sponsorships for Lakeside Festival. Seth was chosen as Lennox's escort, while Winter and Dean Barley would be escorts for Dews High's student council president, Rohan Garrison.

"On the contrary, Lakeside Private High houses four hundred students who are all unique with their own special skills and talents — our student council president, Jonah Ford, is an excellent example; you've met him, haven't you, Rohan?"

"Yes, yes I have," he said, paying perhaps more attention than necessary to his escort's explaining on 'the types of students who go to Lakeside Private High'. "In fact, I may say that he's a dear friend of mine."

Dean nodded. "Good to hear. Now for our choices of subjects and courses..."

He tried his best not to sigh. Rohan had no idea how all this promoting of Lakeside High was related to the matter of Sponsorship, but if his escort decided to lecture him on it, it would only be polite for him to give his full attention.

Although one of his escorts, the girl, hadn't said anything since the second they met.

He shifted his eyes to glance at her — Dean had introduced her earlier as Winter McHalen; and since Lakeside High only housed the most financially-able students (read: very rich kids), it would only make sense that this Winter McHalen was somehow related to the multi-billion dollar McHalen Corporation.

Though he would expect such kids to be more chatty, especially if it was regarding something such as sponsorship, this Winter McHalen had been exceptionally quiet all this while.

"Would you like to join one of our classes, Rohan?"

Rohan snapped his eyes back to Dean. "Ye— certainly, Dean. If that is not too much trouble."

Dean led them through a set of stairs into another building block. "This here is Da Vinci Block. All of our arts classes are held here," he said, "next to it is the Beethoven Block for all our music classes."

Rohan noticed the McHalen girl's face lighting up, and she tapped Dean lightly on the shoulder.

Dean turned to look at her.

The next thing she did sent Rohan's eyes to widen.

She made some gestures with her hand, and Dean nodded, following her use of sign language. "That's a great idea, Winter."

Rohan spent the next few steps inwardly gaping at her before they stopped in front of an ongoing arts class.

+++

Winter thought she knew the meaning of the word 'gentleman' until she met Rohan Garrison.

At first glance, Rohan seemed like someone she wouldn't expect politeness from. With messy dark red hair, tense crossing of his arms, dark circles under his eyes, and no smile on his face, he seemed like the type of delinquent a school might have (of course, Winter had never been to a government school before to make an accurate judgement).

But the way he spoke; the choices of his words, his sense of courtesy, and the way he paid extra attention to Dean's nonsense, reminded her of how Caleb would behave when meeting their parents' business partners. It showed that he was truly a man ready to inherit a large, successful business group.