It was a sunny day at Kreson University. Everywhere
was lively and flooded with people; students, lecturers and
visitors walking up and down with their books and bags,
busy with one thing or the other, playing, laughing, rushing
to classes or simply standing. But to Diane, her phone was
the busy and lively one as she pressed and pressed while
she waited by her jeep just a stone throw to the building of
Social Science Department.
Though the sun was high and wouldn't be blamed
because it was summer, but the baseball cap Diane wore
managed to put a shadow on her face and the barely leafy
tree she parked under pulled some shadows on her with few
rays of sunlight; she seemed to have targeted it. She made
her only business the phone she was holding.
Diane was a picture of a very beautiful girl, green eyes,
light skinned, average size and height, with a long curly
brown hair. Her weight and height were proportional to
each other. And to cap it all, at twenty, she was the sole
heiress to multi billion dollar properties but she was not
anything like the spoilt brats of rich parents with shoulders
high and chins up whose legs couldn't touch the ground.
Diane never made these beauty and status of hers a threat to
others or become a superior bully. She was large at heart
and her friends were the common people, if not the poor.
And these were the only fault of hers.
She waited graciously by her jeep just then Shannel, her
age mate and best friend, slim, taller and dark with short
bob ginger hair walked out of the Social Science building
and towards her. She smiled seeing Diane waiting.
Shannel was a girl from an average family and it was
always an amaze to her as to how she became best friends
with the young multibillionaire, though she never knew the
extent of her wealth. It was a disturb thinking about it and
at the end of the thoughts, she would always come up with
the conclusion that it was just meant to be.
It was still so vivid in her mind. The first day they came
to the University for their Admission. Diane had asked her
way to the admission building but she happened to be new
to the school for her admission also and she just smiled,
looking at the awesome sight of Diane. She was obviously
from a 'silver plus diamond' background, if there was
something like that, she had thought, someone should
actually invent that.
Shannel stared at Diane and Diane wondered why she
wouldn't answer her but kept staring at her. So she repeated
herself but in a slow and stressed expression now.
'Do-you-know-the way to the admission building
please?'
Shannel smiled and shook her head, 'I'm a fresher too.
I'm trying to find my way to the admission building also.'
'Oh,' Diane said and wondered why she was gazing at
her.
'By the way, you look good, you're beautiful,' Shannel
said smiling.
'Err…' Diane was short of words. She furrowed in
confusion but managed to say, 'thanks.'
She was used to guys saying that; and lots of girls she
knew didn't even care about how she looked or what she
put on because they were probably putting on the same or
something more expensive. Even if they felt she was
beautiful, they would rather swallow it up than spill. Their
ego wouldn't just let them say it. She was amazed and this
was coming from someone beautiful too. Did she even look
at herself? Diane gazed at her, thoughtful, but the gesture
got to her and she didn't know when she said it.
'Likewise.'
'Oh,' Shannel was surprised, 'thanks.'
She didn't even know she was beautiful? Diane was
thoughtful and couldn't help it but ask.
'What, you didn't know you're beautiful?'
'Uh—no; I mean I look at myself in the mirror and get
compliments from—but I've not had someone like you
appreciate me.'
Someone like me? I wonder what she meant by that.
Diane decided not to probe further; she smiled, 'well I
guess those like me are bitches then.'
Shannel giggled at that.
Diane found her giggle amusing and she giggled too and
then she held her hand out, 'I'm Diane Murray.'
'Shannel West.'
They held each other's hand smiling and staring at each
other. Soon Diane was finding it awkward and she looked
away. Her eyes strayed few meters away from where they
were and she saw the sign post.
'Oh that's it! The admission building!' she grinned.
Shannel turned and saw the sign post too, 'wow, sharp
eyes!' she chuckled. 'Let's go.'
That day was the beginning of something new and
wonderful in their lives. They never skipped a day without
seeing each other.
'Done?'Diane's voice intercepted her thoughts.
Shannel was snapped back into the present. Diane was
looking and smiling back at her.
'Yes darling, let's go get our doctors,' Shannel dropped
nonchalantly. She squinted and then laughed. The sentence
she just made sounded too possessive to her ears.
Diane chuckled. 'Yup,' she tilted her head up to the
passenger side, 'hop in then.'
Shannel walked to the passenger side of the car. They
hopped in and drove off.
Rick was at his reading table in a pair of blue jeans and
white under wear, reading. Terry, his roommate and best
friend was dressing up for class.
Rick was a short dark skinned guy, maybe 5'5 but his
weight and size were proportional to his height. He had
sexy eyes and a perfect shape, slim built that one would
think he often worked on his body and tummy to make sure
they didn't go out of shape. If he went for a modeling
competition, his height would be the only thing to
disqualify him. Terry on the other hand was tall and
cinnamon skinned with an average body mass; a perfect
shape for his height also. Rick's neck always had to go up
in 160 º angle when talking to him and times Rick would
ask him to move back, just so he would have his neck in the
right angle or bearable shift during the conversation and not
have to go through the stress of looking up consequent to
neck ache.
Terry poured a murmur of complaints as he dressed.
Rick looked at him and chuckled at his no-figuring-out
words of murmur.
'You know going to this class is not a necessity?' Rick
pointed out.
Terry turned to him sharply.
'What! You wan' me 'o fail? How can I pass if adon'
a'end classes?
'I don't know, read your books? I'm not going.'
Terry looked at him; he then ignored him and continued
dressing, 'we don' a'end this same class, I chose this as
optional you didn'.'
'Exactly, you chose this on yourself, so quit
complaining and disturbing me,' Rick said and resumed
reading.
'But how was I s'pposed 'o know he would be like
this?'Terry argued.
'Research?' he was thoughtful, 'tell me something
Terry, why do you hate this lecturer so much?'
'I don' know; maybe because of the way he lectures,
he's 'oo sluggish. Do you know rou'ly 80% of the class
sleeps during his lectures? And even the way he dresses
like 'em who 'bou' 'o roll away the big s'one on Jesus
'omb. I'm 'elling ya when he walk-by a li' candle, the
fire'll go off.'
Rick looked at him in surprise, 'seriously; Jesus tomb?'
he laughed. 'Well, thank God no one was needed to do
that.'
'Exac'ly, if no', I'd really believe he did i',' Terry said
combing his hair.
They laughed and Rick started packing his books
together.
'That would have been a good name for him though, you
know, Reggie the Stoneroller,' Rick scoffed; 'that sounded
ridiculous,' he walked to his bed with his books.
There were two beds in the room, one for Rick and the
other, Terry. Rick's bed seemed larger. He sat on the larger
one, placing his books on the floor by his side.
'No really, I think i's nice; you know, people would love
the name and the household would be popular and honored
for their deed and who knows you migh' be from the
generation and bear, Rick S'oneroller,' Terry argued, lost
in his words.
Rick looked up at him with a frowned expression while
Terry pondered on what he had just said.
'Hmm, tha' sounds lovely, Rick Stoneroller,' he
repeated it in a stressed manner and nodded satisfyingly.
'And I'm sure God would really bless tha' household
f'doing His only son tha' grea' favor and you wouldn' be in
this wretched si'uation now; you'd be in migh'y weal'h
which would also be passed on 'o me 'cos I'm your bes'
friend.'
'Or you might not even be my friend at all and only see
me in TVs; hearing my voice from afar and nursing the
dream of meeting the greatest Rick Stoneroller someday,'
Rick said with the side of his upper lip slightly up, teasing
Terry for his silly words.
Terry was thoughtful that it was very obvious he didn't
realize Rick was teasing him.
'Hmm there's tha' 'oo,' Terry grinned at Rick, 'tha'
would be lovely, don' you think?'
Rick frowned at his friend in a silly facial expression,
wondering if he was throwing his tantrums back at him or
he was really being silly not understanding his sarcasm.
He smiled, 'aintya amusing? Are you not going to—'
The door opened and Rick and Terry looked back to see
Diane.
'My love,' Rick jumped out of bed and embraced her.
'I'm leaving Rick S'oneroller,' Terry announced picking
his bag and turned to Diane, 'hi Mrs. S'oneroller 'o be.'
Diane looked at Terry in confusion.
Terry continued, 'hope the s'one wasn' 'oo heavy for
your boyfriend's forefathers?'
Diane was confused but went with the flow; she
chuckled and shrugged with her eyebrows raised, 'how
would I know?'
Terry laughed. Rick was shocked at that and he slogged
Diane's arm.
'What?' Diane shrugged at him.
Terry laughed and hugged Diane tightly, 'oh Diane I
love you,' he looked at her, 'you flow with the flow.'
'Thank you,' she said in her confused state, 'I love you
too.'
Rick chuckled watching them.
'Don' 'ell Shannel I said tha'.'
She nodded, 'and don't tell Rick,' she winked.
'I won', i's our lil' secre'—'
'Hey I'm here,' Rick announced interruptedly.
Terry stopped abruptly and furrowed at Diane, 'did you
hear anyone 'alk?'
'No just you; you?'
He shook his head, 'nah.'
'Seriously?' Rick said looking at them in amazement.
Terry laughed and slapped Rick's arm, 'see ya,' he left
the room.
Rick chuckled and watched him leave. Then Diane gave
him the tell-me-look.
'Don't worry, he's just crazy,' Rick smiled at her. He
saw her fixed gaze on him, not blinking and he knew she
wouldn't budge, 'ok, I will tell you but not now.'
'Of course not now,' she dipped her hand in her purse
and brought out a bundle of notes. 'Here, I came to give
you this; I have a class now so I need to rush.'
'Thanks my love,' he collected it and kissed her on the
forehead.
'Let me walk you to the car.'
They walked out of the room.
Diane and Rick walked towards her jeep arm in arm.
'I don't know why you let that man harass you over this
silly building when you have a mansion missing you. If he
needs his house then leave it for him and come live with
me,' Diane said, a bit pissed. 'I mean this is getting too
much.'
Diane lived in a very big mansion alone and even
though she'd been the one paying Rick's rent, she'd always wanted him to live with her and this issue of needing the
house Rick's landlord brought up couldn't make her more
happy and pissed at the same time that a landlord is
disturbing her love. The mere thought of anyone making
her love's life unbearable pissed her off easily. She
couldn't bear the thought of her man being sad or a less
happy.
'Well, it doesn't look like I have any choice left,' Rick
exhaled; 'but how about Terry?'
'What about Terry? You of all people should know
Terry has no problem. He can take care of himself, unless
you mean, he will miss you which of course I agree he will
and if he needs any help which I don't think he will, I'm
here and ready to help,' Diane said.
'Thank you my love.'
'Don't do that, it's my duty to be there for you and
anyone close to you,' Diane said and opened her car.
Rick smiled. 'So, later—in the evening?'
'Yes; I will see you after class, you have class by noon
right?'
'Yes, I will call you when I'm through.'
'Alright then, bye,' she pecked him on the cheek,
entered her jeep and drove off.