Chapter 33 32
Soraya's POV
“Carl,” I said, surprised.
He smiled at me, flashing his perfect white teeth. “Hm? It’s me,” he said cheerfully, like we were old friends meeting after years apart.
“It’s so good to see you already on our first day,” he added, smiling wider.
I blinked, unsure what to say. “Hm.”
“You seem a little confused,” he teased lightly. “Come on, I know where our class is. I’ll show you.”
He started walking ahead, and I hesitated for a second before following. “Aren’t you a fresher as well?” I asked, catching up to him. “How do you know where the classes are?”
Carl looked over his shoulder. “Well, I am a fresher,” he said, “but I’m very familiar with All-Bright School. I used to visit the library alot. So, I know practically everywhere. It’s huge, and it’s easy to get lost at first.”
He turned a corner as he spoke. “But with time, you get familiar with it.”
I nodded quietly, trying to keep up.
After a short silence, Carl glanced at me. “You came out of a really fancy car,” he said with a little smirk. “You must be from one of those rich families, huh?”
“Oh, uh, it’s not mine,” I said quickly, waving a hand. “It was the driver that drove me. The driver of the people I stay with.”
“Oh, that’s really nice,” he said, still smiling. Then he stopped walking for a moment and turned slightly toward me. “I’ll wait.”
I frowned a little. “Wait? For what?”
“For you to get comfortable,” he said with a grin. “You look a bit tense.”
I blinked. “Uh, it’s nothing. I’m not tense,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “It’s just that it's my first day, I’m a bit… nervous.”
Carl chuckled softly. “That’s okay. Just relax, you’ll get used to it soon enough.”
We kept walking until we finally reached the classroom.
“There it is,” Carl said, smiling. “Our class.”
Inside, there were already quite a number of students
“Oh, there’s a free seat over there,” Carl pointed. “Let’s sit there.”
We moved toward the window and sat down. The moment I placed my bag on the desk, a loud slam hit the surface. I flinched and looked up to see a girl glaring down at me.
“That’s my seat.”
Carl looked up too. “Ugh, oh come on, Lily? It’s the first day of school. You can’t already be claiming spots.”
The girl, Lily, flipped her glossy blonde hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms. “Listen, you know I always like the spot next to the window. And I always get what I want.”
Carl sighed. “Soraya, just let her be. Let’s find somewhere else.”
I stood up, staring at the girl for a second before picking up my bag. She smirked, then sat down.
We moved to another seat. As I sat down again, I couldn’t help glancing back at her. She was still fixing her hair, and had a mini mirror in her hand. Sigh. Rich brats.
“You know her?” I asked quietly.
“Mm,” Carl said. “We went to the same high school. Lily’s from a really rich family and tends to be a bit of a spoiled brat. Just ignore her.”
“Mm.” I muttered, looking away.
Shortly after, a man in a neat gray suit walked into the classroom. The moment he walked in, everyone suddenly composed themselves and became quiet.
“Good morning, new students of All-Bright Star College, Literature Department,” he said in a deep voice. “You are welcome to the first day of school.”
Everyone suddenly looked more alert. I sat up quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Mr. Elvis, smiled faintly and continued, “We were supposed to use the orientation hall for this, but it seems there’s a lot of activities going on this morning, and the halls are currently occupied. So, we’ll be using this classroom instead.”
He placed a few papers on his desk and looked around. “As we all know, this is your first year. You’ve already received your handouts during the break — that includes your uniforms, your materials, and the school rules. I believe everyone has read through them.”
A few people murmured quietly, nodding. I just kept my gaze forward, trying not to look awkward.
“There are also classroom rules we have to follow,” he continued. “Yes, this is college, not high school, but at a prestigious institution like All-Bright, there’s a level of respect and responsibility we must uphold. One of those rules is…” he paused, eyes landing somewhere behind me, “...no chewing gum during class or orientation.”
The whole room turned in the same direction. I followed their gaze and, of course, saw Lily sitting there, casually blowing a pink bubble.
“Lily,” Mr. Elvis said firmly, “put the gum away.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically but leaned forward, removed the gum from her mouth, and dropped it into a napkin. “Sorry, Mr. Elvis,” she said sweetly.
“Much better.”
Carl tried not to laugh beside me, and I had to bite my lip to hide a smile.
Mr. Elvis went on explaining school procedures about attendance, club registration, library hours, and campus safety. It was mostly formal stuff.
After that, the orientation continued smoothly. We were mostly welcomed to the school, given quick reminders about our schedules, and dismissed early for lunch.
By the time classes were over, the sun was already starting to dip slightly, painting the sky with a soft orange hue.
Carl stretched beside me. “Well, that was something.”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling faintly. “First day, and already drama.”
He laughed, then scratched the back of his neck, and smiled. “Uh, my car is parked at the other side. Maybe I could drop you off?”
I blinked, surprised. “Oh…no, there’s no need. I’m fine.”
He tilted his head a little. “Come on, it’s really no big deal. I could just drop you off. Where do you stay?”
I hesitated, clutching the strap of my bag. “No, it’s fine. I think the driver would come and pick me up.”
Carl looked at his watch, then back at me. “Are you sure? It’s—”
“ Soraya?” a voice came from behind him.
We both turned. “Yes, Mr. Elvis?” I answered quickly.
Mr. Elvis gave a small nod. “Mr. Dovenia is here to pick you up.”
My eyes widened. Darius?
For a second, I froze, feeling my heart skip beat.
“Oh,” I said, trying not to sound as startled as I felt.
“I’ll take you to him,” Mr. Elvis added.
“Okay.” I turned back to Carl, forcing a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, sure. See you.”
I followed Mr. Elvis out of the building. The moment we stepped outside, I spotted a sleek black car parked near the school front gate.
Darius sat inside, looking as effortlessly composed as ever.
“She’s here, sir,” Mr. Elvis said.
Darius gave him a polite nod. “Thank you.”
“Have a good evening, Soraya,” Mr. Elvis said before leaving us.
I turned to Darius, still a bit shocked. “You’re here?”
He looked at me. “Is that your reaction when I come to pick you up from school?”