10. Episode (The past)

Going to school the next day wasn’t as difficult as the previous day for Ann, she woke up about thirty whole minutes before her usual time, she was feeling very refreshed and excited for the new day. Dressing up for school took about five minutes after taking her bath as she usually dresses up in the first bagging trousers and shirt she laid her hands on. Eating some cereals with milk, she took an apple from the old fridge and headed to the bus stop. Today happened to be one of the few days she was on time for the bus and arrived to campus too no time. She stood in front of the gate for a long time, hiding behind pillars watching more students arriving at the campus.

Finally mastering some courage, she left her hiding place and made it to the entrance of the campus. The hallway was choked with numerous students and they have already started discussing her, they’ve all heard one or more stories going around the campus about her. She clenched her jaw hard to stop herself from reacting weird looks and unwelcoming expressions on the faces of most of the students. Some went as far as pointing their fingers at her, whispering and sniggers at her. Not used to this type of attention, her breathe hitched and her tiny legs began giving up on her, she was hyperventilating in the presence of more than half of the school’s population. She started shaking violently and kept looking around anxiously as if looking for help,”please not here, I don’t want to disgrace myself here. Please, please not here. Where is Judith? Who else can I turn to that can calm me down? I only have Judith and today being Wednesday, she doesn’t have class till one o’clock in the afternoon. Go-Go-Go to my happy place.... please go to my happy place...”, she muttered to herself underneath her breathe.

She was gasping for air desperately and felt her chest tightening. Her vision was becoming blurry as black spots appeared before her. She stood her ground and wanted to fight till the end but the weakness she was experiencing was overpowering her. Unconsciously, she started surrendering herself to the darkness around her without hope to cling on. She felt herself fall, she embraced herself for the fall but before she didn’t feel the pain that was supposed to follow after such a fall. She didn’t hit the floor, she fell into an embrace of someone warm, someone with an amazing muscular scent.

She felt herself being hugged to a hard body as sweet and comforting words were whispered into her ears. The words were soothing and soon she felt she had regained some strength, the black spots disappeared a bit and she felt her lungs expand with enough air. She felt at peace at the rather noisy atmosphere around her earlier. Soon, all she heard was total silence and she smelt the smoothing fragrance or perfume the person was wearing. The person was her savior but she didn’t have the strength to open her eyes and acknowledge the person’s presence.

She closed her eyes and took in a lung full of the smoothing fragrance,’ Mmm that smells so damn nice! Did Judith change her perfume? Wait! wait, I only have one friend who isn’t at all taller than me, right? She isn’t muscular, lean, so warm nor this comforting. Judith doesn’t smell this smoothing or nice, this perfume smells like a million bucks and have to very expensive. No offense to Judith but she’s broke just like me and her perfume usually smells like rose most of the times but this particular smell too muscular, rich and calm’. She thought to herself without making an effort to face her savior. Giving up her comfort zone, she pulled herself slowly from the stranger,”thank.......”, she started but the other words got stuck in her throat when she saw the person that helped her. The person saved her in her most vulnerable and anxious state was no stranger to her. She was too fazed that she couldn’t alter the words that she desperately wanted to say to her savior. All her strength could allow her was to stare at the young handsome man in front of her like an alien without a word. She picked her backpack that fell on the floor during her episode and ran away leaving the scene and her savior behind her. She blocked out everyone and made a run for it.

Avirina and her minions glared at her enviously but only Avirina was brave enough to get close to the person in front of them. She walked up the young man with a steer.

“Rex baby? Why did you help her? That girl is an ingrate! Did you see how ungrateful she was earlier even after you humiliated yourself enough to help her? The bit*h couldn’t even say thank but just........”, Avirina was ranting angrily to get a reaction from him. Rex ignored her and left before she could even finish that sentence and paint Ann blacker. Rex walking from her humiliated her a lot making her more furious,”gosh I hate her! I fucking hate her! I wish I can just make her disappear from the surface of the earth! huuuhh, let’s go!”, she exclaimed angrily. They left whilst the others present at the scene murmur amongst themselves about what happened and how it was too suspicious to ignore.

Rex walking with the other guys was absented minded, yesterday after leaving Craves restraurant and bar with his other friends in such an angry mood, he took his time to go thru the information he got from the investigation of Ann’s life. He read every line and into details about the past life of Ann. The things he read and saw about her life made him change how he viewed about Ann and he turned to understand her better.

‘Is she okay? How is she doing now? She kept her past so hidden that no one will even suspect she had such a friend? How is she doing now? Even her friend is not around to help her. I will have to ask my investigators for the number of her friend, I have to call her to come and be there for her friend. She’s the only one that can be there for her at the moment’. Rex thought to himself distractedly as he walked with his friends. That day the news of Rex helping Ann spread throughout the whole school like wide fire consuming an entire forest.