Anastasia

16

"If looks could kill, intelligence would be lethal."

"Done." Ana stretched her arms above her head, rocking her body side to side to relax her muscles. Cracking her knuckles, she flexed her fingers and rested them on her writing pad. Looking at the notes she has taken, she felt a sense of satisfaction - reading up on a new chapter, taking the test and compiling notes for that chapter was a huge feat to her.

She reached over for her cup of matcha green tea, taking a whiff of the aroma. The mistake she made this afternoon knocked her in the head, and her appetite for that drink immediately perished. Resting against the leg of her bed, she thought about Danielle's idea. It was feasible, but she had so many doubts clouding her mind she couldn't decide whether she should just use her savings and treat him at the restaurant where she first had her burger.

No. I need them for my school fees. Screw it. I got myself into this, I'll get myself out of it. She packed up her bag, then went to the kitchen to grab a packet of her matcha green tea. Searching for the cupboards for a recyclable cup, she did find it, to her surprise. They were the kind one can find at Starbucks or Macdonald's.

Pouring some water into the boiler and switched it on for it to boil, she leaned against the counter and waited. She drummed her bitten-to-the-stump fingernails, contemplating whether she should give him a text. Nevermind. Not like I want to strike a conversation with him anyway. She concluded. Upon hearing the click of the boiler, she waited a while longer for the water to cool before dumping the green contents into the cup and poured the piping hot water, before sealing it with a plastic lid. She wondered where these students managed to find that many recyclable cups.

Borrow, beg, or steal, these students would most likely survive if ever the world fell into poverty. She would, undoubtedly, be the first few to die.

Hey Dan, do you know where Zach's dorm is?

As if on cue, Danielle immediately came online and read her message.

Two levels down, turn right. Last door at the end. Want me to accompany you?

"No, it's alright. It won't take long." Ana texted back. Sliding her phone into her pocket, she cupped the hot drink with her hands and exited, heading to the lift. Waiting for the lift to stop on ber floor, hundreds of thoughts raced through her mind like racing cars.

She took a deep breath. It is going to be okay. She told herself. It's just a damn drink.

"Anastasia?" She knew that familiar voice. Looking up from the floor, she saw Zachary. He was in the lift with another girl beside him, staring at her as if Ana had just bitched her about the way she clothed herself. She would have, if she had got the guts to. She rested her arm at the crook of his arm, drawing him closer to her. Ana stared at them in subtle surprise.

Ooookay.

"Yes. Hello. As promised, your drink. Enjoy." She almost thrust the cup into his hand and quickly turned her back on him before he could see the furious flush on her face.

"What's with you and that girl?" she girl in the lift asked him, raising a demanding eyebrow to look at him. Zachary smiled and kissed her forehead, making her relax slightly.

He shrugged. "Don't worry. I won't drink it." He tossed the drink into the bin outside the lift and pressed the close button to head down to the first floor. The girl snuggled her face into his coat, and he was thankful he was tall for once. He felt remorseful for throwing away that drink that she made him. He could tell it wasn't bought from a restaurant, because the recyclable cup had several dents on the grooves, and there wasn't any known café label on it.

Ana made you her favourite drink, she's coming down to see you. Be there. His mind traced back to the message Danielle had sent him, and his chest suddenly felt tight.

I'm sorry, Ana. He thought, as he made his way out of the campus with the girl in his arms. His previous happy mood has completely dampened; he now had no mood to eat anything else, except for the drink she had made.

"Hey. Are you okay?" she tilted her head up to look at him, her perfect trimmed and tinted eyebrows furrowed at him.

"I'm good." He lied. Lies, lies, lies. Big, fat lies.

"You know she's a naïve idiot, easily manipulated. You could tell her she's beautiful, and she would believe it. But in fact, she isn't at all." the girl rolled her pretty blue doll eyes.

"Right."

"I'm always right." she laughed, poking his chest with a manicured finger.

He smiled at her as best as he could, although he wanted to slap Astrid in the face. Yet, it was true.

She is gullible.