It's been up to a week since their relocation to Athens, and it has been the best part of Valentine's life. The young girl's adulthood was starting off to a good beginning.
"Hey, Val. Take care, and remember everything we talked about. Don't look for trouble—"
"Let trouble look for me" she said, nodding her head.
"No, no…" he placed her hand in his palms. "This is going to be a different world altogether for you. But in everything, just know that you're here to learn, and nothing else. I'm not saying that there won't be troubles, fact is, as human beings, trouble will surely find us one way or another. But try to run away from it."
"Not like I'm troublesome" she chuckled, looking out through the taxi window. Her focus was on what her eyes discerned and not what she was hearing.
The building's front structure was a complete adoration. The walls were heavy, propped and styled with tinted glasses. One could see themselves as if they were looking at their own life.
The base was rectangularly carved. It was a very tall and huge building, but that was only for the administrations. The main college buildings stood largely behind.
The front rows of the building were dotted, at the top with bulky light bulbs that would give off rainbows of light, while the ground had large white security lights fixed on it. The college stood in the heart of the city and the environment only emitted exotics and its expensive nature was shown just by a glance.
At the middle of the front stood the statue of Socrates in majestic white, all high, while three water fountains lined up at the front in waves.
"Val?" Palemo perceived her mind's absence. The city had taken her away.
"Such a breathtaking view" she exhaled. The feeling of not belonging started creeping in slowly as she saw students pull up in expensive cars with their private drivers and bouncers.
"Val?" Her father's voice resounded in her ear.
She turned her face to him slugly "Yes, continue… what were you saying?" She questioned with a sigh.
"Um I've forgotten…"
"Oh good then, can I go now?" Her hand moved to open the car, but her Dad brought it back.
"No, I'm not done."
"Okay, continue…" she relaxed her back on the seat, and brought it upright again, as if she had just been activated. "You clearly don't have anything else to say, Mr Keftedakia, I will have my leave now" she pushed the door, but it was locked.
"Hey Mr Keftedakia's driver, can you please unlock this?" The door was unlocked immediately. "Thank you" she opened the door and the waves of riches and wealth lashed on her skin, she breathed in the expensive air and her ears listened to the sounds of the waters, the cars, the students in sets, walking into the building with words in their mouth.
And the rest of the city. While her eyes witnessed its first extravagant view, the students had smiles on their faces, genuinely happy.
Different body shapes, and sizes trooped in. Girls were beautiful— only if she was into them. The guys looked so great, hot and sexy at the same time, both tall and average-heighted.
Her jaw dropped, and she gulped, breathing out a word with an evenly stressed tone.
"Valentine?" Her father tapped her, and she jarred with an instant turn.
"Yes, yes." She unhooked the seatbelt and her legs shook as she dropped the remaining distance to her feet. "Val, are we going to survive this at all?' she muttered to herself.
"Goodbye, Val" Palemo said, he motioned to close the door, Valentine turned back with a look of uncertainty.
"Goodbye?"
"What would you rather have me say?"
"Something like, see you later, today"
"Oh, okay. See you later today, Val"
She nodded her head. It felt better to hear that she would be going back to their lodge in the afternoon or evening. Goodbye resounded as “You are on your own now, bye!” and she hated it.
The taxi rode off, and she was left alone. That was when she realized that she was really alone, as a group of girls and boys set their eyes on her, whispering to each other and laughing at her.
She stood, wishing that the ground would just open, swallow her, and vomit her out inside, so that she wouldn't go through those walls of jericho.
The unsteadiness of her legs were daunting and shaming her already. She tapped her legs but it couldn't stop, those eyes remained settled on her until a customized black Bugatti La Voiture Noire, the most expensive car in the world pulled up with a speed drift, almost blocking the building's entrance.
Everyone, girls mostly, yelled and clustered around the car. The girls awed, jumping up and down as a bouncer got out from the driver's seat to open the passenger's seat… another bouncer got out, chancing everyone else.
The door opened, and a Louis Vuitton Manhattan Richelieu shoe on one leg hit the ground. The girls yelling outscored the peaceful sound of the surrounding.
The urge to seize the fortune of chance to elude into the building manifested, so she made the best use of her legs, pushing herself through the breathless clusters, without looking back, until she was released into the building.
Bewilderment overtook her at once; paradise had been seen and met while she was still alive. Still in astonishment, the clatter from outside loomed in, and before she could even realize it, she was pushed aside by everyone else, and her ears were filled with everyone's whispers of admiration and astonishment.
The bouncers spaced them out, and a gentleman, about 6'3" tall, with finely dressed beards, wearing a Stuart Hughes Diamond Edition suit.
His scent threw into her stomach and was so pleasant and breathtaking, she felt like she was swimming in the pool of flowers, which had tints of sexiness.
He stood in front of her, and she wondered why he just stood there. She raised her head up, pinning her toes to the ground and looked over his shoulder from the side… It was the college front desk, where everyone, especially new students for the session, signed in with their documents.
She felt that she had been overshadowed, she was the first. And she had to sign in first before him.
"Hey , I -i should sign in first…" she stammered. She perceived that he might be a prominent person since everyone was so appraising around him.
He ran down his hand on his curly hair and slowly turned back.
She felt a lump grow in her throat, his presence alone was alluring, and she felt like she was melting. His gorgeous eyes were irresistible, and his celestial nose stood. His lips were full and seductive, but he wasn't smiling.
"And who are you?"
She didn't observe his rudeness at first because his deep baritone voice overtook her body. She felt a fluttering sensation bloom in her lower abdomen, she felt her punani swelling.
It was a strange feeling. "You can't fight it darling, he's that irresistible '' someone whispered into her ear.
She turned to the source to see a slim and tall girl, adored with jewelries, smiling at her.
"W-hat what?" She stammered.
"Welcome to Liege College" she walked away. Valentine turned back to the guy, who, surprisingly, was still looking at her. They became the center of attraction as all eyes rested on them.
Valentine stood, unable to speak as her mind was out of service.
"She is dumb as well" he commented with a slight chuckle. He maintained a mean face immediately and turned back to the college front desk receptionist. The laughter from the students underscored her heartbeat.
"How can someone be so rude!" She muttered to herself, already hating the guy.
The bouncers had their leave and he was left alone. He was done with his signing, and a bunch of guys, about his class, led him out.
"Name!" The receptionist echoed in her ear, bringing her back to life. She was just realizing that she was next in line.
"Oh! I'm so sorry" she hurriedly brought out her documents from her bag and placed it on the table.
"Name?" She repeated herself.
"Um, my name is Valentine, how about you?" As she said the last three words, the … receptionist looked at her like she was lost.
"Oops. I shouldn't have said that"
"Hey, could you please stop shaking? Is kind of affecting me here, thank you" a voice interrupted her. She didn't bother to turn to see who it was, but immediately checked if she was really shaking.
She looked at her left hand which perched on the edge of the desk; she was evidently nervous… she traced to her legs, they were shaking as well. She raised her head to the receptionist, who shook her head and faced her work.
"Valentine? You are not Greek, are you?"
"Of course I am…" she smiled, then stopped. It hit her, she might not be Greek, but her father hadn't told her anything about it either, and they have not discussed anything like that
"No way. You don't look like a Greek" the girl spoke to her again from behind.
"Oh Val, this is terrible—" before she could finish muttering to herself, there came a tumult of a less trivial nature from the corner.
It was the guy, and he had just pushed a girl away, causing her to fall.
"And he is a bully too" Valentine was irritated.
"Girls like you should not exist…" he said, sliding away her spectacles that fell off to the ground. The boys accompanying him laughed at her, while other girls at the side geared away. So that they won't be affected.
The girl helplessly got up, took her spectacles and had it positioned on where it was meant to be. She was slim, beautiful and a nerd. But…
"Look at those small breasts" all the boys laughed. "How are you even going to breastfeed your child?"
"That's if she is ever going to get married!" One of the boys added, attracting rounds of laughter. "Any guy who would actually want her, or to even get a taste of her would be damn stupid and crazy! She doesn't even have bum like other girls" they kept laughing at her.
Valentine burned in anger. "These little boys…" she gritted her teeth. "How dare they body shame that beautiful girl? Why is she not speaking for herself? Or even get out of there?"
"Are you blind? …" The voice resounded from her back again.
"Huh?"
"Don't you see that she is circled? How is she even going to get away from there? Don't worry your time will come, then we will see if you will be able to speak for yourself or just walk out when the big bad boy and his gang of four devil doves is bullying you"
"Hmm… is there no authority here?" She questioned, looking at the receptionist
"That's enough for today, James" a hotter voice peered in, coming through the door.