Chapter One
At lunch break, Juliette and Angela went to the cafeteria to get something to eat. They occupied a corner table and ate the burgers that Angela got. "Where are you staying?" Asked Angela, biting into her burger.
"I rented a small apartment nearby," she answered. "I need a roommate," she declared.
"Why do you need a roommate? For the financial benefit?" Asked Angela.
"No no, I just need company," Juliette said.
"A roommate is a headache, you know. She'll bring over men for the night, goto nightclubs and ask you to pick her up, make your home dirty as ever, make you do all the housework while she parties. It'll rob you off your sleep. It's better to stay alone and have your peace of mind and privacy, " advised Angela as Juliette's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh, then I don't need a roommate, " she said. "What about you, where are you staying?"
"With my family. Dad won't let me live on my own. He forgets that I'm eighteen," said Angela, sighing heavily.
"Why don't you shift in with me?" Asked Juliette, hoping she'd agree.
"Dad won't allow me. I had a bad experience with a roommate earlier. I was arrested because she brought drugs to our rented apartment. Dad and my brothers rescued me," she said.
"Oh, that's bad," Juliette said, horrified at the information.
"Yeah, ask me about it," she said.
"Ask you what baby?" Asked Damian's irritating voice as the Devil and the Satan stood in front of them at their table.
"Nothing, what are you doing here?" Asked Angela, glaring at him.
"We've come to join you," said Xavion as he stared at Juliette.
"You're unwelcome here," said Juliette, staring back. Xavion dragged a chair beside her, blocking her way and kept staring at her lazily.
"I'm stuck to you," he whispered, smirking at her as she rolled her eyes.
Angela got up only to be whisked away by Damian to a corner. She struggled to break free from his hold on her wrist as he held her to him and kept talking to her.
"I've got to go," said Juliette, getting up. Xavion got up too, blocking her way. The whole cafeteria was teeming with students and everyone was too busy to even bother to look their way.
"Can't you forgive me? I've apologized, haven't I?" Said Xavion, "You're the first I've ever apologised to."
"Oh, I'm so honoured," said Juliette, sarcastically. "I forgive you, now will you leave me alone?"
"Nope, I want to get to know you more, " he said.
"In your dreams, now back off," she said, pushing him and trying to escape, but was he made of iron or what? He didn't budge an inch.
"Get used to me baby, I'm not backing off an inch. I'll make you fall for me," he threatened.
"Huh, you'll fall for me before that. I don't fall for jerks like you," she said, her eyes shining with disgust.
"Jerk? I'll make you moan out my name," said Xavion, challengingly.
"Fu*k off Xavion," she said with pure irritation. What type of guy says such stuff on their first day of meeting?
Angela stomped her way back to her and shifted the table and chairs to one side. Going up to Juliette, she caught her wrist and dragged her out of the cafeteria, leaving an astounded Damian and Xavion gaping at them.
"What happened?" Asked Juliette when they were out of earshot.
"Damian the as*hole tried to kiss me, " said Angela with rounded eyes.
"That's disgusting, " said Juliette and Angela rolled her eyes.
"Let's go to the next class," said Angela and they went inside the classroom and sat down.
After class, Damian and Xavion didn't bother them anymore. Maybe they lost interest in them. They were lost in Candice and her friend Virginia, who were from another program. They clung to the two boys, their hands all over them, kissing and making out after every class.
Angela wrinkled her nose in disgust when she saw Virginia kissing Damian. Juliette, however, didn't react to Candice and Xavion's kiss, although Xavion stared at her over Candice's head. Why would she? It was good that he lost interest in her. Who needed a jerk in their lives?
After classes, an upset Angela went home in her brand new Ford Fusion that she received on her eighteenth birthday from her dad. Why she was so upset, Juliette couldn't fathom, so she just left Angela in peace. She walked home but had the eerie feeling of being stalked. Looking over her shoulder, when she saw no one, she visibly relaxed a little. Maybe it was just her nerves playing tricks with her mind, she thought.
The whole week they adjusted to their schedules, to their new professors. Angela was pissed off and always in a foul mood. She hardly ate during lunch break and sat just copying notes. Juliette was also irritated, with Damian and Virginia making out always next to their table at the cafeteria and Xavion and Candice too following suit.
Angela didn't chat anymore and Juliette started to get suspicious that she might be in love with Damian. Maybe she was hurting at his behaviour. She had to speak to her after classes.
However after classes she waved a distraught Angela off and walked home. Angela didn't want to talk about Damian and Juliette didn't pressurize her. As she was about to leave, she bumped into none other than Xavion.
"Well, well, are you running away again, miss Prissy?" He asked, smirking at his joke.
"Mind your own business, as*hole," she said and she walked away, only to be caught and pulled to him.
She tried to extricate herself and leave,"Let go, Xavion. Go back to your whore," she yelled, trying to get free.
He pulled her tightly to himself, "Are you jealous? Tell me once and I'll leave her." He said, staring at her from so close. What was it about her that made him behave so recklessly with her? She was exquisitely beautiful, just like an angel. Her dimples on both cheeks deepened when she laughed, but she never laughed with him. Her body felt so good against his, like she belonged to him.
"I don't care who you spend time with," she said but the truth was that she felt all tingly and hot in his arms. This was wrong. She should hate being held so close to him. Confused at her traitorous body's reaction to him, she just tried to get free.
"Oh, you do, I can see that you're body loves being in my arms," he whispered, his eyes taking in her aroused nipples tautly outlined against the thin material of her top. Juliette's cheeks coloured and she just stamped his foot with all her might.
"Oww, you little, ow, " he left her to inspect his foot and she ran in the direction of her apartment.
Juliette went home to Travis Springs to spend the weekend with her family. She didn't have anything to do here in Austin as Angela wasn't in the mood for anything.
After spending a lazy weekend when she rejoined classes on Monday, she was alone. Angela did not come and Juliette just trudged from one class to the other. She spent her off time in the library. As she left the library, she collided with someone.
Looking up, her green eyes found a pair of jet black eyes of a tall boy of around her age staring down at her with a smile on his lips. "Hi Juliette, you're friend didn't come today?" He asked.
Juliette stared at him incredulously, "How do you know me?" She asked.
"We're in the same class, that's how. I'm Wesley Drake," he said and Juliette shook hands with him. "So, how are you liking it here?" He asked.
"I love the classes, lectures but living alone is boring," she told him.
"Why do you live alone? Go to your parents," he suggested.
"They live at Travis Springs, I can only go during weekends, " she said.
"You could come down to my house. It's just a block away from here. My parents would love to have you at home. My sisters would also love your company, " he said, smiling.
"How many sisters do you have?" She asked, curiously.
"Three sisters. Two are younger and one older," he said and rolled his eyes.
Juliette laughed. They talked about her siblings and her life back at Travis Springs. Juliette liked his easy charm. He was easy to chat with and she could talk about anything with him. They walked into the class together and sat beside each other.
The moment she came into the class with Wesley, laughing at his jokes, Xavion's blood started to boil with jealousy. His hands clenched into fists and his teeth gritted together when they sat together beside each other. Xavion knew him very well. Wesley was a batchmate of Damian and him, a valedictorian of his class, from the same school as them.
Xavion didn't like the friendship that was developing between the two. He would have to warn Wesley off Juliette and that too very soon.
The moment the class was over, Juliette went to freshen up in the women's washroom and Xavion saw his opportunity to nab Wesley. He grabbed him and pulled him to one side, "Stay away from Juliette, Wes. She's off limits," he warned.
"Why should I? She likes me. She's comfortable with me, she wants to talk to me. You tried, didn't you? She hates the sight of you. So, you fu*k off," Wesley said with equal malice in his tone.
"I won't be nice Wes. You know what I can do," threatened Xavion, angrily.
"I could say the same to you Xavion. I can also have you locked in jail. You know my dad's reach," he said and Xavion punched him straight on the side of his face. Wesley punched back.
Everyone stared at the fight going on with horror.
"Go on now, call your dad, arrest me if you can. Even my uncle has lots of connections," shouted Xavion.
Juliette came out of the washroom and walked to the next classroom. A sudden commotion at the corridor had her go forward and take a look at what was going on. Her jaws dropped in shock at the scene in front of her. An injured Xavion with blood trickling down his nose and another injured Wesley were fighting like two angry lions.
"Xavion, what are you doing?" She shouted as she ran and pulled him away from Wesley. She stood between them and they both stared at her.
"Please stop," she screamed and they both stopped.
"You are mine Julie," yelled Xavion and Juliette just stared at him, not understanding what was happening. She had never faced such a situation in her entire eighteen years of life.
"No Juliette, you tell us who you choose, him or me?" Asked Wesley, pointedly.
"I don't choose anyone. I've come here to study. Both of you please do the same," she said and stomped away angrily to her next class. She thought she had found a friend in Wesley.
She sat quietly, all alone in her class, flicking through the pages of her book absentmindedly. Damian came alone and sat down at the back of the class. They didn't say a word to one another. The whole day, she didn't see him with Virginia. He just dragged himself from one class to another as if he didn't have any wish to live. Xavion came and joined him, his face cleaned up and his nose and forehead patched up.
Wesley too walked in and sat with his friends Derek and Samuel. There was a staring match going on between him and Xavion. Juliette sighed heavily, she didn't want so many complications in her life. She just came here to get a degree.
She missed Angela more than ever. She had to find out what was wrong with her. The rest of the day went by peacefully and she trudged home, more mentally tired than anything else.