This morning marks the first real day of classes. I awoke from my bed, shower and get dressed in a black long sleeve fitted sweater that showed all of my curves, white pleated skirt with black stripes at the bottom. I pair my outfit with a gold watch on my left wrist, sheer black tights and my wedge loafers with the golden clasp. I let my hair stay wavy, pull half of it up into two pigtails. I finish off my look with blush, mascara, a fox eyeliner, and dusty rose lipstick all complimenting my golden-brown waves and light blue eyes almond eyes. All of the expensive items in my wardrobe that aren't school issued are all Alayna issued. Apparently, her family is filthy rich, and she says that her best friend needs to look and feel her best at all times. "It's a snobby shark eat snobby shark world out there Flora, I won't let you get eaten," she would always say as she took me on these hour-long shopping trips for the both of us. I didn't mind her dressing me like a barbie doll, all of it was so my style which is a complete opposite to the bubbly pink side Alayna stood on.
Happy with my look for the day, I head down to the main eatery on campus the prime social hub of every morning. It seems like the longer you are in this school the more extravagant and elegant the rooms become. Freshman and sophomore dorm rooms were themed gold and cream; a fresh but tasteful style. This year, our blocks are mostly a black and gold marble with black interiors, gold trimming on the walls, and lighted footpaths in the hallways.
Our bedrooms were also black with a soft black carpet, it made it feel small, so I decorated my own room with lots of plants, gold mirrors and metal artwork. My bedspread was a deep emerald green velvet with green satin sheets that made the absolute best sleeping space. I styled it in a more art deco style than anything else. It always had me feeling confident, inspired and classically sexy.
Our eatery was definitely restaurant style, what else can you expect from the world's most elite school for the young and gifted. It was also decorated in a romantic art deco style with gold accents painted into the walls and crown molding. Black velvet seats made up the four chairs at each of the black tables laden with matching table clothes, candles and gold cutlery. I used to feel completely out of place in such a blatantly rich environment, but freshman year I refused to feel ashamed for being able to study at a school such as this. Above everything else, I have been extremely blessed with this amazing opportunity.
I sit down at a table by the windows outlooking the rolling English hills of the campus drinking my cappuccino. A clink on the table suggests that my waiter has brought over my breakfast, I look forward and see the new student we all met in psychology pulling out a seat across from me. The clinking was his own coffee cup he brought over here. I stay quiet, he sits down and gives me a lazy side smile and blows his hair off his forehead up into the air in an even more sexy way than it originally was.
"Good morning, Flora Foster," he says in a voice so deep it dripped of bass and sex appeal.
"Good morning " I reply with a question arching my eyebrow.
He takes a sip of his coffee in a way that made him seem so comfortable like he is in the presence of a longtime friend. "I came to greet you before our first class together seeing as we are supposed to be partnered this entire year for most our classes," he says leaning forward arms crossed on the table and head tilting up and to the side in arrogance. "My name is Noah Holland," a small smile playing across his lips.
"Well Noah," I say back placing my coffee on its saucer on the table. I cross my arms and lean back in my chair," you have greeted me. Now what?"
His mouth twitches in amusement," I want to know a little about you. We are spending the semester together," Noah says scanning my face for any information.
"My name is Flora Foster. I am 21 years old; I have siblings and parents living here in England. We are from the United States, hence no accent. I strive to excel at everything, and I hate losing, anything else," I ask in a sassy tone.
Noah mimics my position and crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. "My name is Noah Holland; I am 21 years old. We are Romanian by blood but English in accent," he says in a bored and monotone voice. He puts one of his arms on the chair arm and the other has his index finger to his lip in contemplation. "We can resume this later," he continues after studying me for a brief moment and abruptly, he stands up grabs his coffee mug and heads off with his back facing me.
A split-second later Alayna is coming from behind me and takes Noah's previous spot.
"What was the new student doing over here," she asks with an enthusiastic curiousness.
"Said he wanted to 'greet me' before class. Whatever that means," I say between bites of my yogurt.
Alayna twirls her straight hair tucked under a black bucket hat, contemplation written all over sun kissed and freckled face. Today she wore a white button up with her black a line skirt that I wore yesterday with black combat boots and fishnet tights. Her makeup making her look rosy and fresh-faced. She literally had it all, rich parents, only child, old ass family wealth, and her skin was perfection. She was literally a tiny barbie doll with a personality of a tornado made of glitter.
She told me of her dreams that she had last night about an alien invasion while I finished my breakfast. We walk to our first class together, the closer we get to the psychology in action class my heart begins to race. All of this partner work with a guy who already intimidates the shit out of me is going to give me a run for my money. I refuse to give any headway and will attack these challenges like I have already done so far. I will be a force to be reckoned with and Noah needs to help me or get out of my way.
I enter class and claim my center seat in the middle row. Noah was already sitting in the same seat from yesterday on the front right. He looks back at me and winks before returning to browsing through his phone. Not wanting to let him know that he makes me nervous I cool-ly place my black leather backpack on the floor, sit back and cross my legs under the table.
My attention pulled back to my seat by Alayna saying my name repeatedly. "What the hell is going on with you? You are super spaced out today," she asks me in a quiet panicked tone.
"I'm okay, I'm just a little tired this morning," I lie easily dismissing her concerns. She looks at me a beat longer before putting her own backpack down and settling into her seat.
A few minutes later, Dr. Hedward greets us all and tells us that we are going to start the class by working through different scenarios with our partners. With a go-ahead all of us move around to stand next to our assigned partners, I descend the stairs to stand near the front door with Noah close to where he was sitting. He perches himself against the wall arms crossed in front of his black button up long sleeve shirt that was rolled up to his elbows. His shirt tucked into our black, yellow and white plaid trousers. A pair black leather combat boots and gold belt buckle.
I stand across from him half sitting half leaning on the front of the first-row tables. Dr. Hedward instructs that we are supposed to show emotions of a conversation simply by standing across from one another. We can share weight and make contact, but it needs to be a singular pose not a series of poses and motions. With that our first scenario was to show anger.
I rack my brain thinking how I would stand to express anger. I look to Noah and simultaneously we cross our arms in front of our chests, and he faces me at an angle, and I face him straight on. My leg was propped out and I held my shoulders leaned forward as if to say that I was laying into his ass in this fake conversation.
"First let us take a look at our new student Noah Holland and miss Flora Foster," Dr. Hedward annouces to the class. "Hmm let's see, arms crossed showing a disconnect of empathy; he is angled away showing lack of interest and she is leaning forward showing an abrasive attack," he ponders us for a moment longer. "Well done, I hope you were able to come to this conclusion on your own miss Foster," he says down his nose at me. He examines the other students saying his critiques and praises. What the hell I have been at this school longer than Noah and yet I am the one 'stealing ideas'. Hmph yeah right.
Our next scenario was to show utter despair. What a specific ass emotion doc, I think sarcastically to myself. I look at Noah and demand "you are going to wrap your arms around me in comfort." I don't let him think as I close the small distance between us. I throw my right arm over his neck and with my left hand I grasp his shirt and bury my face into his chest. For the little bit of extra neediness, I stand on my tiptoes willing myself to want to be as close to this stranger as possible.
In response to my actions, Noah wraps his left arm around my waist and his right arm wrapped around my back with his hand cradling the nape of my neck. The movement so effortless and subconscious that it took us two seconds to adhere to one another. The good doctor looks over us the entire class for a brief moment and orders we not move until critiques, forcing Noah and I to continue intimately holding each other in a tight embrace. I notice that we synched our breathing, I was becoming sleepy in this comforting position. I shake my head to try and wake up while waiting for our turn to be critiqued because our teacher started from the opposite side of the room.
"Are you okay," Noah whispers closely into my ear sending shivers down my spine. I can't muster any words and shake my head yes.
Finally with the praises of the professor for our wonderful work we all become released from our position. He lectures us as we stand with our partners on the importance of distance, angles, and places of touch that affect the minds psyche. We can control how others feel about us simply by the actions we take in relation to another person.
Our next scenario for the class is for the male student to show intimidation to the woman. Dr. Hedward explained. We can be positioned on or off of anything we want for this specific example. He further explains that in the real world we will sometimes have to use our surroundings to achieve the goals we want. He states that during our brainstorming time we need to also think of the opposite scenario: woman intimidating the man. When it comes time for us to show our scenarios, we will flip between the two scenarios on command by the professor.
We were given ten minutes this time to talk with our partner and decide on all of the specifics. I am still sitting on the edge of the table and Noah walks over to me keeping his eyes locked on mine. He positions himself over the top my left outstretched leg. He leans forward until I have to lean back on my hands on the table. He places his hands firmly on either side of my hips and smirks, I am leaning almost all the way down on the table propped up only by my elbows and he is staring down his nose at me with a cocky side smile.
"Male intimidation, done," Noah says arrogantly and smirks a side smile with a huff.
I roll my eyes and put my hand on his chest and shove him back away from me. I sit myself back upright on the table and say, "yeah yeah we get it. You know how to be a prick," I laugh at my own joke. Its Noah's turn to roll his eyes and he does so gladly while folding his arms. "So how are you going to intimidate me Flora," he says with a cock of his head.
I point to the chair behind the desk I was sitting on with short black manicured nails and command," Sit."
Begrudgingly he does so and only when he was fully seated, I stood up and placed my hands firmly on the table in front of him. "Female Intimidation," I say confidently.
He scoffs in blatant disrespect and says," more like ready to shoot an adult film." I bawk in disgust and cross my arms protectively over my chest. "Seriously though princess, you need to try harder to intimidate someone," there he goes again with being an asshole already on day one, this time a hint of helpfullness peaks through.
I pause for a moment trying to decide what to do next, and I walk around the table to his side and stand behind him. I peer down to the desk in front of him with my arms crossed. I stand still to insinuate this is my intimidation pose retake. I refuse to let me confidence slipping show in my voice.
He looks over his shoulder at me and raises an eyebrow. After a beat, he laughs out loud in mockery. I smack his back with the backside of my hand for the taunting.
"Try again," he says between his low laughs, "this time I need to not be behind a desk. If you want a man to be intimidated, he needs to not feel secure behind a large desk of any sort," Noah teaches me between his demeaning snickering.
I pace to the front of the desk and take a second to take in my surroundings once more. Around me directly is the wall in front of me, the desk behind me, a chair at the front of the room behind the professor and desks everywhere else. My eyes drift back to the chair at the front of the room and with a wicked smile I look over my shoulder to Noah and jerk my head towards the chair.
I must be onto something because Noah sighs a deep sigh and begrudgingly stands up and walks to the front of the room.
"Where do you want me," he asks in an exasperated voice.
"Alright everyone," Professor Hedward announces cutting our deliberation time off," time is up. We only have a few minutes left of class so we will begin with the showoffs. I am assuming Mr. Holland and his partner are very excited to show us their intimidating stances considering he walked himself all the way to the front of the room," the professor says dryly as the class laughs in unison.
Everyone settles down and the professor calls out that he wants the male intimidation first. With all eyes on Noah and me, I hold my breath as he stalks towards me crossing the entire front of the room. His sheer size and muscular nature growing every step he takes towards me. There is zero acting on my side involved as I gasp when he once again crowds my space leans over the top of me and forces me down onto my elbows once more.
The girls in the room all did a gasp of sexual intrigue and the class all clapped. Professor Hedward breaks down all of the numerous reasons why Noah is perfect at intimidating all while we hold this pose for all of the 18 other students to stare at. Noah has a cocky smirk splayed across his lips and with the final praise of approval from our professor he gives me a wink before standing and scooting away.
With permission to begin my intimidation technique I stand from the table and smooth my skirt down. I flip my hair over my shoulder, and I walk confidently to the front of the room and place my feet shoulder width apart look Noah square in the eye and point to the chair like he was a dog to be beckoned. Maintaining his composure, he walks confidently to the chair and turns towards the class to ready himself to sit down. Before he tries to sit down, I catch him off guard and push him down with my finger on his chest to the seat. I take a step forward as he is descending to the chair and place myself between his legs. I keep my back up straight and make sure this time I am the one staring down my nose at him.
When he is fully seated, I use my same hand and grasp under his chin firmly and force him to look up at me. He sits there upright, back arched off of the backside of the chair, legs a part and staring up at me defenseless. This time I am the one with the smug smile while we hold our pose to get critiqued. The class claps again in applause and Dr. Hedward sings praise of how I was able to render him utterly helpless and defenseless with how I set up the intimidation. He explained that the simple situation Noah created worked only so well, while my situation hurt him on a much deeper psyche even though it wasn't a part of the assignment.
Content with myself I walk over to the desk that all of the action had taken place and perched myself once more on the table, this time crossing my legs and placing my hands on either side of me. Noah walks over and sits next to me on the farthest side of the table. As the class is moving on to another group and discussing their positives and negatives Noah leans towards me and whispers in my ear.
"I will get you back for that stunt you pulled," he says low and deep in my ear sending shivers down my spine.
I turn to him and peer down at his juicy lips mere inches away from mine. I look back up at his eyes and say in a baby voice, "aww you can't handle when someone else has the upper hand huh?"
His eyes burned with a fire that scared and excited me. I feel like pissing him off is going to be my new favorite thing this semester. I chuckle under my breath and look back to the class acting calm and collected. Underneath I am shaking with nerves and butterflies from this student who is at a whole different level than me.
Our next class is the combat 2 course; the instructor had us change out into our school workout apparel before meeting out on the grappling floor. I change into a fitted black zip up shirt and black spanx; calf length black socks and school issued black combat boots. After I dress, I begin to tie my hair into two Dutch braids when Alayna walks up to me.
"Hey stranger," she says bumping into my shoulder. She begins to change her clothes as she continues, " so the tension was super strong today between you and the new kid. You sure nothing happened over breakfast this morning?"
I can't tell how she is feeling in this moment, part of it seems like she is genuinely concerned but there is this underlying tone that I don't quite understand. It feels almost like jealousy, maybe?
Before I am able to respond an asian girl with black hair who I roomed with my first year named Jessica pipes in," you are so fucking lucky Flora that your partner is Noah. He is so sexyyyyy," she groans.
"How does you already know his name Jessica," Alayna asks with a pout on her face.
Jessica flips her long straight hair over her shoulder and sassily says, "I know everything about everyone. I am the school gossip girl." She walks away swaying her hips dramatically making us all gigle.
I walk onto the floor and find where Noah is currently standing talking on the phone. With a few minutes left before we begin lecture, I sit on the ground and start to stretch my muscles. Noah finishes his call and sits down next to me and begins his own stretching in silence. A dark aura is emanating from him after his call; his gaze deeply concentrated on the ground in front of him. I wonder what is passing through his mind right now. Who pissed him off over that phone call? Should I ask him?
Luckily, I don't have enough time to ponder when our instructor comes out and instructs us that this first part of the semester will be tag team hand to hand combat. Noah and I partnered with Jessica(irony at it's finest) and an Italian student named Frankie. We were told that we all had to fight at the same time. After five body contacts you were out, ground grappling would be later in the semester apparently.
Noah in his fitted black t-shirt and black sweatpants settled himself slightly in front of me in his ready stance. From behind him, power poured out of every angle and curve of his muscles and posture. He didn't look like the other third year guys in our class. His body was stronger and made of lean muscles. I would hate to be the one fighting against him, Frankie apparently felt the same as he stood there fists visibly shaking. Noah had a wicked grin plastered to his face and began bouncing lightly on his heels pumping both him and I up for this brawl.
Our coach whistled and we fought to quickly land five body shots on the other person. Jessica was way too distracted by staring at Noah for this to even be a fair match. All the same though, I took her ass out before she could even swing on me. Once she was out, I watched Noah battle it out with Frankie. I heard Noah previously call out four loudly to Frankie, Frankie was sweating profusely but giving it his damndest against whatever the fuck Noah was.
Noah moved with precision and grace; moves similar to that of a wolf attacking its prey. I look around at the girls next to me who were done with their matches already and they are staring ogling over my partner making me pissed out of nowhere. Noah landed his last blow and the coach called our matches over for our first class, I stormed to the locker room while everyone else rang their praises to my partner.
The rest of our classes went exactly like combat did, Noah had the upper hand making me feel inferior in every way. The semester is definitely going to be different than any of the others.