Remembering 9: It's Been Long

When Dylan noticed Leo, he smiled at him and put his phone down. Leo felt his heart miss a beat from that one smile. 'Ah, this is how heaven sure looks like' Leo thought as he approached Dylan. He sat opposite Dylan again and looked at him.

"Were you serious in your offer?" He asked because he had to be sure that he was not hallucinating.

"Of course I was. Why would I joke about something like that?" Dylan asked seriously looking lost.

"Okay. Let's go then. I need to know where I will be working," Leo said with a smile as he stood up. He was excited because if all this was true, it basically meant an end to their, him and his family's, suffering.

"So you are free now? If you want, I can wait until your shift is done. You don't have to leave work because of me," Dylan said showing no signs of hurry.

"It's okay. My boss already gave me the rest of the day off," Leo answered.

"Okay. Let's go. We have to go to the University's parking lot so that we can get my car. Is that okay?" He asked as he stood from his chair.

"You have a car? Ah, sorry," Leo asked then apologised as he realised the idiocy of his question. This man could pay him a quarter a million a month just for working for a week in his house, how then could he not afford a car?

They walked towards the university grounds in silence. Leo couldn't help but gawk at the huge buildings, the beautiful flowers lining the walk ways, the students scattered around the school grounds as each did only God knows what and all the beauty in this new environment. His eyes followed the towering pillar that rose to around eighty feet and had a sphere like thing at the very top which bore the words "UNIVERSITY OF KEYA: the best there is".

He looked at it with longing in his eyes and he couldn't help but wish he got the chance to join this university. Dylan noticed that Leo was absent minded and he wasn't even looking where he was going. He smiled and silently took Leo's hand in his own by the wrist and started guiding him towards the packing lot. He was looking fondly at Leo like the way one would look at his long lost lover. He was smiling when a voice startled the both.

"Dylan! What are you doing with this person and where did you find him?" The newcomer brought them back to earth and Leo knew whose voice that was even without looking. It was Emily Hari's, his ex girlfriend who left him when he fell from grace even without a goodbye.

Leo looked at Dylan worriedly not sure of what to expect. He feared that Dylan might change his mind if he learns about his past and he might lose this golden chance that was presented to him on a silver platter.

"And why are you holding his hand? Aren't you disgusted?" Emily continued and that's when Leo noticed their joined hands and he pulled away from Dylan with a flushed face. He couldn't believe that he was soesmerised by his surroundings as to not notice that Dylan was holding his hand.

"Who are you again?" Dylan asked with a face that said 'I will kill you for ruining it for me' but the idiot Emily didn't read between the lines.

"I'm Emily Haris. We are in the same year and the same course. Remember? We even visited your house last month with my mom for your mom's birthday party," she said with an embarrased smile as she didn't expect the question.

Dylan turned to Leo and asked, "do you know her?" Before Leo could answer, Emily jumped the gun and said hurriedly, "Yes, he is my best friend's cousin. We haven't seen him for almost a year since we heard he became a street urchin," she said with a sneer directed at Leo expecting to see disgust on Dylan's face.

"So, what are you doing with him? Your status doesn't allow you to walk or even be seen with the likes of him," the entitled b*tch continued, unable to read the tense atmosphere from the aura that was surrounding Dylan. He had become colder and his demeanor had changed to a murderous one.

"Oh, and pray tell, what business of yours is it who I walk with? Tell me, how does it concern you?" Dylan asked with his upper lip raised slightly at the right side and if anyone who knew him well was there, they would have told Emily to run because he was slowly losing it. And the last thing anyone would want is to be near an angry Dylan.

Emily felt so embarrassed at the question that she wished she could just disappear but she couldn't cower in front of Leo. She had to show him that she is better. Before she could answer, another voice was heard and that made Leo look up with a startle and Dylan caught it. Leo wondered what he did today just to see these two. Just when he thought things were looking up.

Geez! 'It was better when he just stayed at the cafe,' he thought.

He blamed himself for not keeping tabs on these two.