No Rules To Love

Chapter Two- Part Two

I stocked my bag up with a fresh towel and I refilled my water bottle before grabbing my iPhone and my earphones. I grabbed a cardigan and slid it around my shoulders. Before leaving the apartment, I double-checked everything and made sure I’d collected what I needed. I locked my door before putting in my earphones. I pressed play, delighted to hear West Side Story booming in my ears. During a show, not rehearsing became an unthinkable crime in my life. And it was my favourite musical, so it came as no surprise that it was one of the first albums I spotted when I opened Spotify. It especially came as no surprise that West Side Story appeared on my Spotify Wrapped almost every year. And this year will be no exception.

I jumped down three flights of stairs and exited the complex where I lived. It was only a short walk to Mountview, so the solitude didn’t bother me. With independence being a strong trait of mine, I didn’t rely on hand holding. I had my music to keep me company anyway, and as long as I had music, all was okay, and I remained content.

I saw the extensive building of my university and I sped up to travel the last few feet. After jumping up the stairs, I pushed open the giant, double-glass doors and entered the foyer. I pulled the earbuds from my ears and rooted around in my bag for my phone to turn the music off. I knew this place like the back of my hand, so I confidently walked forward, with my head down and my hand in the bag. Because of this, I didn’t see the giant figure obstructing my path. So, unfortunately, I walked into it.

I jumped back from the figure, shouting my apologies, and grabbing my head. I scrambled to make sure everything stayed in my bag, whilst I tried to stay on my feet. Finally, when I looked up, I realised I’d bumped into a male, and an extremely tall male at that. However, I didn’t recognise this person.

“I’m very sorry.” Once more, I apologised, ensuring that I had gotten my point across. I’d hate him to think I was ignorant. “It was all my fault.”

Whilst I said this, I had time to study the mysterious man that obstructed my path. He looked only a little older than me, only a year or two at that, though guessing the age of a person wasn’t an impressive skill of mine. The thing I spotted first about him was his chestnut brown eyes. They seemed like the sort of eyes that could tell a story only at a glance. His hair was a similar shade of brown, and he had expertly styled it, and it made him look suave and sophisticated.

My eyes raked down his body and across his broad shoulders. My breathing hitched as I took in his toned chest, which a skin-tight blue t-shirt barely covered.

This guy was incredibly handsome... like weak at the knees handsome. The instant attraction to him made me panic, as I’d never sensed such a pull towards a person like this before. It scared me. No-one had ever had this chilling effect on me before.

However, the next words that flew out of his mouth shattered the image of this perfect guy in an instant.

“Yeah, it was all your fault.” His American accent and harsh words hit me like a ton of bricks, making me take a defensive step back. “Did you not see me standing there?”

“Excuse me?” I stuttered. How should I respond to a situation like this? I thought he would be understanding and polite; we would laugh off, and I would head to class as if nothing happened. But the ship had sailed long ago.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He said in a mocking tone. “Were the words I used too big for you to understand? Clearly, a pretty face doesn’t mean intelligence.”

I blinked. My eyebrows furrowed together; I feared the wrinkles would be permanent. My face scrunched up as I tried to decipher the mystery boy’s comment. Was it some sort of back-handed compliment? He had called me both attractive and stupid in the same breath. Well, whatever it was, I wouldn’t let the compliment get to my head, and I refused to fall for his charm.

I shoved past him, not caring about my shoulder’s harsh force. “Ugh, I need to leave. Your attitude is vile,” I called over my shoulder as he looked at me, shocked.

It appeared he wasn’t quite accustomed to his charm not working on unsuspecting people. I let myself feel a little smug, though, as my comeback made me quite proud. Though the guy’s tone and arrogance made its way to the forefront of my mind, making me annoyed once more. I shook my head as I forced my way through throngs of lower-classmen, scuttling to get to class.

I headed towards the theatre, because this was where the guest speaker would talk to us. Well, that was, according to Ashley, who usually had all the answers. I used my leftover annoyance to push open the double doors of the auditorium. I scanned the room, looking for Ashley and Michael. When I did spot them, they raised their hands to wave at me and I waved back. My bad mood had somewhat dissipated, knowing that I was so close to sitting down and letting myself relax. I headed up the steps, taking them two at a time to join them, and sat down in a seat next to Ashley.

I greeted Michael with a smile and a wave and made small talk with Ashley for the next few minutes. I kept an eye on the doors of the auditorium, looking at the last few dregs of students filling up the seats. The flurry of excitement was palpable for everyone in the room.

I heard the clip-clopping of heels on the flooring and my drama teacher, Ms Carter, made her way onto the stage. There was a podium with a microphone on it, but Ms Carter didn’t need it. Her voice easily boomed around the auditorium and found its way into every crevice of the room. That’s what happened when you had years upon years of acting training under your belt.

I only wished to have the same amount of stage presence she had.

“Settle down now,” her intimidating voice commanded us. We all obeyed at once, not wanting to disappoint her, especially in front of a guest. “Now, I understand that a lot of you are excited about the guest speaker, so I’m going to get onto it. I don’t want to make you wait any longer! He’s finally back in England after performing in Newsies on Broadway, and we couldn’t be prouder! So please give a warm welcome to Hunter Clarke!”

Ms. Carter stepped back from the podium and headed down the steps to the front of the stage. She sat down in the front row as we all started clapping and cheering. We were a very enthusiastic bunch. But my cheers died on my lips as I saw who was sauntering on stage to greet us.

It was the arrogant prick from before!