Colonizer

I stand up the moment Ms. Iris hit the door. I hastily grab my stuff and rush out of the classroom. I didn’t even stop to put down my things in the locker. The only thing in my head right now is to get out of this sea of people crowding the hallway. I’m in dire need of a me time and that means a complete solitary in the library. It’s always a total chaos when the bell rings, especially now when it’s break time. I can barely catch my breath being squeezed here and there. Despite that, I painstakingly headed upstairs.

Such being the case, it seems that today is not Aubrey’s lucky day since nothing goes her way. She’s already in hurry but jammed within the crowd and to add in her misfortune, Rosie has actually passed by her without her knowledge.

I can finally breathe when I reach the library. The person in charge behind the desk smiles at me when our eyes meet. I nod in greeting before I walk to my favorite spot – the most secluded space in this library – the last row of bookshelves on the right side of the room. I usually hide by the corner, completely out of sight. Not even Aubrey can find me there. She always asks where I go when the break comes. I never spill the truth. Why would I when she can only disturb my peace?

My steps were unhurried as I play with my phone. However, I gasp in shock when I see someone has occupied the spot. With one leg bent and the other sprawled, he rests his head on his knee to sleep. My brows immediately knit in displeasure while I stand there watching this shameless colonizer in silence.

I tilt my head. This guy... is Cain, right? I think to myself. There’s no way I can be mistaken from this laid-back attitude and that annoying hood of his. Splendid! Why did he choose to sleep here out of the other corners he could take?! I glare at him menacingly.

This guy has been nothing but an eyesore since he first took the empty seat beside me. I know he’s not being deliberate or anything but, why does it feel like he’s destroying the peace I have bit by bit??

I sigh exasperatedly. I can only relent and share the space with him. In consideration that he might be exhausted, I soften my every move, dropping my bag gently onto the floor before sitting down. Then, I begin working on the Math assignment given last week.

Twenty minutes later, my eyes droop heavily. The feeling of dizziness hits me all of the sudden. My vision blurs little by little. I should probably sleep early today, I thought to myself.

But for now, I think I need to rest. So, I decided to set my pen down and cradle my cheek into my hand. Just for a while…

I close my eyes and everything becomes dark.

The corner of his eyes twitch when he suddenly feels a presence near him. He immediately turns his head up and finds a raven-haired girl sleeping while holding a book. He scans her from head to toe. He couldn’t see her face because she’s facing the other way. So, he slowly shifts to the front.

A palm sized face appears on his sight. Beautiful long lashes and neatly cut eyebrows. Her pinkish lips pouts adorably as she snoozes away. He raises an eyebrow.

“Rose?” Her name rolls off his tongue smoothly as if it was meant to be on his lips. His breath hitches upon the softness of his voice.

His mind is currently in a daze when suddenly the bell rings. In that instance, he snaps out of his deliriousness. He blinks, fixing his eyes on her again before standing up and walking away from the spot. He didn’t bother to wake her up and just leave her behind.

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Ring!! Ring!!

I wake up with a start at the noisy sound of the bell. The Mathematic book in my lap got tossed away out of shock. My heart is pounding heavily as I let out a long sigh to calm down. I brush my palms against my face. When I take out my phone to check the time, I jump in stupor. Gosh! I’ve been sleeping for two hours. It’s eleven fifteen right now. I hurriedly stuff my things and prepare to make a quick dash when I notice that Cain is no longer there.

I got pissed off almost immediately. That jerk, why didn’t he wake me? Doesn’t he know me? I think to myself. Forget it; I rush out from the library to my next class. I think it’s Social class in the schedule if I’m not mistaken.

Social study is held on the first floor. It is located across the garden in another section of the building from History and English. It’s quite difficult to map around Darwin Institute as a whole. I got lost when I first came here. The school itself is separated into three divisions from elementary to high school. Then, there is a separated building for college and higher education. All of these are located in the same area and a part of Darwin Institute.

Although Darwin Institute hasn’t been around for as long as the other educational institutes, it has spent a couple of years enough to receive renovation from small to a large scale. They never change the original architecture that has been inspired from European olden days – brick stoned walls, barrel vaulted ceilings, mythological carvings as well as marble statues. The whole interiors give off the feeling of monarchy, both elegant and majestic.

Though some hallways are enclosed within the walls, some remain in the open with built arches along the way. The idea is not only for aesthetic purpose in accordance to the European architecture but also to give students a sense of freedom. What’s better to describe freedom than a direct connection with nature? With man-made gardens, planted flowers and trees, it’s a rather refreshing idea to be able to enjoy the outdoors environment while still within the school area.

I panted from all the running but luckily manage to arrive just in time before the teacher even comes in. As always, I stride towards the back of the class and to my surprise, I see the one person that I do not wish to meet right now. And for the second time, he colonizes my spot. I inhale sharply in a fit of anger but remain expressionless as I sit down on the same row but draw a little distance from him.

I settle down and try to distract myself with random thoughts. However, as my mind drifted and so does my head. When I come again, I find myself looking at him. I wonder what’s inside his pocket. He’s been hiding his hands down there. Are those, by chance, magical pockets?

Smack! I slam my face into my hands. Gosh! Rosie stops! Why do you keep staring at him? Leave him alone for God sake!

For once, I’m glad I have a usually stoic face and rarely showcases my emotion. I have quite a self-control and more than often hide my feelings. I always have that kind of neutral smile that spells, “I don’t know what you’re talking about but okay.”

Everyone starts chattering as we wait for the teacher to come. Most of the topic revolves around the new guy. I find it both awkward and hilarious when the person in discussion is just sitting there without a care in the world. He can be sleeping for all we know and all the gossip just pass by him.

When I watch him silently like this, it feels like the space around him is a whole different world, his world, and it is out of everyone’s reach. The air around him sets off an intimidating aura yet his presence seems to demand people’s attention. Bit by bit, I come to understand why every girl seem to be interested with him.

“Hey, the teacher is absent so it’s self-study!” The guy who just comes back from the teachers’ room exclaims. Everybody cheers happily and starts lounging around with their friends.

“That’s it. I’m going to talk to him.” I raise my brows when I hear someone says that. That voice belongs to Olivia who sits on the third row. The other girls are surprised when she says that, including me.

“You can’t be serious!” One of her friends tries to stop her.

“Don’t, Olivia! He doesn’t seem to be the friendly type,” another one advises.

However, Olivia is determined as she makes her way to his seat. Every single eye is now staring at her. My eyes widen when she bravely sits in front of him. I can’t bear to look and can only glimpse from behind a book. While our classmates are encouraging her to do it, the only thing running in my head is the worst scenario of her being ignored.

“Hi, you’re the new transfer student, right?” Olivia bashfully voices her question. Oh dear, here it comes – the moment of truth! We fix our eyes on him yet, there’s no movement. I dunk my head down behind the book. God, it’s starting to get embarrassing. Just answer her Cain, damn you! I curse inwardly.

I wait for another few minutes but still, nothing. At last, my curiosity gets the better off me and I look up at Cain. The room is engulfed in utter silence and the awkwardness becomes even more evident as the time flows. Her face sank as Olivia retreats back to her seat. Everyone turns a blind on the event, acting as if nothing has happened.

Cain slowly opens his eyes as his consciousness returns to this realm. When he hears nothing, he lifts his head slightly to sneak a peek. Everybody is doing their own thing. Then, he suddenly realizes something. He stares at the seat in front of him. After a while, he smirks with a knowing look on his face. He shakes his head before scouting the room and stop when he finds her sitting not far from him.

He purses his lips. ‘She really did sit in the back again.’