Moving to Manhattan (2)

''Wow…''

''We are in the big city?''

''Are we finally there yet?''

''why does this feel like a ten hours trip?''

''I think we're there.''

''Pretty….''

''There's a lot of people.''

''Yeah…kinda scary out there..''

Following the commentary voices, a set of sleepy honey brown eyes looked out the window, gazing at the scenery of a bustling crowd, merely on the roadside.

'We've arrived…' Calla shut her eyes at the familiar scene of the populated New York city. Seeming to have gotten a hold of herself, Calla sat up straighter on bus's seat, and focused her gaze back on the scenery beyond the window glass.

The ever bustling crowd of men and women moving to their destinations, the unbelievable height of skyscrapers and enormous buildings of impossible sizes, the classical and modern styles of many infrastructures…a city that never sleeps.

She was truly in New York city, a place she never wanted to return, but she came back with no choice. If she truly could have avoided the field trip, she would have, but the head of department made another statement that if no students participated on the field trip without a good excuse, the said-students would have to repeat a year.

And Calla was not one to be okay with repeating a year.

'it's still here….' As the scenery beyond the window kept on passing by without any intention of halting in place, Calla's eyes were sharp to notice a shop that was very familiar in her younger years.

'Who are you?' A light voice belonging to an old memory suddenly resurfaced in her head at the sight of that shop.

''…..'' Pursing her lips, Calla looked away from the window, not wanting to look at scenery of a city that held many of her memories.

Both the good….and the bad.

***

*murmur* *murmur*

''Wow…''

''This feels like the movies…''

''Everything here seems….rich.''

''I am a bit scared that I'll sell my body for any damage.''

''How much do you think the university spent to book a hotel like this?''

''I don't know more. Do I care? As long as I have the chance to enjoy luxury, why would I bother about the expenses that are not mine?"

''So true.''

''Guy, let's take a picture.''

''My brother will be so jealous…''

''...'' Glancing at the students who couldn't comport themselves at the sight of luxury, Calla almost shook their heads at their thick-skins. Well….she couldn't blame them when faced with chandeliers, the ceramic vases, the glossy walls, the sparkling tiles, the rich taste of the outfits worn by people around them….generally the extravagance of the hotel.

If she hadn't grown up with a golden spoon, she would have had the same reactions as her course mates, wanting to take in all the lavishness with her eyes. Perhaps her greed for money would have multiplied by tenfold.

But…

Calla was really grateful that she had been exposed to a world of money, power and riches at a very young age. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have noticed the disdainful looks thrown in her way.

It wasn't only her, but the oblivious and noisy students in general.

It was quite obvious that they weren't from New York city with their exclamations and exaggerated reactions, and these people of the hotel absolutely detested it.

'How could people like them book this hotel?'

If Calla were to guess, these words were absolutely the words of people throwing scornful glances in their direction.

''Alright students, the boys should follow Mr. Nelson, and the girls should be with me.'' With two ladies dressed in a working outfit fitting for service workers of the hotel, the parasitology lecturer returned with an announcement.

''And behave.'' She added, sweeping over each face with her narrowed eyes behind the lenses of her glasses.

''Each one of you are representatives of our university. Do not stain the university's reputations with silly actions.'' She warned, the tone of her voice firm and strict, and her gaze promising of unspoken punishments. ''Am I clear, students?''

''Yes ma'am!''

Bobbing her head at the resounding replies, the parasitology lecturer turned her head, her gaze meeting the eyes of the female workers behind her with a polite smile.

''Please lead us to the rooms.''

____

After a whole day of travelling and several activities, the sky darkened and night came slowly, passing by with time

All the students were fast as sleep in rooms of the hotel, apart from one, unable to sleep comfortably.

That was Calla seated up on the single bed for about some minutes since the clock struck midnight.

Glancing to her side at the sleeping figures of her roommates, steadily going up and down underneath the blanket, Calla's frown deepened, a little jealous of the fact that they could sleep comfortably, unlike herself.

Unlike them who could adapt to a new environment quite quickly, she was not the same, especially when the familiar environment of this city made her uncomfortable.

'Let's go outside….perhaps the lobby….' Calla decided in her thoughts, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, and her feet came in contact with her furry slippers. Slipping her feet in them, Calla stood up, taking her phone from the nightstand and walking towards to the door of the room.

Looking back at her sleeping roommates, Calla gently opened the door, careful of making a sound. Successfully, she stepped out without waking any of her roommates up.

'If I recall…she said the lobby is not too far…' After closing the door, Calla tried to recollect the words of female workers who introduced the hotel before taking her along with her course mates to their assigned rooms.

'Perhaps I should go back…..' Calla hesitated, debating if it was a good idea for her to be outside of her room at this hour.

''Calla?''

''...'' Hearing the sound of her name, Calla naturally shifted her gaze from the tiled floor, to where she pinpointed the voice that called out her name.

At the sight of a princely face so familiar to her, especially the blue eyes so similar to the sky of the day, Calla widened her eyes, even if it was a fraction of moment. They were directed towards Vincent, who she never expected to see on the same field trip as herself.

''What a coincidence. I never expected us to be this close.'' Beaming widely, Vincent met her frozen on the spot with a bright smile.

Messy hair, undone buttons, a fresh manly scent, exposed chest, and a handsome face of Vincent…..

Appearing to have fully registered that Vincent was currently with her, and her room was not far from his, exactly in the same hallway as hers, Calla's face suddenly flushed, fully red like a cooked shrimp.

Though her half of her face was masked, the other was not, and her blushing face was quite visible with the pale skin of her body.

The main reason for that particular reaction was the fact that she and Vincent were staring at each other in their night wears, which had never happened with anyone, not even her husband, who she terribly loved with her heart.

Vincent also looked a bit eye-catching for a girl who had never seen a man like this in her entire life.

An example was herself.

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