CHAPTER TWO: SOMETHING ABOUT THE STRANGER

The lecture was already in session when Natasha arrived. She walked past the bald old man who was putting down some notes on the board. She tried not to get noticed as she sneaked past him. Natasha hurried to an empty seat at the back, but then stopped midway into the lecture hall when she heard her name called from the front.

All eyes immediately fell on her.

She slowly turned—chest throbbing within her chest. Her eyes cast a guilty gleam on the old instructor whom she found still scribbling away on the board, too busy to glance her way. Natasha remained still, agitated from the sea of eyes watching her from all directions. She rubbed her fingers together while she waited.

He spun to face her, his fierce gaze piercing through her. “You’re late—” The tiny lens that sat on his pointy nose moved as he spoke.

“I’m sorry sir, but—”

“—again,” he completed his sentence, cutting her short.

Dr Legolas was an old science professor known among the students as a disciplinarian who compelled fear and obedience. He always preferred to leave his lens suspended at the tip of his nose. His little white moustache made him look much older—and wiser—than he actually was.

Natasha’s gaze moved from Dr Legolas and settled on the faces of her colleagues. Their intimidating gazes were fixed on her. She flushed and looked down. She breathed and turned to look at him, trying to look pitiful. “I’m sorry.”

Dr Legolas looked at her with scorn, his facial gesture suggested he wasn’t too happy about her barging into his class without permission. She could tell that her apology did more harm than good.

“Meet me in my office after this class is over,” he said dismissively, slightly raising his voice. “Now go take a seat.”

Natasha woozily walked down the hall and took an empty stool behind. Placing her bag and notepad on the table before her, she took out her books sluggishly, as if she’d been drained of her strength.

Glancing around, she noticed that her colleagues were still staring at her. She became flushed with embarrassment. Her pen dropped, and she bent to pick it. She unintentionally gave someone sitting right next to her a nudge with her elbow.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Her brows furrowed when her gaze met him, the person she’d bumped into earlier. Rosy-cheeked, she swallowed hard at the thought of him witnessing her earlier drama with Legolas. However, when she turned to look at him, he didn’t seem to notice that someone had hit him—or maybe he did, but just didn’t think she was worth the attention. His gaze was fixed on Legolas.

Natasha sat in awkward silence, recollecting the event that’d played out just a while ago. Although still upset about her phone, she realised bumping into him was totally her fault. If she hadn’t been staring at her phone, maybe she wouldn’t have bumped into him in the first place. Another wave of embarrassment washed over her when she remembered the cruel words she’d said to him.

Carefully rehearsing words of apology in her head, she whirled to face him. A feeling of restiveness grew within her, but she kicked against it. Pushing aside a few strands of hair that’d covered her face, she mustered the courage to talk to him.

“Hey, I’m sorry for earlier. Bumping into you was an accident and totally my fault. I know I acted so rude and unreasonable right after, so I just want to…” Her voice drifted off when she noticed he wasn’t listening.

He didn’t pay her any attention. She could’ve sworn he heard her apologies, but he kept a straight face, gazing at Legolas with unwavering attention, pretending not to see her. Natasha flushed, feeling totally humiliated.

Well, that went well. She raised her brows awkwardly as she turned her focus on Legolas.

She accidently pushed a test tube sitting on the lab table, and it spilled over and rolled to the edge. She gasped as it fell from the table, but he swiftly caught it in mid-air just before it hit the ground. Gently placing it back on the table, he returned his attention to Legolas without uttering a word. Not even a glance at her. It felt deliberate, like he was putting in so much effort to pretend she wasn’t sitting right next to him.

Was it just her, or was he like this with everyone else?

###

Natasha closed the door right after she left Legolas’ office. She had a dour look on her face—vestiges of embarrassment from being scolded in front of everyone earlier in class. She found Madelia and Dreda waiting across and walked to them.

“What did you do this time that landed you in Legolas’ office?” Madelia inquired with an arched eyebrow.

“I walked into his class without permission.” She sighed sadly. “And now he’s making me feel like I’d committed the worst crime.”

“You walked into Dr Legolas class without permission?” She stared with terror in her eyes. “I mean, it’s bad enough you were late for his class, but walking in while he was lecturing without any permission—that’s a different kind of gut.”

“So what did he do to you?” Dreda chimed in.

“I was admonished. ‘Keep your manners in cheek, girl,’ he said,” Natasha said in Legolas’ voice. “The next time you try something like this, you’ll get into serious trouble with me.”

Madelia burst out laughing.

“You are lucky you weren’t suspended for a month, or worse, banned from ever stepping foot in his class,” Dreda said. “Dr Legolas is an overly serious academician. Little misbehaviour tends to offend him.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” she said, continuing along the asphalt. “Hey, did I mention the guy that smashed my phone was also in chemistry class earlier?”

They stopped dead in their tracks and waited for what she was going to say after, but Natasha remained silent.

Dreda raised her brows inquiringly. “Well?”

“Well, the guy is a total douchebag.”

Madelia gasped, momentarily confused. “Why? What happened?”

“Uh no.” Dreda, poker-faced, folded her arms. “Don’t tell me you screwed up your only chance to apologise.”

“I did apologise, but guess what?” she said. “He rubbed it in my face. He just ignored me and pretended like I wasn’t there. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”

Dreda tapped her shoulder and calmly said, “Relax, girl. Just forget about what happened. At least you apologised.”

“Well, I know something that could cheer you up,” Madelia cut in.

“What’s that?” They both turned to her.

Madelia smiled and gestured towards the volleyball pitch.

“Volleyball? No!” Natasha quickly declined. “I’m in no mood to play right now.”

“Come on, it’s going to be fun,” she cajoled.

“No, Madelia. Maybe some other time.”

“Isn’t that the guy?” Dreda drew their attention, pointing in the direction of the volleyball court. “He’s sitting over there.”

They all turned and saw him leaning on an empty seat, watching an ongoing game. “He doesn’t look like he’s from around here,” Dreda thought aloud, studying him. “I think he’s new. There’s something about him I really do not like. He has a strange aura about him that almost screams danger.”

Madelia’s lips curved into a blissful smile. “Now we really have to play.”

“Hell no!” Natasha protested.

“This way we’ll stick around much longer to find out what we can about him,” she insisted.

“No. We’re not doing that.”

“C’mon, you two. Pleasssse! Besides, a game won’t hurt.”

“I think Madelia is right,” Dreda said. “We should go down there and see what we can find about this guy.”

Natasha said nothing. They both turned to look at her, still waiting for her to decide.

“Fine,” she said, surprising herself.

###

“Um—Madelia?” Dreda called out to her right after hitting the ball into the opponent’s court.

“What?” Madelia answered, trying to keep her head in the game so she wouldn’t miss the ball.

“Don’t you think you’re overdoing it a little bit?” she pointed out.

“What are you talking about?”

“It appears you’re playing to impress this guy.”

“Yeah, I noticed too,” Natasha added. “I’ve never seen Madelia this sleek and agile since—never.”

“What? No! Of course not,” she said. She was so distracted that she didn’t see the ball, which had been tossed in her direction, coming.

“Ahh!” Madelia exclaimed right after the ball fell on her chest, before hitting the court, automatically giving her opponent the lead score in the game. Then the ball rolled off the pitch toward the stranger. They all stopped to watch.

He stopped the ball with his foot when it came an inch closer and bent to pick it up. Then he sauntered towards them, eyes fixed on Natasha. The girls remained quiet as he edged towards them.

Standing over Natasha, he stared into her eyes in a way that made her feel nervous and intimidated. He stood only a few inches from her, holding the ball in his hands with a straight face, gazing ferociously at her.

Natasha glanced up at his face, staring at his refulgent, wet eyes. His face gave no clue of his mood. Standing this close to him made her heart race. She didn’t know what to expect from him. Then it struck Natasha that perhaps he’d only just realised his mistakes and had come to apologise. The voices in her head told her to say something—anything at all.

She put all thoughts aside and focused on what she was going to say if he apologise. Before she could utter a word, he stretched his hands to give her the ball. Natasha placed her hands over the ball to take it from him, but he didn’t let go. He had a firm grip on the ball like he didn’t want to let go.

She looked up at his face, perplexed. She saw a glimmer in his eyes. Her eyes darted in all directions as she watched him draw nearer, leaning forward as if he was going to kiss her. Madelia’s eyes grew wide.

His lips missed contact with hers, heading for her ear. His fiery breath poured over her ear as he whispered, “Stay away from me.”

Those words, so calm, yet threatening, sent cold chills traveling down the length of her spine, causing her entire body to shiver. He released the ball into her possession and walked away.

Natasha stood there, rooted to the ground, not believing what he’d just said to her. Her eyes flushed. She didn’t move an inch until after he’d left the pitch. Even after he left, she still felt the gaze of everyone on her. Her friends just stood there, watching with their mouths hanging open. His whisper must have been really loud.

Madelia, standing a few inches away, gasped. “That did not just happen.”