"Shit!"
"Shit!!"
"Shit!!!"
Dean exclaimed.
He descended a flight of stairs. Slid across the marble floors of the first floor. And zoomed past the dormitory doors.
He was already late for his introductory class. And Olsen…? well, his roommate never returned back to the room.
'i knew staying up late and having a warm bath before bed was a bad call.'
Weaving through a group of students at the Academy courtyard. Dean avoided claws and fangs and burst through the main entrance door.
The inside of the lecture building was chaotic, with so many students around.
Moving to and fro.. each person with their own plans and agenda.
Turning left, he started sprinting again, heading for the stairs. Even while he kept pulling on the zippers of his jacket.
Just then at the edge of the staircase.
He slammed into someone.
The boy didn't stagger.
He just stood there. Turning towards Dean.
"Watch where you're going," the boy said.
Dean didn't stop moving. "Try not standing in the way."
He sped past. Ignoring how familiar the voice sounded.
But he also felt it. The eyes on his back. They lingered.
Going up another flight of stairs. His legs burned and his lungs were tight. But Dean didn't stop.
He arrived at the second floor and started looking for the room.
"102"
"104"
The room numbers were carved in stone next to the doors.
And he was looking for room 107.
"107"
Dean smiled as he stopped just outside the open door.
From the side, the first person he saw was Astrea.
'What the--?... Why the--?'
The vampire girl wasn't beating his stalker allegations.
Standing on the side, he arranged his jacket and tightened his gloves.
'Be confident.' he chorused in his head. As he tucked in a strand of hair.
The instructor suddenly turned to the door raising a rod.
"I know you are there," Dr Thomas said with a calm tone.
Dean took a deep breath, cleaned his sweaty forehead.
And strutted in slower than he felt.
Like he wasn't late.
Like anyone believed that...
"Late on your first day…" the instructor spoke.
"Starting strong I see… Master …?"
"Dean," he replied calmly with his right hand in his pocket.
"Don't tell that to me… tell it to your mates."
Taken aback, Dean looked up to the students neatly arranged behind wooden desks.
'This was truly and introductory class'
Standing straight while raising his right hand in a placating gesture, and his left resting on his chest.
He bowed slightly with a sly smile.
"I'm Dean. Dean Gray..."
"We know…." A familiar voice came from beside Dean.
Looking in that direction, he saw Andre Truman walk up to a seat in the middle row.
And unlike him, the boy wasn't called out by Dr Thomas.
But before Dean could voice his grievances. He recalled the voice. Was it him ? The person he bumped into at the edge of the stairs.
"Gray?"
Another familiar voice spoke.
"Didn't your ass get carried in the draft, by Astrea Vermith?"
Dean knew that voice. He searched and found Rogue in the middle row.
'This shameless idiot.'
Dean was about to bite back when he noticed it.
The seats of the hall were separated and yet didn't look like it.
Without paying close attention, anyone would have missed it.
It was a segregation as old as society.
No matter the world. No matter the culture. It was always a hole that civilization found difficult to fill.
The Power Divide.
The Elites stayed in the front row with their clean clothes and Unimpressed expressions. Too in their own heads to care.
The middle row were those stuck between trying to break into the front row or just deciding they were never meant to be there.
And then, there was the people he was used to. The ones who lived in resentment and yet held hope more than any other.
'Typical…' Dean thought. His gaze then move directly to Astrea.
He still didn't get why a Vermith that scored first in the draft was in Franseint academy.
'I'll just have to ask her,' Dean concluded. As he walked to a seat after the instructor gestured him to go ahead.
He walked to the first row. Doing his best to ignore the condescending glances.
Stopping at a chair just beside Astrea. A boy with long ears, shifted his own chair to block Dean as he crossed his leg on the desk.
Dean didn't react. The message was clear just like Astrea's silence. But that didn't matter.
He wasn't going to let them have the last laugh. Not until he saw Olsen wave from the back.
'There you are.' Dean smiled.
He changed his mind and walked directly towards Olsen.
Lifting her head. Astrea's red eyes followed Dean attentively, a small smile on her red lips before she looked forward.
"Stupid," she muttered under her breath.
"Hey…," Olsen waved at Dean again.
"Don't Hey me…" Dean spoke. Then sat next to the gentle giant.
It was only after sitting down, he noticed that most of the middle row were staring at him.
It was as if they only just recognized him.
"Isn't that the one that scored below Louis yesterday?" A vampire asked.
"Yeah… I think that's him."
"Why is he sitting there? He should come sit here,"
"Because he scored 80?"
"I like to see you… score 80!"
The not so subtle murmuring continued.
Andre watched him as he spoke while he turned away.
"Of course, a criminal and a failure mix well."
Rogue snorted at the remark. Much to Andre's disapproval. He glanced at Rogue with disgust.
Dr. Thomas… the class counselor watched in silence for a while longer.
Then he cleared his throat to pull all the attention back.
Everyone faced the man as he picked up a clip board.
"Since you all… are already riled up."
Thomas walked towards the exit .
"Why don't we put your interest in one another to good use."
He walked out after he gestured for the class to follow. Their destination was the training complex.
A/N: Thank you all for the Powerstones and the golden tickets.
If you're enjoying the story. Pls your interactions are vital.