TOUCH

Chapter 13

AURELIA

"What time is it? Are you running late?" Anne asked when I came downstairs for breakfast. She was wearing her suit pants and was ready to leave for work before sipping on her second cup of coffee and casually turning the pages of  The New York Times.

"Actually No I'm going with Zander.", I told her grabbing a toast.

Nutella and toast has been my go to since I moved here. I tried the toast with peanut butter and didn't like it one bit. Lee disowned me when I told her that I find peanut butter gross.

"Ohh thank God! Now I don't have to worry about your safety," Anne said, tugging the collar of her shirt slightly.  "...and I promise I won't call you as much now." She added with a smile.

Either she called me herself or she used to ask Mrs. Donovan to do the same .

"He is a good boy you know. I have known him for three years now...would bring all his books to the hospital and studied there when his mother was admitted. He is quite brilliant himself, Melanie tells me," she said staring at a distance.

My phone ringed, displaying an unknown number and I picked it up but was hesitant to say anything.

"..."

"Hey? Am I audible?I am outside." Zander spoke from the other side.

"Yes. coming," I said and picked my bag up." He is here." I told Anne from the hall and left.

Outside he stood opening the door of the passenger seat and fidgeting with the mobile in one hand.

His disheveled hair suited his grey t-shirt. He gave me a smile when I sat in the car. Something in my chest sped up.

It made me uncomfortable how everyone in college gaped at us when we got out of the car.

"They will get used to it," Zander said reading my mind and throwing his bag over one shoulder.

"Hi to you too," Theo said to me flipping Zander off.

"Hi" I chuckled when Zander tackled him.

I saw Matt and Barbie looking at us with unreadable expressions.

"You came with him." Brie squealed and hugged me when I met all the girls and Noah outside my International relations class.

Raven and Lee laughed.

"So you guys are friends then?" Noah asked in a serious tone.

"No. He happens to live in the same lane and his mother asked him to..."

"You could have said no," Noah said in a condescending tone.

"Are you nuts bro? Who would do that? " Raven told him rolling her eyes.

He pulled his sleeves up and without saying another word left.

In the literature class, Barbie sat behind me in the top rows at the back instead of her usual seat behind Zander. Lee looked at me inquiringly and I shrugged my shoulders.

As the class started she began pinching me from the back, making it difficult for me to concentrate. I swatted my arms a few times but to no avail.

She wasn't pinching me to keep me from focusing, she was doing it to hurt me. Tears started welling up in my eyes by the end of the class.

"What's your problem?" I asked her once the professor was out of the class.

"Nothing bitch," she yawned and went away.

But I knew what it was about. She was irked that I came with Zander.