Chapter 5

Faith was on cloud nine. She practically floated back to her hostel. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure how she got there.

All she knew was that she'd entered a cab and was dropped off at the University gate. Her body hadn't even registered the walk to her hostel.

She walked the Halls of the hostel blankly. This time, she didn't stop to think about the fact that a single room here was more luxurious than her entire house back home.

When her parents and siblings drove down to drop her off at the start of the semester, she could tell that they were all exceedingly jealous of her even if they didn't say it. She didn't blame them for it.

She'd felt guilty and awkward standing in front of them, knowing that she would now live here with the rich people she'd so desperately wished she were a part of from childhood while they would have to go back to their shabby home.

She was officially the one that made it out. She felt guilty about that. The least she could do was finish well, get a good job and take care of them.

But this time, Faith didn't think about any of that. She didn't think of anything until she got to her apartment, 242.

Suddenly, she felt the strong urge to talk to someone, tell someone what just happened. Just to make sure that it was real and not her imagination.

She'd already pinched herself ten times in the space of the 20 minutes it took to get here. She sent up a silent prayer that her roommates would be in and pushed open the door.

The door opened to reveal a brunette in a tank top and cargo pants, spread out on the couch. She had a book open in her hand.

"Adele!" Faith rushed in.

She hadn't considered how alarming it would be for her to rush in and yell. The girl fell off the couch in shock.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to yell." Faith rushed over to her and helped her back onto the sofa.

She adjusted her glasses which were sitting precariously on her nose due to the fall.

"I'm fine." She said with a tinkering laugh, her posh British accent rolling off her tongue smoothly. "What's got you so excited today? You didn't seem all too chipper this morning."

"The craziest thing happened to me today. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's real or not."

"Oh, now you have me curious. Go on, tell it."

Faith shot up from the couch. "I need some water first. I think I may be hyperventilating."

"Sit. I'll get you some water." Adele all but shoved her back onto the sofa and hurried off to their joint kitchen.

She returned soon after with a cup of water for Faith. She gulped it down.

The moment she set down the cup, Adele was on her. "Now, tell me everything!"

Faith took a breath and launched into the story. She told her everything; how Ernie had asked her out earlier, how the strange man came in and ordered the drink, how she went to his office and how she got offered the job.

"He offered me $8000, Adele. $8000 per month!"

"Oh...that's nice. Really nice." Faith knew that her roommate was just trying to be nice. The money wasn't a lot to her.

She spent that much on a bag just last week, but she was a sweet, empathetic girl so she understood how much it meant to Faith.

"I'm so happy for you." She gave Faith a hug.

"Thank you." She hugged her back.

"This means you can quit your jobs now."

The girl had been trying to get Faith to quit her jobs for weeks. She'd even offered her some money but Faith turned it down. She would work for her own money.

"Yes, I can. But I really like working at the library. I think I'll keep that job. It can't hurt. I'll be able to study while there, and tutoring him would be just like studying too. I don't need to worry about my grades anymore."

Everything was working out perfectly. Not a little too perfectly, she hoped.

"Oh, I just love how you met. it all sounds so romantic." Adele sang, batting her eyes.

Faith didn't need to look down at the book Adele had dropped earlier to know that it was a romance book.

She had two shelves full of them in her room. Faith herself had borrowed a good number from her. Still, she rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Everything sounds romantic to you." Faith had barely finished the sentence when the door opened and another girl walked in.

"What's going on?" She asked immediately she spotted them together on the sofa. Faith was usually not home by this time, and if she were, she would be studying.

"Faith got a job." Adele piped up before Faith could say anything. She launched into the story Faith just told her and recounted everything to the newcomer.

When she named the amount Faith was to get, the girl raised a brow. Faith could tell what she was thinking. Was that what all the hurrah was about? Oh, to be born rich.

"Hmph, congrats I guess." With that, she moved to go to her room.

That was Sheila for you. The much less empathetic but just as awesome third roommate. Faith didn't take offence to her response. It was just like her to act like that even though she was happy for her.

"Thank you." Faith called after her retreating back.

"I wonder who would give you such a job. Did you catch his name?" She didn't turn around or wait for an answer.

Adele looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear the name of the male lead in the imaginary love story she was already creating in her head.

"Just his first name, Devlin. Apparently, he donated the pool everyone was raving about a few weeks ago."

Sheila practically slid to a stop. She whirled around. "Wait, you mean Devlin as in Devlin Banks?"

"You know him?" Faith asked, wide-eyed.