HP 7

CHAPTER 7

“We welcome all of you to the tour of our prestigious school”, the guide says through a microphone and her voice booms through the halls.

It’s been 2 weeks since I had my teeth changed and the pain has lessened considerably but I was still on a liquid only diet and I still gurgle with salt and water, most of the wounds have healed and I could talk without feeling like I was walking on hot coals, generally I felt better and the braces will be put on next week but I got a mail earlier this week that the school would be holding a first tour for people that were handy at the moment and I decided to buy one set of clothing and attend.

That was why I was here on a hot Friday afternoon, in the midst of like a thousand people listening to the tour guide telling us about Gold University, Canada.

“And for you our special intake we have a special guest, the one and only William Smith”, she screams and my heart jumps.

“He’s coming today?” I ask the guy closest to me.

“Dude chill, my family sees him all the time, if you want to see him so bad pay your dues and I will invite you to one of the gatherings my family is holding”, he says.

“Oh well_” I start to say when I’m shoved roughly by the guy I saw at his side a few minutes ago.

“What’s your name pretty boy”, he asks.

“Luca, Luca Gaudion”, I say as I turn to glare at him, “You think this is some high school where you can come show your childishness and money?” I step closer to him folding my hands.

He steps back and measures me with a look, we are the same height but in build I sure am bigger, “Look man, I don’t want no trouble”, he says raising his hands.

“Oh you bet you don’t, and let the message spread, I don’t want no trouble and I wouldn’t start none, but don’t expect me to stay quiet while you bully me, let’s do it peacefully and leave”, I say as I step back and refocus on what the guide was saying ignoring the stares of people around me.

“You say you hang around their place pretty often”, I say after a while.

The guy that spoke to me at first turns pointing at himself, I nod indicating it was really him that I was speaking to, “Well my family gets invited to most of their parties and vice versa”, he shrugs.

“So you know the daughter then”, I ask turning to look at him briefly.

His eyes widen and he looks round, “How the fuck do you know about Emberlynn, no one does and no one should”, he whispers coming close to me.

“Well I do and I want to know more about her”, I whisper back.

“Well not here” he says after a while, “I’ll be in the café facing the school after this tour, lets meet then I’ll see if I can talk to you”, he finishes and I nod, moving with the crowd as the guide leads us to the hall that we will be meeting William.

“So it’s my pleasure to begin this tour with our founder Mr. William Smith”, the tour guide says as William steps out flagged by almost 10 bodyguards, he smiles and stands at the top most step, not bothering to step down, a guard moves to take the microphone from the guide and passes it over to William.

“Well, you’re all welcome to Gold University, over here we are gods and we are treated no less”, there is rumbling of approval that goes through the crowd and he smiles continuing, “A little privilege has been given to a few to be under scholarship, it’s in our best interest to be helpful yet firm with them, there’s no place for men among gods.”, an applause breaks out and I feel like throwing up on all their rich faces, who the fuck did they think gave them a right to say this crap.

“At the end of the year the best 3 students will be given a chance to intern at our company here in Canada and then at the end of the internship period the best will be chosen to work in New York side to side with me, to pick up stuff from me and to learn.” There’s more cheering and whoops.

“I hate dishonesty and cheating, and it is frowned upon in our institution, that’s why there’s no second chance with that here, also limit your curse words and speak with the highest decorum, have your parties but don’t let it interfere with school work, be young kids but have a mature mind. Good afternoon intakes and have a wonderful time”, he rounds up and the applause that follows his departure is ear breaking.

He smiles and turns back around to get into the hall, I rub my hands over my chest, even if our parents gets criticized for being poor, then what of we kids that were born poor, we had no option, we haven’t even had the chance to grow up and begin our journey yet we were being criticized and avoided like a disease, well I’ll show them.

“Looks like a decree has been passed for scholarship kids”, I say loudly, a few people stare at me weirdly then return to following the guide to one of the lecture halls.

“I wonder what happens when one scholarship student gets the intern position”, I say a second time but like before I get no response.

I retreat as I see them moving forward for the remaining of the tour but I turn back already tired of this whole crap of gods and men and leaches and trees.

“Leaving already?” I hear and turn to see the boy from earlier.

“Well I got bored” I say moving forward.

“Dave Jameson” he says to me and I turn looking at him strangely, “Name, that’s what I’m called.

“Oh, well it suits you”, I say looking at his crazy jeans and jersey singlet.

“I’ve heard differently, most people say I’m the complete opposite of my name, too rough and not buttoned up enough to be a Dave, I prefer Luca”, he says and I laugh.

“Well I enjoy being called Luca”, I say.

“Why?” he asks as we near the café and I move to enter but he shakes his head and we move forward still walking.

“We wouldn’t stop by?” I ask as we pass the coffee shop.

“Walls has ears and here every ear that hears reports to William, you wouldn’t want to be in his black book, its hell”.

“Speaking from experience?” I ask and his eyes clouds over.

“I know someone who has lived in his hell, so yes experience, and indirect one though”, he says.

“Well I like the name Luca because it sound like Lucifer”, I say with a smirk.

“That’s cool”, he says kicking a stone in front of us with his boots.

“Emberlynn is just 14, she came out officially last month when she clocked 14, even I didn’t know about her, it was always a rumor but last month she came for one of the parties and she was surrounded, no one introduced her but it was there, she was obviously a Smith and since no one else is a Smith, she is obviously his daughter, no one knows how she was formed or even the circumstances leading to her birth, the only reason I knew she was 14 was because when a waiter brought her a flute of champagne, she shook her head and said she was only 14”.

I take in this new information, she doesn’t sound like a threat but the ones you least expect become the ones who turn out to be the opposite of your expectation.

“Why did you want to know though”, Dave says bumping his shoulders with mine as I was lost in thoughts.

“I like him, and I want to know all about him, family included”, I say.

“Could have fooled me” he says as he turns around and walks back towards where we came from, “See you in school Luca Gaudion” he shouts as he turns a corner.