Chapter 6: First Friend!

Ethan’s POV:

Can my day get any worse today? 

Now I have started to think, maybe that rude bastard Zeus was the root cause behind my awful luck today! If only I hadn’t bumped into him here before anyone else…perhaps, today would’ve turned out to be the best day of my life! 

F*ck you…Zeus! 

No matter how much I tried to vent my frustration by internally cussing at that arrogant punk, my mood only worsened as I saw all the other students entering the restaurant gallantly while showing off their passes. I was forced to stand at the corner from the gate, letting others walk past me. 

Initially, I thought of pleading before that giant guard again, but his dark eyes with that murderous glare in them scared me. I was also gifted with a tall and good physique, but his crazy big muscular mass scared me, as I knew he might be deadly strong enough to beat me into a pulp if I further pursued. 

Losing all hope by now as I was mentally preparing myself to leave, a sudden gentle tap on my shoulder flinched me from behind. Before I could turn around, a tall familiar figure stood next to me and showed the pass to that guard, “He’s with me. And here’s my pass, so let him go with me inside.” 

At that moment, my savior was none other than Hermes, who held a radiant smile on his towards me. Groomed in a chic style denim outfit, Hermes was looking very handsome, holding an aura of rich background around him. 

The guard quietly checked his pass for a few seconds, but holding a stoic face towards me, he answered, “I am sorry, Sir. Even though you’re carrying a VIP pass, I still can’t let this fraud go along with you–”

“He’s my friend, and the scholarship student of Bordwell campus this year, be mindful when you address him.” To my surprise, defending me Hermes scolded that guard in a gruff voice, glowering coldly at him. “Besides, I am Mr. Federick Ricco’s son, Hermes Ricco…who’s the largest shareholder of this hotel. So, are you still willing to disobey me?” 

His words startled both me and the guard, as I didn’t expect Hermes to apply his father’s influence here as well! 

Adding to my surprise, the guard courteously bowed before me with his apology followed by his nervous plea to Hermes, “I am terribly sorry, Sir. Please…d-do not fire me from this job, I really need it for my family—”

“Good for you for coming back to your early senses. I won’t report you for today, but there won’t be another chance next time.” 

Hermes served a cold warning by interrupting his plea and later tossed a confident smile as he held my hand. Dragging me proudly inside through the glass gate, and walking past that guard who lowered his head before us now, the other few students around us were whispering among themselves, glancing at Hermes. 

I was taken aback to witness the perfect example of how the entire world can be wrapped around your finger if you belong from a powerful background which made me mumble at him. 

“Woah…does your father own every building’s share in this town? Is he a big celebrity or something?” 

Hermes chuckled at my curious question and shook his head in denial while sounding very cordial in his tone, “Not every building, but he owns quite a few luxurious ones, and this restaurant is one among them. My father is just a good businessman, so I tend to use his influence whenever it’s needed. 

“Anyways, you should’ve carried the pass here, Ethan. What would’ve happened if I hadn’t arrived on time?” 

“I swear I had tucked it inside my wallet, but it isn’t there anymore…I don’t know where I lost it…but thank you so much for helping me today, Hermes. I…I am really very grateful to you.” 

While I mumbled my sincere apology to him holding my anxious face, I felt Hermes stare at me for a brief moment, and then pat my shoulder gently to comfort me, “It’s not a big deal. I can do this much for my friend, right?” 

“F-Friend?” 

When I unknowingly blurted out after him, I felt his brown orbs darken at me, looking a bit cryptic when he pressed out a small smile, “Why? Have you still not considered me to be your friend, Ethan?” 

Honestly, maybe due to my own insecurities, I have always tended to stay away from rich kids as I had a hard time to adjust in their lavish world. But the way Hermes stood up for me when no one else tried to bat an eye at a nobody like me, there was no way I could push him away anymore. 

I still hadn’t considered him as my friend since we had met only once before…but now, my intuitions told me maybe it would be fruitful to go along with his whims. Who knows, maybe he was actually a nice guy to be friends with in this unfamiliar town with so many weirdos around me. 

“Oh no! Of course not!” I hurriedly persuaded him with a jovial smile as I tapped on his shoulder, “Y-You’re my friend, Hermes. You’re the first friend I have made here, Hermes. I am really glad to meet you.” 

“Good, because that’s what I wanted to hear.” Hermes answered with a smile as I felt his eyes return to his usual gleeful look, which made me ponder whether maybe I was mistaken to observe a mysterious tint in them earlier.  

He led me towards a huge deluxe restaurant suit beautifully groomed for the fresher’s party today. Inside that huge lavishly decorated hall room with countless round tables set for every group, Hermes led me to a big group of students seated on a table at the corner of the room, where two young men and a pretty woman were giggling and chattering loudly, holding chilled beer glasses. 

“Here, meet the seniors of our Literature Department, Ethan.” As we reached close to the table, those guy’s attention catered toward me which made me a little nervous. Before I could politely greet them, one of those guys dropped the beer glass on the table and hurriedly walked towards me, holding a radiant smile across his handsome face, “Are you, Ethan Marley? This year’s scholarship student?” 

“Um…yes…” I couldn’t help but be nervous from having that big group’s attention solely focused on me now. But that guy suddenly moved closer and offered me a friendly hug, which made my worries a little lessened since I was getting dubious about the likes of people I would encounter tonight. 

“After 8 years our Campus finally has a male scholarship student, and that’s from our department! You made us very proud…and I am overjoyed to meet you, Ethan. You’re the star of our party tonight!” 

Giving me a few gentle pats on my shoulder, that guy surprisingly me comfortable with his warm greeting, as he further addressed himself, “I am Chris, the Senior Year President of our Department. And they are my friends, hey…everyone, greet our junior well.” 

Heeding his command, that other young man and that pretty lady walked closer to me, and the guy stretched his hands first to offer me a polite greeting, “Hi, I am Ralph, and this is Emma, we are both Chris’s best friends and also the Assistants of the Student President. We are happy to have you on board, Junior.” 

“Nice to meet all of you. I am Ethan, I will be looking forward to building a good bond with all of you.” By now the nervousness growing inside me had faded from their warm greeting. Chris was the friendliest among all of them, and being near him it felt as if not every students here were weirdos as I had assumed before. 

“You’re quite handsome…and you’ve a good body. Do you have a girlfriend, junior?” Holding a soft smile, Emma walked closer and teased me first while touching my biceps, which made me a little flustered. 

When I shook my head in denial, she smiled mischievously to watch me get flustered, “Hmm, then the girls here will have a good eye candy reserved for them. Well, too bad we don’t have a cutie like you in our class, otherwise, I might’ve considered you to be my boyfriend—”

“Emma, stop scaring the newbie. He might start to think of you as some weirdo if you hit on him shamelessly like this on your first meet.” Before she could finish, Chris scolded him in a hoarse voice which led everyone present there burst into a chuckle, including me. 

“Hey, I am not hitting on him, okay!” However, she sounded confident enough to not let his words bother her, as she flipped her wavy hairs on the other side of the shoulder, “I was just kidding. My heart is reserved for someone else, and everyone here is already aware of it….WHAT THE FUCK!?” 

But her amicable words suddenly trailed off with a loud surprised shriek, making everyone turn around in the direction where her eyes were fixated in shock. To my surprise, not only her but everyone who looked in that direction was frozen briefly with a gaze of disbelief.

Watching their pale expression made me ponder as I chose to turn around that way as well, thinking…did they see a ghost or something?