„What the fuck is she doing here?!" His venomous voice pierced the air and impetuously pounded into my ears, drenching painful corridors throughout my head.

„Living" explained the rector calmly, tactfully ignoring the rudeness floating in the air.

„No, she isn't."

„Excuse me" hissed the man. „I don't think you can talk to me like tha-"

„So get her out of here!" he interrupted him with his typical taunt painted on every inch of his bourgeois face. 

The rector wasn't able to tolerate this behaviour anymore so he pulled the boy aside into the room, leaving me with Cruella and my pre-heart-attack feeling.

I felt like I was in a lame low-budget comedy, additionally not realy funny and made just for the purpose of plugging a hole in the afternoon frame of a forgotten TV channel. I was the character whose world had just collapsed on the head, the rector like a good fairy was helping me crawl out from under the rubble and Cruella was standing nearby, ready to attack. And, of course, the villain, pure evil, sand in the eye, brussels sprout in the soup and ankle kick – my new flatmate.

If I've said something about an asshole, now I must add that there are another, worse options. One of them was standing opposite me only a few meters away.

I quickly ran my eyes over the room. God, where is the bar? I definitely need a drink...

„We clarified some...issues." said the rector coming back to the room. „Your mate thought he would live alone but in his heart he's happy to have your company." He showed me his next silly smile.

„Alone? In the apartment? They've gone mad from the excess of moolah. Rich fuckers..." growled Cruella, throwing my colleague a look full of sincere disgust.

I don't know why but I felt a kind of sick affection to this large woman.

„Rose." The rector admonished her immediately. „Please, watch your mouth. Miss Gordon is new here and..." Here I allowed myself to stop for a moment because I was hit hard by the name of my new (how I found out later) portier.

Rose was the least proper name for someone so uncouth. More fitting would be, for example, Helga.

„I'm not going to live with her" interjected the boy.

„You are."

„No."

„That's great! Take your stuff and get the fuck-"

„Rose!" shouted the rector and again turned to his previous interlocutor. „Allocations have been completed. They will remain unchanged for the coming year."

„Then call my father and clear it up." He said clearly and slowly.

„Mr Waller" the rector hissed. „Please, be...kinder. You've been elected to the post of starost so you should be..."

„Your room to the right..." interrupted as if nothing ever happened Rose, shiftting her sympathetic gaze at me. „And to the left..." at that moment she looked at my, Gosh, flatmate with a pure disgust „...his."

I stood there as if I were struck, paralyzed by the whole absurd situation.

„Hope you'll integrate and cooperate with each other. The lunch is in an hour and I want to see you at the canteen. Both" he added and left the apartment picking up the vibrating phone.

Rose was fighting a fierce battle of hateful stares with my companion in suffering for a while longer, only to sputter and walk out like the rector, slamming the door meaningfully.

We were left alone. Together. 

„Fucking awesome... Nothing like a reputable university" he shouted for her to hear him. „Load of crap, not a college. Fucking great beginning..." he concluded throwing his backpack against the wall.

I was staring at the black door that survived this impressive bump. Then I shifted my gaze on my flatmate who were scrutinizing me since a few seconds. I did the same.

Of all the people in the world, I hated him the most.

Dominic Waller.

We met when I was on a scholarship – yeah, since early childhood I was cheating on those poor people – and I joined the last grade of Wests Junior High Scholl in Allentown. It was an elite private school that was attended by the children of the privileged and filthy rich pennsylvanian society. I immediately found a common ground with the half of the class that was called intellectuals. The second part was a so-called representative group - spanking, pretentious, representing nothing spoiled brats.

This is the group that Dominic belonged to.

Then there was the High School connected with the Junior High School so actually we had to suffer together for four long years. And now we're extending it for another several.

So we're sort of at the halfway point, unless life decides to put me to the test again and God forbid we ever meet at work. But it's not really possible because while I am planning my career in the pharmaceutical industry after college, Dominic is only planning what to spend his father's money on. At this moment, at the age of eighteen he has such a fortune that both he, his children and probably also his grandchildren will never get their hands dirty with work. All thanks to his parents: Salvador and Elizabeth Waller.

I have no idea what his family is dealing with but they have an uncounted amount of companies. The most famous one is probably the WallPharm. Even though it's a rather slight pharmaceutical company, it brings them such an income that they can afford to have unknown number of the most expensive cars, houses and exotic travels million times a year.

Well, at least they succeeded with the company.

To make it clear, the filthy Waller's fortune is not the reason why I'm, let's say, not fond of him. For those four years, day after day, minute after minute and second after second, he was mocking me for having the audacity to enter his luxurious world becoming the most talented student of recent years.

I know from stories that the level of this school had been always held by students of my kind, but Dominik never let them live in peace. He was by far the most talented of the whole bunch of rich retards, but he never achieved as much as I did, and that probably hurt him the most.

And that's great.

After a while, I saw that he moved with a slow step towards his room which was on the left. Not thinking much I moved to mine - on the right. I stopped in front of the sliding glass door leading inside and I was relieved to register that it was ground glass. I didn't know what the rector meant saying that we should integrate but the glass door weren't needed.

The room was suprisingly...small. There was a pretty large bed, two wardrobes, slight desk, bedtable and an odd lamp. OK. Now i know what the rector meant and my flatmate realized it at the same moment because...

„Fuck!"

Well. We could agree in at least one issue.

Huge living room, small bedrooms... Nope. I'm not going to socialize with this bastard. I'm not going to spend my free time in the bloody living room and watch television, learn together or maybe even discuss with him and a glass of wine.

Then I realized that the bar wasn't a prize but a necessary element to survive these very hard days that appeared in my equally hard life.

We were in agreement in this issue too. I heard a loud door slam and saw him pouring an amber liquid into a glass.

Summary: there's no wine and Italian guy but there's Waller, alcohol and inevitable neurosis.

At least, I predicted corectly the view of an alcoholic.

I squirmed at the thought that it would be exactly his vomit that would be rolling around on the floor, when it suddenly dawned on me. This apartment, this position... This is a prize. And prizes have this advantage (or defect, depends) that you can...reject them. I was surprised by my genius myself, but it's a fact that the best ideas come unexpectedly. I caught my bag that I had thrown on the bed and I quickly headed for the door.

„There'll be a party in the evening" he informed me with no feelings in his voice as if he was talking to an insect that I probably was to him.

I stopped and turned around being unpleasently surprised that he had spoken to me.

„Don't stare like that. I don't invite you, just warn it'll be noisy" he snorted and took a deeper sip, probably savoring the good quality of the drink. „Best stay in your hole or go somewhere at all."

Excuse me?

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, because... I think I must have misheard. He had the audacity to tell me what to do? I thought that my pejorative attitude towards his humble person had already reached its apogee, but still I was wrong. God, how I hate him...

„What you're staring at?" he continued his speech. „Dunno why you're here but I'm gonna fix it today. Don't suppose to live here. Especially with me" he snorted and took another sip. „Your existence on my money is too much for me."

„That's interesting. Where do you work?"

„The money belongs to my family" he growled, probably enraged by the very fact that I had the audacity to speak to him. In such a way.

„Rather to your parents" I kindly corrected him.

Well, apparently I hit a sensitive spot, because in an instant he dangerously tensed all his muscles.

„Not your damn business. You can't even afford the entry fee anyway" he growled.

„That's strange... I heard the post of starost is for the most talented people so we should correct the mistake. And you're the mistake, Waller" I started gently, but the end of the sentence I hissed.

In a second, his blue eyes got darker and his pale face twisted in a grimace of rage. He stood up, calmly put the cristal glass on the table and slowly moved towards me. I automatically took a step back, feeling a strange shiver spreading along my spine.

„The only mistake at this university is the scholarship programme for the sluts like you and your friends, Gordon" he hissed.

He came so close that our faces were now only centimeters apart. I looked at his empty heartless eyes that plunged into madness and took the next step back but my back already touched the cold wall.

„All your life you prey on others pretending to be better" he continued enjoying my helplessness. „But the truth is that it is your foolish parents who are like parasites who prefer to milk the high from my father, instead of..."

He shut his mouth. Probably because under the impact of a solid blow, his head bounced slightly to the side. He reflexively grabbed his reddened cheek. He was confused. He didn't expect that this time I would not remain silent, that I would dare to...hit him.

„You can insult me, but don't you dare talk about my parents like that" I hissed, probably not fully aware of what I had just done.

Even though I was proud of my heroic deed for a short moment, I quickly came back to the reality. Oh. My. God. I hit him. I hit Dominic fucking Waller. It's not gonna end well...

I quietly swallowed the saliva. My instinct for self-preservation told me that I should had already been running up the stairs toward the people for about five seconds. But, well, I was still standing in the same place, not being able to move. It was frightening cause he hadn't made even a slight move.

Taking advantage of this moment of suspense, I quickly headed for the door, but I didn't even manage to take two steps when...

„Not so fast, honey..." I felt an iron grip on my right wrist.

I automatically turned my head and saw a dangerous sparkle in his eyes. They were even darker than before. With one definite stroke, he violently pressed me against the wall, pressing my wrists at chest level, and his icy irises and empty pupils were looking at me with such hatred that I wanted to scream. Maybe I should? Maybe somebody would hear me and help me with this psyhopath? Maybe Rose was close enough?

And exactly at that moment, I let out a shrill groan. The groan was a consequence of the pain paralyzing my body because at that very moment, he turned me to face the wall and twisted my arms painfully. I could feel his burning breath on my neck, hear his restless heartbeat, his scent suffocated me... He was far too close.

 After a while, he strengthened his grip, as if to provoke my reaction.

„Stop, it hurts!" I yelled out, trying to break free, but each movement only caused more waves of burning.

„Cause it should hurt" he hissed in a voice full of venom.

I froze. I knew that he was impulsive, he often fought at school on any pretext. He always had to show who was in charge and rarely did anyone dare to oppose him, but one thing I was sure of - he had never yet been hit by a woman. I was the first. And the fact that it was me, probably fueled his aggression even more.

The growing silence began to burn my nerves. His grip was strengthening. I was feeling a burning pain on my skin. I knew that it was going to left traces hard to hide from the world.

I froze again when he unexpectedly took his hands, but only to turn me back to face him. I took a deep breath.

Not a second passed when he grabbed my neck in an iron grip. He looked straight into my eyes, and I saw nothing in them but savage hatred.

With each breath he took, the grip intensified. I wondered if, if he killed me there, anyone would find out about it and he would go to jail. Please, his father had the whole police in the grip just as the staff of the univeristy, I guess. I thought one more time about screaming Rose's name but it was almost 2 pm and for sure everyone was already at the canteen. I had to handle myself.

Second by second.

I was constantly looking in his icy eyes that were like a very deep hole filled by all the world's evil.

I don't know what all the long-legged maidens pushing into his bed and begging for a moment of attentiveness saw in them. For me they were like two icy rocks – fair, cold and paralyzing. I tried to catch a single emotion inside them but unsuccessfully. There were two many layers of the hatred growing for all these years.

Suddenly my breathing began to stop. I was like an engine throttling up heralding impending disaster.

„The world is not gonna cry after someone like you..." he began and his voice sounded even more venomous than before. Maybe it was just an illusion cause I didn't really have any air left in my lungs. The world was getting darker in my eyes. „Start begging for mercy because you are running out of time, little slut..."

„I'd rather die" raised my last breath and raised a proud look at him.

„Your word a command to me, honey" he hissed in my ear and clasped his hands tighter around my petite neck.

He was furious. Even at that moment I had the courage to object. I couldn't breath at all. Despite of what I had said a momnet before, I didn't want to die. Not there and not with him. I kept looking directly into his eyes trying to look, ekhm, bravely but it was so difficult because my view of the world started to disappear. Just when I thought it was the last second of my life, in an act of desperation I put my hand on his cheek, wanting to scratch it.

He took his hands.

I immediately slid down the cold wall, catching air greedily, like a fish out of water. It took me a moment to realize that I was alive and able to breathe.

No idea how much time it lasted but when I finally calmed my breathing, I raised my eyes. He was staring at me. Most of the time I saw nothing in his eyes but once, just for a while, I noticed a kind of...hesitation? I took this chance.

„I hate you" I shouted and ran out slamming the door.

I don't know where I had this courage from. Actually, he might as well have gone after me and grabbed me before I ran to the end of the corridor. However, he didn't.

At the beginning, I wanted to use the stairs but my legs weren't able to do any move. While waiting for the elevator I leaned against a cool wall.

I heard a single noise and the door opened. Luckily, the elevator was empty. Hiding my reddened wrists and interaction with people were the last things that I had an urge to do. I just wanted to be on my own so that no one would see how weak I was...

I quickly came into the elevator and chose the ground floor button.

I knew that the only thing I had to do was giving up this cursed post. I didn't think about the consequences. I did not care. Would they take away the scholarship? Would they make me pay tuition? Or would they kick me out ? It all came down to one thing - I was going home.

After a while, I felt a vibration in my pants pocket.

„Hey, m-mom..." I couldn't say a word.

„Hi, baby. Can you talk?" I heard her gentle voice. This voice. It was my refuge and the cure for all evil.

„Lauren?"

I wasn't able to answer. I could feel the tears flowing into my eyes, starting to blur the view, to then run down my cheek quickly, ending their journey on the black floor.

„Lauren, are you there?" she repeated a bit louder.

„Yes, mom..." I croaked out, trying to sound relatively natural.

„How's your first day going? Got a dormitory with Michael and Meghan?"

I felt a huge lump growing in my throat, making it impossible to make any meaningful sound.

„Hello, Lauren, what's wrong? Do you hear me?"

„I do, mom, I'm just in the elevator and something interrupts..."

„OK, honey, I'll call you later" I felt relieved. „Remeber how proud of you we are. Love, bye."

I felt as if someone had just burned those words on my body.

I couldn't let my parents down. They had been working so hard to enable me to achieve all these things in my life. It wasn't only about me and my mental comfort. I could not...

The ground floor. A loud sound announced the end of my journey, and the sliding door revealed the last person I wanted to meet at that moment.

„Miss Gordon, finally! Do you both need a special invitation? I thought the unofficial one was enough..." said the rector with a smile. „Where have you missed your friend?"

Friend. I was staring at him in a dumb way and my body couldn't move again...

„You're very pale... What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

I literally was about to start crying. I had to tell him. I couldn't pretend...

„I..."

„Well, she's just afraid to use the elevator..." I heard a familiar voice and felt a firm grip on my waist.

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