The Red-Haired Lover

Chapter 6: Maria's New Misery

… and turned her toward the dormitory entrance.

“Go on in," the deep voice urged. Maria was shoved toward the steps. More gently, the same voice asked, “Have you gotten everything you need?"

“Yes," Maria groaned. “No, wait! I left something in the villa. We need to—"

“I'll send it over," Sarkon replied curtly.

With one final push, Maria went up the first step. She turned around. Sarkon held up an open palm at her.

“Take care. Study hard. See you in a few weeks."

“Uncle Sarkon—"

But the gorgeous hulk had turned from her, made a few long strides, and was back at the car.

In one fluid motion, he slid into his car, awakened its engine, and drove off.

Once the dark-blue bullet disappeared into the green horizon, Maria let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the building. Let's do this, she hyped silently and ran up the steps.

After a few turns from the main entrance, she was outside her room. She took in a deep breath opened the door, and was greeted by her three suitcases. With a weak smile, she went over. Her mind was already planning out the unpacking process when a rude voice sounded from the other side of the room.

“You there. You're in the wrong room."

Maria turned around. It was the girl she saw earlier with Sarkon. The one in the white dress and heels.

The girl instantly came to her feet, “Are you blind? Did you not see me? Do you not know who I am?"

Maria recalled Sarkon's warning about dresses and a chuckle escaped her lips.

“What's so funny?" the girl snapped.

Maria's smile instantly vanished. She stared at the rude girl, who reminded her of a chihuahua, and answered politely, “I'm not laughing at you. I just remembered a joke, that's all. And I can read—this is my room." She held up her key.

The girl scoffed. Her eyes scanned Maria from her shoes to her hair. A smug appeared on her lips. She threw her head back like Lovette and cackled like a hyena.

Now, Maria was annoyed. What the hell is wrong with this girl? She glanced down at her blue, sleeveless sundress and back to the girl, who was smirking at her.

“What are you laughing at?" Maria flashed a puzzled frown.

“It's none of your business. Don't bother. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh God, just look at you. Which era are you from—the eighties?" The girl flipped Maria's skirt with a disgusted expression.

Maria flinched, “What are you doing?" She slapped both hands on her skirt and backed away. This girl's crazy! “You can't do that! That's harassment!"

With a mocking chuckle, the girl folded her toned arms in front of her. It was then Maria looked at her carefully. She had Lovette's curves, Maria noted silently, but she seemed to be more into sports than sports cars.

The girl groaned again like a bull-dozer, “Urgh! I can't believe this. First, they gave me a roommate. Now, that roommate's a nun."

She stomped her feet and barked at Maria, “Listen here, you filthy thing. You're not the princess here. I am. Get your status checked. You're a nobody. I have what you have, and even better. So who cares if you're exposed? No one's gonna look at you. They're going to look at me."

Maria was shocked beyond words. Before she found the next word to say, the girl continued ranting in her aristocratic air, “I live alone! I don't share rooms! Are they deaf or stupid? God! I can't believe this."

“You can request for a change if you're really uncomfortable," Maria suggested quietly.

Those big round eyes shot at her with a tigress's glare. “Why should I be the one to leave? You!" A finger pointed angrily at her like a gun, “You should go!"

Maria's gaze widened. For a brief moment, she actually felt fear.

Sarkon's emotionless face popped into her mind. Somehow, it gave her strength. Gripping her hands into fists, she raised her chin, “This is my room, so I'm not going anywhere. I have no problems living with you, so it's up to you to leave or stay."

Maria turned from the ill-tempered girl and stared at her cellphone. Should she call Sarkon? This seemed like danger.

Stop acting like a baby and grow up, Maria. You just want to hear his voice.

Maria smiled weakly. Yeah, she did want to hear his voice. She wanted to hear it so badly. He had only been gone for less than an hour and she already missed him terribly.

Just one call. It won't do any harm.

The girl screamed behind her, thrashing her limbs around on the nicely made bed, “You country girl! Go back to where you belong! Leave me alone!"

Maria shook her head and began unpacking.

*****

The dormitory room felt like one of those hotel suites that Maria had stayed in. Though it was smaller than her room back in the villa, there was a good amount of space to keep that snarky girl far away from her.

As long as she keeps to her side and I keep to mine, our shoulders won't even brush, Maria consoled herself silently. Everything will be alright.

As the hairdryer continued blowing and blaring, she stared at her mobile as if it was Sarkon's face.

What is he doing now? She wondered miserably.

Her eyes drifted to the sad trees outside, swaying silently in the afternoon blaze. Hotness swarmed to her eyes.

She missed the blue sea. The shade of Sarkon's eyes.

A tear rolled down her fair cheek.

She missed everyone. At this time of the day, she'd be having tea with the baker's special orange-flavored cookies. Sophie would share gossip about the other maids, and they'd both hold their stomachs to keep their laughter in.

Maria sniffed.

“You there. Stop it with the homesick stuff. It's old school, and it's annoying."

Maria switched off the hairdryer and put it aside. She sat at her desk so her back would face the rude girl.

Since Maria hadn't gotten a chance to ask for her name—and she probably wouldn't be interested to know Maria's—she was going to be “the rude girl" for now.

It's fair enough, Maria thought, since she was already “You there."

Earlier in the day, Maria attended two lectures and had a quick lunch in the cafeteria. Boy was it an eye-opener.

Walden College was well-known in the world of plutocrats and celebrities.

To the rest of the world, it was as prestigious, mysterious, and useless as the term “private school."

Catered solely for the offsprings of the famous and the great, it offered a vastly different curriculum aimed at grooming these sons and daughters to take on their families' legacy.

When Sarkon first told her about the school, Maria had resisted the idea of enrolling in it.

What family legacy did she have? She was just the daughter of a retired officer and a teacher. She wasn't born into greatness or expected to fulfill a destiny of one. Why should she attend such a prestigious school?

“You deserve the best," was all Sarkon said.

But why? Maria often wondered.

Why would a seventeen-year-old boy, barely an adult in his own right, adopt a girl and raise her like a parent? What had she done to deserve all his love and care?

Why did she deserve the best?

No one knew. Maybe they knew, but none of them would tell her without Sarkon's permission.

Maria caught herself staring at the fresh, green grass and shook her head. There was no use thinking about those questions again because she would never have the answers. Sarkon was as much of a loose tongue as a dead person.

Her gaze lifted to the boundless arch of blueness dapped with white cotton. She inhaled the freshness of the morning breeze caressing her cheeks.

Despite not sleeping a wink the previous night, she was still going to enjoy the day. She would take a walk around and learn the grounds after the lecture.

The heavy lecture door opened to a familiar sight. Maria entered an almost empty lecture hall. The exceptions were a few expensively dressed students at the back sitting sparsely apart.

Since the rude girl was still snoring away when she left the room, Maria was relieved that she was one of the diamonds—a term she overheard in the cafeteria. It referred to a group of freshmen who were no-shows at lectures.

Like yesterday, Maria took the first row and smiled at the professor. No longer surprised, he returned her a kind smile and greeted the rest of the hard expressions.

*****

The campus spanned acres and acres of land. It was a giant green dot at the top right of Lenmont, almost visible from the sky.

Including all the lecture halls, classrooms, conference rooms, and freshmen dorms, Walden College had all the basic necessities of the rich and famous: a library, art gallery, theater, sports complex, and golf course.

With the extensive list of facilities and intricate network of buildings, students were advised to install the university's navigation system to move around with ease—something Maria struggled with since she was not a fan of technology.

As she entered the gallery, her mobile vibrated. Startled, she turned away from the gallery and stepped back outdoors.