Chapter 1: Glimpse of Our Story

XINCERE CALLIOPE'S POINT OF VIEW

I was walking in the corridor going to our next class when I saw my best friend, Geli Ash Peterson. I met her on the first day of the class way back when I was still in my second year as a Psychology student, I was one batch ahead of her, but she was my age, she was a Physical Therapy student. We both shared the same department building, so we have been together when we have vacant time, especially during lunch.

"Xincere..." I waved at her as I heard her shouting from the other building. Maybe she was with her long-time boyfriend, Justice Martin. She was an outgoing girl who seemed never to run out of energy. Her straight and long black hair made her pale skin tone accentuated. She also had a tiny mole on her right cheek. She was a curvy girl, which contributes a lot to her cuteness. Approximately, five meters and two inches in height. I was four inches taller than her, which somehow made me reminded that I was three months older than her. We were actually too close as sisters, even if it was just about a year when we actually met each other.

"Could you walk a little faster?" Zac turned his back on me before he asked. He looked so irritated as usual. We still had two minutes before our next class begin. He walked so fast, that for every step I take, I should take two just to reach him. I just rolled my eyes against him and waved goodbye to Geli.

Zac and I were neighbors and block mates at the same time. We used to go to school together ever since I could remember. We have been classmates even when we were in first grade. I knew him so well, I mean, I could understand if what was up to him even in his simple sigh. I knew it already whenever he was mad or irritated, and of course, those simple and random things that made him smile, which were so rare. He was well-known for being an ace player on the basketball team of our university, Psalms Eastern University. He was approximately six feet and two inches and has a tiny mole near the edge of his left eyelash line that accentuated his pale skin tone, for some reason that made him look so neat.

Many girls were captivated by his charm. His looks were one of the factors why there were a lot of girls who attended the intramurals every year, one of the awaiting events everyone's looking forward to. I was the only girl he used to talk to on campus. I did not really know I may consider our relationship. I mean, I know for sure that he never consider me as his friend, since I felt how much he hates me, but it just made me curious if he liked my Mom's pasta that much that he managed to wait for almost an hour every morning for us to go to school together. We also used to go home together since we were attended the same school ever since grade school. But despite all that being said, one thing is for sure, he had never been nice to me. As in never! He used to make moves that would make other girls who admired him hate me a big time. And that annoyed me even more.

"I really thank God that the class of Mrs. Quantum in Field Method of Psychology had come to an end. Her class did not pass without me taking a nap for at least thirty minutes in her two hours class. I stretched my hands when one of our oldest professors for this semester had dismissed us. He was just whispering the whole two hours, maybe because she was also struggling in delivering her lessons clearly. But I honestly do not care since the guy beside me is too good to take time to listen to him. I mean, Zac was a bit hard on me, I mean a big time! But he was too generous when it came to quizzes, I could use him for my advantage somehow! Yeah, he was so smart. I was always next to him in the class rank, but I didn't mind. I already accepted that he was a gifted guy. While in my case, there's still a need to spend a lot of time studying in order to get good grades.

"As if you listened!" Zac muttered under his breath before he looked away. I just rolled my eyes in irritation.

"As if I could not hear you," I uttered and gave him a side glance of disgust before staring straight ahead.

"'ll go ahead. I'll just catch up with Geli." I said as I was shoving all my stuff in my soft brown backpack.

"I'll wait for you then." He said deadpan, not even looking at me. I just rolled my eyes as I saw him walking outside the classroom having his backpack hanging on his left shoulder. I ran toward him as he was walking in the corridor and accidentally bumped into someone. I saw Zac who immediately took some steps in my direction and aggressively took a grip on the collar of a guy who looked like a varsity player whom I bumped into. It was a good thing that I was wearing high waist jeans together with my dark brown crop top and white sneakers. I deeply closed my eyes and abruptly held his left hand to stop him. He was not moved even if we got the attention of some students in the corridor. I saw that guy smirked that made Zac mad even more. His face was distorted with rage.

"That's enough, Zac. Stop it please." He took a glance at me before he let go of that guy who bumped into me. I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him away from there. I did not even think about the students who were looking at us, probably because of what they saw his hard-headed guy beside me do.

"Is there anything hurt?" I heard a sudden change in his voice as he grabbed my arms as if checking if I get any bruises from what had happened.

"Stop acting as if you're really concerned!" I just hissed before I saw his round tired eyes. They were looking at me directly. I felt tranquil for a moment.

"Let's just get your things first." I abruptly took back my arms from him before taking some steps to his locker since that was closed from where we were. There was a bunch of letters in it. It seemed like His admirers never got tired of giving him their love letters and chocolates.

'Zachary Flynn Williams'

I saw his full name on the back of a pink envelope that dropped from his locker. I even saw some small hearts printed on it.

"Haven't you read any of these?" I handed it over to him. There were lots of girls who left their love letters on his locker. He seriously looked at me before putting those back in his locker.

"I don't have time. So if you plan to leave a letter here, better give it to me in person." He wore a smile he did not usually have.

"Don't worry, I don't have a plan to add trash to your locker." I snorted, trying to beat his smugness. He was walking behind me while we were making our way to the cafeteria where Geli was waiting.

"Xincere, did you hang out with Tim?" Geli smiled, half teasing. Put down the tray and gave me a burger and left one for Geli. She got the chips from my hand.

"Who's Tim?" I gave her an inquisitive look while wiping my fingertips using the tissue handed by Zac. He was sitting right next to me. Since Geli had an unexpected make-up class that she just attended, we did not have time to go to the nearest coffee shop where we used to be, so we have decided we just ate in the school cafeteria instead.

"The junior guy who confessed to you last week. Don't tell me you already forgot about him?" She asked me as if I should know about him. But honestly, I failed to remember even his face.

"Of course not. I'm actually not attracted to young guys. I mean, I do not remember having a crush on someone who was younger than I." I shrugged while rummaging in my beige shoulder bag.

"But admit it, he's cute, right? Don't deny it." She uttered with full admiration. I took a glance at Zac who looked so bored.

"Let's go home." Zachary was deadpanned and looked so upset, he probably realized to been bored. But I guess, I am not the one to be blamed. He alone was the one who insisted on coming with me today.

"Okay, Xincere. Let just talk later, I'll let you see the dress I told you about." Geli told me before that she was quite intimidated by his presence, maybe because of his cold personality.

"Let's meet and shop this weekend!" She nodded before hugging me and ran to her boyfriend, who was waiting for her at the other table with his block mates. Our schedule this semester was quite hectic compared to last semester, so we did not see each other much often, even during lunch. I saw a ton of girls who were now looking at me as if I did something that violates the school handbook as Zachary casually put his right hand on my head while we were making our way out of that cafeteria.

"Excuse me..." We turned around and saw a junior guy, as I remember he was a newbie player in the basketball team, he looked so familiar, and I think I have seen him during the last practice game of Zac.

"Is this yours, right?" He was holding a new edition of an Experimental Psychology book. I saw my name printed on it.

'Xincere Calliope Monroe'

"Thank you." I accepted it, not knowing how he knew my name. I saw his not-so-deep dimple on his left cheek as he gave me a sheepish smile before rubbing his nape. He has a clean cut. He looked so neat with his plain white shirt, maybe having pale skin contributes to it as well. He was about six feet tall and looked so tall, but I can still notice that Zac was a bit taller than him, maybe about two inches. Zac tapped his back as their eyes met.

"I saw it in the corridor when I was on the third floor of your building." He smiled so genuinely. And reluctantly look at me before bowing his head a bit.

"Thanks, bro." A quick smile etched on his face. They did the signature handshake of the basketball players.

"Okay, bro. We'll go ahead." Zac gently threw his arms around my shoulders and grimaced as he saw me smiling at the cute dude who gave back my book. He rolled his eyes against me as we were making our way to a vast parking lot of the campus.

"Zac, he was a newbie player on your team, right?" I asked while digging my hand into my bag to check my phone. He was rubbing his lower lip while his gaze was fixed on the road.

"Who?" He asked without showing any affection.

"The cute dude who gave this." I slightly lifted the thick book that I was holding. He immediately stepped on the break before he put his attention back on me.

"Why did you ask?" He furrowed.

"Nothing, I just find him so nice," I answered while I was busy checking on my I*******m account.

"I thought you don't like young guys." I could barely hear him murmuring. I quickly took a glance at him and just shook my head. He was nice, but I did not say that I like that guy. I just let out a deep sigh.