Resisting The Alpha

Chapter 7

I arrived at Dawson City on a cold, frosty morning. I stepped out of the train and shivered when the cold air hit on my face. Clutching the pendant I am wearing around my neck, I made my way towards the cabs, holding a bag in my other hand.

Something is weird.

I looked around warily as people glanced my way cautiously. As if they are repulsed by my presence here. Or maybe it was just me, imagining things.

I tried to ignore those eyes that were on me and found myself a cab to drive me to the college where I got the letter from.

Even the cab driver looked skeptical about me.

I brushed it off as nothing. They can stare all they want. What? Haven't they seen someone coming from a train station before?

The cab driver left wordlessly after dropping me at the campus. Tightening the grip I had on my bag, I marched towards the office room with my heart in my throat, trying to muster confidence as much as I can.

Finding the office wasn't hard at all. Actually, the campus is not that big but not too small. I knocked on the office door before pushing it and stepping into the warm room.

There was a woman, typing diligently on the keyboard. She snapped her head up to look at me when she heard me coming in. She raised her eyebrows at me and looked at me expectantly to say something.

Great.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably and smiled sheepishly at her to which she frowned impatiently. I quickly fished the letter out from my bag as I walked towards her, "Hi, I am here because of this" I said in a small voice, holding out the letter in front of her.

She snatched the letter rudely from my hands and scanned over the letter, reading the message. Then she looked up at me, "Hold on, we will call you in a short while" She said, dialing on the outdated phone.

I forced a smile on her face before walking towards the only couch in the office. I sat down and watched her as she spoke fluidly over the phone.

I sighed and waited patiently for her to call me again. About twenty minutes later, she called me, "You can go in right now," She said, pointing towards a room.

I smiled up at her before scrambling to my feet and heading towards the room that she had gestured. I knocked on the door before pushing the door, peeping my head in, "May I come in?" I asked, my eyes landing on a middle-aged man.

The man nodded his head at me, silently granting me permission for me to go in. I smiled at him and entered the room.

I closed the distance between us and came to stand in front of his desk, "Hi, I am Hazel" I said, smiling awkwardly at him as I held out my file containing my certificates to him.

The man took the file from my hands and gestured me to sit down, "Hazel, sit down" He said, offering me a kind smile.

I smiled and sat quietly as he looked through the file. I fidgeted with my fingers and waited for him to say something as I let my eyes wander around the small room.

The man cleared his throat, gaining my attention. I looked up at him and smiled timidly, "I have already gone through your file. You can join our classes tomorrow" He said when my eyes fell on him.

I let out a relieved breath, "Thank you sir" I thanked him gratefully, "Do you have a hostel here?" I asked him, hoping for him to say yes.

The man nodded his head making the smile on my face broaden in delight, "Yes we do" He said pressing a button, "Keira will show you the way" He said and at the same time, the lady whom I met earlier enter the room.

"Okay," I said as Keira nodded her head at the man. I stood up and thanked the man once again before following Keira out of the room.

I followed behind Keira like a lost puppy as she leads me through endless hallways and buildings. We climbed two flights of stairs before finally, Keira opened a locked room with a key.

She gestured me to enter the room and I nodded at her before stepping into the room. A gasp left my lips when my eyes landed on the spacious room. There was a bed in the center and a small wardrobe. A desk on the other side of the room.

"This whole room is for me?" I asked Keira, looking at her with my mouth hanging open.

Keira smirked at me, "Yes, everyone here is all about privacy" She nodded her head at me with a cryptic smile on her face as if she is smiling at an inside joke. I nodded my head and looked in front of the room.

Keira left after that, letting me unpack my pieces of stuff. I laid on the bed and sighed. It was the first time that I have ever laid on a decent bed. My eyes fluttered close on its own accord and I took a short nap.

I woke up about an hour later and decided to venture into the city on my own for a bit. My stomach rumbled loudly and I decided to have my lunch out as I was going out.

Walking was not something new to me so I walked out from the campus and headed towards one of the many shop lots outside the campus. I bought a new Simcard and switched on my phone after putting it in.

I dialed the first and probably the only person that will care about me for now. She answered the call in a few rings and I smiled, "Hey Leila" I greeted and waited for her to recognize my voice.

"Hey, Hazel," Leila said in surprise, "Are you okay?" She asked me and I could imagine her face marring in concern for me right now, "Why you're not here yet?" She asked me and the smile on face faltered.

I sighed before answering her question, "I am sorry for not telling you about my grand exit" I said, looking outside the cafe and noticed people staring at from outside, "I am Dawson City right now" I said, frowning now.

What is wrong with these people?

"You left to pursue your dreams," Leila said, snapping my attention back to her. I smiled and nodded my head, only to realize she is not here with me to see that nod.

"There is nothing holding me in that town anymore" I sighed sadly, my thoughts circling around Enzo again.

"Enzo would be very proud of you," Leila said after a few seconds of meaningful silence.

Yes, of course, he would be proud of me. This is what he had wanted for me. To pursue my dreams.

"I know" I sighed, feeling a surge of emotions suddenly. I blinked away the tears that are starting to well up in my eyes, "My father doesn't know where I am right now. He might come to the cafe and ask you" I said, changing the subject.

I hope he doesn't give Leila a hard time. She is the only person who genuinely cared about me for now and I do not want her to go through any hard time just because of me.

"Don't worry about that" I heard her say from the other side of the line. "I'll take care of it" She added quickly making me smile again in gratitude.

"Thanks, Leila" I thanked her with all of my heart, "You're a lifesaver. I hope I can get a boss like you here" I said, knowing that I had to find a job as soon as possible to fend off myself.

"About that" Leila said, pausing slightly, "I have a friend there. She owns a restaurant there. I'll talk to her and send you the address. Maybe you can work there" She said, making the smile on my face grew wide again.

"That's so thoughtful of you, Leila"  I gushed.

"Not a biggie" She answered and I could almost see her shaking her head with a smile on her face in my mind, "I hope you're happy there" She added at the end making the smile on my face falter again.

It's like a switch. One second I can smile and the next second I find myself struggling to keep myself from bursting out into tears. Wailing like a baby.

"It's going to take a lot of time for me to even know that emotion after this," I said, exiting the shop lot and walking ahead, trying to spot a hawker shop or something to buy myself a sandwich.

"No," Leila said, "Actually, I feel you will be happy soon" She continued making me shake my head.

"Okay," I said, too tired to say no and drag the conversation, "I have to go now. Talk to you soon"  I said, ending the call when she said bye.

I found myself a hawker stall not that far away from the college and bought two sandwiches for me. I bit into one and put the other one in my bag, saving it for dinner.

True to her word, Leila sent a message to me and I opened it up to see an address on it. She wrote that her friend's name is Blaire and she would give me a job when I go to that address.

I googled the address and noticed that the place is not that far from where I was standing so without wasting my time, I started towards that address.

I reached a nice, cozy-looking restaurant in less than ten minutes and entered the restaurant, my eyes wandering around to find someone.

A waitress came up to me and greeted me, "Hi, do you have any idea on who might be Blair here?" I asked her, smiling sheepishly at her. Straight to the point, no beating around the bush.

The waitress's eyes held recognition, "You must be the girl Leila called me about today" She said, scanning my face and her eyes zeroing on mine, "Definitely, Hazel" She said with a smile.

I nodded my head, "Yeah, I am Hazel" I said, waving my hand awkwardly at her.

"I am Blair," She said, holding out her hand at me and I took her hand, giving it a firm shake, "And you're hired," She said, retrieving her hand away from my grasp.

I grinned at her, already loving the vibes that she was giving me, "Thank you" I said gratefully, "When can I start?" I asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Now," She said, gesturing me to follow her.

Blair gave me a uniform and apron. I threw my hair into a ponytail and started to wait for tables. Almost every customer who walked into the restaurant eyed me like I was an artifact in a museum.

It made me really uncomfortable.

Maybe everyone here knows everyone and to them, I am a newcomer. And maybe, they are skeptical about me.

Some of the customers threw dirty looks my way and glared at me in distaste. They even asked for another waitress when I went to attend them.

Did it hurt my feelings? Yes. But do I care about it? No. I came here to continue my studies and I am doing my job pretty decently since the moment I joined. If someone doesn't like me just because I am new, then it is definitely not my fault.

It's not something to be ashamed of. On the contrary, they are the ones who should be ashamed of their rude behavior.

By the end of the day, I had worked my ass off. Blair came up to me and told me that I can come tomorrow after my lectures, "You're good at your work" She said, making me smile at her. Then she held out a sum of money towards me, "Here is your salary for today" She said, waiting for me to take it from her.

I bowed in respect and took my salary from her, "Thanks, boss" I said, putting the money in my bag.

"Oh please, call me Blair," She said waving her hands dismissively at me with a smile on her face. 

Maybe not everyone in this place is wary of me after all. And maybe coming to live here is one of the most decent decisions that I have ever made.