Chapter 3

Horizon Cole's Point of View:

After that class, I made my way to the comfort room, I heard the chitchat of a ton of girls who were busy applying their make-up on. My phone suddenly rang. I saw the name of our volleyball coach on my screen, informing everyone that we were having a training session tomorrow after class.

"Hey!" Someone intentionally bumped into me. She was wearing a light blue crop top and a mini skirt. Her lips tinted with a red curve in a teasing way. Her curly hair was kinda messed up. I took a glance at the girl behind her, they looked familiar. If I was not mistaken, they were my block mates. Their eyes were on me.

"I don't have time to be your subject," I told them. They were all shocked by what they heard from me just now. I really wanna have a peaceful and unforgettable college life, but I think the students of this university won't allow me to have one.

"Do you want me to rate your acting skills? You're acting as if you don't like Thorn, but deep down inside I know that you like to be his partner, don't you?" She accused me. I was not numb, not knowing that everyone hated me since I was Thorn's partner, but I never expected them to immature this much.

"If that's your problem, I pity you. Stop acting as if we were still high-school students. You know what, I have a lot of things to think about, so please don't add." I turned my back against them, knowing that how this kind of conversation will end up.

"I am not yet done talking." She gripped my arm to stop me on my way outside the comfort room. She was so determined to get even with me.

"Let go of me, I am not interested in what you wanna say. I don't have much time for this nonsense conversation. Let me just inform you that you don't have any right to do this kind of thing just because you're bored." I said and shook my head in disappointment due to her immature behavior. It was pretty obvious that she was head over heel to Thorn.

"What did you just say? FYI, Thorn and I are dating, so I have rights. I know you are not numb to not be able to feel that I like him and I hate you! " She emphasized the last three words. I snorted in response to her act. I totally did not care whether they were dating or not, the issue here was that petty accusation she was putting on me.

"You don't like me? Wow, so much in common already." I was about to go out, but I decided to look back at her.

"Before I forgot, If you have rants you can go to the faculty room and talk to Miss Leif, she must have time to listen." I rolled my eyes, I barely heard her hissed.

"I am warning you, girl." I can say that she was really irritated. I gave her a sarcastic grin.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not threatened. I'll share my acting tips next time when I have much time for this petty chit-chat." I made my best to played it cool to irritate her, then I made my way outside.

"Did you hear that? That girl dissed you, Xaine!" I barely heard her friend.

On my way to my class, someone blocked my way. He was wearing his gray jacket underneath his black coat. He shoved his hand in the pocket of his faded pants. I stopped and shot him with my indignant stare. He snorted.

"Miss Leif wants to talk to us." I did not see any affection in his expression. Up until now, I was still nervous whenever I remembered how stern she was in our last meeting.

"Maybe she will punish us. I knew it, or maybe she will suspend us." I uttered while jumping to so many conclusions.

"Apparently." He shrugged his shoulder, deadpanned.

"It was all your fault. If you're not that rude, she will not be mad at us." I put the blame on him.

"You've talked a lot." He furrowed his eyebrow.

On our way to the faculty room, a tall, slender type girl called Thorn was in a hurry and went in our direction. She was wearing a beige crop top and knitted skirt with her chunky boots.

"Brother, I have this for you." She laid a mint green paper bag for Thorn. At first, I thought that she was one of Thorn's admirers, but I think I was wrong. Last time, I witnessed how other girls in this university exerted effort on giving gifts to this cruel creature.

"Don't worry, it is better than the Balsamic-Glazed Steak Rolls." She smiled, and it emphasized the dimple on her right lower lip. She looks so classy.

"I'm not hungry." He responded, not even taking a glance at her. She just smiled and put down the paper bag that she was giving to him. I really wanna punch this heartless guy right next to me. She smiled at me, I did likewise.

"I'm Alexey." She laid her hand, her gray nail polish emphasized her fair skin.

"I'm Horizon." I accepted it. Alexey nodded in response.

"I like your puff sleeve dress." She looked so pure. I smiled, I cannot deny her taste of fashion.

"Thanks." She nodded and shifted her gaze to Thorn before she wrapped her hands on Thorn to hug him, but he just looked away.

"I'll see you around." She waved at me then, I nodded as a response. She walked on her way.

"You're so heartless!" I mumbled, but I think he heard me. He let out a heavy sigh before he shifted his gaze to the hallway where Alexey was walking.

"Lex!" Thorn called her in a loud tone of voice, just enough to call her attention. They were siblings, I guess. Alexey looked at him then, Thorn walked faster in her direction while taking off his coat.

"Don't wear clothes that you're not comfortable in. Speak for yourself." He placed his coat on her shoulder. Alexey nodded and laid her paper bag to him again. He hissed before accepting the paper bag from her.

"Don't waste your time doing this kind of stuff." She was smiling as if she didn't hear what he just said, so genuine.

"I gotta go." She casually said. Thorn simply nodded. I ran in his direction on our way to the faculty room. I kinda saw a different side of him. He was not that showy type of person but deep down inside, he really cared.

We made our way to the faculty room. Miss Leif walked in our direction. She was wearing a dark brown knitted dress with her pointer heels that accentuated her fair skin color.

"I need to -" I cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Miss Leif. We promise that it will never happen again." I heard a laugh from this cruel-annoying guy. This was the first time I saw Miss Leif smiled. I smiled awkwardly when I noticed that scolding us was never been her intention.

"I'm sorry. I thought you're going to scold us." She just nodded and shifted her gaze to the guy next to me that cannot help himself but laughed.

"I just want to give you a copy of the activity. I added another one, please do disseminate the info. Okay?" She was still authoritative in her words. I nodded politely.

"Yeah. No prob." This annoying guy uttered. I hissed while watching him. As if he was responsible.

"Okay, thanks." We went out to the faculty room. I hit him with the papers that Miss Leif was handed over to us. He laughed as a response to what I've done to him.

"What's your problem? Do you really think that she's about to scold us?" He burst into laughter. I felt as if I was too slow to not realizing that early.

"You're annoying more than words allow me to express," I said and furrowed my eyebrows.

"You're so paranoid, you jumped to conclusions. Don't blame me if you are easily deceived. To be honest, that was unplanned, I don't think that you're gonna buy that one." His voice laced with sarcasm. He shook his head as if he was disappointed. I sighed loudly in frustration.

"Whatever! Nag someone else." I said and walked ahead of him.

"Horizon!" Someone nudged me slightly even before I managed to look at him, for sure that was Sage. I felt Thorn's eyes on us. I looked at him then, he rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Don't you have class?" I casually asked Sage, but he simply shrugged in response.

"I cut my History class, I felt so sleepy." I shook my head in disappointment. He used to cut classes whenever he felt sleepy. I was still wondering, how he still managed to have high grades. Maybe because of his charm, I guess.

"Sage!" Someone called him and it caught our attention. He was a basketball player in his department, aside from academics he had a lot of things to prioritize.

"Bro, we have a practice game after class." The guy with tan skin tone taps his back. He simply nodded in response.

"Thanks, man." I shifted my eyes to the man beside me. Is he mad? Well, yeah, as always.

"What?" I asked him and gave him a perplexed look.

"What's your plan in that activity sheet, then?" He looked at the papers that I was holding. I have easily forgotten things lately, I think because, I was preoccupied with a lot of random things like, what would I wear, the time slot of the new series I was watching, the release of the latest edition of sneakers that Dad and I will buy for our next jogging, and the house chores lessons I had from Mom. My attention was turned back on Sage that was currently talking to his teammate. I slightly nudged his elbow and then, waved my hand.

"Text me after your class." I nodded at him and barely heard Thorn's hiss. Sage was looking at whom I was with, but we already turned our backs against him. I held the strap of Thorn's bag and dragged him to the elevator.

"Hurry up! 3:00 PM will be the deadline of the third activity." We got into the elevator. A group of varsity players went in, Thorn let me stand behind him.

"Bro!" They greeted Thorn. He just nodded in response. He was obviously famous, I mean not just in our department but in the whole university. I heard a tumultuous laugh, but I did not pay too much attention to them. He took a glance at me. I felt a bit awkward, maybe because I was the only girl here.

Our class in History got started, my eyes really wanted to take a nap, not sure if it was because of the topic or how she delivered the lesson, but she looked so smart in her eyeglass. My phone immediately buzzed, I hardly closed my eyes for a moment. It caught the attention of the whole class. I rummaged in my sling bag and tried to hang up the call, but obviously, I failed.

"Whose phone is that?" Our instructor asked. My phone stopped buzzing. I sighed as a relief.

"Thank God," I mumbled under my breath. She resumed discussing. My phone buzzed once again. I let out a deep sigh. I think that was the real end game!

"Go out, Miss Suarez." She exasperatedly said.

"I'm sorry, Miss." I made my way outside and got all my stuff. As I felt the eyes of the whole class on me, I walked faster out of embarrassment. I swiped the green button when I saw Mom's name on my screen.

"You forgot your notes here at home. Do you have class?" I heard her sweet voice.

"Yes, Ma. I do have classes. Thank you for calling. I'll call you later." I acknowledged.

"Uhm." I felt someone's presence behind my back, and I looked back to check who that was.

"Moral lesson: Set your phone in a 'Silent Mode' when you have classes." He grinned. A thick strand of my hair fell down on her forehead. I blew a puff of air at the thick strand of my bangs, that was literally blocking my vision.

"Are you insulting me?" I irritatedly asked him while giving him an indignant stare. He stared at me and curved his signature annoying smile.

"If you're insulted." He shrugged. I hissed as I heard what he just said.

"Whatever!" I casually folded my arms across my chest. He walked away.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked before he went away. He did not answer, but instead, he walked straight forward in the hallway. I followed his direction. Thorn took a glance at me and a familiar grin flashed on his face.

"I'll come with you. Let's start our output, we will be having our training after class, so-" He stopped and looked at me. As if, I said something that was inappropriate.

"Men's room. You'll come?" He asked while raising up his eyebrows, he tried to play it cool. I swallowed hard.

"Never mind!" I turned my back against him, but I still barely heard his laugh.

"Crazy girl." He mumbled under his laugh.

"What did you just say?" I looked back.

"What do you mean?" He acted as if he didn't say anything. He furrowed his eyebrow just to look so convincing.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Colins but, I heard you, liar." I firmly said and emphasized the last word.

"You heard me? Then stop asking." He grinned as if he just got even. I shouted out of frustration and heard my voice echoed in the hallway. While walking in the direction where I spotted vacant bleachers around the hall and started doing a bunch of activities. I saw Sage sitting at the vacant bleacher near the corridor.

"Don't tell me, you cut your History class?" I sat beside him and rolled my eyes.

"Mom called me in the middle of my history class and unfortunately my phone was not on silent mode." I let out a deep sigh. I took a side glance at him as I heard him laughing.

"Stop laughing, Sage! I needed a friend right now, you know? I was hungry." I smelled his scent while he was rummaging in his bag.

"Here." My eyes lit up as I smiled at him. He was half laughing. I got a chicken sandwich in his hand and devoured it as I was staring at him.

"Drop that already, Horizon. We're bros, remember?" I exhaled half a laugh.

"Whatever, Sage!" He was laughing and shoved his hand in his pocket, I think someone texted him and in his reaction, I think that was serious.

"What's the matter?" I was concerned, asked him.