“Oh, my God! She’s coming this way,” Yulia whispers, her eyes going wide. And suddenly, people are scrambling to move out of the way, clearing a path. A girl walks through the crowd, stunning and effortlessly hot. You’ll think she woke up looking perfect with her long, dark hair that falls in perfect waves down her back. Her clothes obviously look designer, and she moves with so much confidence that it makes everyone around her seem small and insignificant.
“Who is that?” I ask.
Larisa leans in close to my ear to whisper, “That’s Pyrene. She’s a third-year student and super popular. I heard her father is very rich, and she’s dating the most handsome boy in college.”
“Really?” I say, watching as Pyrene walks to where we’re standing. I’m about to turn away when suddenly Pyrene’s shoulder bumps into Larisa, not hard enough to knock her down but with enough force to make her stumble backward a few steps.
“What the fuck?” I say, stepping forward, anger flaring in my chest. “The girl didn’t even stay in your space. Why did you…”
Larisa grabs my arm and pulls me back, shaking her head frantically. “Don’t. Just don’t do anything to her.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, still feeling angry.
“Yeah, just forget about it,” she says quickly. “It’s fine.”
We walk away, finding a spot in the cafeteria, and after we sit down with our food, there’s this awkward silence for a few minutes before Larisa looks at me. “So are you actually married?”
“Yes, I am,” I say.
She lets out a low whistle. “Married young, huh. That’s cool. Do you have a part-time job or something?”
I scratch the back of my head, feeling uncomfortable. “I used to. When I got married, I couldn’t … exactly have a job anymore.”
Envy flashes across her face. “I run errands for the school to make extra money. I used to do it before I had to drop out, and when I came back, I started up my business again. So in case you ever need anybody to run errands, like picking up food or delivering things, I charge about two hundred rubles for a five-minute trip.”
“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” I reply, not knowing what else to say.
Larisa holds out her phone, the contact screen already open. "Give me your number."
I type it in and hand the phone back, a small sense of relief washing through me. After the frenzy with the ring, it’s nice to just do something normal. Maybe I won’t be a total outcast after all.
The next few hours are just a long line of professors reading their syllabi and making the same introductions. By the time my last class lets out, my brain is fried. I’m halfway to the exit when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and see Alexei’s name sitting at the top of my notifications.
Alexei
I’m coming to pick you up.
Delivered
I immediately start typing back.
No, don’t come. I’ll just take the train home.
Delivered
His response comes almost instantly.
Alexei
I’m not allowing you to take any unsafe trains.
Delivered
Alexei, no. I can take care of myself. Just let me take the train.
Delivered
Alexei