He stared at me, and I broke the silence.
"I'm so sorry for bumping into you," I said.
"Oh my goodness, it's you again? Don't you have eyes? I thought I'd never see you again, and here you are. First the cab, and now this?" he snapped.
"I said I'm sorry. Besides, we're both at fault," I replied.
"Whatever. And don't come near me again, understand?" he sneered.
"Back at you too," I shot back.
He walked away, and I hurried to find my lecture hall. I was lost at first, but when I finally found it and opened the door, everyone turned to look at me. Ignoring their stares, I walked straight to the lecturer.
"Um, excuse me, ma'am. I'm new here and these are my résumés," I said, handing her my documents.
"Yes, yes—you're Felicity Paddington, right?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied.
"Okay, go sit next to that fine young man in the back. That's the only seat left," she said.
I turned, and to my horror, it was the same guy. Not again. He's everywhere. Could this day get any worse? He looked furious. I had assumed he was at a higher level. I walked to the seat and sat down, doing my best to ignore him. The hall was large, filled with students.
The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Emma Briston.
"Just call me Emma. I'll be teaching Oral Literature," she said.
After class, I went to the dining hall and called Mom. We talked for a while. I told her how beautiful Oxford was and how one guy had completely ruined my day. She encouraged me, as always.
Just as I hung up, a girl approached me.
"Hi there! I'm Penelope, and I'm a freshman. I saw you in class... and that whole thing with the guy. You handled yourself well. Can we be friends?" she asked.
"Hi, I'm Felicity. Nice to meet you—and yes, we can be friends," I replied.
"Great! Thank you so much. Okay, I've got to go. Bye!" she said cheerfully.
"Okay, bye," I replied.
She was really friendly, spoke so fast, and had a lovely British accent. I had a feeling we'd get along well.
After eating, I rushed to return my tray, and on my way back—I bumped into the same guy again.
"Oh my God, not again! I'm so, so sorry—it was a mistake," I said.
"Oh really? So now it's your mistake? I'm sure you don't have eyes! Please go buy a pair of glasses because you keep bumping into me. Are you crazy?" he snapped.
"Excuse me?" I retorted, getting irritated.
"You heard me right," he said.
By now, a few students had gathered. I decided to walk away, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!" I said.
"I want you to apologize—now," he demanded.
"Are you serious? Ha! You must be joking," I said, shocked.
"It's no joke, my dear. If you don't apologize, consider your classes over for the day," he said, still gripping my hand.
"That's hilarious. Are you the Dean or something? Let go of my arm," I said firmly.
When I tried to pull away, he held on tighter, pulling me closer. My heart skipped a beat—but I was furious. I yanked my arm free and slapped him.
The small crowd gasped. Some laughed quietly, others whispered. He stood there in shock as I walked away. So much for a perfect first day—it had turned into a nightmare.
On my way back, I couldn't stop thinking about the unnecessary drama. I regretted slapping him. I didn't even know who he was, though he seemed older. I felt terrible. When he returned to class, he shot me a sharp glare, bypassed his seat, and rudely shouted at another student to move. I knew he'd never forget me—but maybe I should try to fix it.
*******
Christopher's POV
She stared at me—and damn, she was cute. She apologized, but I bruised her ego. Still, she responded calmly, saying we were both at fault. We went our separate ways.
Later in class, our lecturer, a woman named Emma, introduced herself. "I'll be teaching Oral Literature," she said.
Then the door opened. Everyone turned. It was her. I thought, She's everywhere! She walked straight to the lecturer and said she was new. The lecturer told her to sit in the back—next to me.
Seriously? I frowned. She sat down beside me. I moved back a little.
After class, I met up with my friends Jake, Brian, and Liam.
"Hey, fellas," I greeted, still frowning.
"What's up? You look down," Brian said.
"Don't mind him—he's in love," Jake teased.
"Please! I'm not in love. How many times do I have to say it? I only met her this morning. She's irritating, clumsy, and just... annoying," I replied.
"Wow, you like her," Brian grinned.
"No, I don't," I insisted.
"You know what—let's make a bet," Jake said.
"I'm not doing that. Count me out," I said.
"I haven't even told you what the bet is yet. You're chickening out already?" Jake laughed.
"Whatever. Let's just go eat," I muttered.
"Right behind you," they chorused.
As we headed toward the dining hall, the bell rang.
"Oh come on—see what you caused," I said.
"Let's go anyway," Brian replied.
We stepped into the hall—and she bumped into me again.
She said it was her fault and apologized, but I snapped again. She talked back, and when she tried to walk away, I grabbed her arm. I told her to apologize. She refused and called me crazy. I tightened my grip and pulled her closer. My heart skipped a beat—and I know she felt it too.
Then she forcefully pulled away and slapped me. The crowd gasped. Some laughed. I stood there, stunned. My friends wanted to go after her, but I stopped them.
Back in class, we were silent for a while—until Liam broke it.
"Chris, you need to teach her a lesson," Liam said.
"Yeah. She doesn't know who you are. Everyone knows you around here," Brian added.
"But damn, she's pretty. Like, angel-level pretty," Liam said.
"Not the time, man," I muttered.
Jake leaned in. "Here's the bet. One month. You make her fall in love with you. Then you break her heart."
"Let's do it," I said.
"Yes!" they chorused.
"I gotta go—talk later," I said.
"Okay, chap," Jake replied.
Back in class, she was there. I passed her seat and told someone else to move—rudely, of course.