CHAPTER 4: The Tour

‎Raymond walked as if the whole hallway belonged to him. His pace was unhurried, confident, almost regal. The kind of walk that made people step aside without him asking. Alicia had to half-jog to keep up, her flats clicking annoyingly loud against the polished floor.

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‎“Slow down,” she snapped.

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‎“You said you didn’t want me to give you a tour,” Raymond replied smoothly without even glancing back. “So, I’m saving us both time.”

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‎Alicia narrowed her eyes at the back of his head. “You’re impossible.”

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‎“I’ve been called worse.”

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‎She rolled her eyes but bit her tongue. She wasn’t going to waste energy feeding his arrogance.

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‎As they moved through the department, students passing by kept stealing glances. A group of boys lounging near the noticeboard went quiet as Raymond walked past, their gazes flickering between him and Alicia. Girls in crisp blouses whispered behind their hands, eyes lingering on her with unreadable expressions.

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‎Alicia’s stomach twisted. It was the same look from the dorm earlier. The kind of look that said Who is she? Why is she with him?

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‎“Why are they staring?” she muttered under her breath.

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‎Raymond heard her. Of course he did. “They’re not staring at you,” he said lazily, shoving his hands in his pockets.

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‎“Oh, really? So I’m just invisible?”

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‎“Finally, you’re catching on.”

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‎Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

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‎He shot her a sideways glance, smirk tugging at his lips. “Relax, Adams. They’re staring because you’re with me. It’s a rare sight.”

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‎“Rare sight?” she echoed, incredulous.

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‎“Most people know better than to hover around me.”

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‎She almost laughed, except he wasn’t joking. “Wow. You really believe your own hype, don’t you?”

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‎“Belief?” His smirk deepened. “It’s not belief. It’s fact.”

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‎Alicia clenched her fists at her sides. “Unbelievable.”

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‎They reached the library wing, the scent of old books and polished wood drifting out from the tall arched doors. Raymond gestured with the flick of two fingers, as if it pained him to explain.

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‎“That’s the library. You’ll spend a lot of time there if you plan on surviving this department.”

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‎“Thanks for the grand reveal, tour guide,” she said flatly.

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‎His mouth twitched, almost like he wanted to smile, but he suppressed it. “Keep the sarcasm. You’ll need it.”

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‎They continued, stopping briefly at the large lecture hall where first-years usually gathered. Inside, a professor scribbled notes on the board while students hunched over their desks. The hum of pens scratching paper reached Alicia’s ears, and she felt the nerves coil tighter in her belly.

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‎Her first class was going to be here. With people who already had a two-week head start.

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‎Sensing her silence, Raymond finally looked at her. His eyes weren’t mocking for once. They were… sharp, observant.

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‎“Scared?” he asked.

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‎Alicia straightened her back. “No.”

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‎“Good. Because if you walk in there looking like a frightened kitten, they’ll eat you alive.”

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‎Her lips parted in shock at the bluntness. But instead of arguing, she bit back a retort. Because as annoying as he was, he wasn’t wrong.

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‎Raymond didn’t linger. He moved on, leading her through corridors lined with framed photos of alumni, past smaller seminar rooms, and finally to the courtyard where students lounged on benches under blooming jacaranda trees. Purple petals carpeted the stone pathways, and the air was filled with laughter and chatter.

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‎“This is where people pretend to study,” he said dryly.

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‎Alicia glanced around. “Looks… normal enough.”

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‎“Normal,” he echoed with a scoff. “You’ll learn soon that nothing here is normal.”

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‎Before she could press him, a group of students approached. Three girls, all with glossy hair and perfectly pressed uniforms, flanked by a tall boy carrying books.

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‎“Raymond,” one of the girls greeted, her voice dripping with honey. Her eyes, however, flicked immediately to Alicia, scanning her from head to toe. “Who’s your… friend?”

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‎Alicia felt the weight of their stares like needles on her skin. She opened her mouth to introduce herself, but Raymond beat her to it.

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‎“She’s not my friend,” he said smoothly, his tone clipped. “She’s new. That’s all.”

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‎The girls exchanged looks. One smirked. The boy raised a brow.

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‎Alicia’s chest tightened, anger prickling under her skin. She wanted to snap at him, to tell them she didn’t need his stupid disassociation. But she caught herself. Showing weakness would only fuel them.

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‎So instead, she pasted on her brightest smile. “Yes, I’m Alicia Adams. Nice to meet you.”

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‎The girls blinked, clearly not expecting her cheerfulness. The tallest one forced a polite smile. “Welcome, Alicia.”

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‎When they finally moved on, Alicia turned on Raymond, eyes blazing. “Not your friend? Really?”

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‎His lips curved into that infuriating half-smile. “What? I was being honest.”

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‎“You didn’t have to say it like that.”

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‎“Would you prefer I lie?”

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‎“Yes!” she burst out, then instantly regretted it when his smirk widened.

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‎“You’re entertaining, Adams,” he murmured, walking on.

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‎She glared daggers into his back but followed anyway, her fists clenched tight.

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‎By the time the “tour” ended, Alicia’s head was spinning with locations, library, lecture halls, cafeteria, seminar rooms and her patience with Raymond was threadbare.

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‎He stopped at the entrance of the courtyard, turning to her with that same maddeningly calm expression. “There. You’ve seen enough. Try not to get lost.”

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‎“That’s it?” she demanded. “Some tour. Five stars, would not recommend.”

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‎“You’ll live,” he replied easily, already pulling out his phone as if she no longer existed.

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‎Alicia huffed, spinning on her heel. But as she stomped away, she couldn’t help catching the faintest twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth.

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‎And that annoyed her even more.

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‎---

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‎Back in the dorm later that afternoon, Alicia collapsed on the bed with a groan, her head filled with new names, class schedules, and the lingering sting of Raymond’s arrogance. She had survived her first day. Barely.

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‎But as she lay there staring at the ceiling, one truth settled heavy in her chest.

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‎If she was going to make it through this semester, she had to survive Raymond first.

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‎And judging by the smug smile that haunted her memory, he wasn’t going to make it easy.