Crystal

chapter 16

Crystal woke up in the early morning, like the day before. She was still avoiding her father. She didn't know when she would end it, but she was sure it was not for the next few days. She hadn't breakfast in the house like the day before, but she didn't bring any meals that morning. There was no bread or anything instant that she could bring. Would need an effort to make breakfast. She didn't want to make any noise or take a long time and would meet her father. She went to campus and sat on a bench in the park and closed her eyes like the day before. She wasn't afraid that she would see Christian because she had a class that morning. She estimated that they had different lecture times. But, like the morning before, there was a pair of young guy's eyes that were paying attention to her.

He was looking at a pretty young woman wearing a white shirt who was sitting on a bench in the middle of a quiet morning park and it surprised him when he knew she was Crystal.

"Crystal!" a man's voice made her open her eyes. She turned her head to the right to find the voice's owner. He was Preston. He was standing in the hallway while looking at her.

"Hi!" Crystal raised her hand to greet him. He walked to her while smiling. He felt he had won a door prize because he saw her that morning. He felt that she was more beautiful and fresh than the day before.

"Do you have a class?" He asked her when he arrived in front of her.

"Yes, I have." She turned up her head to see Preston's face.

"I also have too." He took a seat beside her, wanted to chat with her.

"But this is too early before our class time, right?" She didn't realize that it was also too early for her.

"But you're also in here at this time." Preston was right! His words made her realize she was not in a good position to complain about his actions. She gave him an awkward smile while thinking of an excuse.

"I love the morning air in this park." That was right, but that was not her main reason. Avoiding her father was her main reason.

"And I love spending the morning with you." He threw a sign to her that he was interested in her. He didn’t want to waste a chance to get her.

"A ha ha ha..." She giggled. She caught it like a joke. She didn't want to make it be a big deal and personal, in order to know that she treated him like a friend not a man. She wanted to make a soft border between them.

"Hi guys!" A man's voice made Crystal and Preston turn their heads. Sam was standing in the hallway while raising his hand.

"Hi!" She raised her hand when she knew he was Sam.

"Are you coming together?" Sam asked them when he arrived in front of them.

"No." Crystal's answer.

"Yes!" Preston's answer. It was his hope. He hoped he could drive her wherever she wanted. She turned her head to face Preston because of his answer and he was grinning while looking at her. Sam shook his head when he saw them. He knew his friend's habits. He knew that Preston was interested in Crystal. They have been friends since high school.

Ten minutes later, Daniella and Nellie came and joined them, chatting in the park. Crystal was happy because she was not alone in her escaping. She had friends around her, even though her friends didn’t know that she was escaping from her father's forces to marry a man.

"Do you have class after this?" Preston asked the girls. He wanted to meet with them again, especially Crystal.

"Um..." Nellie tried to remember their schedule.

"Not after this, but we have one at one p.m." Crystal said to them. She knew her schedule so well because the day before she had matched her lecture schedule and Christian’s schedule. She wanted to minimalize seeing the guy who made her heart beating be not normal and made the chemical in her body react to him.

"Okay, see you after this class." Preston raised his hand while leaving the girls. The time for the lecture would start.

Nellie was sure that her cousin was interested in Crystal, but she didn't want to take it seriously. She was sure that he would be normal after several days. She thought it was because of a new face effect and it would disappear after he met Crystal several times. She also knew that he was in a relationship with a girl from their university. It would prevent him from making a muddle...