It was the beginning of a new semester and Harold Girard, Trisha McLeon and Wilkes Milton were in their second year in Golden Lake University.
The sun shone brighter than ever, welcoming both the old and new students who were causing series of cacophonies here and there all around the school. They were happy to see their mates — and partners, too, after the holiday. At least, most of them were. Someone wasn't and that person was…
A sleek limousine drove through the school's gate and down the long road. To its left and right were students in bright colours of shirts, extremely short Mini skirts and long baggy jeans — which happened to be what was trending at that moment — hugging one another, squealing in joy and walking to the new hostels assigned to them. They were also eager to see who their knew roommate was.
The limousine which reflected the brilliance of Golden Lake's sun drifted round a corner and came to a halt, not minding the dust its tyres had spewed in the air.
There was silence in the magnificent interior of the limousine like whoever was in it waited for the dust to settle.
In the limousine which had held the attention of other students as it sped along was Harold. And he wasn't alone.
In the fore seat to the left was a driver. He was super fat and could barely squeeze his skin into the seat assigned to him but still, he was a good driver. An excellent one to be precise and that was what had kept him employed.
In the seat beside him was a woman. She had long, blonde hair that when allowed to move with gravity, neared her waist. She was dressed in a silvery gown and looked like a queen. What she lacked though, was a crown on her head and three dozen guards watching her every step. She was Sarah, Harold's stepmother.
In the seats behind the driver and Sarah was Harold and someone who was bound to make his next two years in Golden Lake University more miserable; Maximus (or Max for short).
Max was Sarah's own child, a year younger than Harold and one of Golden Lake's new intake.
Harold had barely survived the previous session and Max butting into his school life the way he had in all spheres of Harold's life in the past, meant this school year was going to be terrible. Harold couldn't wait to ditch him if only to keep his reputation — or lack of one; good or bad, safe.
“They said a meeting will be held with first years like me after which we'll be taken on a tour round the school,” Max started, barely able to keep his butt seated on the luxurious leather of the limousine. “Sounds like fun if you ask me.”
“Yeah,” Harold replied dryly as he slid the limo's door open, intending to step out. Rays of the sun got in the car. “It'll be till you have to find your hostel room before the curfew or else you'll be sent back home.”
“Curfew? Sent back home?” Max said with wide eyes settled on Harold. He was holding on the edge of his seat and one of his arms was wrapped round the classy headrest.
“Yes, you heard me right,” Harold said. He was enjoying himself totally and for a split second, he felt good that Max was in the same school he was in. “I'll give you a tip, though,” Harold continued. “The three male hostels are to the left of a fountain you'll know soon. To its right are the ones for females.” He paused for a second then continued. “The hostels are side by side. Once you find one, you find all.”
Before anything more was said, Harold stepped out of the limousine.
The brilliant rays of the sun — which he had grown accustomed to other the last session — ushered him into the school.
He breath in deeply and out slowly. When he was satisfied with the scent of Golden Lake which was a mix of the perfume of students that had previously walked past that exact location and trees, he looked around, not minding his stepbrother who watched him from the comfort of the limousine.
"Mr. Travis,” he called to the driver. All things being normal, his stepmother would have frowned at him — but not at Max if he did the same thing — saying Mr. Travis, the driver, wasn't a servant hence, shouldn't be allowed to do anything but drive, but not today. She had to make sure her child was safe and if it meant putting up with Harold till they left, she was down for it.
The driver turned to look at him.
“Can you please help me get my things out of the boot?”
The driver cast a quick glance at Sarah, hesitated then stepped out. He walked smartly to the boot and some seconds later, Harold's luggage was on the pavement.
Max, too, stepped out of the car and got his luggage from the boot. Mr. Travis hurried to the car when that was done.
“Max,” Sarah called to her son. The young werewolf who had a fine build walked to the side of the car his mother was in.
She told him some things Harold couldn't hear from where he was. Not like he was bothered. He was free from her. Free from everyone. He was in Golden Lake University, his school.
Max walked back to his luggage with a smirk on his face. The very second he left his mother's side, the limousine's engine came alive with a mild hum and tumbled down the road at a great speed.
Harold sighed when Sarah was gone.
“Where's it being held?” Max asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“The meeting for the new intakes.”
“Oh, that,” Harold said as he held his travelling bag in his hands. “I don't know where it will be held.”
Before another word was said, Harold began walking to locate his new hostel. If he had been reallocated like it happened to some students.
The sudden disappearance of the smirk on Max's face as Harold began walking was priceless. To Harold.
With a hand pulling his travelling bag behind him, Harold began walking to where the male's hostel were located.He knew where it was and it was just midday hence, he didn't have to bother about arriving there late.He brought out his phone and texted Wilkes Milton. The both of them, with Trisha, had met at Francis and Professor Ericson's funeral. It was quite a sad one and surprisingly, a lot of people who called themselves the family of the duo, were around.‘In school already?’ Harold typed on his phone and hit the ‘send’ button.He kept on walking, still, under the scorching sun, not allowing thoughts of how Max was fairing disturb him.Deep down, he knew Max was going to survive. Max was a fine wolf — a replica of both their father, who had been trained from an early age to take over the position of being the Alpha when him and Harold's father was gone by Sarah his mother.If H
As Harold pulled his travelling bag behind him, what the athletic student that had been at his front on the queue said began to bother him.If they were keeping tabs on a student or a group of students, what was their motive? If they felt that the student(s) was/were up to no good then there was trouble looming round the corner. Harold felt nauseous.He stopped on his tracks and took out his phone. Before swiping the screen open, the corner of his left eye caught the dark-skinned student walking to the first building. That meant he was in his third and final year in Golden Lake University.The second, where Harold and Wilkes had stayed in last session, was for the first years and since they were having a meeting at that particular time, it was pretty deserted.‘What's the room number?’ Harold texted quickly. He put the phone back into his pocket and grabbed his travelling bag.He walked
Harold and the student he'd met in the dormitory who had a lit cigarette hanging from the edge of his mouth, stared at each other.The student was the first to speak. He had a thick, brassy voice and Harold suspected his smoking habit contributed to it.“Are you my new roommate?” he asked. It was almost like he was daring Harold to say he was.Of course, all schools had bad eggs. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes a few. But all through last year, Harold hadn't come across any, hence, found it quite amusing that there was one, in him and Wilke's room, smoking like it was a totally normal thing to do.Harold didn't think.“Yes,” he responded. “I think I am your new roommate.”“Oh,” the student said dryly as he stood up from the edge of the bed he was sat on. “You weren't to find me this way,” be continued, pointing at the cigarette that had a white, wispy smoke ascending from the bright red
Wilkes Milton held the door open with one arm. The grin on his face had reduced in size but was still present.With one arm holding the travelling bag, Harold walked into the room and wheeled his bag to his right.“Who's he?” Wilkes asked as he closed the door.Harold studied the room. It looked exactly the same way his dormitory in the first year did.There were two beds — a little bigger than the ones they'd used last session — each on one side of the room. They had identical bedsheets and beside it were small drawers with a flashlight on each.“Who?” Harold asked, turning back to look at Wilkes who was right behind him.“The dude in that room. I saw him for about half a second and he didn't look like a… student.”“I thought I was over thinking when I felt the same thing. I doubt he's a student. He looks a lot older than any student I've seen on this campus
Max Girard — Harold's stepbrother, slung one of his three bags round his neck, making it from behind him like an hunch.He bent and picked up one of the two bags left in his hands and with his free hand, wheeled the third bag behind him.He wasn't oblivious to the fact that Harold didn't have as much clothes as he did meaning they had all fit in one bag, but he didn't care.They both lived different lives. He lived the life of a to-be-alpha while Harold lived that of a nobody.It was even because he was coming to the school that Harold had arrived in the limousine.Max looked around, his eyes squinting so that he could see better.Harold had left him already and all things being normal, he should have followed him but he was too proud for that. He was meant to lead not to be led. He was designed to rule.He began walking slowly in the direction other
“Can she come and meet us?” Harold asked Wilkes as they both exited the building.To their left and right were the students that had queued and gotten their pass. Most of them were headed to their hostels with their bags held in their arms like Arabs walking through the desert with their luggages. They were awfully tired and a few were dripping with sweat.“Do you mean Trisha?” Harold asked back.“Yes, Trisha. If she can make it to the canteen on time, should she come?”“Of course,” Harold said as he saw some students heading out of their hostels the same way he and Wilkes had. “It's funny that you asked if she can come.”On the outside, to their left was a queue made up of nothing less than thirty students. They all seemed anxious and somewhat impatient.“He's here. He's following us!” Wilkes whispered to Harold. He pinched his hand softly, too, to have his attention.
Trisha's red gown which stopped just a little above her knee hugged her frame as she spotted Harold and Wilkes and walked to where they were.She was a few inches taller than the last time either of them had seen her — which was at Francis and professor Ericson's burial, and was a lot more… fashionable.Harold was the first to spot her of the two. He was the one facing the door while Wilkes had his back to the door. Harold smiled.“If these aren't my two babies,” she said with a laugh as she stopped a few centimetres behind Wilkes.Wilkes spun around to look at her, not minding the salad stain that edged his lips.“You look…”“…Different?” Trisha asked with a smile on her face.“I was going to say beautiful but different does the job as well. Had I not known you very well, I'd have said this isn't you.” His eyes traced her curves which were more enhanced by wha
Max Girard was one of the first students to leave the auditorium when all was done. He wanted to avoid running into as many people as possible and that equalled him leaving as early as possible.On the outside, the sun was shining even brighter than it had been when he went in. He couldn't think of any reason for this other than the fact that this was the part of Earth closest to hell.Less than a minute after getting out, tons of students trooped out after him in what he would have called ‘deafening cacophonies.’He looked around impatiently, searching for the guide that was said was going to take them to the important landmarks of the school.When all the students were out and the sun had tanned his skin till it was brown like chocolate, a young man that looked like he was in his thirties appeared out of nowhere. He had a bushy moustache that kept his lips in obscurity and had long hair tied into a bun.