Nowhere To Hide

New School

Keep your head down. You don't wanna draw attention to yourself.

That's what i've been telling to myself as i entered Wilson University. I never wanted to be here but this is my parents' dream for me. This is what they've been working hard for. So i just have to go through 4 years of being here. Unrecognized.

Yes, you heard me right. I know the reputation of this school very well. Specially their privileged students. Almost every year a suicide incident from this school ends up on the local news. Nobody can't seem to figurr out why but more importantly, nobody actually seems to care.

I honestly wanted to be in the community college instead of being here. It's prestigious but at least i'm with my friends. Here? I'm a nobody with no one beside me. I'm a stranger, an outcast. And people like me are always seen as easy target. Why am i talking like this? I don't know either. I just feels like i won't coming out of this place alive. Am i crazy?

"s**t! I'm sorry..." I was about to run when i heard a deep husky voice of a man.

"You're new here, aren't you?" Fvck!

The first thing i saw when i looked up was a captivating blue eyes. I was like being drawn to those eyes like i'm being hypnotized. I can hear him talking but nothing seems to matter anymore. All i want is to look into those eyes. What's happening to me? God!

"Creepy" I just realized he pushed me when my butt kissed the cemented walkway. Jerk!

I tried to find him but he's nowhere to be found. What just happened?!

*****

I tried to keep a low profile as much as possible but the first day of school tradition is making it impossible for me. Every student is required to introduce theirselves in front of the whole class. And as soon as its my turn, everyone would talk in hushed voices.

They talk about how i dress, how i look and when they hear my family and life background they would start laughing. No matter how the professors tried to stop them they just kept at it. And they will all laugh even more when i say i am a scholar. It's the first day of class and everybody already made me feel that i don't belong here.

"You live next to the Woodville Asylum, don't you?" One of the student asked. I gulped. Oh no.

"Uh... Y-yeah." I answered.

"I didn't know that there's community next to that Asylum." Another exclaimed.

"There isn't. No one's allowed to live near the Asylum because most of their patients are criminally insane." Everyone was shocked.

"M-my father i-is one of t-the m-maintainence staff of the A-asylum." I quietly admitted.

"Oh! That explains why you look weird. Because you live next to the crazy and the weirdos."

I want to just evaporate. All my life i've been seen as crazy or weird because of where we live. I never had any friends because as soon as i gets close to group of people they immediately will stay away when they realize where i live.

"That's enough! You may sit Kate." I smiled weakly to our professor. Thank God!

*****

Lunch time. Every student is busy eating their lunch or talking to their friends while me? I'm sitting on the far corner of the university garden, behind the huge tree. Eating the sandwhich my mother packed for me, alone. It's better this way instead of trying to socialize.

"What the hell!"

I stood up immediately as i smelled something's burning. And it's actually none other than backpack. I hurriedly looked everywhere but see no one. It's just the first day of school, Kate. They're just getting started. Realizing that i threw my lunch out of shock and fear, i sat down and leaned on the tree.

"Yeah, Mom?" My throat hurts as i tried to so hard to keep myself from crying.

[How's your first day of school?]

"It's great Mom. It's really great." I bit my tongue when a tear skip my eyes.

[I told you! Enjoy your first day okay? I love you, honey.]

"I love you too, Mom." I quickly ended the call and started crying.

I don't wanna be here.

*****

This is the last subject then the day in this godforsaken place is finally over. I am checking every room number i passed by trying to find where my next class is. This university is really huge. I almost got lost multiple times trying to get to my next class.

"There's the creepy new kid." A skinny, tall guy blocked my way.

"Sorry but i'm already late for my next class." I tried to avoid him but he just kept blocking my way so i looked at him with straight face.

"Woooh! Brave! I like it!" A smaller guy joined the skinny, tall guy.

"I need to get to my next class, please." I swallowed hard to prevent myself from crying.

"No." The skinny, tall guy answered.

"What?!" I almost shouted in shock.

"I said, no." He smiled cockily.

"Fine." I turned to leave when he grabbed my bag and puuled it from my arm.

"Give me that, please." I begged but he just smirked.

"You want your things? Go and get it." My eyed widened as he flipped my bag and everything inside of it fell to the ground three floors down. I clenched my fist. I wanted to punch him. I wanted to hurt him. But i didn't. I just breathed deeply and turned to leave. On my way to get my things the heavy rain started to pour.

"Great! Just Great! Damn!"

I had no choice but to get my things then went home. Maybe i'll just apologize to my professor tomorrow. Or maybe i'll just drop out! I'm not wanted here anyway! But i can't. My parents will be disappointed. This was their dream for. All my parents ever wanted is for me to graduate from this university. They worked so hard for this. Specially my father. He will be hurt.

I waited for a bus with my clothes soaking wet because of the heavy rain. All my things are wet too. Even my cellphone. The cellphone that took my father 2 years to save for. I am shaking but not because of the cold weather but because of so much anger. He didn't know me. So why would he do this to me?

"What happened to you?"

I almost jump when someone beside me spoke. I looked at him from head to toe. He's tall, well built and considerably handsome. But there's something in his eyes that made me feel uncomfortable. They look empty, void of emotions. I stood up properly when i remembered he was asking me.

"N-nothing." I'm not afraid that he would do me any harm. It's still early and the bus stop is still crowded.

"It doesn't look like nothing. You seem upset. Why?" I looked at him. This is the first time that i saw him. He doesn't like a student from Wilson.

"A jerk threw my things out of our campus building." I said followed by a loud sigh.

"There's the bus. You should go home." He said before walking away. Weird.

*****

"Hi—what happened to you?" That's my mom while watching her favorite evening program.

"Baby what happened?" That's my dad who just walked in to our living room.

"Nothing." I was about to leave them when my dad blocked my way.

"Kate, we're asking you." Dad said in an authoritative tone.

"I said it's nothing. Just please leave me be. I'm tired."

I wanted to burst in tears and hug them to seek comfort but i chose not to. They will immediately report what happened to the school council and i don't want that to happen. It'll make my situation worst. And that's the last thing i want.

"Aaaarrgh!" I hate this! I hate my life!

Since i was a kid i've always been the odd man out. Nobody ever wanted to be my friend, hell nobody even want to be around me. I was always this weird little kid living next to the creepy Woodville Asylum. I've never been invited to someone's birthday or even been asked for a movie. Teachers always had a hard time placing me into group works because no one wants to work with me.

"What's this?" I noticed a piece of bond paper near my window. It was a sketch of a woman standing in a... b-bus stop?