Prologue
"Think before you play a prank on others. It's only acceptable if it's harmless and funny." - Rituparna Darolia
Juliette Meyers entered the huge, sprawling campus of the Austin University of Architecture bustling with new and old students, staff, teachers and more. Everyone was busy on the first day of university.
Coming from the small town of Travis Springs, Hays county, Texas, which was a twenty-five minutes drive from Austin, this was a big step for Juliette. She had always led a sheltered and pampered lifestyle for the last eighteen years of her life. Her father, Christopher Meyers was a famous retired lawyer and her brother, Jayson, a lawyer too, was eight years older than her. Her other brother, Jaden, was a year younger to her while her youngest sister, Jade, was five years younger. Juliette was very close to her family and suddenly shifting to a big city all alone was a bit daunting for her.
She rented a small two bedroom apartment at a walking distance from the university. It was clean, cozy, comfortable and homely. She could spend five years here studying Bachelor of Architecture. She just needed a roommate.
As she walked to the administrative office to get her schedule and class information, her eyes took in the atmosphere of the campus. All kinds of students excitedly bustled about. She reached the administrative office at last. The lady at the office was very friendly and handed her an envelope. It contained her schedule among other important stuff like fee payment details, identity card, rules and regulations, program and curriculum details.
As Juliette checked her schedule for her first introductory class, she bumped into a wall and to her dismay the envelope fell from her hands to the floor, spilling its contents. She stared at it in horror and went down on her knees to collect her stuff.
"Shouldn't you be apologising?" Said a husky male voice. She looked up into a pair of dazzling green eyes staring down at her. He was very tall and tanned and his muscles and veins popped out from under the rolled sleeves of his tee shirt. His denim clad legs also were muscular and heavy. A black leather jacket hung loosely over one shoulder as he stared down at her.
"Done? Now apologise and I'll be on my way," he said, irritatedly.
"Why should I apologise? You are equally at fault. If you were so alert why did you bump into me? Because of you all my stuff fell down. You apologise to me," she said in a calm and cold voice.
He blinked his eyes in disbelief. Everyone cowered around him and this small, delicate girl with ivory skin and long silky blonde hair had so much fire in her? It was unbelievable. He got down on his knees to catch a better look at her.
"I never apologise. Got it?" He said, trying to terrorise her.
She looked up at him with dislike in her eyes, "Then start now. It's better late than never," she said, getting up.
He picked up a paper from the floor that she overlooked and pocketed it. "So which program are you in?" He asked curiously.
"Mind your own business," she said, checking her schedule. Her first class was to be held in Goldberg Hall building, classroom number 11. She didn't know which direction to go to. The boy discreetly looked at her schedule.
"Goldberg Hall eh? It's that one," he said, pointing at the building in the extreme west side of the campus. She looked at it in dismay. Even if she jogged to it, she wouldn't be able it reach it on time.
"Thanks," she said, sighing as she walked briskly to it.
After ten minutes, she was out of breath. She reached the building and found "Welham Hall' engraved on the wall. Was it some kind of a joke? She was already ten minutes late for her introductory class. She asked a man passing by and he pointed to the building next to the administrative office where she bumped into that jerk.
Her face flushed with anger. He purposely tricked her. Thanking him she ran to the building he indicated. She was twenty minutes late. Hurrying up the stairs, she found room number 11 and ran up to the door. Opening it, she peeped in, a serious looking middle-aged teacher with a bulging belly stared at her in disbelief.
"S sir please may I come in?" She stammered, nervously.
"The class is about to end, you're coming now?" The professor yelled at her and she cowered. The whole class laughed at her.
"I'm sorry sir, please can I come in?" She pleaded.
"Come in and show your identity card," he said and she went up to him and looked into her envelope. Frantically searching, she couldn't find her identity card inside. Where did it go, she panicked.
"So, you don't have an identity card? Very responsible," said the professor, sarcastically and the whole class laughed. "Get out of my class." He yelled and Juliette turned and ran out with tears streaming down her face. She had never felt so insulted in her entire eighteen years of life as she felt today.
On her way out, she saw the boy with whom she collided sitting and staring at her with a strange expression on his face. The moment their eyes met, he got up but she didn't stop. She ran out and away from the building to the spot where all her belongings had fallen to the floor. She searched the place thoroughly but couldn't find her identity card. She got up to go to the administrative office and report her missing identity card when someone called her from behind.
"Wait, Juliette," Turning around at the same husky voice that she heard before, she came face to face with the jerk because of whom she was late to class and insulted.
She didn't have any wish to see his face. So, ignoring him, she just turned to go to the administrative office.
He rushed to her and held her by her wrist to make her stop. "I'm sorry, " he said, surprised at himself for apologising to a girl on his second meeting. He had never apologised to anyone in his eighteen years of life.
"You got what you wanted? Now leave me," she said, wrenching her wrist away from his hold and walking away. He came after her,"In fact, I have something of yours that you need," he said, not knowing how to say it without making her more upset.
She looked at him with a confused expression on her face,"What thing?" She asked, irritatedly.
He reached into his pocket and brought out her identity card and handed it to her. She stared at it in disbelief. He had it with him all the time, yet didn't give it to her when the professor was insulting her!
Snatching the identity card from his hand, she looked up at his apologetic expression. "You had it with you all this time?" She couldn't help but ask.
His eyes took in her tear stained face and his heart constricted with guilt and something else. "I'm sorry, it all happened so fast, I was confused, " he said, hanging his head in shame. "You missed it and I found it lying on the floor." He couldn't believe what was happening to him. The first day of university and he had already apologised twice to a mere girl.
She just turned around,"Thanks, I just hope we never cross paths again in life. I mind my business and you mind yours, " she said and walked away to her next class. She swore in her mind that she would never have anything to do with such a jerk.
He had his fun, enjoyed his prank, now hopefully he would leave her alone. Walking into her next class, she sat quietly in the empty classroom and looked through her schedule minutely. There was a ten minute break between classes but she wasn't taking any risk.
The door opened and a tall and beautiful girl with luxurious black hair tied into a ponytail and warm brown eyes walked into the classroom. She saw Juliette and smiled. "Hi, I'm Angela Saunders, can I sit with you?" She asked.
Juliette smiled,"I'm Juliette Meyers. Yes please," she said, shifting.
"I saw how professor Bailey insulted you. He's insulted almost everyone in class. We have written a joint letter to the Dean, requesting for a different professor. So, don't feel upset, let's enjoy our term together. Friends?" She asked, smiling.
"Friends," Juliette said and they hugged each other happily. Juliette was glad that she could make at least one friend in her class.
Soon one by one all the other classmates came pouring into the classroom, taking their seats. The green-eyed guy also strolled into the room with another guy of the same height as him. They both looked similar in build too. While the green-eyed jerk stared at her, the other one with blue eyes stared at Angela.
"Here comes the Devil and his friend, the Satan," whispered Angela.
"You know them?" Asked Juliette incredulously.
"Yeah, one with blue eyes is Damian Anderson, my neighbour and the one with green eyes is Xavion Alexander, his best friend. I've known them all my life. Believe me, they're bad news. Let's not look at them," she whispered and they ducked their heads into the books before them.
Thankfully they waltzed to the back of the class and sat down, chewing something non stop. The professor walked in, she was a very jovial personality with a good sense of humour and wonderful teaching skills. After a brief introductory session, professor Elaine Robert started her studio format class. She effortlessly taught about forms and methods of design for architects and interior designers, with an emphasis on inhabitation, including body, light, and movement.
When the class ended, Angela and Juliette rushed out for the next lecture. However, Angela collided with Damian on her way out while Juliette stayed behind, wanting to avoid both of them.
"Well, well, my little neighbour has grown up now," said Damian as he looked Angela up and down.
Angela glared at him, "I could say the same for you. Now fu*k off Damian." She said, pushing him to escape.
"What's the hurry baby? Won't you introduce us to your new friend?" Said Damian and Angela made a face at him.
"I'm not interested," said Juliette as she caught Angela's wrist and pulled her towards the next class.
"But I am," said the green-eyed jerk.
Damian caught Angela's hand, "You're not going anywhere baby. Introduce us first, " he drawled in his husky, lazy tone.
Angela rolled her eyes at the endearment. "Alright, this is Juliette Meyers, and Juliette, that is Xavion Alexander and this is Damian Anderson," she said in a bored tone. Damian released her and she said," Let's go, Jules."
"What's the hurry?" Said Xavion as he suddenly picked up Juliette's hand and kissed her palm. "I'm glad to meet you Julie. " he said, staring into her eyes. "Am I forgiven?" He said.
"Never, " said Juliette and snatching her hand away, walked out to their next class.
Xavion stood like a statue. He was a player, having always played with girls and their emotions. Why wasn't Juliette drooling over him? Had he lost his charms? He had to find out.
"Dude, what's wrong? Is she the one you told me about? The one who made you apologise twice?" Asked Damian.
"Yeah, she's the one, " sighed Xavion. "She hates me already, man," he said.
"Oh, she'll come around. They always do," said Damian and they grinned at one another, remembering their string of conquests. Their friendship dated back to freshman year at school. Their dads were best friends. Although Damian's were parents separated now and Xavion's parents were killed in a car accident, they remained best friends throughout the years. Now they were more like brothers than friends. While Xavion lived with his uncle Dave who looked after his dad's architectural firm, Damian lived with his dad who was a successful heart surgeon.
They went to the next class and sat at the back, staring at the two interesting girls sitting at the front bench. It seemed university life would be more interesting than anything else with those two girls around.
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Featured Picture: Colton Haynes as Xavion Alexander