Chapter 1

Existence versus Living. 

Old Mr. Wickers enunciated the three words while he talked in front of the class, putting emphasis on the first and the last words before fixing his stern gaze on Leigh. 

“Leigh Michaels,” he commanded, “How do you differentiate the two?  ”  

Leigh kept her gaze on the floor as sweat beads on her forehead. She hated it when she had to talk in front of the classroom, drawing attention to herself. Attention might be the most lacking thing in her college life, but she was grateful for being anonymous. 

“If you don’t know the answer, just go back to your seat. No one will mind.”  A fake saccharine voice she was all too familiar with said, cutting through her anxiety. 

Leigh looked at the blond girl who spoke just now. While the pretty blond was pretending to study her well-manicured fingers, her face carried a bored expression that belied the sharp tongue. Her name was Regina Clark. She was Baybridge University’s queen bee and she had recently come to pick on Leigh as her latest target. 

Regina is a social butterfly. She loves to parade around the university with her minions. Very recently, she was hogging the Baybridge University's social media grapevine because she had snagged its resident ultra rich bad boy Rocky Bolton. A sardonic smile crossed Leigh Michaels’s striking features but the laughter erupting around her wiped it off her face.  

“Get back on your seat Michaels.” Another classmate shouted.

Someone threw a paper airplane and it landed perfectly on her feet. The class erupted into giggles as more crumpled papers were thrown her way. 

Leigh tried to dodge the papers thrown her way. She put her arms out to deflect them, all the while wishing for the floor to open and gobble her.  This is so embarrassing!

She darted a glance at Regina, and saw her triumphant grin.  

It was enough for Leigh to change her mind. She squared her shoulders and dug her feet to the floor. 

“Quiet!”  Professor Wickers tapped his legendary ruler on the board and instantly silence descended upon them. 

“Clean this mess class or I will fail each and everyone of you this semester.” He threatened sternly. 

The class moved in unison as everyone picked a piece of crumpled paper and deposited it to the nearest trash bin.  

When everyone has returned to their seats, Mr. Wickers runs a critical eye over his class before turning his attention back to Leigh, repeating his question. 

The short break allowed Leigh to compose herself. 

When she met the professor’s eye, he nodded at her.  It was most indiscernible, but she was sure it was a nod.  Encouraged, Leigh lifted her chin up and opened her mouth to answer. 

“Existence is a state of being.  It just means that a person exists while living is having the purpose to your existence.”  Leigh said with confidence. That was what Prof. Wickers wrote in his paper and Leigh has read it before.

“Good.” Mr. Wickers nodded and told her to get back on her seat. 

When she passed Regina, the latter darted a glacial look her way. She almost escaped to her seat, not noticing the admiration in Prof. Wickers eye.

***

When the bell rang signaling the end of the class, her classmates bolted from their seats like springboards and burst out of the classroom like loose cannon shooting in different directions, leaving her and a few handfuls behind. 

Leigh collects her things from the table and while she puts them inside her bag, Sam, her room mate and college best friend walks up to her. 

“Hey, did you do anything to annoy Regina? This is the second time this week she picked on you in class.”  Sam whispered, nudging her from behind. 

Leigh shook her head. She thought Regina was just being extra mean these days and did not think it was personal. But when Sam puts it that way, a frown appeared on Liegh’s forehead as she recalled incidents this week where Regina showed undisguised hostility towards her. 

“I thought she’s just being her usual nasty self.”  She replied. 

Sam shook her head.  “I don’t think so. Remember what happened the other day when you almost fell?”  Sam jogged her memory back to the hallway incident. She and Sam were busy talking when someone bumped into her, she almost lost her footing. Thankfully, Sam was there to break her fall and steady her. 

“I am sure it was just an accident.” She reasoned out since there has been no way she would blame Regina.  Why would a popular person target her?

“You know that I don’t mix with their crowd.”  She said dismissing Sam’s observation, but her face had suddenly gone pale.   Did Regina know anything about her?

It was just a sudden thought which Leigh dismissed right away especially since Sam readily agreed with her excuse. 

There is no way Regina would have an interest in a person like her and Sam.  They both know the disparity between them and the likes of Regina.  While she and Sam belong to the nondescript population of Baybridge University, Regina was not. 

Regina belongs to the school’s who’s who - the popular ones.  Not because of sheer talent or intellect, but more because she was very skillful in worming her way and attaching herself to the popular guys like Rocky Bolton, recently rumored to be her boyfriend. 

“I think she fits Mr. Wickers’ lecture today. She’s actually the perfect example of a person who exists.” Sam snorted and they both broke out into peals of laughter.

When Leigh turned around, her eyes met Regina’s cold blue ones.  She shivered at the venom she saw in there. 

She slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and nudged Sam so they could leave, but before they were able to do that, Regina’s minions swarmed around them. 

The girls despite their poise were able to snag her arms and trapped them.  They did the same to Sam. 

Then, Regina circled around them and stopped in front of Leigh.   “So you think you are better than me, bitch?”  Regina asked sharply.

“What are you doing?”  A stern voice came out from the door.  It was Mr. Wickers. 

Immediately, the hands that held Leigh and Sam’s arms slackened.  While Leigh inspected the reddish marks on her skin, she heard one of Regina’s minions reported, blaming her.

“Leigh was gloating and putting us down because we weren’t able to answer your question earlier, Mr. Wickers.” 

Sam was quick to counter in her defense.

“That's not true, Mr. Wickers.  Leigh and I were minding our business when they jumped on us and bullied us.”   

“Liar!” another one of Regina's cohorts cried. 

“Enough!”  Professor Wickers snapped, causing all of them to stop arguing. 

Recognizing the seriousness on Professor Wickers’s face, Regina motioned with her head, silently ordering her minions to quit. Then, before anyone could react, Regina tossed her head, made an elegant three-hundred sixty degree turn like she was a runway model and stepped away from them, leaving her minions scrambling around to follow her lead.

Leigh heaved a sigh of relief while she watched them leave, she turned to say thank you to Mr. Wickers for saving her this second time. 

“Aren’t you going to your next class?” Mr. Wickers remembered, and the two looked at each other in panicked expressions.  They said goodbye to Mr. Wickers, swung their bags over their shoulders, and sprinted out of the classroom. 

Leigh and Sam sprinted through the busy hallway, both looking frantic. Their next class is in the other building and it would take them at least ten minutes to get there.  

“It’s that b*tch’s fault!  If she did not harass us earlier, we wouldn’t be this late.”  Sam put the blame on Regina. 

Leigh turned her head around to tell her off or they would get into trouble in case Regina has eyes and ears on this building.  She was so busy looking at Sam that she did not mind where she was going.  It was just a second of not looking where she was going and then BAM!  She ran right into a wall.

“Ouch!’ Leigh almost bent backwards at the force that hit her.  A hand was quick to steady her, and she realized belatedly that it was not a wall she ran into, but a man’s hard wall of a chest. 

She looked up and gasped almost inaudibly, 

“Rocky….”

It was Rocky Bolton, Regina Clark’s rumored boyfriend.  

Leigh groaned in her head at the unfortunate collision.  

She heard him laugh. A deep rumble rolling from his chest that sent a familiar tingle run down her spine.

“Thought you have forgotten about me.” Rocky whispered in her ear, his cool minty breath, brushing her skin like a caress.  

Leigh’s body stiffened, drawing her guards up.  But then, Rocky’s thumb brushed her skin sensuously. She was not sure if he was doing it intentionally to distract her but it was effective. She almost purred.

In the end, she clamped her teeth on her lower lip and turned her head around to distract herself, but to her horror, she found that everyone’s staring right at her with a look of condemnation on their faces.  It was like everyone caught her with her hands inside a cookie jar. 

There was total silence in the hallway. The usual buzzing has stopped as everyone’s eyes were fixed on her. 

Leigh realized belatedly that since Rocky is Regina’s rumored girlfriend, and Regina is the university’s darling girl, this meeting will not bode well for her. 

Alarmed, Leigh pulled her body away from Rocky, but she only managed to get a few inches away from him because Rocky wouldn't let go. 

“Get off me!” She hissed at him, stunned at the blatant show they were giving for the gossip mongers. 

Instead of following her order, Rocky pulled her toward him and wrapped both arms around her until his hands met on her lower back. 

“Rocky!” She gasped, petrified at the commotion they were creating. 

She felt trapped, but she wouldn’t let Rocky get the upper hand.  Leigh lifted her right foot, ready to stomp on Rocky’s feet when she heard that fake saccharine voice again calling Rocky’s name. 

“Regina.”  She whispered, her face growing pale.