chapter 5

Early Monday morning, the day was slowly turning out to be far more hectic than he had anticipated. Seriously, the Professors are making the final year of his Graphic Design Bachelors sound boring. He so far enjoyed participating in all the modules except this one and credits goes to this Professor who is still figuring out how to close a browser tab.

Taking a quick glance at his watch as the classroom continued to bore him with no end in sight. A thin smirk caressed his cheeks and helped him to a subtle sigh in relief.

"Few minutes to lunch time", he said to himself.

He looked around, catching sight of other faces looking somewhat as miserable as he was. They all wanted a way out and that was a fact. In fact, the morning had begun with the most demanding lecture they had and the man had still not left the class. The workaholic as they termed the man to be, simply could not pass off on the offer of taking over a self study period.

Seeing the man in the front of the class caused Mayra to yawn and cringe at the same time.

"What's your hurry?" someone said from Oliver's left hand side.

Oliver, whose intent was to remain as calm as possible and not give off how restless he was, remained fixated on the board and managed a weak smile to discern his true emotions.

"You look like you just might piss yourself", the voice came through again.

Oliver shot his head to the side and there he was; Jackson Mars. Jackson Mars was not like the typical school kids and he definitely had a way of causing more harm than good. They all saw the young man as mischievous and a form of renegade, but that wasn't entirely how Oliver viewed him. They had a past and the history still snuck up on Oliver every time he looked into those deep blue eyes.

Hurriedly, Oliver cast his gaze away as the bell distracted him well enough from indulging Jackson. Jackson chuckled aloud where he sat, before slowly easing himself from his seat and approaching Oliver. Oliver lowered his head and hoped his lack of interest would cause Jackson to head off. They definitely wouldn't have been close, had Oliver not shown sympathy to Jackson for losing the Varsity hockey cup.

He was still seething from the experiences and while Jackson was a daily reminder of just what bad boys entailed, he didn't want anything to do with anyone just yet. He turned to the side, picked up his backpack and got on his feet. Jackson followed him to the door and stood by the entrance, preventing Oliver from walking away.

"Why are you in a hurry, Oli?" Jackson asked while he stretched his arms across the door and smirked right back at Oliver.

Oliver shook his head and dropped his face into his hand. "Come on Jackson, I don't have time for this. I have to be somewhere and soon before classes resume".

He would rather people didn't see them together either. He could very well remember how things had started between them. It didn't feel good when it began, but the prospect of it had been enticing.

The night passed so fast he couldn't quite remember the details in entirety, but he could remember giving a red flag for Jackson's intentions. He never wanted things to happen between them. That 'no' rubbed Jackson's ego which in turn is trying to mess with him.

"You've got less than one minute to get the hell out of my way or I'd kick you in the nuts", Oliver warned with a raised eyebrow. "You cannot keep doing this and especially not in school or in class. It is becoming tiring and I have had enough of it".

His eyes fizzled red with anger and it wasn't hard to see he had been pissed off. Jackson slowly stepped to the side and held up his hands to show he meant no harm.

"I was just messing with you. What crawled up your backside and died in there?" Jackson said.

Oliver shrugged and walked past before letting off a smile in relief. It was the only way he could handle someone in the frame and personality of Jackson. Jackson would feed on the slightest emotion he could get his hands on and Oliver was way past allowing that to happen. More so, he brought trouble wherever he went and in whatever he did.

"I'm parched", Oliver whispered to himself before marching down the hallway, hoping to get a glimpse of the news bulletin being posted on one of the notification boards. "Glad I could get rid of that idiot".

He knew it was a matter of time before he would catch or see Jackson doing his best to get into another boy's pants in school. The boy didn't come across as one who could actually take care of his urges. His actions were becoming increasingly known around school and the fact he was a damn handsome boy seemed to fuel his ego.

In fact, he would rank amongst the three hottest boys in school and Oliver never saw that as a good thing for him or for anyone willing to date Jackson. It was a recipe made for disaster and one which was most likely going to sower the other party involved with him some major headaches. It was why Oliver dropped his ass and why he wouldn't even consider touching him with a stick if he was given the opportunity to do so.

Partly drenched in his own thoughts, Oliver halted as he caught sight of a familiar figure. The figure wasn't entirely familiar, but he had seen him some nights ago and the impression left was one to ensure he recognized the young man wherever they met.

"What is he doing here?" Oliver asked himself without any particular form of interest in the lad.

Granted he had to acknowledge how properly dressed the fellow was, coupled with the really nice sneakers he had on, nothing else about him or about his actions some nights back warranted any measure of admiration.

"Just another troubled kid", Oliver thought to himself as he drew closer to the school board.

Oliver ground to a halt some feet away from the boy as he peered his gaze into the ID card hanging off the individual's pocket. It was the same with his and it definitely indicated that they attended the same school. Oliver, somewhat thrown back, decided against allowing it to affect him. It wasn't his business and he didn't have the power to stop anyone from enrolling in the same school as he was.

More so, tossing someone aside or yelling at someone about how useless their love interest wasn't a crime, even while he still felt the boy did it in an embarrassing and rather uncouth manner. He had had his fair share of breakups but he wouldn't ever dream of embarrassing his exes in the manner the boy before him had done.

He and his friends had spent the night discussing the event until they got home and it continued on their phones respectively until sleep dragged them off on that particular night.

"Mind your business and do what you gotta do", Oliver warned himself.

Taking in some deep breaths, he approached the boards and began reading through his particular interests before slowly tending his attention towards the fellow once again. He was young, no doubt, but his body frame hung beautifully underneath his shirt. Oliver felt himself almost smiling before noting the expression on the young man's face.

"Dummies", the fellow noted while he shook his head. "Empty words and nothing more".

Oliver knew what he was making such rude remarks over. He obviously didn't seem to fancy the love words etched into a plaque and hung on the wall for everyone with an interest to read and possibly brighten up their day with it. The words of love had been there for years and it was something most people dotted after, but obviously not the rude boy from the other night.

"Jokers and dummies believing such words will only have themselves to blame", the young man said again before heading off.

Oliver's heart sunk down his chest and he frowned dearly at the uncouth fellow before waking over to the plaque to read the soothing words over and over and again. It was the second time his impression about the fellow had been on a sour note and he was fast choosing to believe in it.

"I wonder what made him into such a vile and unloving personality", Oliver thought to himself without being impressed at all.

He turned away and headed for the canteen, hoping to get himself some refreshment or at least, something to soothe the sour taste left in his mouth. He still couldn't quite get thoughts of the boy out of his mind though. Something about him prevented Oliver from casting such thoughts aside. He was certain they couldn't be friends.

At least, in that very moment, he was sure there was nothing he wanted to have to do with the unknown boy. He had not been able to glimpse his name off of his identification card either and for whatever reasons, Oliver wondered if that would have been helpful.

***

It was almost 12:00 and Vukan's day wasn't going as he had hoped it would. Classes were boring, and the new friends he was trying to win over didn't seem particularly willing to hang out for lunch in the canteen. They'd rather drown themselves in work and study in the library.

"Bookworms', Vukan thought to himself as he set foot into the canteen.

Casting his gaze around, he spotted a nice table at the far end corner of the hall. He figured he could attain the spot if he got his meals early enough. sadly, a crowd slowly filled the room, ensuring he would have to queue for some time before being able to get what he wanted.

"Things would have been different if I was at home", he thought to himself.

The disparity was obviously clear; getting what he needed with the number of maids they had was as easy as pie. Regardless of how his father felt about lazing around, Vukan was certain his wishes would be met. He grumbled while he toggled through his phone to get himself busy before it would be his turn on the queue.

According to his sources, the meals weren't entirely blissful. In fact, he had been warned to stay away from any heavy meal and settle for the simple stuff.

"A cup of coffee should do with some sandwich", he had agreed with himself before his turn finally came.

Vukan got his meal, turned around and headed right back for the seat he had chosen. Thankfully, it remained unoccupied and while the crowd continued to pour into the hall, he caught sight of a rather intriguing figure through the corner of his eye.

"Holy Shit!" he muttered to himself upon spotting the handsome looking fellow.

"The dude from the party', he thought to himself as a flush of embarrassment mingled with desire coursed through him.

The onus to meet up with the guy and possibly strike a conversation tickled Vukan's fancy, but he hesitated for a moment. He still felt embarrassed by the outcome of things the other night and how he had rubbished the guy who had fallen in love with him after their one night stand together.

"Look away, Vukan", he muttered to himself. "You don't want to do this".

The warnings came off as clear and particularly vivid. He had noted the response on the guy's face after he screamed at the car park and it wasn't one of interest but more of disappointment. He had felt bad too and spent the drive back home feeling guilty and rude. Regardless of how his friends had tried to convince him about not taking it to heart, nothing seemed to work either.

"Let it go and focus on something else", he whispered to himself before settling into his seat.

Yet, he couldn't quite get his mind off the fellow as he stole glances in his direction where he was waiting for his drink. His frame looked elegant and the manner in which he carried himself was equally appealing.

'Screw it!' Vukan muttered proudly before setting his bag atop the table and getting up.

He straightened his shirt and dusted a coffee stain off of it, before ensuring his shoes were well-laced. Vukan had decided he wasn't about to make a fool of himself once again. Making amends and hopefully erasing whatever negative notion the guy had about him seemed paramount for Vukan as he approached.

With each step taken, the crowd seemed to increase. Vukan hurried his steps and could feel himself slowly begin to sweat. His shirt soiled some bit but not enough to stop him from attempting to meet with the boy from the other night.

"Excuse me", Vukan muttered as he wove through the crowd before him. "Please, excuse me".

He had managed to skipper past no less than ten bodies but to no avail yet. His target looked to be consumed in his own world far ahead, almost getting to his turn, while Vukan had barely succeeded in getting past a few bodies.

"Hey!" he yelled out, becoming more desperate while he waved his hands wildly in the air.

Vukan only managed to get the attention of those around him with a few disapproving frowns and remarks, before deciding to stop shouting.

"Shit! He has air pods on!" he remarked upon realizing there was no way in the world he would be able to attract his attention without coming in physical contact with the fellow.

Regardless, he forged ahead, hoping not to give up, before losing sight of his target. Through the mingled bodies, Vukan watched the fellow disappear from the room in what was a rather annoying experience. He had not done enough to warrant them to meet, or at least, that was how he felt as the guilt caused him to sign in anger and turn around.

"This cannot be happening to me", Vukan watched himself become swollen in the face as he looked over to where he previously sat to have his meal.

It was now overrun with students chattering away and ignorantly so of the fact it had been preoccupied by someone before. He had just lost on two fronts; his sit and the fellow he had hoped to link up with.

"Can this day get any fucking worse?" he asked himself.

He couldn't wait to head back home though. Regardless of having no less than four more hours of classes, he could not wait to get back home. He was sure he'd get some sanity when he was there. While he walked over to grab his bag and leave, his cellphone rang and a message notification popped up on his screen.

Vukan's face flattened with no expression as his lips and already troubled mind read the content of the message together; "I need you to run some errands from me on your way back from school. Just a couple of pickups should do".

The message was from Henry Adamson, and the man definitely had plans on stressing his son out after his school hours. Vukan sunk his face into his hands and cursed subtly. The day wasn't going well at all.

"Fuck me!' he yelled with a restrained voice.

***

The stressful day finally came to an end, or at least that was what it felt like. Yet, Vukan couldn't quite take his mind off of the boy he had seen in the canteen holding a coffee. inspiration for his drawings had come each time he came across the unknown boy and it was slowly beginning to creep in too in that moment.

"Knock! Knock", his mother's voice verbally aired from the other side of the door.

"Come in, Mom", he acknowledged.

Agatha Adamson waddled into the room looking happy as she sat on the bed by her son. Vukan glared at his mother for answers, and could only assume the woman had something of importance to share with him. She wasn't one known for being able to shelter secrets for long, and it was only a matter of time before she would spill everything she had going on in her head.

He hurriedly yanked down the arm of his left sleeve, doing well to keep the tattoo hidden as he adjusted to allow his mother ample space to speak with him.

"Mom?" he called out to her with a raised right brow.

Agatha Adamson smirked back at her son and replied, "Guess what?"

He wasn't ever going to win at guesses. Anything from getting a new dining table to amassing some really good deals on literally anything, could cause his mother the happiness so obviously spread across her face.

"Please, Mom", he begged. 'Just come on out with it".

Agatha Adamson shot her son her favorite disappointed look before bobbing her head. "Your father and I tied up the Wis Tower deal… we got them to sign off today and by morning, everything falls into line".

"Wow!" Vukan exclaimed immediately without expecting it.

He couldn't quite believe his ears, even though he trusted and believed in his parents' prowess when it came to managing businesses and accomplishing business deals. The deal they had just finalized was worth no less than three million dollars with the possibility of doubling down in value within the next six months.

"Congratulations", he smiled and shared a warm hug with her.

"Well, we are celebrating and you father asked that I should inform you to get dressed and ready within the next two hours", his mother said, with her breath warming his ear.

He had previously planned on spending his time in a far more lucrative and busy manner, but there was no way he would turn down a celebration dinner with his folks after they had achieved such a huge feat.

"I will be down when you guys are ready', he assured her.

She waved at him, upped herself from his bed and headed out of the room immediately. Vukan spent an additional three seconds feeling happy for his parents, before jetting off from his bed and racing to his drawing board. He looked to his door, raced over and locked it, before gawking at the empty canvas he was about to start drawing on from a distance.

Like an intoxicating rush he could not deny or cast aside, Vukan raced to the board and began to sketch the image of the one person his mind seemed to be locked on over the past few hours.

"It has to be perfect… it has to be perfect", he recited to himself as he sketched the rough image of the boy holding a cup of coffee in his hand, out on the empty canvas.

He would spend the next few hours perfecting it before heading out to have a lovely dinner with his folks. It would be a befitting end to an otherwise mixed day.