Chapter 3

Darcy felt her stomach clench as she thought about all she’d missed and how she was going to catch up. It was possible they thought she wasn't coming and might have given up her place to somebody else.

A low whine escaped her as she ran to the bedroom, kicking off her slippers and ripping off her nightgown along the way. Everything tumbled from the wardrobe like a landslide as she grabbed at her clothes and pulled them on with record speed.

There wasn't time to pack everything she might need. Her plan had been to get everything from the list they’d provided a week before the course began. Of course, her calendar had been a whole month off. Her phone and induction letter were the only things in her bag as she ran out into the cool November air. She briefly considered going back for a cardigan.

'I'm already seven days late. Another minute or two can't hurt,' she decided.

After grabbing a cardigan she half-waked, half-ran to the entrance of the college. Trees poked through the bars of the metal gates, grasping at the soft fabric of her top as she sped past to the only opening. It led into the carpark, which had a huge sign pointing toward the main reception.

Darcy slowed her pace as she walked over to the doors, waiting a second for the automatic door to swing inward. A young brunette glanced up from behind the desk and smiled as she entered.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"I was meant to start my Art and Design course on the 25th," Darcy explained, feeling like a complete idiot. "I, erm, I read the letter wrong."

"Don't worry," the woman said with a genuine but pitying smile. "You aren't the first and you won’t be the last. We all make mistakes."

After searching in the system, she found Darcy's details and directed her towards her class. 

After trying to explain the directions and seeing the confused look on Darcy's face the woman decided it would be easier to accompany her. Their footsteps echoed down the empty hall as their heels clicked on tiles in a steady rhythm.

"I think there are only five other people on this course, so it's a good thing you showed up," the woman explained in a chipper voice as they reached the classroom door. After she called the teacher over and explained the situation Darcy followed her into the classroom, feeling eyes examining her as she walked to the back row of chairs and took a seat.

Looking up, she saw three guys and a pair of girls. One of the guys she recognised instantly. His lip curled up into a sneer as he stared back at her.

He was giving her that same pitying look he’d graced her with after rescuing her.

Her heart rate began to rise as the lesson ended and the teacher - Mrs Cosgrove - asked Josh specifically to show her to the next class.

"Hmm," Josh grunted. He picked up his black bag and coat and stood at the end of her desk, waiting for her in silence. He didn't mention anything about what had happened at the weekend or even look at her.

To Darcy's surprise, the other four students flocked over and hovered about him. At first, she thought they were interested in her, but they seemed to be waiting for him. 

They all had cool-looking and unique styles; Darcy realised as she glanced up from the pile of paperwork the teacher had dumped on her desk. The two girls both looked immaculate, one dressed in full goth attire and the other—an Asian girl who could easily be a supermodel—wore a layered outfit over thigh-high boots.

Looking down at the boring jeans and shirt she'd yanked from her wardrobe, Darcy felt distinctly out of place and frumpy.

The two guys were dressed in a very similar style to Josh. One was short and looked like a clone of Josh and the other was very attractive, with lighter hair spilling out from under his cap. Darcy had to force her eyes down as not to stare at him.

When Josh let out an impatient sigh Darcy used her arm to sweep the papers into her bag and stood.

"Be nice," the Asian girl coaxed gently, looking at Darcy as if she was a sad charity case. "I'm Angela."

"This is Darcy," Josh said in an emotionless voice. "She went to high school with me."

"Oh wow," the cute guy said, looking her up and down with an amused chuckle. "She's not one of those God-awful bitches you told us about, is she?"

'I am. I totally am,' Darcy thought. She was sure her heart would explode as she looked at Josh's facial expression. 'He's going to tell them what I'm like and everyone will hate me and the course I’ve been looking forward to will be a living hell.'

She felt tears of humiliation gather behind her eyes as she looked up at him, his eyes narrowed as he smiled smugly back at her.

"Naa," he muttered. "Darcy wasn't one of the bitchy ones. She was alright."

With a mixture of shock and gratitude, Darcy smiled at him. She hadn't expected him to lie to protect her. Why should he? She'd never once been nice to him, and they’d hardly bonded after his impromptu rescue the other night.

The faces of her new classmates transformed into friendly smiles at his words. They seemed to trust his character reference and accepted her as one of their tight-knit group as they made their way to the next lesson.

As the others chatted away and asked the occasional question to make her feel included, Darcy stared at the back of Josh's head, wondering why he'd decided to spare her the humiliation of being outed as a high school bully. Was he actually a kind person? The realisation made Darcy feel even worse for her past indiscretions.

She tried to keep track of the twists and turns as they made their way through the winding corridors of the old building, knowing she was destined to get hopelessly lost at some point.

The others had been here just a week and seemed to know where they were going.

As they arrived at the classroom Darcy realised it was a life-drawing class, as evidenced by the naked woman in the centre of the room. The nude woman looked up and smiled as the other students found their way to their stations, looking completely at ease with the situation. They already had their work set up on easels, Darcy saw, as she looked over their work and subconsciously compared their drawing skill to her own. 

"Wow," she muttered, seeing Josh's charcoal and chalk drawing. He was so talented at art it made her jealous. In school, he'd been the only person she'd considered as having superior drawing skills, and she'd hated him for it. She remembered an incident in the school toilets where Ted had torn up his comic drawings, despite Josh pleading with him in tears. It was the one and only time he’d managed to make the smaller boy cry, and he’d been so pleased with himself.

‘He must have been so proud of those drawings,’ Darcy thought. She felt sick when she remembered how she and her friends had laughed in his face, telling him the comic he’d spent hours on was only good for the trash. She’d always thought Ted’s sadistic treatment of his peers was cool and funny, but looking back, it was pathetic. Ted was the kind of guy who had everything—looks, confidence and a rich family—but he wasn’t particularly good at anything. Bullying was his way of punishing the kids who were smarter or more talented than he was.

It happened years ago, and there was no point bringing it up now, but that didn’t shift the knot in her stomach.

Looking about, she shuffled around the back of the studio and found a vacant space.

"You can use any of the papers and materials on the front desk," a voice sounded from behind. 

"Oh," Darcy jumped a little, turning to face the teacher. "Thank you."

As Darcy tentatively selected some pencils and paper, she overheard Josh talking to the model.

"Could you raise your left hand a little bit?" he asked her.

"Like this?" the woman asked.

"Hmm," he said. "And twist your body ever so slightly to the left."

The model shifted slightly as she apologised for forgetting last week’s pose.

The good-looking lad was stood closest to her. He leaned in close and whispered, "I'm so glad he said it because I don't dare to talk to the model."

When she looked at him, the guy looked sheepish, his cheeks tinted with pink. Being so good-looking, she never expected him to be this painfully shy.

"What was your name again?" Darcy asked. He hadn't told her his name, but it made it feel less awkward to ask this way.

"Ryan," he said.

"Right," Darcy nodded. "I don't think she minds being talked to."

"It's weird because she'd naked," Ryan said. "If you were naked, I wouldn't talk to you either."

This made Darcy chuckle. "Noted. I'll be sure to keep my clothes on at all times."

She must have said a little too loudly as Josh flashed her an odd look. Out of context, she could understand how it might have sounded a strange thing to say. She turned her attention back to her work, trying her hardest to impress the teacher. Being a week late probably wasn't the best first impression.

As the lesson ended the model pulled a towel over herself. She asked Josh if he minded her looking, probably because he was the only one to interact with her. 

"Oh my gosh, it's brilliant" she gushed, staring intensely for a moment before walking into the back to change.

As the others left the room, Darcy trailed behind, feeling left out of their conversation as they chatted about some person they clearly didn't like.

"He's just so tragic I'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't so damned arrogant," the goth girl was saying. 

"You guys are harsh," was Josh's input to the whole thing. It made them shut up and start talking about the lunch options instead.

"Darcy can sit at our table, right?" Ryan asked Josh, who appeared to be the unofficial leader of the group.

Josh turned to her, narrowing his eyes. 

"Oh I'm sure she doesn't want to sit with me," he said and sighed. "I mean, Darcy never wanted to sit with me before so... I guess she wants to find her own friends to sit with, right Darcy?"

Was it a hint to go away? Punishment for her past? 

Darcy wasn't sure. 

But she didn't want to sit on her own or try to find friends in this sea of unfamiliar faces. Josh and his friends were the only people she knew. It wasn't as if she could just walk up to anyone and fit in here.

'I'm not popular here,' Darcy realised. 'I'm a nobody.'

"E—erm, I don't know anyone else so, erm, would you mind if I tag along with you?" she stammered, feeling ashamed for having to suck up to Josh. When he stared at her, face unchanging, she began to panic he'd say no and laugh in her face. She could hardly blame him, given their past. 

Heat rose in her cheeks as she waited for his response.

...

Feeling utterly pathetic, she added, "Please?"

$ Chapter