Chapter 2: THE CAMPUS GRAPEVINE

THE PRESENT DAYS

"G-good afternoon, I'm sorry for being late," Ella stepped into the almost full classroom without waiting for any response from the teacher, who stalled from her discussion as she barged in.

"Excuse me, why are you here?" The curly-haired woman in her fifties caught Ella by surprise with her question, as her contoured brow twitched together with her lips. She looked a bit annoyed at Ella for distracting her class. She obviously was not fond of students being late.

"I-I'm in this class?" Ella replied, her brow raised with her questioning look. That was her first day at the university. She actually didn't know much or what to expect, and having been late was actually not part of her plan. However, circumstances didn't permit her to go with her plan.

After a few seconds of standing still between the door jamb Ella remembered something and abruptly opened her bag and took out the university registrar's sealed study load list. She felt the need to abruptly show it to her instructor to confirm that she belonged to that class.

She ambled towards the instructor's desk as she handed her the study load.

"I don't need that, this is a five-thirty to six-thirty PM class, not six to seven," The instructor took her gaze away from Ella instead got her attention back to the whole class " And I would like to tell everyone that I will be recording your attendance as soon as I enter this classroom, if you're late, you're considered absent."

Ella's facial color abruptly changed to red as her eyes darted discreetly to the entire class, drowning herself in abashment as she knew and saw that all of her classmates' eyes were fixed on her with pity displayed on their faces.

However, not the one blonde guy who caught her attention, he smirked and mockingly looked at Ella from the head down to her high-heeled, fashionable boots. Her brows twitched, and the feeling of shame was suddenly converted with annoyance with the sight of him. 'He surely was a dumb ass smug,' she thought.

Ella threw him a dagger look in response.

"Are you aiming to disturb my class furthermore by standing there? Or there's something else perhaps you would like to say?" Her instructor quipped, which made Ella wanting to vanish and be invisible in an instant.

"No ma'am," Ella muttered as she strode straight to the only vacant chair, which unluckily is just in front of that smug guy.

After a moment, she felt something pricking behind her. Ella scowled as she turned to her back and noticed him. the smug guy poked his pen at her hind torso. She clenched at him, gave him a sneer.

However, he simply winked and passed her a piece of folded paper in return.

Ella glimpsed at it and tucked it between her notebook, and brought her focus back to the lecture, trying to ignore him again. The last thing she wanted was to be noticed by her teacher for the second time in a way that might have given her bad blood.

The class ended, and Ella felt the need to talk to her teacher about being late. Since she can't assure her that, she won't be late again. Since she was working from eight to five and she only got thirty minutes time allowance to travel. She even ignored dinner and just tried to grab some between classes.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I don't want to be rude. I just need to ask for your consideration about being late because I am a working student and with just a thirty-minute time allowance and traveling on the highway while knowing how heavy the traffic these days is, I don't think I can make it on time," Ella approached her on her disk.

"That will go the same way for me, ma'am. I'm only early today because I'm absent from my work. But if I'm not, I sure am late, very, very, late. But mind us, our pretty prof. We are hard-working and good students. We are working and studying at the same time. Can't you imagine how hard it is for us? If we don't work, we can't study, how can we fulfill our dreams then? Tell us." Zara broke into the conversation.

Her droopy hooded, deep blue, almost purple eyes wink secretly at Ella with a smile that meant something behind it, especially when it suddenly changed to a weak frown as soon as she faced their instructor. Her chocolate-colored hair is loose and flowing gently, making her oval face thinner than usual. Her eyes were dark, though it's not natural, since she was putting heavy makeup on her face and lipstick- a stick color comparable to her hair. Everything in her simply showed her brazen personality.

The professor looked around before she smiled awkwardly at both of them. Her terror professor-like image suddenly changed into a more outgoing disposition the moment she opened her mouth again. "Nah, don't worry about that. I just need to act like that in front of all to show a bit of fierceness. You know, this school has a terrible reputation for night classes. If not only for a bigger pay, no, I would never handle night classes." She glanced weirdly, more like scared glances after she spoke.

"What's that kind of reputation?" Ella asked curiously but tried to make sure not to be rude, well being deemed rude was the last thing she needed, to be people's first impression on her. Since she was the kind of girl who people always referred to as someone who can never break a glass.

"Well, teachers and students in night classes just keep on disappearing, and most of them are those who are timid ones." Her eyes widened as she spoke.

"You are giving us chills, madam," Zara tittered nervously.

"I'm serious, and this is my first time handling night classes, but since most victims are those timid ones. We just need to be more frightening, and we will be safer." She gathered all her things at her table and continued, "But, enough about that, I just need you, by the way, to pass a certificate from your employer. A proof of your employment and... I got to go, see you, next time girls, take care and always keep an open eye around campus okay,"

She strode out of the classroom, leaving Ella and Zara staring at each other in agape.

"Seriously? You really believe that stuff?" A lady behind them let out a loud guffaw, caught both Zara and Ella's attention, and startled them like hell. Her straight vanilla-colored hair was tied in a ponytail, making her face more rounder, and her protruding forest green eyes squinted as she laughed.

"No, we don't. Who are you? Why are they lurking there?" Zara exclaimed while busy catching her breath, flipped her hair as she rolled her eyes while shaking off her befuddlement.

Ella was startled as well; after the telltale, their instructor shared with them about night classes, then her voice just suddenly came out from nowhere and put her into a tizzy.

"What? I just want to stay here, since I'm not in the mood to attend my next subject class. By the way, hi classmates, I'm Leira."

"Well, hi, Leira and?" Zara paused, waiting for me to answer.

"I'm Ella," I smiled with a little hand wave.

"Oh-kay... Leira and Ella? I would like to introduce you. The future Miss Universe 2022, Miss Zara Santana!" She yelled as she sashays around the classroom with a beauty queen wave in her exaggerated way. "Prepare the catwalk, here I come!" And they all burst out laughing.