儚き愛

Chapter 1.

An attempt to save a drunk man.

Adrian's pov.

It was a bright morning and I scurried out of my room as I wore my clothing, I was in such a hurry not to miss my literature lecture that morning, as I was lagging in the course badly and my final examination was coming soon, I didn't want to cry a bitter tear and stay an extra year in the school. "Mom! I'm off to school!" My voice rang all around the less wealthy home I lived in with my mom and brother.

Though our house was less wealthy, it had modesty, humbleness, and love in it. Even though the house was smaller and needed some repairs like the linking roof, and it also didn't have all the latest conveniences, that doesn't mean it's not filled with love and comfort. It was way cozier and more inviting for us since we had each other's back in everything.

I am Adrian Williams, a 21-year-old white-skinned lady, people say that I am beautiful, but who cares about that when all I wanted and needed presently was money to foot my bills and ways to pass my literature? And my captivating eyes people talk about? I wish I could sell it out for money. I wasn't so desperate for money, but I badly needed a lot of it. I was a native of Pittsburgh in America, and that was also where I lived with my mom, Natalia, and younger brother, Glaton.

I only managed to get through high school struggles, though I was so brilliant, as I was busy helping my mother footing some bills and even my brother's school fees. I was actually on a partial scholarship at the university and my struggles continued. I had begun to double my part-time jobs since I resumed college and was made to know that my scholarship only covered a year out of my four years of tuition in the school. I had been sad, withdrawn, and downcast when I heard the information and the first thing that came to my mind was to raise the fees by myself, which I have been doing while trying to save up some money.

"Breakfast is ready Adrian, come and have a bite," Mom yelled out to me, she must have noticed that I was going without eating any breakfast.

"Later mother! I'm so late and I don't want to miss this course again." I shouted to her hearing and dashed out of the house before Mom could stop me.

Ryan, my best friend, was waiting for me just outside our shabby house, he was on his bike and he called out to me when I rushed out, with my ponytail, bobbing behind me as I ran out of the house, "Over here!" He called out.

I ran back to him. "Thank you so much, you are always a lifesaver," I told him with a peck on his cheek, as I got myself comfortable on the bike and used the helmet that was given to me by Ryan. I clicked the straps of the helmet under my jaw and held tightly to him, my hands fastened tightly around his waist.

Ryan had been my best friend since my first year in high school, he was my very first choice at all times after my family. Not like I had any other person to choose.

I met him on the day I lost my dad, that day is a day I wish I would never remember 'cause every time I remember it, I always feel the bad day repeating itself. It was my first day at high school, my dad had dropped me off at school and that was the last time I saw him alive. The next time I saw him his body filled with sticky blood on the hospital bed.

I realized that he had lost control of his car while in motion, and his brakes were grazed, which led to his accident and his death. He was my favorite parent and seeing his head broken open with his legs chopped off was heart wrecking I immediately developed an attack and every night, I still have a nightmare because of my dad.

The death of my dad also marked the beginning of our suffering, my mom, who was a full housewife began to work and I had to join her in working when it looked as if the bills were weighing her down and that's how we landed this poor.

I wiped a lone tear that fell from my eyes silently, not wanting to call Ryan's attention, as I didn't want him to be worried. He knew everything about me as he was with me all through my hard times.

The ride to school was a silent one as everything in my mind was the day's lecture, hoping that it would be any better. We got closer to the school and I raised my head to it, the outside of the school was fenced and a neatly high arc-like board was fixed on the top of the fence, which had the school's name boldly inscribed on it, "UNIVERSITY OF ART AND SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES." And Ryan drove us in.

The university was a vibrant and creative space, where students could explore their artistic passions and learn about the latest technology and that was what drew me into writing their scholarship exam in the first place.

The university had cutting-edge facilities, like a digital media lab and an art studio with the latest equipment installed in different parts of the compound. The campus was located in a bustling area, surrounded by museums, galleries, and other creative spaces. The atmosphere was kinda lively and energetic, with students buzzing around the compound as they moved in different directions and the fact that every student was the same, no discrimination, well, except for the born-to-be-a-bully that I know, who wouldn't leave me be, although, I have been doing perfectly fine by avoiding them at every chance I got.

I quickly got off the bike even before Ryan could pack the bike well in the parking space, and I rushed straight to my lecture room. I almost cried when I met the literature lecturer already in, and my eyes burned with biting unshed tears.

The lecturer stopped teaching for a minute to stare at the person who dared to interrupt his class with her appearance and again, the tears threatened to fall. "Good morning lecturer Sam." I greeted with my lips quivering.

The lecturer's eyes lingered on me for minutes and I knew within me that he was planning on a perfect punishment for my offense as his policy had ever been, 'don't interrupt my class, don't distract my students', though I wondered who his students were, basically the ones that always passed his tests and exams, not a carryover like me. He finally stared away from me without saying a thing and continued his lecture while I took that as a clue to have a seat, and also knew that I was failing, as he never forgives, and the set of people he hated most in the world were the carryover students.

I sniffed in my unshed tears before staring around the large, rectangular space, looking around the space that was filled with rows of desks fixed with seats, facing a podium, I sighed in relief when I spotted an empty seat just by my side and I quickly took the seat.

I stared at the lecturer as I tried to catch a thing from the poem he was explaining to us, but just as always, he seemed to be speaking in parables. I gazed at the projector screen in the front of the room, where the poem and all information about the poem were displayed, I squinted my eyes at the written words and silently wept bitterly, knowing fully well that I wouldn't be graduating that year, I realized that I would get an F in the course again.

The lecturer must hate me you know, even as I know that I didn't always do well in my literature tests and examinations, but I was sure that I always did more than an F.

The lecture ended and I walked out of the lecture room dejectedly, I was scared of another carryover and I dreaded the look that would be on my mother's face after knowing of my failure. I sighed with a broken heart and continued my journey to the parking lots.

"There you are, Adrian," Ryan shouted out cheerfully as he sighted me, he came to me, draping his hand across my shoulder as he smiled.

"Take me to work Ryan." I voiced out and climbed his bike even before he did.

"Literature again?" Ryan asked me, noticing my mood. Ryan knew almost everything about me and he knew about my failure.

"I'm getting an F again Ryan, no magician can stop that., I muttered to him. "Please, just take me out of here., I added, giving him no time to argue.

"You will be fine, I promise." He hugged me before getting on the bike in front of me and zooming off, taking us to work. We got to the coffee shop and got busy with our shift immediately.

__________

We got done with the shift in the coffee shop and Ryan had to leave, ditching his last shift at the bar because he got a call that his parents just arrived from the States and his presence was needed in the house.

Ryan was not poor like me his parents were well and he only worked because of me. He would always say that he just didn't find it right to leave me to do my jobs all alone and that was why he applied for the jobs too. Though he had told me severally to stop working and allow him to foot our bills, I couldn't allow that, so I always turned down his offer and he decided to work all my shifts with me.

Ryan was a handsome guy and I know several girls that were dying to be with him in the school, but of course, he would blame his singleness on me, saying that he had to take perfect care of me and make sure that I was okay before thinking of another girl to care for, which didn't make any sense to me, I was not a baby he had to babysit, I can take care of myself but he just wants to be that big brother I never had and even as I always pretend as if I didn't care about his care, I still did and I had wished he was my real brother.

And now, even as he was in such a hurry, he still put it upon himself to drop me off at the bar before finally leaving. "Drive safely." I reminded him before he drove off.

I was working my shift alone in the bar when I noticed a very rough-looking drunk man who was leaving the bar, staggering he seemed to be in urgent need of serious help as he was nearly falling while walking, and I feared that he wouldn't make it outside alive, so I decided to follow him behind, just in case he later needs my help.

I followed him til he got outside the bar and then noticed a blue car that was driving towards him, which he seemed oblivious to.

"Hey watch out!" I yelled out and rushed to the road to prevent the drunk man from getting into an accident, but was unlucky as a bang was all that resounded.

"Stop!"