"The presentation ended an hour ago, and so did the class! Where were you?!" I yelled over the phone at my groupmate Maya.
"I honestly tried to get there early, but I...uh" Maya definitely couldn't come up with an excuse.
"Nothing Maya, you didn't show up and that's it, we're all going to lose fifty percent of the total grade because of you, it wouldn't be the first time though" I sighed pinching the skin between my eyebrows. I'm gonna have a headache.
"I swear, I'll work something out with the professor, y'all should chill out, I'm sorry, okay?"
I ended the call, pausing my steps and taking deep breaths on the sidewalk. There was no point bothering about Maya. It's just who she is, But why do I always have to suffer because she's being herself, I whined inwardly.
She'd better fix this.
Three breaths later and I felt a little less livid.
I looked around, realising I'd walked way past my apartment block. Sighing in frustration, I looked around, happened to be standing in front of an alley. My eyes scanned the place and a shiver ran down my spine as I imagined a death scene I'd seen in an alley in horror movie.
Just when I was about to turn away, my eyes fell upon a body sprawled across the ground. A still, pale, unmoving body.
At that moment, I'd passed out and woken up twice inwardly. Maybe it was my imagination I said trying to walk away, then I stopped right in my tracks, what if it wasn't? My legs were shaking in my boots, why did I have to walk up to this alley and today of all days when there's a dead body.
Damn my pure conscience.
I took out my phone and did the next best thing, called the police.
***
They arrived about twenty minutes later and I was asked to accompany the body, which was identified to be a guy, to the hospital, turns out he was unconscious and barely had a pulse, not dead as I'd earlier thought. So that was good right?
"So how are you two related?" The nurse at the reception desk asked for the third time, seeming to be more stupid than the policeman who told her I was that random guy's girlfriend.
"I've already said this, I'm not related to him, I'm not his girlfriend, sister, mother, friend or anything, I just happened to find him laying face down in the alley!" I was getting cranky. I'd spent hours waiting for this guy to be in stable condition, missed lunch, missed the two classes I was supposed to attend and soon, I'd be out passed curfew and get locked out of the hostel.
"Can I just leave? The doctor said he's better now and I trust he'll pay for everything when he wakes up" I tried my best to reason with the woman.
"You have to pay for the admission slip you know that right? It has to be paid for before you leave the hospital and frankly, stable condition doesn't always mean out of danger" she whispered the last part.
"But I'm not in any way related to this guy, why should I care?" I exclaimed, exasperated. What else was I going to have to say.
"For the same reason why you called the police, call me when you're ready to pay doll" she walked away, obviously as tired of this conversation as I was.
I sighed, "what a day"
Footsteps echoed through the halls as a man clad in an expensive looking suit walked down, toward her.
"Are you Miss Zachary Quinn?"
"Uh" I looked around the empty halls as I sat up straight before answering, "Yes? Is there a problem?" He looked as emotionless as a wooden board. He was tall and buff and looked quite intimidating.
He took out his phone, speed dialing a number, "I've located her Madam" he handed the phone to me.
I stared at it for a moment before putting it to my ear, "Hello?" A voice came through
"Hello" I replied with my most professional voice, the squeak of a mouse.
"Thank you so much my darling, I heard what you did for my baby, Seth. Who knows what could have happened to my boy if you hadn't found him?" she spoke dramatically in a British accent, she sounded rich though.
"Well, now that that's over, I have a favour to ask... would you mind staying with him a little bit longer? I can't have the nanny leave my daughter home alone and it's way too late to hire temporary help and since you're already there..."
"Ma'am, I'm really sorry" not, "But I don't think I can stay much longer, it's already quite late and I have a curfew"
"Don't bother about that, you will be paid for your services, and it's only until morning. How does Five sound, darling?"
"Five?" Five, what exactly was this woman talking about. I looked up at the man for a clue, but he just stood there in no way making this conversation make sense.
"Alright, Ten grand but that's my final offer"
Was this real or was I dreaming right now? I looked back at the phone wondering if someone was actually talking. The call was still on so I definitely am not hallucinating.
"I-I think I can manage to stay till morning. I'll take absolutely good care of your-eh-?"
"My son" Okay, well, how was I supposed to know that mothers call their grown sons 'my baby'
"Yes ofcourse, your son" My smile was wider than it'd ever been. I'd absolutely never seen or touched so much money.
"Splendid", the woman chuckled on the other end of the phone, "Hand the phone back to Manny, I need him to pay the bills".
Quinn handed the phone back to the man. Ten grand, that could absolutely make my life so much more comfortable right now...I was completely starry-eyed, daydreaming about all the stuff I'd do with that money. Eat, spend, eat, shop, EAT.
The joy.
As the burly man walked away, toward the elevator, I made my way to the guy's room.
Closing the door gently, I scanned the room for a place to sit. The room was dark and the only light came from the moon, through the window.
Once my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I could clearly see the armchair placed next to the window, facing the bed.
Seth laid facing the window, away from me. I hope he's asleep. I walked over to the other side of the bed, letting out a small sigh of disappointment when I noticed he was awake.
"Uh-Hey" I gave a small wave, "I'm Quinn, Your mum asked me to stay here with you for a little while," He didn't answer. I noticed his phone buzzing on the side table, his mum was calling.
I shrugged, walking up to the armchair and putting down my bag. I took off my jacket, draping it over the back of the chair before taking a seat.
He almost looked dead and I'd think he was if the heart monitor wasn't still beeping. He wasn't even blinking. I got up walking up to him to be sure. My heart skipped a beat when his eyes darted right at me.
"Oh, thank goodness, you're alive" I put my hand to my chest before returning to my seat. For a moment, I thought I was next to a dead body...again.
I looked back at him and he was still staring at me. Okay...I thought pulling out my phone.
The time showed that it was already past 10pm. I sighed. The hostel was already locked up by now, it's way passed my curfew. A notification chimed in, making my heart skip a beat, it was the results for our presentation earlier today and she'd gotten an...F?!
I gasped, shooting off the seat, I dug my fingers into my hair in horror while a big, red F stared right back at me.
I zoomed in to be sure it wasn't a B with the curves blurred out or a disfigures A. Ughhh, who am I kidding?...Maya had official ended my life.
I scurried over to the corner, dialing up her number, it was ringing, ringing...when I heard her picked up, "What the actual hell Maya? The results are out and guess what, I got a fucking F? Do you know I could kill you? You said you could fix this and if you fucking don't, I'll put a box cutter in your neck", I threatened before hanging up
The damn dumbass was gonna make me fail the grade...I can't fail, I'm a good person, I consoled my self as I paced around the room. My heart was racing, why on earth would the professor even post the results this early? To give me a heart attack?
I fanned myself with one hand hand, while the other hand held my phone to my chest.
My eyes suddenly met with Seth's and I jumped a little, I'd almost forgotten where I was.
Why is he just sitting there, stating at me? "Uhm...do you need something?"
He didn't answer, he just sat there staring. "Okay,"I said walking back to my seat. I plopped down on it making myself comfortable and with him staring at me, and my brain refusing to fall asleep, we both sat in the uncomfortable silence.
It's gonna be a long night.