Chapter 1

Horizon Cole's Point of View:

This was my first day here at this prestigious university. I barely looked at my light brown wristwatch and rolled my eyes as I realized that I was late for my first-period class. I was a third-year Business Administration college student from Psalms Eastwood University, which was one of the famous college universities next to the Eastview Agape University. Unfortunately, my former university was facing a lot of issues with regard to providing quality education and corruption that seriously affected the image of the university and resulted in the forced closure of the PEU. And now, here I am, EAU!

"I am late," I uttered while rummaging on my black sling bag to check my class schedules. I made my way to my class, but I couldn't find my department building, since this was my first time here. I still have seven minutes, to be exact, before my class started. Likewise, I hissed and put all the blame on Sage. It was all Sage's fault! Sage Kade Wright was my best friend ever since we were in pre-school. Way back then, I was bullied by almost half of my classmates for no reason, and up until now I personally have no idea why they were all mad at me, but Sage was — wait it may sound cheesy, but he was the one who protects me. Just for the record, we were Platonic.

"Excuse me, can I ask where the Marguerite building is?" I was really in a hurry. I asked a guy who was leaning on the handrails. He was approximately six feet in height. He has pale skin and brown hair color. I noticed that he immediately looked at the building in front of us. I concluded that the building painted white and has a seventh-floor is the building I was asking him about. I nodded as a response.

"Thank you." He simply nodded his head. I could not manage to look back at him. I found myself half running in the narrow hallway, then I barely heard the echoes of tumultuous laughter of students that were littering on the porch. There was a group of girl students in front of the transparent glass door near the stairs. I noticed that there were a lot of students in the elevator. I let out a heavy sigh after realizing that I had no choice but to use the stairs. Before I got to the 7th floor of this building, I thought I will barely breathe. I hardly closed my eyes for a moment, seeing how high it was. I was half running, but I accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," I uttered without looking at whom I bumped into. Because at this moment, my main goal is to be in my class before the class began.

"Horizon," She called me. I turned my eyes on her. She has shoulder-length hair that has chestnut brown hair color. She was approximately 5'5 in height. I double-checked if she was really Jaim, since the last time I checked, she does not wear maxi dresses and wedge heels. She was my classmate when I was in Senior High school; she was such a timid and conservative type of girl back then.

"No way, Jaim, you're here." She nodded with excitement. I noticed the light shade of make-up she was wearing. She was totally different from the girl I knew before.

"Thank God, I managed to scrounge for a scholarship." She said while a smile etched on her face. I noticed her brown handbag that contribute a lot on her style.

"What is your program?" We asked in unison and laughed after realizing that we asked the same question to each other. As far as I know, she shifted her program last second sem when we were on first year.

"Business Administration," She hugged me. I smelled a sweet perfumed that she was using. It smelled familiar since, she used to use that.

"Same here," I linked my hand in her arm. Jaim abruptly stopped and examined me from head to foot. Watching her doing that, made me realized that she was really different from the girl I used to be with.

"No way, girl. Is that the limited edition dress released by your company this month?" She looked so amazed. I laughed as I saw her reaction. She had been a big fan of Mom's designs.

"Nope, this edition was from last month. I haven't tried our latest edition yet, but no worries, I'll get one for you." Her reaction seemed like she won the lottery. I was happy for Jaim, maybe she was just afraid to go out of her comfort zone. At least now, she already had the courage to show who she really was.

"Are you serious?" She asked for assurance. I nodded as a response. I had a lot of clothes from our clothing line that I hadn't tried yet. Since I could not find an event that suits some of them.

"Let's go." We were in a hurry. I was grateful that I decided to wear sneakers instead of heels. After checking on Jaim 'cause I noticed that she was wearing her pink wedge heels. She scrunched her nose. But we do not have a choice but to use stairs. For sure, she was struggling since we were in haste.

"I was just wondering, your village is next to our university, right?" She gave me an inquisitive look since our village was near to the university.

"Sage texted me last night, that he will about to fetch me but end up otherwise. I fetched him early in the morning. That sleepyhead! " I hissed with frustration. She was laughing while watching me with my rants.

"You guys are really close, don't you?" She shook her head while smiling.

In the midst of our chitchat about the latest shade of lipstick thing, we heard someone uttered. We saw a guy with a messy-light-brown-hair-color tugged off the collar of another student and punched him unstoppably. He was approximately 6'1 in height. I sighed after realizing that even in the well-known university, there was still a lot of stuff like this. They were blocking the way. I took a glance at Jaim.

"Let's go." I simply nodded.

"This is the only available stairs that we can use now. We don't have a choice." I thought that it was not the right time for us to get involved in trouble.

"Excuse us." I got their attention as their gaze was now on us.

"Who do you think you are?" The guy with pale skin color and round-tired eyes with a pointed nose irritatedly asked me and smirked his lips. He let go of the other guy. He was wearing dark tops that accentuated his clear and pale skin.

"Horizon, let's go," Jaim whispered. She gently nudged my elbow but the guy tested the distance between us.

"Don't you dare come near to me?" I warned him but he wasn't even moved by it. Mom and Dad could not afford to meet the guidance counselor on my first day here in EAU.

"What will you do then?" He asked with a teasing tone.

"I'll kill you," I said with an authoritative tone. He ran his fingers into his messy hair before he chuckled.

"I'm not threatened," I added and tried to act as if I am really not. He tested the distance between us. I did not have a choice, but to take some steps back until I felt my back reach the handrails, signifying that there was no way I could escape from this guy. A smirk immediately flashed on his face. I didn't want to meet the guidance counselor on my first day at this university. But I was ready to kick him anytime soon. I was just praying that he will not come near me. Before he leaned his arm on the handrails, I hit him, I mean a big time.

"You... such a monster!" He'd suffered intense pain and placed his hand on his stomach.

"Horizon, let's go. Just let him be." Jaim held my arm and dragged me away from him.

"Hope not to see him again. " I hissed. He did likewise and shook his head and took a side glance before he shot me with his indignant stare.

We made our way to our class. I noticed a huge and neat classroom. I knew for sure that this is our classroom for this first-period class. Almost all the seats were already occupied by our block mates. Jaim and I were looking for vacant seats. The glass board and the familiar smell of the classroom gave vibes to the opening of the class. The chitchat of a ton of students on the right corner echoed all over the classroom while on the other corner, there were a lot of girls who were applying make-up on. Some of them were leaning on their tables and took a nap. We were late so we had no choice but to sit at the vacant seats in the back. I felt the eyes of the whole class on us while we were on our way to the back of the classroom. I sat and put down my sling bag at the vacant seat. A mid-30s lady went inside and put all her stuff on the table.

"Good morning, Class. As usual, you are going to introduce yourself here in front of the class, 'cause I heard that we have transferees." Our instructor in this course said in an approachable manner. Someone wore an orange dress pair with her pointed heels and went to the front and started introducing herself. I looked around and witnessed the different things that some students are doing even in the middle of the class, it seemed like they have their own world.

Someone came in without showing any affection. He was the guy I asked about the Marguerite building earlier. He sat on the vacant chair beside me and leaned on it. The attention of everyone was on him, to the point that they failed to listen to the one who was speaking in the front. No doubt, since he has the looks. Jaim nudged me.

"Is he sleeping?" She asked in a low tone of voice. I simply shrugged in response.

After a while, there was someone who came in. He was almost thirty minutes late. I was sure that he was the guy I fought with earlier. He got everyone's eyes. I turned my attention back on a girl who was talking in the front before I hissed. He stopped in front of me and put all his stuff on my desk.

"Get out." He uttered deadpan, but I didn't move. I looked around and noticed that all of their eyes were on us. I didn't want him to think that I was threatened.

"I came here first." I simply responded while my eyes were still nailing on the person who was talking in front of the class about herself. I think I should get out from here voluntarily instead of by force.

"I said, get out!" He was calmed but firmly said. I stood up to prevent a disaster, but my eyes were on him and shot him with my indignant stare.

"You know what, you're so arrogant. It doesn't even have your name written on it, so it doesn't belong to you." A smirk etched on his face after he heard what I have just said.

"It doesn't have your name on it either, so it's not yours. So get lost." He emphasized the two last words. I did not have a choice, but to find another vacant seat, just to prevent the trouble it may cause.

"What's the notion is all about, class?" Our instructor finally noticed what was happening here. I abruptly grabbed my stuff and sat on the other side of the guy who was sleeping. Jaim moved to the vacant seat beside me.

"It's your turn." Our professor referring me. I clamped my hair on the other side and stood up.

"Good morning. I am Horizon Cole Scott. I am a varsity player-" I heard random reactions of everyone here in the classroom. A girl in the first row looked like examining me as her eyeballs looked at me from head to foot.

"I hope to have a memorable school year with you guys." I continued and went back to my seat. Jaim came in the front when her turn came.

"Good morning everyone. I am Jaim Mari Madison, like Horizon, I am a varsity player. We had the same university in high school and I want to have a great year in this university since this is one of my dream schools ever since." She made her way to her seat after she introduced herself.

"You are next, Thorn." He rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He went in the front and the eyes of the whole class were on him as if he was walking on a runway.

"I know that everyone on the campus already knows my name but because of this usual activity to start the class," He hissed.

"I am Thorn Trevor Colins." He simply uttered and knitted his jeans before he seated. Everyone's attention remained on him, though he did not tell anything about himself except about his rants and his name. I still heard murmurings.

"It's your turn, Yzack." The guy beside me made his way to the front. Almost everyone's eyes were in him.

"I am Yzack Tan Caev." He made his way back to his seat. I can barely hear their murmurings about him.

After the traditional activity to start the class with. She dismissed us earlier than it was supposed to be. I leaned on my desk.

"I thought, my first day in this university will be memorable, but, maybe nah." I muttered and hissed.

"It's just 10:07 in the morning, don't conclude too soon." Someone uttered. I looked at the guy beside me as I remember, his name was Yzack. He's deadpan and went outside the classroom. I saw the face of that cruel-annoying guy who ruined my day before it was started.

Someone who wore a maroon coat and pencil-cut skirt with wavy dark hair came in. Her maroon nail polish also gave her a strong image. No one dares to spoke. It made me felt that she's a terror one.

"I am here to discuss our syllabus and the rules in my class. I knew that you already knew it, but for the sake of all, I'm going to discuss it again." She said in a stern manner. As she started, the whole class was covered with creeps in those two hours.

This cruel-annoying guy stood up and was about to go out.

"Hey!" I confronted him. His gaze was on me now. I could not deny how good-looking he was, I mean his manly features. He had a pointed nose, round-tired eyes, and his concrete jaw, but it could not help the fact that he had no manners.

"What's your problem?" He furrowed his eyebrows. Jaim told me that this guy is the most valuable basketball player in this university, and she knew a lot of things about him. According to Jaim, was also famous in our previous university. To be honest, I was not updated about what's happening around me, maybe that's the reason why I was not aware though.

"I'm was not shocked when I heard that you got suspended in the first week of your high school year because you bullied seven students just because you were bored. You locked in your classmates in the laboratory. And you scoffed your teachers." I shook my head in disappointment. He just rolled his eyes and snorted after hearing what I had said.

"Only a lunatic person as you will believe in that rumor. How unbelievable that thing sounded." He hissed.

"It's not the first week, I think that was the second week. And the students I was bullied were not seven, they were twelve. As far as I remember, the students that I was locked in were not my classmates. Satisfy?" He proudly clarified all the details before he snorted.  I just hissed out of frustration. He seemed so proud as if that was his achievement.

"You're unbelievable, not the rumors," I uttered and rolled my eyes. An annoying smirk flashed on his face. He's getting into my nerve.