I beeline past the hallway and walked through the double doors and just like that I was out of the enlgish building.
Dead set on getting some work done I follow the empty foot tracks and noticed the gardner had not finished plowing the grounds just yet because half of campus was still clogged with mucky snow while over in some far corners I could see the dead grass and cobblestone pathway. By the time I made my way back to my dorm it would be picture perfect clean.
I walk on the snow and make my way to the library. My save haven.
Wesley strolls after me in three short paces.
"Do you want company?" he asks matching my pace with ease.
Wesley moves a strand of hair from his brown-brown eyes.
Though I thought it odd, despite his quickness he wasn't panting for breath. Girls that weren't me might've swooned at the idea of someone like Wesley paying attention to them. But I wasn't like most girls and his gallant services weren't needed.
I shake my head. I was stubborn when I wanted to be.
"I know whwere it is. Thank you, though, for offering." I express my deep felt gratitude.
I leave him and continue my way to the courtyard.
I zipped my hoodie, stuck my hands inside my pockets, and headed across the pigeonhole courtyard, skirting around the groups of students who'd stoppped to talk, pull out their cellphones and check their messages.
I lifted my head, pulse thumping between my ears and looked behind me when I heard footsteps treading on an even patch of snow.
"Are you following me?"
My sharp narrow gaze followed his.
I wondered if I would see him again. Only now I was dissapointed that Mr. Secretive was nothing but a runner sent by the pariahas to spy on me. Not that it matered. I wasn't fascinating by their standards and nothing happened to me that they would want to hear about anyway.
Mr. charasmaric and fruitful smiles innocently. "Me following you? Never." He gestured around with a big swoop of his arms. "This place is diminutive and undersized compared to most. I bump into identically similar people multiple times a day."
"Like hell." I gave a half snort half laugh. "Answer the question. Are you?" I ask him again.
"am i What?"
He puts his hands in the pockets of his black trench coat, the same one i'd seen him with on that first day we met but never shared information about ourselves. Did he just have the one or was that his favorite.
I look sideways at the plain brown-haired boy unimpressed by his clueless behavior.
He wasnt ugly, but that didn't mean he possesed endowed peculirarities that made him stick out in a collective mass of otherwise beautiful faces with hallmark attributes that all the Starkhouse crammers seemed to have. Unless his fair skin and visible veins counted.
It was strange and a little intimidating that I went to a school with so many pretty boys and exotic-looking girls.
And here I was, just that uninteresting new girl that wasn't increadibly pretty or extremely rich like the masses that went to Starkhouse.
"Stalking me to see whether the firebug will torch a dustbin or were you hoping that I set fire to a bookcase so that you wouldn't have to do a report?" I said meaning it.
"No but I am enjoying the distratcion." He gave me a once over, slow and thoughtful, head to toe, panting, color high in his cheeks.
I smile tentatively. "I'm sorry. Guess i'm just a little on edge these days. It's cold and I get irational when I haven't eaten."
He stared at me as if weighing me. "Its forgotten."
And it was. As promised we strolled besides each-other, neither one of us felt the need to talk first.
I dont rebuff him as he walks closer to me invariably keeping a foots distance. I never told him about my wanting personal space and yet the act relaxed me. Huh. Suddenly having a companion to walk with wasn't so bad.
The further we went the snow melded into one thick blanket on the ground that was large and widespread and took more effort to tread from one academy building to the next.
Sometimes having buildings in a loose cluster around campus sucked-
The boy next to me let out a low throaty chuckle. "This part of the world will do that to you."
My cheeks stained red as I realized I'd been talking out loud again.
"I've traveled to many places but I have to say this one is my least prefered, although my time here is getting much better now. Whatever happened to sunshine and fair weather and halcyon days that didnt spoil and ravage your best outfit."
"Tell me about it." I sigh envisioning an abstract fantasy about buttery sunlight and breezy summertime weather and agreeable palmy days like the image from my postcard, the only one I'd ever received.
It was an ambition to go some place cool and sunny that I could never get rid of even though I had spent most of my life up in the mountains and would probably never leave on adventure because this was my home and I loved it here.
We walk together in average silence until I could no longer stand it. I had something to get off my chest and I knew if I didnt I would later regret not having the courage to say it.
"So, you never told me your name." it was eating at me so i had to ask.
"Apologies." he stretches his left hand out and across our invisible barrier, fingers pointed in a downward motion.
"I think a do over is called for here." he explains when i dont comply at first, his accent firmly audible and distinct and though i had tried i couldnt place an ancient memory to it.
I shake Riders hand in a firm grip.
"Nice to finally meet you." I say.
The company was pleasant but the hike was not.
"Rider." he grins earnestly.
I wasnt sure where Rider was heading to and I wasnt going to bug him about it. Besides, it wasnt any of my business what he did and I wouldnt take his prying all that well so we kept at it. Riders pace matched evenly with mine.
I was in a bit of a hurry and if Rider wondered why I was going so fast he didnt say it.
We stayed quiet for a while neither one of us caring to speak. I was glad once I saw how close I was to reaching my destination.
"Well?" Rider asks me "Arent you going to tell me your name?"
I suck in a deep breath and shake my head. I look at him and grin sheepishly.
"No." I decided Rider could wait another day or two.
Not looking back I leave Rider to laugh by himself as he guessed possible girl names out loud and I walked into the open quad.
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