St. Thomas College of Arts and Science
Morning | 9:00 AM
"Hey, Anna!"
"Oh, who's this? Clara?" Anna grinned, spotting her friend. "You're here too?"
"Yeah, Anna, all because of Dad's insistence. Who'd come to this place willingly?" Clara sighed, rolling her eyes with a smirk.
"What's that supposed to mean? You've got some beef with our college?" Anna teased, arching an eyebrow.
"Nah, nothing like that," Clara shot back, folding her arms.
"Come on, Clara, spill it," Anna said, giving her a playful shove.
"Alright, fine, I'll tell you."
"Go for it!"
"Okay, Anna… I need some *fun*," Clara said, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"What are you getting at?" Anna asked, squinting suspiciously.
"Well, Anna…" Clara giggled, "how are the guys around here?"
"Pfft! Get outta here, you little flirt!" Anna laughed.
"What's that mean?" Clara pouted, feigning offense.
"Nothing, little sis," Anna chuckled.
"Please, Anna, tell me! Please, please, please!" Clara begged, clasping her hands dramatically.
"Okay, enough already! I'll tell you. What do you wanna know?" Anna relented.
"Well, Anna, doesn't every college have a star guy?" Clara grinned.
"And?"
"Can I say something?" Clara pressed, barely hiding her excitement.
"Sure, go ahead," Anna said with a laugh.
"So, do we have any stars like that here?" Clara asked, beaming.
Anna burst out laughing.
"Anna, stop laughing and tell me!" Clara whined.
"Alright, alright! Yeah, we've got a star. Not just for St. Thomas—he's the guy every college knows about!" Anna said with a dramatic flourish.
[In her mind: Sparks flew. Anna doesn't need to know!] Clara thought, buzzing inside. "Who is he, Anna? What's his name?"
"Matt. Matt Grayson," Anna declared proudly.
"Matt…" Clara echoed, drifting into a brief daydream.
"Hey, Clara!" Anna snapped her fingers.
"What, Anna?" Clara blinked back to reality.
"My ears! Why are you shouting? Anyway, here's the deal: He's taken. Matt and his Reena are the most romantic couple on campus. All the girls are jealous of Reena. So, Clara, steer clear. Don't go near him. Reena might not care, but Matt? He'd lose it if you messed with her even a little. He can't stand anyone hurting her. Stay back, got it?"
"Honestly, Anna, hearing you talk about him, I kinda admire him," Clara admitted. "But I'm not desperate enough to chase someone who's taken. And all this hype for some mushy love story? Give me a break."
"You're pushing it now, kid!" Anna shot back.
"Pushing it? More like overkill! It's like some cheesy rom-com," Clara retorted.
"Hey, their love's not like that—it's real," Anna countered.
"Whatever, Anna. I've gotta bounce—ragging's starting," Clara said, turning to leave.
"Alright, see ya. Catch you later!" Anna waved.
---
Hostel
"Dude, Matt, enough! Get up and get ready. It's Freshers' Day—we've gotta make it epic!" Lucas called out.
"Nah, Lucas, I'm not going. You guys go ahead," Matt mumbled from his bed.
"No way! It's Freshers' Day, and you're just gonna mope here? People will start asking questions. So far, no one knows what's up with you—don't give them a reason to dig," Adrian snapped.
"Got it," Matt sighed.
"Good. Now move it, get ready, and let's go!" Adrian said, giving Matt a light tap on the head before heading out.
College
Spotting Clara, a guy approached her. "Hey, newbie, see that canteen over there? The girls' line's behind it. Go stand there."
Confused but curious, Clara wandered over and joined the queue.
Thirty minutes later, Matt and his crew rolled in. Lucas wore a black t-shirt and blue jeans, his hair slicked back in a cool wave. Adrian matched him in a black tee.
"Girls, what do you think of this college? How about your senior guys? Are we good-looking?" Lucas asked with a grin.
The girls murmured shy responses.
"Girls, yes or no—aren't we guys good-looking?" Lucas pressed.
"Yes!" they shouted together.
"Alright, sweet. Girls, you've all seen this guy here—he's Matt!" Lucas announced, gesturing grandly.
Hearing "Matt," Clara, at the back of the line, stretched up on her toes to see, but couldn't catch a glimpse.
"I clocked it the second we walked in—all the girls' eyes were on him. None of you even noticed us," Lucas continued with a mock pout. [Matt, unfazed, kept scrolling on his phone.] "So, girls, here's your shot: One of you has to propose to Matt."
The girls buzzed with excitement, whispering among themselves.
"Hold up! That's not all—he has to say yes too. If he doesn't, for the next two months, you're all stuck doing daily ragging chores—writing our assignments, projects, cleaning the college, cooking, the whole deal!" Lucas added.
The group went quiet for a second.
"But if he says yes, ragging's done right here. Deal?"
"Yes, deal!" they chorused.
"Lucas, what the hell are you doing?" Adrian hissed, pulling him aside.
"Relax, Adrian! Matt's right there hearing this. What's your issue? I just wanna shake him out of his funk—that's it," Lucas explained. "Step back." Turning back, he continued, "So, girls, who's our lucky lady?"
"Will I do?" a voice called out. And with that, our antagonist stepped into the scene.
To be continued.....