CHAPTER THREE

Funeral processions had gone by quickly since she was still quite young. Very few people came by as she didn’t have a lot of friends or family.

I couldn’t stay in the house after what I had seen and Becka’s parents had gladly housed me even though I had woken them up every night since that day.

I’d made them promise not to tell Becka. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell any other person who hadn’t seen it happen.

“Say hi to Becka for me and tell her to call home often. We haven’t seen her or heard from her in a while.”

David, Becka’s dad, hugged me as they called passengers for boarding.

I nodded at him and smiled at her mum. They waved me bye as I went towards the boarding area. 

I didn’t look back because I knew the emotions I’d read in their eyes and I didn’t want to see them.

Despite their tasking jobs, they’d driven me up to the airport and waited till I got called in. I would forever be grateful for them.

I took a deep breath As I boarded the plane, wondering how long it’d take me to return back home. If I ever would.

*

I crashed on the bed immediately we’d finished the tour and I had made it back to my room. I’d been given a room on campus and we were just 2 staying there. 

I looked up from the bed and tried to look around the room, my boxes still intact and untouched.

My roommate hadn’t come in yet so I was the only one there.

I stood up despite feeling tired and opened my box. In 2 hours, I’d arranged my stuff on my side of the room. The walls were bare and I had no plans to redecorate. My clothes went to the small sized wardrobe, as many as it could fit.

I picked up my phone and called Becka to tell her I’d arrived. When she didn’t pick up, I slumped back on the bed, my hands stretched over my eyes. In no time, I was asleep. 

The door unlocking jolted me out of my sleep. It was already day and I’d managed to sleep the entire night off.

A strawberry blonde haired girl came in with her box and a woman behind her.

“Sorry for waking you up. I’m Ashley. This is my mum.” She waved, beaming at me with a smile that mirrored the sun.

Her eyes trailed over my face and then to my stomach where my gash was and her smile fell. She looked up at her mum who had a look of disdain on her face.

I picked up a shirt that was nearby and put on over my sports bra.

“Hi. I’m Leah.” I faked a smile and appeared unfazed even though I was seething on the inside.

They both nodded as they brought up stuff from whatever vehicle had conveyed them.

Just when I thought they were done, more load arrived.

‘Was there a war going on somewhere that I wasn’t aware of?’ I mused to myself.

Ashley and her mum continued to make a lot of racket as she settled in. At some point their noise became much unbearable for me so I went out.

I walked round the campus to clear my head and tried Becka again. She was probably busy. 

I followed the map in my hands and turned towards the admin building so I could get my class schedule.  

I knocked on the glass lightly to call the attention of the lady at the desk.

“Hi. I was asked to come back today for my class schedule?” She nodded as she remembered my face.

“Leah, right?” She must’ve seen the surprise on my face as she laughed.

“Not many people have beautiful heterochromic eyes on this campus.” I blushed. I’d worn contacts over them most of my life but somehow I’d forgotten them back home. It wasn’t too obvious if you weren’t looking but people who did notice called me a freak. It was refreshing to find someone who thought they were beautiful.

“Thank you.” I smiled, my dimple probably showing. She beamed at me in return.

She searched on her computer for a few seconds and printed something out.

“Here you go. I hope you find economics quite easy.” I looked at her with genuine interest as I collected the paper from her.

“Last year, there was an issue with the lecturer and the school recorded it’s highest rate of failure. Although, I heard a new one has been brought in.”

“Oh? So what happened with the students then?”

“The university asked them to retake it this year but it wouldn’t affect their GPA.” Of course UCB wouldn’t just give out marks to their students. I guess it was nice that they didn’t allow it to affect them much.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. You’re here on scholarship, aren’t you?” I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, my cheeks tinged with slight embarrassment.

“I hope so.” 

“Besides, rumours are, the new professor is fine AF.” Her eyes lit up with mischief. My nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Ew! He’d be so old.”

“And?” She wiggled her eyebrows. I doubled over in laughter. This wasn’t appropriate conversation between student and staff. Maybe because she was so young and likeable but I didn’t mind it one bit.

“Oh my God! You remind me so much of a friend of mine. I’m pretty sure such kinds of relationship wouldn’t fly with school authority.” She sighed deeply.

“Sadly… Although, we live in quite a modern world. Why should there be a ban on student-staff relationships?” She was a part-time student so, she had enough time to work in the admin building.

“I dunno? Age difference? Preferential treatment? Distractions? Inapp…” I listed but she cut me off.

“I get it.” She rolled her eyes at me.

We talked some more and exchanged contacts. ‘Maybe things wouldn’t be so tough here.’ 

I thought to myself as I walked back to the hostel with a smile on my face. I’d made a friend.

I could hear loud music from across the hall as I passed different doors.

“We’d barely resumed and we can’t even have peace of mind.” I muttered to myself angrily.

Confusion etched itself onto my face as I approached my door. The music was coming from my room.

I opened my door to see Ashley half naked and writhing on the bed with some guy between her legs.

“What the actual fuck?” I shouted as I quickly averted my eyes which were now scarred for life.

They hadn’t heard me come in. They rushed to find their clothes which were strewn across the floor haphazardly.

In what was likely to be record time, the guy had dressed up and was out of the room.

I rubbed my forehead as I could feel a headache coming and turned to Ashley.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d be back so fast.” She said as she pulled on a top.

“I could hear the music from far down the hall. We could be reported for hall disturbance.”

Most people hadn’t resumed yet so, luckily most rooms on our floor were still empty.

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she kept her speaker in a drawer.

“I don’t want issues with the hall monitors. That’s all.” 

She nodded and apologised again. I sat down on my bed, feeling exhausted. I had classes the next day and I needed to be well rested. I also needed sleep to eradicate the image I’d seen earlier. 

I shivered with disgust as I remembered again.

*

Ashley was still asleep when I left for class. Getting to class wasn’t so difficult but finding a seat was.

The hall was almost filled to the brim and many people avoided the front seat. I didn’t like the front seat either and if I had known, I would’ve come earlier.

I had forgotten people from the previous year were also in this class.

I found a seat on the second row, putting me directly in the view of the podium.

Chit-chat went on around the class as we waited for the lecturer to arrive.

“I heard he’s old.”

“I heard he’s hot.”

I groaned inwardly as the girls beside me continued to talk about the lecturer, also putting me on edge to see what he looked like, if he was actually worthy of the buzz he was generating across the campus.

I brought out my pencil case and a note. I was about to take out my bottle of water when I heard short gasps from the beside me. I looked up at what had caused the commotion when my bottle fell from my hand causing a crash and water spilled everywhere.

The girls beside me screeched but my mind was on who stood before me, my jaw on the floor.