2 ONE

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.