Prologue
POV Owen
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BE- The annoyingly loud noise was stopped by the crash of my hand on the snooze button of my alarm clock. After stretching and groaning like a mammoth for the last 5 minutes, I decide to get up before I’m late for my morning class.
After taking some clothes with me, I head for the commune bathroom of the dorms where I’m staying in. Spotting a free shower stall I get in and wash my body as fast as possible before going back to my dorm clean and dressed. When I enter the dorm room I see my roommate still sleeping peacefully on his bed even if he too has a morning class today. I decide on not waking him up and just finish getting ready. Watching my reflection in the mirror I placed next to by bed, I pass my hand through my dark brown hair and mess it up a bit before putting my shoes on and leaving after taking my bag and locking the door that lead to my sleeping roommate, who, I am not going to wake up because he never does it for me so he can suck it.
Anyway, I can’t wait for this weekend because I’m going to see my brother and his new penthouse in the city. When he came back from war a few years back after he got shot and lost part of his left leg, he started his own company of prosthetic limbs for people of all ages. His company was a huge hit and became really popular and known around the world, so now my brother is the CEO of Peterson Prosthetic and making shit loads of money. But that’s not the important part, the reason I’m so excited to go see my brother is because I haven’t seen him since last summer and it’s almost the end of November. We were always really close when we were younger but then he joined the army and I started college two years later. We’re still as close as before but we just don’t see each other as often as we did when we lived in the same house.
“Sup’ dipshit!” Heather, my best and only friend, greets me while handing me a fresh cup of burning hot coffee.
“Well good morning to you too you inappropriate young lady!” I great with small smile and a laugh.
“You know you love me Owy plus you’re no better than me.” she says with a smile of her own.
“Thanks for the coffee H” I thank her before we make our way towards the building where our class was being held. We enter the class and take place in the back row, my seat right next to the window and Heather on my left.
The class went rather fast and Heather and I were now walking towards the little café on campus not too far from the building where H’ had her next class while I was done for the day. After waiting in line for a couple of minutes it’s finally our turn to order.
“Hey cutie, what’s your order?” the white haired cashier, named Zachariah according to his name tag, asks me with a confident smile showing his white teeth. Surprised by his boldness I try to stop the blush working its way on my cheeks and it looks like I did not succeed by the smirk playing on his plump pink lips. Shaking out of my stunned state, I give him my order with the most confident voice I can muster at the moment.
“H-hi” I greet back and look at the menu again to make sure I order the right thing and also to avoid his piercing blue eyes “I’ll take the summer salad and a wild berry smoothie please.” I finish looking back at him before reaching for my wallet in my back pocket.
“Don’t, it’s on the house for you sweet cheeks” He stops me with a smile and before I can protest he cuts me with “next” while throwing me a wink that makes me blush even harder than before. Stepping to the side I let Heather order while I wait for mine to be ready. As the cashier gives me my order, I see him giving me a napkin with a sly smile and a wink. “Call me” he says before I walk away towards a table and wait for Heather to come back.
When she reaches the table my heated cheeks are still cooling down. “This is unfair!” she playfully glares at me from across the table. “Every time we go out you get free food while I have to pay! Plus you don’t even call them! What’s wrong with you?!” She exclaims while I just sit there eating and enjoying my free food.
“Are you done complaining?” I ask her with a chuckle as I obviously mock her reaction. She just huffs in response and roll her eyes before starting to eat.
“What’s wrong with your stomach?” she ask with concern lacing her voice.
“I don’t know, it hasn’t stopped itching since this morning during class. Probably just a mosquito bite.” I half lie and shrug it off like it’s nothing. My stomach, chest and back have been itching for the last two weeks and sometimes I find rashes. I don’t think it’s anything serious though and that’s why I don’t want to tell her about it because I know she’s going to worry for nothing.
“Owen it’s almost December there are no mosquitos at this time of the year.” She says looking at me with worry etched on her tanned face. Her brown hair was in loose curls resting on her back as she looked at me with her blue eyes trying to get a better answer out of me but she knows that’s not going to work. We’ve been friends since sophomore year and even though I love her very much, I don’t want to worry her over a simple rash because I know she’s going to go all mama bear on me if I tell her.
“H’ don’t worry about me, I’m fine okay? Let’s just enjoy our lunch before you have to leave for your class alright?” I tell her with a small smile. She sights but changes the subject anyway and before we know it she has to leave.
“Alright I have to leave but text me when you get to your room okay?” she says as she starts gathering her things. “Love you” she says while hugging me and then leaving the small café after I say it back.
Feeling really tired all of a sudden, I pick up my bag and throw away my trash before leaving and walking at a slow pace towards the building where all the dorms are. As soon as I open the door I’m met with silence and I’m grateful that my roommate already left. Closing the door behind me I take off my converses and my shirt and then I change my ripped black jean for sweatpants before throwing myself on my bed and falling asleep almost immediately even though it’s only mid-day.