Chapter 1: A Great Start
Calli
The moment I stepped onto campus, I felt people's eyes on me.
It wasn’t unusual. New student. First day. Fresh target. I knew how this worked. That didn’t make it any less exhausting.
I adjusted the strap of my bag and kept my head down, weaving through the crowd. No familiar faces. No friends. Just me.
As much as I loved my aunt for letting me live with her while I attended university, I hated this part. The first-day introductions, the awkward small talk, the constant effort to find where I fit. Or, in my case, how to avoid fitting in altogether. I had mastered the art of invisibility, slipping into the background with practiced ease.
I ignored people’s glances lingering a little too long, and their barely masked whispers, quickening my pace until I reached my lecture hall.
A few students barely acknowledged me, some gave me a cursory glance before turning back to their discussions.
Perfect.
I found a seat near the middle, not too close to the front, but not entirely hidden either. The professor was already at the podium, flipping through his notes.
Halfway through the lecture the door swung open.
I didn’t look up, but I didn’t have to.
The shift in the atmosphere spoke for itself.
The professor barely spared a glance, his sigh carrying a note of exasperation. “Mr. Russo, how generous of you to join us.”
The response was effortless. “Figured I’d make an appearance. You’d miss me if I didn’t.”
A few students chuckled as the figure strode past them toward the back.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark, messy hair. Hazel eyes, sharp with something unreadable.
Gabriel Russo.
I’d heard his name before, at orientation, hushed whispers where they spoke his name quickly like he was Voldemort.
The rumours about him were ridiculous.
Underground fights. Opponents walking away bloodied while he barely looked winded. Some said he never lost. Others claimed you didn’t want to know what happened if you made him lose.
I never put much stock in rumors. But after seeing him, how people instinctively moved out of his way, I understood why people talked.
A chair scraped against the floor. Someone dropped into the seat beside me.
I exhaled through my nose.
“Hey.”
His voice was so smooth.
I kept my focus on my notes. “Hi.”
“What’s your deal?”
I stilled for half a second before turning my head. Hazel eyes met mine, studying me like I was some puzzle he hadn’t quite figured out yet.
“My what?”
He tilted his head slightly. “You don’t look at people when they walk into a room.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Most people do,” he said casually. “When someone walks in, they look. It’s instinct.” He leaned back, draping an arm along the back of the chair. “But you didn’t.”
I held his gaze for a moment before turning back to my notes. “Sounds like a you problem.”
A quiet breath left him, something close to a laugh.
“You always this friendly?”
“No.” I kept writing. “Just selective.”
“Selective,” he repeated, amusement lacing his tone. “So I didn’t make the cut?”
“You never even qualified.”
His gaze stayed on me, but I refused to acknowledge him.
He let out a soft chuckle.
“Huh.”
I ignored him.
He shifted and leaned in. “You know, politeness is free, Dollface.”
My grip on my pen tightened.
I turned a page in my notebook, barely sparing him a glance. “Don't care.”
Gabriel
I watched her.
She didn’t fidget or glance at me to gauge my reaction.
She just kept writing.
I leaned back, studying her.
She was different.
My presence didn't scare her like the others. Nor did she seem even vaguely interested.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. “You know, politeness is free, Dollface.”
Her grip on her pen tightened.
She didn’t look at me, but I caught the subtle shift in her posture.
Got you.
She turned a page, still refusing to acknowledge me. “Don’t care.”
A smirk tugged at my lips.
I’d make her care.
