Contrast [ A One Direction AU ]

chapter ten: clary

chapter ten

• Clarisse •

I wake up to the sound of birds squawking, horns beeping, and the jarring blare of my alarm clock.

Ah, Cambridge. Don't you just love it?

I yawn, my jaw aching with stiffness, before rolling out of my comfy bed and into the freezing bathroom. Sleepily, I get myself ready for another day at the university, slowly but steadily going through my regular routine.

It was two days after the disastrous halloween party, from which I had left early. Bella hadn't returned with me that night, and instead had spent the night with someone, although I was still quite unclear on the specific details.

Every time I brought it up, she would blush and change the subject.

This strangeness bothered me, but what with everything going on, I hardly had the time to think too hard about it. If she was going to tell me something, she would do it when she was ready.

Still, I couldn't deny the twinge of hurt from all the secrecy.

One thing Bella had mentioned about the party though was this random vandal, who she had apparently seen vandalising the front of the swimming complex she worked at. She had ranted pretty extensively on this guy; apparently he had pinched her bum on the morning bus, and when they met again, blatantly flirted with her. I hadn't remembered much detail about this, as I was trying to finish my music presentation at the same time, but he sounded like a complete asshat. No one I knew seemed like that kind of person, and I hoped I would never have the bad luck to.

In other news, Zayn Malik was still ever-present in my mind. More than once I had woken up to the phantom feel of his lips on my skin, and his words were never far away from my mind. It was maddening; I had no idea what his deal was. One second he was sweet and lovely and kind, the next, he's a flirtatious, demanding, asshole. I had taken the slip of paper with his number on it and hidden it in a small box I found in one of my drawers, and refused to even look at the drawing he'd made of me.

That boy was poisonous, and yet, I couldn't get him off my mind.

I sighed heavily as I opened my closet, trying to decide what to wear to the uni. My eyes fell to the folded black hoodie sitting alone on the floor of the closet, and I squeezed my eyes tight shut before picking it up and shoving it into an empty drawer. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I quickly change into a sweater and leggings, and pack my bag for the day ahead, turning my music stereo up loud to block out the thoughts in my head. I slip on my glasses for today; it was just not a contacts kind of day. Finally, I was ready and I shut off the music and inserted my earplugs before finally exiting my room.

I glance at my watch; I was early for my first lecture, which gave me ample time to go grab a bite to eat. I rap twice on Bella's door to let her know I was going out, then left the apartment behind.

I head to The Roasted Bean, where I always got pastries and coffees for half price. Employee benefit, can't complain. I was greeted by a harried Mary; it was a busy morning today, with long lines of business men and women queuing for their daily caffeine dose. Quickly wiping the condensation off my glasses, I slip behind the counter and prepare my own cup of coffee before grabbing a Danish and slipping the money into the cash register. I make two long blacks at the same time for the waiting customers and a grateful Mary before leaving the coffee house and heading towards the campus.

I eat my Danish and watch the bustling streets, contemplating the day ahead of me. Gabrielle Aplin plays softly in my ears, the melancholy music matching today's dreary weather. I near the campus, and again, I check my watch. I still had plenty of time before my lecture, so I head towards a bench I favoured on the campus, which was quite near to the building I was to have my lecture in. I settle myself on it, and finish off my Danish.