chapter 2 the quad encounter
862 Words
Vivienne stood frozen in the center of the grand foyer long after the art instructor's tall figure disappeared around the corner. Her hand squeezed her gold compact so tightly her knuckles turned pale. "Armor?" she muttered to herself, her voice barely a breath. "He doesn't know anything about me."
She forced her shoulders back, smoothed down her skirt, and headed toward the registrar’s office to pick up her schedule. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on her classes, those calm, grey eyes kept flashing in her mind. He hadn't raised his voice. He hadn't tried to intimidate her. He had simply looked right through her carefully constructed facade as if it were glass.
By noon, the autumn sun was warm over the Crestwood campus quad.
Students gathered in small clusters on the lawn, but Vivienne made a point of sitting alone at a shaded stone table, sipping an iced latte and tapping away on her phone. Her father had called twice already that morning. She hadn't answered. She already knew what he would say: Make the right contacts, Vivienne. Ensure the Vance name stays on everyone's lips.
"Excuse me? Mind if I take a quick photo?"
Vivienne snapped her head up, ready to unleash a sharp reprimand, but stopped. Standing a few feet away was a guy with warm hazel eyes, wearing a simple denim jacket and holding a vintage SLR camera. He had a friendly, timid smile and messy brown hair that caught the sunlight.
"I'm Liam," he said quickly, offering an apologetic wave. "Liam Thorne. I'm a junior, and I take photos for the campus magazine. You just... the lighting hit your profile really well, and you looked like someone out of a fashion edit."
Vivienne’s lips twitched into a practiced, arrogant smile. Flattery was a language she understood. "I always look like I’m in a fashion edit," Vivienne replied smoothly, setting her coffee down. "But usually, photographers have to pay for my time."
Liam chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fair enough. I'm sorry to disturb you, then. I just thought it was a great shot."
His gentleness caught her off guard. There was no pretense in his demeanor, no hidden agenda. Compared to the cutthroat social climbers she was used to, Liam felt like a breath of fresh air.
"You can take one," Vivienne said, adjusting her posture and tilting her chin just slightly. "Consider it a free sample. But if it's ugly, I'm suing the magazine."
Liam laughed out loud, raising the camera to his eye. "Deal."
The shutter clicked once, twice. When he lowered the camera, his smile was genuine and warm. "Thanks... Miss Vance, right? The cosmetic line?"
"The one and only," she said proudly.
"It’s nice to meet you, Vivienne," Liam said gently. "If you ever need someone to show you around campus without all the noise, let me know. I know a few quiet spots."
As Liam waved and walked off toward the arts building, Vivienne felt a rare, small smile touch her lips. Maybe Crestwood wouldn't be so bad after all.
Her moment of quiet was cut short when a shadow fell across her table. She looked up expecting Liam, but instead found the art instructor standing there. He was carrying a stack of files for the student council, his dark jacket buttoned neatly. He glanced from the direction Liam had walked to Vivienne's face, his expression unreadable.
"A word of advice, Vivienne," the instructor said softly, stopping by her table.
Vivienne rolled her eyes, her arrogant mask snapping right back into place. "Are you following me? Because if you want an autograph, you can join the queue."
The instructor let out a quiet, amused huff. "Liam is a good guy. He’s genuine, soft-hearted, and honest." He paused, his gaze darkening with quiet intensity. "Don't play games with him just to build your ego. He doesn't belong in the world people like us have to deal with."
Vivienne bristled, standing up so fast her chair scraped against the stone. "People like us? You don't know the first thing about me! Don't tell me who I can or can't talk to!"
He didn't back down. He stepped closer, his presence immediately overwhelming her defenses. "I know your family is pushing you to prove yourself. I know how heavy that pressure gets. But tearing down other people or using them as shields won't make you feel any safer."
He looked at her for a long second, his eyes softening just enough to make her heart skip a beat. "You're stronger than the mask you wear, Vivienne," he added quietly before turning away. "I just hope you figure that out before you hurt yourself."
Vivienne scoffed, hissing under her breath at how arrogant he acted.
As if right on cue, Liam smiled awkwardly from a few yards away, raising a hand. He called out softly that he was going to print the picture out and would see her later in the evening, before heading off.
- Writer
