Chapter Text
"you can't be serious" i said as tears pricked my eyes .
This was bad , real freaking bad . My hands made their way to my head on their own accord , gripping the roots in frustration .
"maam please calm down a bit , im aware of the downsides and completely understand your request but unfortunately-"
Before the sentence is completed i snap my head towards the guy in front of me .
" what's unfortunate is the way you are starting to sound like a piece of ass" i am fully aware of the way my teeth grind against each other.
The guy , well more like the man in front of me is in his 40s but the way his hair are styled into a perfect side wave and the expensive suit he's wearing makes him look like he's in his late 20s . A trait that comes with money and being elite i suppose .
"i hope you realize that i am apologetic for that " he says looking down to break our eye contact .
My eyes take his whole form in , hes lanky and looks sweet , unlike most other men his age who have plenty of money to throw around . I can very well tell that he wouldn't hurt a fly if forced .
A slow burn of guilt creeps up my back , he is just doing his job and im taking all my anger out on him . The poor guy is scared , hands trembling and they had been trembling even since before i stepped foot into this office . Which tells me how he has had this same conversation with many others just like me .
I wouldn't say my college is bad , no , not at all . Prep in was and always has been one of the biggest elite universities in the country . Getting in here is always a slim chance given that each student needs to be academically phenomenal but also because it's not a uni anyone can afford . What's worse then rich elite kids with pretty smart brains ? politics , that's what .
" see.....i just need to get home by tonight before the purge starts there is surely something you could do ? some strings you could pull ?" i ask biting my tongue , hoping that maybe he would magically finally give me some sort of gate pass so i could leave.
"the dean has closed off all gates at the moment and they will only open after the purge , trust me , if i could have helped then i would have " he was raising his arms up in surrender now .
"this is unfair , we should be able to go home " i rasp out looking at the painting on the side wall.
It shows a war between two sides , one wearing all black with red crests while the other is completely red with black crests . Similar yet so different .
" i agree , there will be a bloodbath in here " he sounds defeated and i can see the tension in his slumped shoulders .
His body language shows that he is scared , it is pretty obvious and with the amount of students he has disappointed today with this same conversation he's having with me has definitely put a target on his back .
He must think that i would come for him when the purge starts but for better or for worse i don't plan on participating in whatever the hell the government has conjured up . All crimes allowed for 16 hours ? how mentally retarded do you have to be to start this .
If only i had come to know about this earlier , there would have been no sign of me here today .
"i won't do it " i say out loud rather than in my head as the man looks at me tilting his head .
"someone else will , too many people have been angry at me but why can't they understand that im just doing my job ? i can't leave either so im done for either way " he looks down hiding his tears from me , even in this vulnerable state he's prideful enough to hide it from me .
"i sincerely hope you make it through" i say standing up to leave the office , there was nothing more i could have said to him either way .
Walking outside i take in a deep breath of fresh air . Closing my eyes i go over how painfully hard the next few days are going to be .
Day after tomorrow the purge will start and as much as there are no enemies of mine that im aware of i still can't shake the feeling off my heart .
Walking towards the main cafe in the campus i feel my stomach rumble . The nervousness since morning when i heard of how the gates were closing made me almost puke , so i hadn't touched food just in case the feeling came to life .
"we have been waiting for you since a while" nyla tells me as i drop myself in the chair beside her .
Nyla , tall , lean , possibly a body that is required for a model . Tanned skin with brown hair falling just a little below her shoulder . She isn't pretty as the word suggests but one thing she is , is adorable . A button nose that no one stops teasing her about . She is one of the first friends i made when i got here .
"i was hopeful that i could convince him " i reply looking around the table at my group of friends.
"i already told you that he wouldn't budge " yoel laughs out .
I met yoel last and that is plainly because he loves his bed and hates classes . Everyone calls him out on it but he never hangs out with us until he really wants to . Long brown hair that he usually ties in a neat bun , fair skin and the personality of a proper flirt . He doesn't have a girl because well he would have to leave his room for that . It's almost a miracle that he's out today .
" more like he couldn't " i say narrowing my eyes at him .
As much as i hated the fact that i can't leave , it's useless and unfair to blame a guy who himself had no other option .
Yoel just laughs and i look him up and down again , he's too free , too relaxed . With the purge just around the corner he looks like he would rather enjoy it .
Could he be a threat ?
My eyes stray over to Rhett aka nyla's boyfriend standing at the counter grabbing sandwiches for us . Nyla instantly stated how she thought he was hot with his blonde hair , square face and a prominent jawline and i couldn't help but set them up .
Come to think of it , we never really got along well anyways . He likes to be in control and so do i . I am pretty done with how he believes that i as a girl can't be the one to sway things .
He could be a threat too .
" i am a little concerned " nyla chirps in rolling slime around her fingers , watching it drip down the side of her hand .
It's as red as blood , if only it was a little more liquidy .
"most people in this uni are excited to just get their hands dirty " rhett says grabbing a seat in front of me , passing the sandwiches to the three of us .
Im quick to dive into my chicken and ham sandwich , stomach almost hurting with how hungry i felt .
The purge originally started just last year , when the government had the brilliant idea to turn things upside down just to get rid of poverty . There was no poverty here was it ? the rich were just as happy to kill between themselves to fill their egos and complete their revenge .
Last year i was in the safety of my home with my parents , watching the gruesome scenes play out in the clips that filled the internet the next day . Clips that made the game outlast look like heaven .
Times like this make it clear how bad humans can be with their dark minds and this year i was stuck in my university's dorm room .
Rhett ruffles his hand around in his bag before pulling it out and signaling for nyla to push her own hand out .
"what is it ?" she asks as me and yoel stare at the couple .
The confused look on her face gets striked off when a small pocket knife drops into her hand .
"for emergency purposes" rhett tells her as something silent passes in between their eyes .
I look away , there is some silent talk going on and as much as it hurts me to say , i do not trust them .
It's only been a year since i have known them and who knows what their real intentions are ?
" well we should take off back to our dorm , yeah rhett ? " yoel says as he chews the last of his sandwich .
His eyes stray on the couple knowingly as if he knows what the two had a silent conversation about . It makes me feel left out and it definitely makes me feel more suspicious .
There is definitely something that i am not a part of , for the sake of everything i just hope it's not about the purge and me in one sentence .
" take care " the boys say as they finally pack up and walk out .
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"celebrating the purge or nahh ? "
I look up from my notes at the rough voice .
"celebrating is too good of a word to relate it with this madness " i reply .
He's handsome without a doubt , with silky hair and a good jacked up body . I haven't seen him around but i can bet many girls here would throw themselves at his feet .
" so im guessing you would be staying in then " he says taking a seat just to my right .
"i would rather avoid the bloodbath" i say lowly , busying myself back in my notes .
" too bad , i would have liked to see you covered in blood.....not yours of course "
I freeze at his comment as i slowly look up at him from my textbook . What does guy think he's playing at ?
I decide to ignore him and start reading my notes again . This is for the best and he would probably walk away after getting bored . He is as creepy as they come and i should avoid this with the purge just starting in about 12 hours .
Maybe coming out of my dorm to study in the cafe was a bad idea , anyways what's done is done.
"the name is walter" i see a hand stretched out to me from my peripherals , i also catch a smirk decorating his face .
" and my name is no " i say standing up abruptly , i should go back and hole myself up in my room till the purge passes , of course people would be looking for trouble today just so they could calm their mind tomorrow .
Without meaning to my eyes fall to the table a few feet away from me or more to the guy sitting there . My breath gets a little caught up as i find his black orbs of eyes staring right back at me .
He has on a bright red shirt with beige cargos today , a vision without a doubt .
Patton . I liked him the moment i laid my eyes on him and he knows it , so annoyingly aware that i can never stop myself from breaking when i think about the last time we talked or before that when there wasn't much of talking done .
"don't be such a hard to get sweetie , give me a chance and i would definitely show you a good time " walter's voice brings me back to where i am and i turn an annoyed look at him . He is a sleezebag through and through , it would serve me better to not indulge with him .
" how did you get into this university ? you are dumb enough to not know the meaning of no " i grit out not being able to stop from throwing out the remark .
I push past him but there is a hand instantly closing around my wrist.
"let go" i say looking back at him .
Walter steps closer to me , bringing his lips near my ear .
"give me one night and you wouldn't want to" he whispers .
There is no way i could describe the urge to slap him right then and there . I almost raise my hand up to show walter his place but then he is being shoved away from me .
"she said let go"
It's patton .
" and who are you ?! " walter raises his voice as both the guys come face to face . There isn't much of a height difference but patton without a doubt towers him more .
"her friend , so you better go away right now before you regret it" patton doesn't hold back from stepping into walter's face .
friends ? of course the term he uses is friends .
Remind me , does a friend kiss another friend while he is in a complicated situation ? does a friend sneak in random touches only to reject the other in the end ? does a friend looks like he can't keep himself back when they are in close proximity ? do friends don't talk at all except if you term staring at each other across the room as talking ?
"you think that scar-" walter starts but is cut off by the sound of his phone ringing .
He looks down to see whose calling and then turns his eyes back to me .
"i will see you again" is all he says before slipping out the cafe as fast as his feet can take him leaving me standing there alone with patton .
People around us had seen what happened but everyone knows better than to interfere today of all days .
" i didn't need your help " i say pulling my bag up in a huff .
"i know" patton says but i ignore him as i start for the door myself , leaving him standing there .
I had called him a few months ago , the call still imprinted in my head . I was vulnerable , always have been with him . Open , i was too open . Showed him every side of mine hoping to see something of him even a little teeny tiny bit . To no avail , i just got the straight faced , blank , patton .
As i walk out the door he doesn't stop me and that is all the strength i need to walk out faster.
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