I reach the reception out of breath, and the receptionist stares at me as if I've grown two heads. I may as well have.
"Jenner Matthews,new student, second year BSc Zoology major..." I say,trying to steady my breathing.
She gives me another look before she types something and prints out what I assume is my timetable and class allocation with the directions, along with the college's brochure, which I already have at home. But I take them both and manouver my way out into the school's corridors.
I'm grateful that there's signs everywhere, so I don't really need a map or guide. It takes me much of five minutes to find Lab 28Z, which is where I'll be taking my first Zoology lecture.
The class is sparsely filled,so I pretty much choose a random seat in the middle without really checking if people are looking at me or not. After patting my face and taking out the module course outline, I become vaguely aware of a low singing voice beside me. Funny, I hadn't noticed anyone sitting next to me until now. I take in this guy's appearance-he has a mass of curls all over his head,almost like mine,but his are darker,and richer. I can tell he's of mixed race,just like me.
His skin is much lighter though, more olive than a brown, and he has a cap on his head. You know,one of those Jewish ones...or is it Islamic? I really can't tell the difference.
I'm aware that he keeps singing softly,before glancing at me once or twice and scribbling something onto a piece of paper.
"Please keep that expression for a second...yep,just like that" he says,still in a soft musical voice, a small smile on his lips as his dark eyes stare intensely at my face.
I raise my eyebrows at his randomness,but then he shakes his head thoughtfully before touching my chin and angling my face differently.
I'm too shocked to even react to the sudden contact.
He blinks at me with big brown eyes,before proceeding to his paper again,still singing. I look over at what he's doing,and then later realise that he's sketching my whole freaking face...what?
I'm about to do something mean to him, but then I really look at the sketch and my breath catches. Okay. He is good. Like,really good.
In the few minutes I've been sitting there,he's managed to catch my expression and the emptiness of my eyes in a pencil sketch. His hand flying over the paper, he adds a little definition to the sketch. Its just an outline,but its really good.
He finally stops,then looks at me,his face breaking into a sunny smile. Something clenches in my chest. He looks like a kid. A really goodlooking kid.
" So much better. I'll do the bigger sketch at home..." he says, stretching his arms a little. I frown slightly.
"Not that you need my permission or anything.." I mumble,but he hears me and laughs a little.
"Sorry, I kind of get carried away when I see something good to portray. I hope you don't mind that I sketched you without your permission" he says in such a musical and sincere voice, that I end up softening my expression. He blinks at me, as if observing something interesting,before he stretches out a hand to me.
"My name is Jalaal Sudar. But you can call me Jay" he says in a friendly voice,but not the overly friendly Fiona Rose way,or the annoying Adam way.
I shudder at the thought of those two,before I absently take Jay's warm and slender hand.
"Colleen Matthews" I say distracted,but I don't even bother to question myself on why I told him that my name is Colleen. Maybe because deep down, I realise he's never going to pull a move on me that will leave me hurting,like Jenner hurts. And maybe because I feel a little like my old self when he smiles at me- unpresumptous(sp),just smiling because it comes naturally to him.
