The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 17 : Meeting Her Sponsor

It was pretty late by the time Dusk reached back to her Dorm. Her shriek had startled Piggon who dropped the remaining glass of drink on herself. Then it had to be cleaned. Luke offered to replace the drink, but both of them refused. It was not his fault and they had almost finished it anyway.

Luke paid the bill, of course. He offered to drop her back to the dorm, but Dusk remembered the previous trip and firmly refused. Piggon was upset with her for refusing the lift because she was sure that Luke wanted to spend more time with Dusk, an opportunity she let go. That girl was too naïve or shy, she realised.

They had to wait for a Mass that would take them home. Piggon insisted on waiting till Dusk got a mass before she herself took one. As before, her room mates were not there when she went to sleep.

... ...

Dusk had shifted into her routine at the university and did not have much trouble. Well, not any more than a normal student would.

Two weeks after the dinner at Student Square, Luke confronted her at lunch time.

"Why are you avoiding my calls?" He asked.

"I have been busy. I am not avoiding."

"Liar!"

"No, honestly!" Dusk tried to defend herself as she tried to supress her guilty feelings. She had been avoiding Luke since that night. She had too much to do, a tight schedule and backlogs to catch up with and she was not comfortable being treated by someone repeatedly. She did have dinner with Piggon once, but it was at the Military Building only, in spite of Piggon's efforts to drag her out of the campus.

"Anyway, Micro-Mega is your sponsor, right?"

"Yes, they are supposed to give me $1,000 every month as stipend to meet living expenses. Why?"

"I checked, they have the scanner and imaging equipment you need for your 3-D stuff"

"Oh really? Wow ... But wait, why will they be willing to let me use it? You said, these are used for research and they will not just give it for a meaningless student submission."

"But they are your sponsor. They probably will be offering you an internship, which you can't refuse as they are your sponsor. They should be willing to let you use their equipment. They will have spare, probably."

"You are guessing? Or you know something I don't?"

"All I am saying, is why not go and ask them?"

"I don't even know anyone there! You think they will just usher me in like I am some celebrity?"

"Tomorrow is the weekly off. So why don't we go there and meet them?"

Dusk's eyes narrowed, "You will come with me?"

Luke gave a sly smile that made Dusk suspicious. She wondered what his plan was. But before she could ask him what he was up to, he got up and left, saying "I am willing to come with you today itself, if you 'Invite' me..."

Dusk looked at him as he was walking out. She called out to him, "HEY!"

He turned back, waved and walked into the elevator that had opened. Dusk realised that she had shouted out to him in a pretty quiet lunchroom and everyone around was looking at her curiously. She felt her face heat up in embracement.

Just then she got a call alert. It was Susco. "Where are you Dusk Hale?"

"Oh ho! What did I do now?"

"What have you done?" She could see Susco's face carrying a frown in the video image.

"I have no idea! As far as I know, I have not done anything wrong!"