The Saint Meets The Sinner

“I’ve never fallen from quite this high. Falling into your ocean eyes.” —Billie Eilish.

Chapter Theme Song: ‘Ocean Eyes’ by Billie Eilish.

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Harmony

My skin glows red, orange, and gold as the flames of the blazing bonfires rise toward the pitch-black sky. The woody fragrance of smoke propagates through the air and the warmth of the fire can be felt but is still not enough to overthrow the chilly night air.

Loud music vibrates the dusty earth as ashen debris steadily travel away from the smoke and among the socializing university students.

Everyone here seems to know each other, though most of them are first years. The setting is crowded and not my style at all, and I can’t help feeling tiny and out of place.

This feels like a party instead of an orientation. Needless to say, I am gravely uncomfortable. I am about to make a U-turn and return to my dorm when April speaks from next to me, reminding me that I am not standing here alone.

“It’s freezing out here. I should have brought a jacket.” Cold vapor transpires from her mouth as she speaks, and the flickering orange light from the bonfire reflects in her pupils.

She’s only wearing a cream strapless dress, a thin silver necklace, and white ballet flats. Her brown hair is tied up into a formally loose bun. Of course she’d be freezing, her attire is more suitable for a hot summer afternoon.

My immune system can be quite defeating at times, hence, I ensured to wear a giant grey sweater that belongs to my dad and a pair of washed-out jeans that are slightly baggy. My mom purchases most of my clothes bigger in size because she thinks for the future, saying I can keep them for a long while and wouldn’t have to go shopping anytime soon. Alongside her OCD tendencies, her conservativeness can become quite overbearing.

April rubs her arms as she grits her teeth, and the field begins to get more crowded as a lot more people make their appearances.

People. They make me so anxious.

“I could just run back and get a sweater for you.” I offer willingly but she grips my arm lightly, shaking her head.

“No, it’s cool. Grayson Hall is at the back of the campus.”

And there went my chance to escape for a breather.

I puff air from my cheeks, subtly kicking the ground in disappointment.

“April!” A female’s voice prompts my head up to see two ecstatic females scampering toward us. I take a step back as my roommate’s mouth separates into a giant grin. Both girls jump into her arms and they all rupture into a fit of happy giggles while galloping merrily in a tight circle. I watch them with interest; no-one has ever been that happy to see me.

“Girls, when did you guys arrive?” April titters as they pull away and all three girls are wearing broad, electrified smiles.

“My mom dropped us off an hour ago.” One replies above the music. She has beautiful caramel skin and her hair is black with little streaks of white. The mix of colors intrigues me, and I find myself gawping at her hair in absorbed fascination.

“You look damn good, April.” The other one compliments, flashing her short brown hair from her eyes. “Love the dress!”

“Thank you.” April smiles, before grasping onto my arm and gently tugging me forward. “Guys, meet my new roommate. Harmony Skye.”

I smile awkwardly as the two girls each offer one back.

“Woah, she’s pretty. I like your name.” The brunette says, and I take notice of how small her facial features are. Her nose is almost non-existent. “I’m Tia, and she’s Yuna.” She points to the girl with the flawless caramel skin and she waves with a beam.

“I must say, you look young. How old are you?” Tia asks.

“I am eighteen,” I respond, and they all nod comprehensively.

“You look like sixteen,” Yuna adds and I smile. I am not sure if they meant that in a good way or not but judging by the smiles on their faces maybe they did.

“Ugh! Come on, Blaze. The first years just got here!” April groans and I trail her point of vision to see a pair of guys holding beers while talking with two girls by the makeshift DJ section. The females are noticeably swinging in their stances with huge smiles pasted on their faces, and I can tell that the two guys are flirting with them.

“He’s already scoping the girls out.” Yuna chuckles. “Damn his charming mouth and pretty eyes.”

Tia puts her mouth between her open palms. “Blaze!”

Both guys look in our direction, then they say something to the smitten girls, who nod in sync as the boys begin moving toward us.

They both look the same age, but the darkness does not offer much revelation except the fact that one seems to have brown hair while the other’s hair color is black. Their physic isn’t bad either and their strides are confident and composed.

They break out of the darkness and into the bonfire light, and my heart unintentionally skips a beat.

The brown-haired guy is fairly good-looking, but the black-haired one is severely attractive. He has April’s eyes, but his pair are a lot prettier. His earlobes are adorned with small hoop earrings and he has a full bottom lip that appears red and cool.

I don’t care much for guys and dating, but I’d be quite dishonest if I said he wasn’t handsome. He must be the cousin April spoke of.

“Hello, ladies.” He smiles widely, pulling April into a giant hug. His teeth are pearly white, and he has deep dimples on both his cheeks. As his smile stretches further, I notice another one right below his plump bottom lip.

I love art, music, and literature, and so I find myself being enthralled by unique facial features. I wouldn’t mind getting an opportunity to draw this guy, he’d be a good live model. His attributes are pleasing, and they all work well together. Unearthly details that I’ve only seen in fashion magazines and on Television. Not one to see in a school setting.

“You smell like whiskey.” April chuckles into his sweater, and he moves away with a titter as he kisses her forehead.

“Whiskey and manly body wash.” Tia’s fake fans herself dramatically and the girls giggle.

He smirks as he shoves a hand in his pocket, and then his eyes land on me.

I close up instantly, and he vaguely tilts his head, maintaining a steady eye-contact.

Okay then...

I try not to squirm. I detest when people stare at me; it makes me self-conscious, and the fact that his gaze appears somewhat intimidating makes it immensely worse. I am not sure I like the way he’s ogling me. Surely, he doesn’t know me because I have never seen him before. I am way too anti-social to have crossed paths with this seemingly outgoing creature.

While we indulge in our awkward stare down, I take the opportunity to take in more of his appearance. His eyebrows are naturally arched upwards, which causes his eyes to appear somewhat...evil? His nose is perfect, and his lashes are unreasonably long, making the border of his eyes have a uniquely dark highlight.

The way he is looking at me is the way a criminal scopes out his next victim. Intense and absorbingly, as if he’s taking in all my qualities; memorizing my face to come find me later.

His blue marbles cloud with an unfamiliar twinkle and his lips tug in a small but somehow sinister smile. Goosebumps trail my skin and I look away quickly as I feel a knot forming in my stomach.

Okay. Hopefully, we never exchange eye-contact ever again. He creeps me out.

“These DJs are so lame! Change the music you dickheads, it sucks!” April exclaims.

Blaze’s friend—the brown-haired guy with a less scary demeanor—throws his arm around her with a flirtatious smirk. “We can go somewhere private and have our own music, April.”

She rolls her eyes and grips his hand, taking it away from her with a sigh. “Weren’t you just checking out a girl over by the stereo less than thirty minutes ago?”

“Nope. I was only asking her if she got one of the first-year flyers yet.” He nibbles his lip, and she crosses her arms, drooping her eyelids at him.

“And somehow I look stupid. Go away, James.”

“Not until you promise to let us have our own music.”

She tilts her head. “Read my lips. Over my dead body.”

Tia and Yuna crack up in laughter, and I giggle softly at the dejected look on his face. He doesn’t look entirely hurt since he has a smile on his mouth. He’s probably used to it.

Amidst my light chortle, however, my eyes land on Blaze’s again, and he is still watching me while he lifts his beer to his lips. The slim silver ring on his forefinger glistens against the brown bottle, and his Adam’s apple moves as he swallows the liquid.

I divert my gaze. Why exactly is he still looking at me? Is there something on my face? I self-consciously wipe my lips with my knuckle before shifting in discomfort, tucking my hands into my grey sweater. I frown a little. The night is freezingly cold and somehow, I already feel unproductive and classes have not even begun yet. I should be back at the dorm getting ready for my first lecture tomorrow.

This is not an orientation, is it? I expected long speeches from adults about the university instead of a bunch of young people drinking and dancing and creepily staring at people. Although lengthy boring speeches are a lot worse in the minds of the majority, partying is equivalent to the first in my world. I can’t help wondering if I was tricked into coming to a party under the disguise of it being an orientation.