"Miss Hannah I offer a deal here then. I agree to your 10 billions if you stay with me for a long time" his smile was no more visible after than one sip of his drink.
My hear sank. Does he not think about anything else? "Refused"
"Why? You just accepted to give up your virginity. Okay 10 billions, i won't take your virginity but we can have s*x or not even that, just kisses, if you promise to stay with me, better if marry me." Richard just blurts out words without thinking or is it very common for him to talk in such a manner. I was stunned and almost choked on my coke.
Closing my eyes i raised my head ignoring to try to suppress the anger and tears threatening to build at this insanity. "Refused" I mock again.
But this time the air was getting thicker as i mocked. His stare was boring a hole in my face and I can see how much of an answer he was in need of. Richard didnot ask but his raised eyebrows were enough to involuntarily spill out that answer from me.
"Staying together is something i would sign my soul to. Even if you say no s*x, what that means? I will be a slave, or not more than a prisoner. Even if i would have loved you with madness, I love freedom more."
"Where did you read this?" he laughed. Is his duty to embarass me tonight?Then try harder boy, i have suffered worse.
"Great Gatsby? No odyssey I guess. Othello or Maybe Hamlet, i don't remember. I have not read books in my entire life except one by Jefferey archer, all my school life i wrote the book review projects on same book." I gulped down my coke faster than ever. Even if i puke after this, i don't want to waste time sharing about my life principles and philosophies here so i won't regret my sore throat. "A drink here comes to an end" I smiled to get up to leave that thick air of unknown emotions building up around me. The awkardness i was not used to.
In cabin thankfully Jason was not present so I sneaked out picking up my bag and jacket leaving a text to him about my absence. What did that wall do on me? I was felt pity, an urge to steal away his pain, a shout to save him, protect him from the harm this world was doing on him but when he mocked about books I flushed at the sight of his deep dimples, the heat in my body just raised looking him bite those lips during that smile and when he thre back his head his jawline made my stomach walls touch each other when i pulled it in to control that unwanted crave to touch him. I had hardly reached the door when a similar grip pulled me to the corner banging my back to the wall. I suppose it is wall's habit to pull out people physically rather than call them.
I could do nothing except stare with horror at those bloodshot eyes that were sexier than ever. His bloodshot eyes were red, all dark bloody red as if his blood vessels leaked. One of his hand was enough to hold both of my hands together above my head and he was closer than what recently known strangers consider polite. I was making futile efforts to not drown in his intense eyes and swim out of it, when his there was a finger right there in my pants to take me by horror. I was about to shout but his finger just grazed near my c**t pulling them out in an instant, leaving me with no evidence that someone was trying to raoe me here. "You are wet for me darling" he breathed in heat near my ear to walk away indifferent.
Even though this might be blindspot for cctv, without any evidence of suffering through an indecent behavior, staying quite pretending nothing happened is not an option. I followed him before he could reach out of the corridor to enter the crowd, turning him around before i even knew my hand was in contact with his cheek as the sound echoed through the walls. This slap might not be enough to send him in coma but it was sufficient to soothe my wound. He took a step forward but i am not as cool as i look brother, my rage was evident in my furious eyes and i know he could feel the vapor of my emerging fire when i pushed his hand off my shoulder, "Touch again and i will s***h you in pieces." I spat breathing fire to walk around to the exit before he could give another reaction. But there was another sound that stopped me in my way. I turned around resisting the inhumaneness to leave cold heatedly, to see him fallen on the ground. He was lying so lifeless my legs started walking in his in direction before i even knew. My sense organs are rebelling my brain now.
I check his pulses which are not showing a good sign, after giving a cpr and a mouth-to -mouth I stand to call the authorities but falls down harshly on floor when some fingers pull my leg, making me trip. I should have shouted scolding him but i guess i was too relieved to see him in good condition to remember any of that. "Was that a joke?" tears spills out unwantedly from my eyes. "So this was all a joke" convincing myself by his vicious plans i barged outside not being stopped by any force no matter how strong and hard it was.
The cold air had magical effects on me that i have never felt. It was so relaxing, so breathable to help me continue to survive if not live. I inhaled harder pushing behind all the memories indulging all my conciousness in news and messages on my phone and hailed a taxi to go back home.
--$--
"You will be fine right?" Caleb was asking for about a thousandth time,
"It is just matter of weeks. 4, look I can count on my one hand, such a small number" i showed him my right hand assuring him in every way I can that he doesn't need to baby sit me everytime.
"Next time how about we go together?" His sweetness is not fake, he is so innocent and loving, just knowing how to spread love, like a perfect-boyfriend a girl could ever get.
"Let's do that then" I was lied this time because he also knows that i can't miss college. Never.
We hug for a long long time until it is time for my class and i push him to make him leave to his dorms to get all packed for his soccer tournament. Their bus was boarding from boys hostel and Caleb did not like me going in that area, so this was our last goodbye before he leaves.
So i boarded to my classroom to learn new things and be the nerd that everyone claims me to be. I was not, but i was already judged as one and too lazy to clarify it. I just want to pass a nobody from this university now, without any troubles. "Miss Hannah Peterson" an office assistant came to call me. I wish elections could be held for different posts of student leader in here, it would be fun and much more happening to legally and dutifully work for students with certain amount of rights that comes with it. Silence followed along with me to the head's office with a certain stun when i entered. The world is so small.
"Hannah, this is Mr. Richard Cage, son of one of the senate member of our university. He wants to see the campus with one of our students, so I called you. And also take the interview for tomorrow's major newspaper and our school magazine and record everything in this" our headmistress smiles at my vulnerability pointing towards the handycam and a paper with set of questions in it. She must be the most gentle money--ogling devil to destroy anything that comes her way.
It was so difficult for me to concentrate on her words and not steal glances on the man who looks so different than whom i met yestarday. A black hoodie, acid washed skinny jeans pants, a jeans jacket and that unruly messy hair on his pale skin, he looked a total street boy contrary to the sleek perfect-pretentious man from yesterday. Ya, it had to be me. For the first time in my whole career i thought, i should not have been the head content creator of our college, being that teacher's favourite student who does college work like some social work. "Nice to meet you. Please come with me" I smiled through my teeth not looking away from the headmistress as i saw a hint of cunningness and some kind of weird expectation from her eyes. It was not that hidden glint that i could not see.
"This was the headmistress's cabin in the building....built in 1871 during the reconstruction era. The building we are standing...me in where many Liberal Republicans have spent time of their l...l...lives in. After the man with superior political skills...Lincoln dies, and Johnson was impeached after he announced to carry forward the plan of Lincoln's reconstruction..." I don't know how many times I stuttered or breathed through my teeth when his hand sweeped across mine or there was even the most little change in normal atmosphere. But still it was going fine till he made a discretionary move to hold my hand and stop me in my way. Not a right time, I was so wet I could feel it between my legs. He takes a wrong move then this won't work out.
"Can you walk a little slower?" He smirked. My face turned red making me blink at disbelief as my head dropped sheepishly submitting to his honey-dipped words.
I nodded.
"The campus extends util the hillocks, it roughly covers area of 107 acres. We see scottish and modern British architecture, and here on our left side is the amphitheater" I waned my hand in the direction where we would be walking next. In was backwalking in the memorized allies since i had to shoot in the camera how unimpressed Mr. Richard looked forcing himself to pretend to be amused for the unknown reason he was here to suddenly take a round around the college inspecting if it was doing fine or not. "So Mr. Richard since we are here..." I started to read out the first question from the paper, "This is your first venture in entertainment industry. What made you enter this field and what do you expect?"
"This was a long lost dream that i had forgotten fulfilling my duties and responsibilites. But even now in recent months I feel like being used. Time is passing every moment but we are spent. I just do not want to be spent lavishly, to know at the end of the day that i was wasted. So i just thought of living for myself, take a stand for my dreams." His voice reverberated in the empty amphitheatre sending chills at the gaze that was not matching his carefree clothing. I don't know what effect they had but I could just smell a different kind of air when around him. The air reeked of something i knew,
Desire.
The attraction that was making me burn like a moth drawn to flame. But I am made of steel, and steel don't melt. I showed him the surrounding feeling like trapped between those four walls even though it was me who was leading him. Running back to the corridor it felt better, and safer....for him. I continued to explain other history, alumni, faculties, specilities and other worth mentioning details showing every classroom. Alone in a room with him is not safe...for him, i might not be able to keep my hand to myself in that confined space under unconfined restrictions so i stood out till he studied the details inside the rooms. "So Mr. Richard you have many accomplishments under your belt, is there something you are specifically very proud of?" i read from the paper.
"Please call me Ric. You sound a little awkward. Give it a try" he stopped midway for some seconds to think about something before continuing.
"Okay, Mr Ric,...I mean Ric." there was a strange expression on his face which was impenetrable. I wanted to read it but i knew i was so very wrong to try to judge it.
"This." he continued to explain on looking at me awstruck and confused with his answer. "I am really proud right now."
Our hands sweep again as i stop midway and I would be wrong to think it was meant as i think it to be. I pull away in a knee-jerk, tilting my head up to look at his glowing smile that could lit up this world. It was not deliberate. It was just an accident. He didn't mean to hold my hand. "What?" words left me before i could arrange them.
"I am really proud to hear you call me with that name"