'They cling to me, not enemies, not ghosts, not bodies, but bruises, trauma, hate, and they're all here... Wait, what was I talking about again? Hmm, it's a beautiful day,' she thought, looking to the clouded grey sky, her green eyes narrowed to slits.
"Arms up, ma'am," a bold, commanding voice brought her back to reality, where she raised her two arms, allowing a woman (head to toe in tactical gear) to pat her down.
She stood in front of the monolithic entrance of RD University, before an open monolithic structure of a gate, an artwork of pale white pillars and hard black steel.
"She's clear," the woman vocalized, sending a signal to her colleagues who nodded for her to pass through.
'So much security,' the green-eyed woman thought as she walked into the college, which (from her point of view) seemed like a city in itself.
The scale was dizzying. Gleaming white lecture halls stood next to ancient-looking buildings that screamed secrets; the whole place seemed old and new at the same time.
In the distance, more domed roofs could be seen, probably holding the facilities, and beyond them, the repetitive blocks of the student dormitories were all she could see.
The walking distance was enormous, but there was nothing she could do. 'It's worth it if I'm going to be attending the best university in the alliance, the scrutiny will be an issue though,' she pondered, her gaze blank, watching students hurry past as they went about their business.
"First time seeing the beast up close?" a voice cut through, shocking her to attention. Her eyes narrowed in a scrutinizing stare, 'Who are you?' she thought.
The person before her was a young man with an easy smile and overly-gelled hair. 'Textbook rich kid hairstyle, second, third year maybe?' she thought as she observed this man.
He also wore a varsity jacket that marked him as someone who belonged, but his beautiful pale skin and geeky feel made it hard to believe that he was athletic.
"I'll take it from your stare that you're trying to figure out who I am. I'm Andrew Levi, second son of the Levi family," he said confidently, stretching his hand for a handshake.
'Only nobles introduce themselves like this,' she thought, a blush spreading on her cheeks as she received his handshake, "I-I'm Trinity," she stuttered, "is it that obvious that I'm new?"
"Just a bit. You have that 'trying to memorize a map with my mind' look. Plus, orientation started like an hour ago. You're late." He grinned, not unkindly, seemingly used to this kind of reaction from ladies.
Trinity's smile dimmed at his gaze, her voice growing soft, "Yeah, I got turned around at the gates with all the security. What's up with that?"
"Yeah, well..." He looked away, "New protocols, can't be too careful." He brushed it off, his eyes quickly returning to her. "Look, the orientation hall is a maze from here. I can point you, but you'll never make it without getting lost. How about I save you? What's your number? I'll text you a map, and... maybe we can get coffee when you're settled."
"Ohh," she hummed, before calling out her number to him, her voice soft as she said, "you're a lifesaver, Andrew. Thank you."
"Any time." He smiled, pointing a vague hand towards a cluster of imposing buildings with vaulted roofs. "See that? Those are the main lecture halls. Orientation is the big one, Rutherford. The libraries are behind them." His finger swept to the left, towards a zone of futuristic buildings with mirrored windows. "That's the research quadrant (labs, clean rooms, all that nerdy stuff). Off-limits without clearance." Finally, he gestured to the right, towards the towering residential blocks. "And that's the dorm sector. You'll be in one of the freshmen towers. You can't miss them."
Trinity noted that he skipped the students' union building, where one would normally go to inquire about directions, but she did not speak on it (call it courtesy). 'Makes his information seem more valuable,' she thought.
"Hello?" Andrew called out when he saw Trinity zoning out, causing her to start slightly, her smile never faltering.
"I-I see... thanks again," she said, her voice sweet. "I'd better run."
"Don't get lost!" Andrew called after her as she walked in the direction he'd lied about, causing her to look back with raised brows, a genuine smile touching her lips.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, Trinity finally made it to the orientation hall, her eyes narrowed to slits. Unfortunately, before she could step in, she noticed hundreds of students pouring out.
Among these students were a few familiar faces. "Sophie, Vincent!" Trinity called out to a group of people who were stepping out, her steps hurried as she approached them.
Sophie was the first to notice her, her eyes narrowing as she focused on one student amid the sea of students, a lady with dark hair and green eyes wearing a brown jacket and jeans.
"Hi," Vincent, who stood beside her, greeted with a smile, while Alice just stared, her eyes scanning the crowd as though looking for someone.
Stopping right in front of the group, Trinity then spoke, "Can't believe that you all got into RD. I heard that Valen got in, though."
"Do we know you?" Vincent was forced to ask after staring for a while, his tone slightly probing.
Alice and Sophie also seemed to share in his confusion.
Trinity sighed at those words, her lips curling as she spoke, "Do I look that different? It's me, guys, Trinity, from high school?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't know you." Sophie spoke while Vincent just kept on staring.
There was a brief awkward silence, until Vincent said, "Wait, you were the Vice Captain of the cheerleading squad, Valen's neighbor, right?"
"Bingo," Trinity said, smiling, relieved at the passing of an awkward moment. "I kinda moved away after second grade, boarding school."
"I remember you," Alice also spoke, her tone bland as she added, "I'm sorry about what happened to you-"
"It's alright," Trinity cut her short, her pitch fluctuating slightly. "So, where's Valen?"
"You're still on good terms with him?" Sophie, who had been quiet for a bit, finally spoke, her voice carrying with it a hint of revelation. "I'm sorry, it was hard to recognize you. Your eyes threw me off. Are those contacts?"
"No, I had some work done on them," Trinity responded, the smile never leaving her face.
Sophie seemed a bit surprised by that response, while Vincent just hissed, "They look so cool, but I heard the procedure is really expensive-"
And like so the group plunged into discussion, talking about mundane things with Trinity being the center of attention.
While they spoke, the last batch of students exited the hall, two of whom were Edward and Mike.
Edward seemed busy with a group of people garbed in luxury clothing, while Mike stood at the side, his head buried in his phone.
He wore black baggy pants and a matching black shirt that flowed freely on his towering form, his dreadlocks tied back in a ponytai.
At some point, he looked up from his phone and spotted Vincent and the rest of the group, his eyes locking on a particular green-eyed girl.
Something about this girl caught his attention. His eyes narrowing as he approached the group.
"Hahaha!" The sound of laughter from both Sophie and the green-eyed girl filled his ears as he approached, but it stopped once they noticed him.
"Trinity?" Mike spoke once he was within reach, his voice solemn, as he stepped in front of her.
Trinity's smile faded from her face once she noticed Mike, while Vincent narrowed his eyes, his form tensing slightly.
There was a brief moment of stillness after Mike spoke, but he didn't mind; rather, he took a breath and said, "I heard what happened to you, and it's my fault. I won't deny it, you did nothing to deserve being humiliated like that just because you were Valen's neighbor-"
"It's alright, Mike, it's in the past," Trinity tried to laugh it off, but Mike just shook his head.
"No, it's not okay. I wanted to apologize immediately but I found out you changed schools the next day, and your family didn't really welcome me... Anyway, I'm sorry," he said, his tone resolute as he looked down at her, his voice growing grave. "If anyone messes with you, if anyone so much as looks at you wrong, you come to me."
Vincent: -_-
Alice: -_-
Sophie: -_-
Trinity went quiet for a bit, her eyes distant, as though she was thinking of something, and then she spoke, "Thank you, Mike. I didn't expect this from you... I hope you're over your vendetta with Valen?"
At the mention of Valen's name, Mike let out a heavy breath, his parched lips forming a forced smile as he spoke while walking away, "See you around, Trinity."
There was once again an odd quietness in the air, but Trinity didn't seem to mind; instead, she turned to Vincent, her brows raised as she asked, "You know, no one's answered my question. Where's Valen?"
"I wish we knew," Alice spoke this time, her tone grim.
"Yeah," Vincent chimed in, "I haven't seen him since after the party, and I'm not even sure he has a phone."
"I see," Trinity nodded, "Well, does anyone care for drinks? Vincent's paying."
"I'm in," both Alice and Sophie responded immediately, causing Vincent, who was slow to process the situation, to look at everyone in confusion.
"Wait, what?" He said as they walked away, joining the crowd of college students.