DARKLING

5

Unedited.

•••

"Remind me why I'm doing this again."

Tony's voice resonated from the speakers of her laptop.

"Because I don't own a mirror?"

Hazel replied as if it as the most obvious thing in the world.

She was sitting cross legged on her bed with the laptop sitting across her on a pile of pillows. She was on a video call with Tony who currently looked like he was ran over by a truck with his hair sticking out in different directions.

"I could have that fixed in seconds just let me make a few calls and-"

"There's no need for that."

Hazel interrupts making him pause in the middle of reaching for his phone.

"I think this is better, you could give me pointers, the mirror can't."

Hazel didn't miss the slight slump of his shoulders. She smirked inwardly.

She had woken him up with a video call request as early as 5:05 am with the excuse of needing help in styling her hair. It wasn't entirely a random excuse, Hazel usually likes her hair in simple braids to prevent it from getting in her eyes but she didn't know how to as Tony had always been the one who styles her hair. He wasn't an expert at it, sometimes he pulled her hair too hard or made it too tight but on most days, he was fairly good enough.

They've been at it for more than an hour now, with hazel purposely going as slow as she could.

"You're doing this on purpose aren't you? Trying to get back at me for sending you to school."

"What are you talking about?"

Hazel blinked at him innocently. She couldn't fool Tony.

"How does it look?"

She asks him after securing the end with a thin hair tie.

Half of her hair was twisted in a low crown braid while the rest fell back to her waist in its natural waves.

"Excellent."

Tony raised both of his thumbs up while nodding his head exaggeratedly with his lips pressed together.

"Are you sure? Nothing's out of place?"

Hazel doubts he'd tell her again if anything was out of place as she wouldn't waste another second in pulling out the braids and redoing it.

Like she did the last three times.

She's trying to drag this out for as long as she could.

She knew that wouldn't get her out of this situation though, her classes starts today and she has to be present, but she was anxious. She's never done this before.

"It looks perfect."

Tony reassured while glancing at his clock.

"Now get moving, you have enough time for breakfast before your classes starts."

Hazel didn't move though.

She continue to stare at him wishing the whole world would just freeze so she wouldn't have to "get moving".

"Why aren't you moving?"

Tony squints his eyes.

Hazel pulled her knees up to her chest before resting her chin on it.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Hm? What is it?"

He leaned forward, ready to listen. Always ready to listen to her.

"You look a mess."

Hazel said to have Tony lean back with a roll his eyes.

"Gee thanks, I wonder who's fault that is?"

Hazel gave a half shrug.

"Definitely not mine, if only you had listened to me and got off work early."

Tony hummed while giving her a knowing look.

Hazel hates that look, it meant he was about to say something that is exactly true.

"I know what you're doing."

Hazel gave him a look that says she doesn't know what he was talking about.

"You're trying to drag time so you wouldn't go to class...you know that wouldn't work right? and it'll leave a bad record on your school report."

"What are you talking about, why wouldn't I want to go to class?"

"Ah...OK I get it now,"

Tony grinned.

"You've missed me so much you can't bear to part with me."

Hazel scrunch up her face.

"Ew."

She ended the call and slammed down the lid of her laptop.

"Annoying."

She mutters under her breath as she flop back on the bed with her legs still crossed.

She did miss him though, she really did.

This was the first time she's been away from him this long since she woke up three years ago...

★★★

She felt it.

With every step she took since she stepped out of her dorm room she felt eyes on her.

They were all staring and they weren't being subtle about it.

"Ivanov? The same Ivanov you mean the Russian business tycoon Ivanov?"

Turns out they've all learnt of her arrival.

"Yup...that Ivanov."

The other girl had replied breathily as if she was still in a state if disbelief as she watched that red head dressed in all black walk past them.

Her head was held high.

Her strides were even and straight.

She walked with the grace of a filthy rich heiress, just like all of them present there just that her aura seems more commanding.

Although Hazel looked unbothered and proud as she walked past them all, the state of her mind was the opposite. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest and she felt light headed but she was ok.

She tells herself.

Maybe she could do this after all.

Because...for the first time she was in the presence of people and the voices were silent.

She didn't hear them, those voices that always whisper menacing thoughts in her head...they were quite and that made her feel even more confident than she had felt before stepping out of her room.

Maybe...just maybe I can do this afterall.

★★★

Room 102.

She's been standing in front of the classroom door for 3 minutes straight without moving a muscle.

The hallway was almost empty save for a few that passed by and gave her a not so subtle curious stares.

'I can do this.'

She repeated to herself for the umpteenth time since she's woken up.

'What's so hard about it, its just a room filled with a bunch of people...people...people I don't know-'

Her phone began vibrating in her jeans pockets.

Hazel reached for it and swipes the screen without bothering to check the ID.

Only one person could call her.

"Yeah?"

"Are you in class yet?"

Tony asked.

"Kinda."

She answered still staring at the door.

"Well...Good luck, and don't forget to smile."

She could hear him slurping on a drink, which she guessed to be his usual morning concotion.

Gross.

"Why should I?"

She asked.

Why should she?

For strange reasons she's always found it hard to smile, even the fake smiles don't come to her easy it always looked more like a grimace.

"Because its a new day and you're starting a new chapter?"

She imagined him swirling the gross green substance in his cup with his phone pressed to his ear.

I miss my mug of chocolates.

She thought with a sigh.

"Bye."

She hung up.

She didn't think before swiping her card on the access control system by the door.

The door opened with a click and she pushed it open.

Hazel stepped in to be faced with multiple pair of eyes.

She didn't shuffle on her feet nor did she look nervous like most people would.

She wasn't most people, but her insides saids otherwise. She could feel her stomach tighten and curl with anxiety.

"Hazel Ivanov?"

The professor asked.

Hazel nodded at him.

He's heard about her too.

First came the silence.

Then their curious stares.

Then their judging eyes.

And then the whispers broke out.

"That's her? That's the Ivanov heiress?"

"She really beats my expectations...she's beautiful."

'I know.'

Thought Hazel to herself.

"That's an understatement."

'I know that too.'

"Who knew the Ivanov's were hiding a gem all this while."

'They weren't hiding me...I was hiding myself'

"You guys should stop obsessing over her looks, what's so special about her?"

Said another voice, shrill and filled with contempt.

'Jealousy is a disease...'

"Miss Ivanov, do you mind introducing yourself to the class?"

The professor asked. He was polite, she almost felt bad saying this.

Almost.

"I do."

The man blinked, confused by her response.

"Huh?"

"I do mind."

She repeated coolly.

"Oh...OK."

He was dumbfounded.

Many wouldn't miss the opportunity to brag about their influential family names and fortune.

But why does she need to come out and brag?

Everyone knows and has heard of the Ivanov corporation. They are currently one of Russia's pride.

"Then pick any of the empty seats available."

Hazel looked around, then turn back to look at him.

"There's only one."

She felt the need to point out. He spoke as if there was more than one empty seats available.

She didn't wait for a response before she made her way to the seat and settled in it.

It was the last but it wasn't way behind, there weren't much of them in the class anyway.

Fifteen?

She approximated. And the seats were arranged in a column.

She didn't miss the way their eyes followed her to her seat. Or the way it lingered a bit too long for her liking but she was ok. More ok than she thought she'd be.

She could do this after all.

The class begun.

•••