Chapter One

 

Some things require exquisite attention to detail and in times I encounter such things, my nerves are a mess, my hands shaky and the world around me blocked off by a self-erected invisible wall of silence. Such things entail so many critical consequences that one tiny mistake could be detrimental.

THUD!

And such things, and such concentration, can be shattered to a million pieces by the simplest disturbance such as a car door slamming close extraordinarily hard.

My hand that held the pen jerked violently at the sound, streaking blue ink about three inches across the pristine white page.

I cringed—a lot more when I recognized the unmistakable humming drifting my way.

The picnic tables that scattered around the university grounds weren’t exactly the quietest spots in the world but I had carefully positioned myself by a table at the outskirt of the grounds with the next table about fifty meters away that between it and the empty lot behind me which is only used for parking when there is a track race on the oval across it, it should’ve been peaceful.

“Hey, Ali!” a loud, cheerful greeting came from behind me and I refused to acknowledge it in irritation.

Maybe he’ll go away or get called to some other table, God knows—I don’t care as long as he doesn’t start heading my way.

Some things though, especially when they’re irritating, just won’t leave you alone.

“Your nose is buried in homework again?” he asked, appearing across the table, which his shadow on my now-not-so-immaculate accounting spreadsheet, made obvious. “Ali, don’t you know how to chill at all?”

“Don’t block the sunlight, Seth,” I replied dryly, gripping my pen with tight knuckles. “My day is dim enough already, thanks to you.”

“What did I do this time?” he asked, plopping down on the bench across me, his hand reaching for the worksheet.

I slapped his hand away, finally looking up to glare at him. “You keep existing—that’s what.”

Most, if not, every girl on this campus thinks Seth Wallace is heavensent. With his tall, lean, athletic built, wavy, dark brown hair, smiling, forest green eyes and rich, privileged background, he is well gushed-for and swooned-over by supposedly intelligent females on campus—well, except for me. He and his troop of rich, spoiled brats for friends irritate me in the overly casual and carefree way they live life. You’d think somebody like me who have been going to expensive private schools since first grade would be used to people like Seth but I’m not—simply because my ticket to this high-quality education was hard-earned through punishing discipline that kept me in scholarships year after year. Without the scholarships, university would’ve never been possible.

He grinned more widely, obviously not taking offense. “Oh, but I exist to make your life so much more interesting, Ali.”

I snorted and dug through my document envelope for a new sheet. I don’t know what’s up with our Accounting professor but he’s opposed to using accounting softwares that would make projects so much easier to edit. Stacking up on blank worksheets was our only option. “My life is interesting enough without your constant torment, thank you very much.”

I meant it. His irritating annoyance was the last thing I needed. University was going pretty well for me since it started a year ago. I met him in one of my advanced Marketing classes on the second semester of my sophomore year. It started when I had curtly bitten his head off for being so chatty with the girl sitting next to him when I was trying to listen to the teacher’s presentation. He’d looked at me, for the first time, and had this weird, amused look in his eyes that starkly contrasted the seething anger in the girl’s eyes and since then, he seemed to be always sitting on the chair next to mine and for no particular reason, treated me like we were good friends even outside of class. I had no plans of being friends with him and his crowd and I thought that when that semester ended, I would finally be rid of his presence. But boy, wasn’t it such a huge surprise when he turned out to be in one of my classes again this semester—Asian Civilizations, which no business major is required to take, but I was interested in. I bluntly demanded what he was doing there—he was not Asian at all—and he was clearly there for reasons irrelevant to the course. He just grinned and winked at me, offering no explanation at all, up to this day.

“You should relax a bit more—have a little fun so you’re not always so uptight and serious,” he continued on, absently picking through a couple of my books on the table.

I flashed him a sarcastic smile and snatched my books away. “I’d love to take a break but unlike you, Seth, my life isn’t a party. Some people need to work hard for a good life but since it’s always been handed eagerly to you, I guess you won’t really understand.”

His eyes darkened a bit and for a second, I worried that I may have actually hurt his feelings. I’ve said worse things to him before, I’m sure. This can’t be the big blow.

He was quiet for a few seconds before getting up suddenly. “At least I’m not completely hostile to things I don’t really understand. Maybe our life of privilege isn’t all fun and dandy as you make it up to be but you’ll never really know, right Ali, coz you won’t even give yourself the opportunity to be convinced otherwise.”

I blinked and opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out.

I stared at him for a few, tense seconds before he turned around and walked away.

I frowned and turned my eyes away from his retreating back. I wasn’t going to feel bad—he needed to hear it. But as I sat there, staring at a fresh, blank worksheet, I bit my lip and felt guilty. Seth was often exasperating and he annoyed the hell out of me but I might have been harsher than I had intended to be.

He’s a good guy, I knew that. He treated people well, except for the girls he’d dated and dumped, but I still didn’t approve of his ways. But did that really make him deserving of a verbal assault like the one I launched on him?

I told myself to forget it and focus on the task at hand. I’ll deal with Seth later.

“French fries with poutine with chopped onions and relish on top and a glass of lemon iced tea,” he announced a few of minutes later, reappearing with a tray loaded with food. “I must say, your food preferences are so abnormal. Here, eat up.”

I stared at him, debating whether to be nice and apologize or to metaphorically claw at him again.

He caught my eye and grinned, picking up a big, fat, greasy fry dripping with gravy and held it to my mouth.

My eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be? This worksheet’s due in half an hour and you’re presenting great danger to its completion. Translation: Leave me alone.”

He shrugged and wiggled the fry in front of me. “Nah. You need me here, you just don’t know it. Now, eat up before the gravy drips on your worksheet.”

Alarmed, I gobbled up the fry, dabbing some gravy off of the side of my mouth.

“Oh, you’ll do anything for academics, won’t you?” he teased, laughing.

“Can’t you take a hint, Seth? Go away!” Flushing in anger now, I slammed a closed fist down on the table, causing the styro dish of fries to bounce on the table, some of the dark brown gravy splattering on the front of his spotless, bright red shirt.

My eyes widened in horror as we both stared down at the gravy trickling down the front of the shirt.

“Seth, I’m so sorry!” I sputtered the apology with a cringe, quickly reaching for a wad of paper napkins. I tried dabbing it dry but he gently held my hand away, taking a napkin and lightly wiping the globs of gravy off which still left ugly brown smears on the shirt. “I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry.”

He looked up and smiled good-naturedly at me. “Don’t worry about it. I have a sweater in the car, I think.”

“But the shirt’s ruined!” I protested, gulping when I saw that the red, long-sleeved shirt was Armani based on the embroidered label on the left breast area. “I’ll pay for it.”

He laughed softly and wiped the rest of the gravy that splattered on the table. “Don’t be silly. It’s just a shirt. I think you did that on purpose though, to make me take it off.”

I turned bright red and glared at him. “You’re disgusting, Seth. I have no interest in your anatomy. It’s best that you leave me alone now, before you have to start combing poutine out of your hair.”

He studied my serious expression, sighed and got up, picking up the tall cup of fruit slurpee he’d gotten for himself. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’ll see you in class later. Save me a seat, okay?”

I shrugged noncommittally. “No guarantees. See ya.”

I had already started reviewing my worksheet as he climbed out of the bench and I was going to ignore him as he left when he suddenly leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on my cheek.

“Seth!” I shrieked but he was already walking away, laughing softly.

My cheeks burned. I tried to feel angry but with Seth, it never lasts as long as I want it to.