Tangled up with Mafia Billionaire ( Muslim's love story )

04 | Orientation

Saba

I sat through about 40 minutes of basic orientation in english class before we took a short break. Sizing up my fellow students, I could see that I was one of about 200 new students. This was one small college. During our recess, I refilled my small plate with more chocolate muffin after I asked one of the cater if it contained alcohol or something and he looked at me as if I had two heads. It wasn't my problem that they had to add alcohol to everything and I need to be sure, after he told me no, I went and took a handful of blackberries on the side of my chocolate muffin and cookies.

I really loved that they brought food in carts beside the orientation room. It was like a welcome cart.  When I entered the hall again, I was surprised to see a few dozen more people were joining the group.

My original seat was now occupied, so I scanned the room for an empty one. Just as I was sliding into a vacant chair, two things happened. The first was that the lights dimmed and the screen at the front of the room lit up with the title of the forthcoming presentation in giant hot pink font.

Introduction to English Law:

Criminal Justice?

The second-and more worrisome-thing was that I glanced to my left and found myself gazing into a pair of frosty green eyes. I knew those eyes. I knew that angular jaw. I knew that mop of light, rusty-dark brown hair...only...up close, it was peppered with flecks of gold and wheat. So soft. It was the man from the side of the campus. Up close and personal.

He seemed to be glaring at me. And shooting ice-cold vibes my way. Here I was, raking my eyes over his face like he was a circus freak. Come see the amazing Freakishly Beautiful Man!  I may have seen him before, I may have dreamed of his haunting face before-but he had never seen me before, and he would have no idea who I was or why I would be staring at him like he was a delicious piece of cookie. At least I wasn't licking my lips. I wasn't, was I?

I forced myself to lower my gaze at my plate. Would it be appropriate to eat during Criminal Justice presentation when they are showing us photos of dead bodies?

My thoughts were all over the place. For one thing, mystery man's presence here told me he was a student, a freshmen after all, but how could all these students now him and smile and wave to him if he was only a freshmen. I suppose he is just a friendly guy who is a VERY social person but obviously, he wanted nothing to do with anyone in this room, based on his "stay-away" body language.

I tried sneaking a glance at him. His eyes stayed trained on his papers and the front of the room. His leg was bouncing impatiently. When about five minutes were left to the presentation, he stood suddenly but quietly, and edged past me and out of the room. I didn't even know his name.

I looked around to see if any of the other students noticed his exit. Those who were new like me followed him with their eyes as he sauntered out. But how strange that so many of the other eyes in the room turned away from him, glancing to the floor or the windows, anywhere but at him. It was as if they had been conditioned to avert their eyes-like he was Medusa with a head full of snakes.

*************

My afternoon was free since I finished the lecture within an hour and a half, and I decided to finish repacking the bags. Well, I planned to, anyhow. For now I was just munching on a deli sandwich as I made my way toward the apartment building.

The security guard near the building wasn't there which was strange since he was supposed to be a guard but maybe he was on his lunch break or something.