Power 35

Chapter II: Follow me

  Lianne Angelita Hacinto

I have heard lots of rumors about Everleigh Institutes back in my country. Some say it's the most amazing university because of its solid reputation and some say it's the worst because the students that go there are criminals and just pretending to be nice for the society. But here I am, in the parking lot of the school, and yet to find out if the rumors are true.

Stepping out of my car, I looked around. Cars surrounded me in every turn. But they weren't just ordinary cars, they were those really expensive cars that could cost you your entire life. Damn, how rich were these people? Shaking the shock off my body, I headed towards the school. The lobby was deserted and the only people I saw were the guards who eyed me suspiciously as I entered the glass doors. I checked my watch. 7:57 am. My promised guide was going to come here any minute now. I listened to some music while waiting. Suddenly, I felt someone tapping my shoulder.

"Um, excuse me, Miss? Are you perhaps Lianne Hacinto?" A girl asked from behind me. That voice...I heard that voice somewhere before. I spun around around. In front of me was girl that was about my age and was wearing a red shirt and black leggings. "Yes. That's me." I replied and the girl looked up from a sheet of paper. My eyes widened. "Hello! My name's Xiomara Everleigh, I'm your guide for today." The girl beamed and held out her hand. Xiomara Everleigh... The girl from my dream. I shook her hand hesitantly. I started to feel sick as I remembered what happened to her. "Are you alright, Lianne? You look like you've seen a ghost." She laughed. I forced a smile on my lips. "I-I'm fine." I replied and gulped. I wasn't fine. I saw a girl getting murdered in my dream. And that girl is standing in front of me.

"If that's what you say." Xiomara sighed and smiled at me again. "Before I start officially start the tour, I'll first introduce you to your roommate and get you settled in your room. Trust me, you'll love her!" She exclaimed and led me towards the building beside the one we were in. "This is the dormitory; our rooms are on the fifth floor. The other sections are on the floors under." Xiomara explained as we rode on the elevator. I nodded absently and stared at the floor. I don't know why, but I was starting to feel uneasy with this place. Was it really a good choice to stay in this school?

Before I knew it, the elevator doors opened and Xiomara brought me in front of two doors. "This one here," She referred to the door on the left. "Belongs to Class 1-Alpha boys. Don't go in there unannounced or you'll have the greatest shock of your life. The boys are a handful" She winked and then entered the other door on the right. I followed her slowly. Inside were 13 more doors and had a mini kitchen and living room at one side. "This is the girl's dormitory. If you're wondering why we haven't encountered students lately is because it's still the first day of class and we literally have nothing to do on the first day. So, most students either stay in the dorm or get ready for the yearly school opening party in Class 3-Gamma." Xiomara stated and I nodded my head again. They have a party every year before the school starts? Well, that confirms one rumor of the students being huge party-people. Xiomara walked towards a door with the number 10 on it. "This is your room. Your stuff was brought here yesterday and all you have to do is sort it all out. When you're done, you can call me and we can start your tour." She gave me a key and I placed it in my bag.

"Oh, and by the way, your roommate is Mariya Alfonsi. She's a really kind person when you're kind to her. Just, don't push her buttons though, she's scary when mad." Xiomara chuckled and knocked on the door. Alfonsi... An Italian huh? I have been to Italy once, it was a nice place, I accompanied my dad in his business there. I flinched at the thought of my father. Lianne, you are here in London for a fresh start. What happened in the past, stays in the past. I chanted in my mind. A muffled voice came from inside the room. "Who is it?"

"Iya, it's Xio. And your new roommate!" Xiomara called and I heard a giggle from inside the room. I also heard another person's voice, I think it was a male voice. "Just a minute!" Mariya called and I heard rustling. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a girl with wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a pretty v-shaped face with soft features. Everything about her look screamed good. She also wore an aqua green shirt partnered with a denim shorts. "Xio you didn't tell me-" Mariya noticed me and held out her hand. "Ciao! I'm Mariya! Nice to meet you..." "Lianne." I shook her hand. She looked kind enough to me. Don't trust anyone. I shook the voice off.

Xiomara coughed. "So, Iya, this is your new roommate. Let her in so she can sort out her stuff." Mariya's eyes widened. "Now? D-Don't you have a tour?" She stuttered and blushed. I looked at her in confusion. "The tour is moved this afternoon. I want Lianne to get settled in first..." Xiomara suddenly smirked. "Unless, you're still entertaining a certain someone?" Mariya blushed harder and sighed, "There's really no hiding it huh?" Xiomara nods, showing her pearly white teeth to Mariya. I, on the other hand, am very confused. "Andrew! Come out! We all know you're in there!" Xio suddenly yelled inside the room. I heard grumbling and suddenly a man with blonde hair appeared. He was wearing a black shirt and a red leather jacket with jeans. "It's not nice to interrupt, Everleigh princess." The man, Andrew, groaned and hugged Mariya from behind, making the brunette blush even more. Xiomara rolled her eyes. "You two make me sick."

 Andrew laughed and looked at me. "By the way, I'm Andrew. Andrew Kingston. But I'm taken, thank you." That's when I noticed something on his neck that made me look away. What kind of people-?! Mariya laughed at my expression and ushered me in.

The room was neat and I could see my stuff from my side of the room. Mariya's side had a cozy, fresh feeling of home. Her walls were mint green with fairy lights hanging above and one side was covered with pictures of her friends and family. My side on the other hand, was a light shade of blue. Just what I wanted. "So, Lianne, where are you from?" Andrew suddenly asked as Mariya helped me get my things out of the box. "Oh, I'm from the Philippines" I replied politely as I began arranging my things on my desk.

Unexpectedly, Andrew's face lit up in awe. "Nice country, very friendly people." He said. "My family and I went there before. It was an awesome experience! I love the Philippines. Minus that one polluted capital of course." I was shocked but I quickly shook the look off my face. He's only seen the good side of it. "Thank you." I replied instead. Mariya and Andrew laughed at my expression. "Andrew plans to take me there during winter break, he keeps on raving about the place and I was curious. Wanna come with us?" Mariya asked. I shook my head. "My mother won't allow me." I lied. I really want to go back, but I won't like the flashbacks the place will bring so it's better for me to stay away.

Mariya pouted. "Fine." She said and we continued arranging in silence. A few minutes later, Andrew left. Saying he was going to "get-his-ass-kicked-by-some-girls" if he stayed longer. I let a long sigh of relief. We were finally done. I looked at my side of the room and felt proud. My clothes and manga were in place and my bed looked pretty decent. That was a huge achievement, considering my usual messy self. "Thanks, Mariya." I told her and she just smiled at me. "Anything for a new friend" She replied and began scrolling through her phone. I sat on my bed. When I looked back at Mariya, she was fiddling with something. A necklace.

She must have noticed my stare because she stopped. "Andrew gave this to me." She said and blushed. I raised an eyebrow. The necklace looked beautiful. It was a letter M with the shape of an A on its first wave. It had a unique design and it suited Mariya's complex. "It looks great on you." I commented and she blushed even more. "Andrew gave it to me on my 18th birthday." She said and smiled as she seemed to recall something memorable. "How old is Andrew?" I asked out of the blue. "22." She replied and my eyes widened a bit. But I shrugged it off. So what? If he's four years older. They're in love, that's all that matters.

Mariya looked curiously at me. "Does it feel weird for you?" She asked. "Nah. People have different reasons. And all those won't matter if you two are in love." I replied and looked at the time. It was already 12 pm. Xio said the tour was going to resume at 1 pm. I felt uneasy once more. Xio... "Want to have lunch with us?" Mariya offered. I nodded. "Sure." As we headed to the cafeteria, I couldn't ignore the sick feeling in my chest, even as I tried to push it away.

Xiomara will die.