THE NEW COMER

 I woke up with a start, as my alarm went off. I sat there looking disoriented and confused. I grabbed my book and flipped to the page I was reading last night, I quickly slammed the book shut when I got to the part where the protagonist died. I always hated such an ending, but still, that doesn’t make me hate the book. I got ready in forty minutes, of which twenty minutes is to complete all my essential works and the rest is spent rummaging around my impossibly chaotic room for the things I needed. I have to clean it, I mentally add this to the list of thousand other things that I wish to do today that ought to have been done a week ago. Procrastination could be my middle name. I headed downstairs, grabbing my novel in the crook of my right arm.

“Good morning dad!” I exclaimed at my dad who was in his late forties, he looked just like any other man, who belonged to his age, tired yet responsible. He was rummaging around in the kitchen, cooking for us. And for the record he is an excellent cook.

“Good morning sweety! You know, you should quit sleeping at late hours? ,” he chastised me, with a disapproving look. This conversation has been officially added to one of our daily routines for few years now.

“I can’t help it dad! This book was so good! ,”I said with a pout on my face, I know my dad can’t deny me anything when I put on this face. Huh that’s cheating I accept.

“Ana, you should take care of your health first,” he said concerned. I rolled my eyes and started to eat the sandwich dad has prepared for us. He is so protective of me, my mom died when I was three years old, I have never seen her, not even in pictures ‘cause, my father dint want to keep any. He gets too touchy on the subject, that we rarely broach it. And we have no relatives. My grandparents died few years ago and on my mom’s side no one is alive. So yeah it’s just us three. And the third one is my sister Clare, she is two years younger than me and is in high school. She has my dark brown hair, and the similarity stops right there. My dad has always said that she looked like our mom, she has blue eyes while I have odd chocolate brown eyes, which are a little deep set with long lashes on a round face. I hate to admit it out loud but still, she was beautiful and smarter than me, she is ugh, taller than my 5’4 height. We quickly finished our breakfast and got ready for the day. I bid good bye to both of them and dashed for the door, though I have plenty of time. I quickly climbed into my second hand Sedan and revived it. We are a middle class family and it never bothered me, I’m so happy and content just the way we are. Unlike the others of my age, I live with my sister and dad, despite the fact that I’m a college student. All I have is them.  I don’t think I could leave them. I headed towards my college, located in Seattle. As usual I am the first one to arrive. I parked my car and started to read my book. I looked up to a howl of laughter, there were several groups of students laughing out loud with their head thrown back, and I have always wondered what could possibly be so funny to make them laugh so hard. As headed into the building, I walked past a series of loud classes on my right each class had a distinctive buss of its own, one louder than the other.  I took my seat next to one of my two best friends Maggie and looked around our class, to find Kate the epitome of beauty in the middle of the girl’s group. We were in our last semester of English under Graduation Programme.

“Kate got a new car again,” Maggie said with an emphasize on the last word.

“I kinda guessed,” I said with a smile.

“Did you hear from Sharon?,” she asked curiously.

“No, why do you ask?,” I retorted frowning.

“Well, she was out with John yesterday”, She said momentarily distracted by the beeping on her mobile.

“Mhmm”, I said by the way of reply. Sharon was my other best friend. She did journalism with John. Sharon had the report writing course with us.  I don’t really want to know any detailed description of her relationship, I have always felt that its obnoxious and wrong to hear about someone’s relationship especially when the subject matter was not present at that moment. I was engrossed in a particular chapter in the novel, when there was a sudden hush in the usually raucous class. I looked up to see everyone frozen midway, I followed their gaze to the door to withhold the most handsome boy I have ever seen. He was tall, slender, yet well built. He had dark hair that partly fell into his eyes. His eyes were so grey, they were almost translucent. They were shining too brightly that I caught myself wondering about the thousands of stories that are concealed behind them. His facial features were perfectly symmetric, clear cut with precision, as if Mother Nature wanted to show the world, the best example of a ‘perfect man’. In simple words he was perfect, so goddamned perfect. He walked with complete ease and sat behind Kate. There were hushed conversations all around the room. Kate turned back towards the boy and engaged him in a conversation. I rolled my eyes and turned away.

“Of course”, I muttered under my breathe people like Kate and HIM are meant to be together. Oh yeah! Create some beautiful ones and pair them up in front of his not so beautiful creations! Ugh. God must have a very good sense of humor! Not that I care, but still.

“He is so...so handsome don’t you think Ana?” Maggie muttered breathless. As if on cue Mr. Greene entered the class. I never liked this man like I do now, what a perfect moment to start the class.  After few minutes into his class, I went on with my usual charade of reading my novel inconspicuously. I believe, Mr. Greene doesn’t know, even if he does he doesn’t seem to mind. After the class got over, Mr. Miller entered the class and continued with his lessons, and I read my novel all through the other classes too...and yeah that is, one another of my few deceptions. As soon as the classes ended, we grabbed our bags and walked towards the cafeteria for lunch, I got in line behind Maggie and filled my plate with a sandwich, fruit salad and lemon juice, and took my usual place. Maggie joined me after she got her favorite dessert from the next counter.

“His name is Ethan!” Maggie exclaimed. I wonder how she found that out. Maggie is not the one for rumors.

“Hmm”

“I think his parents must have bribed or something. I can only imagine the amount of money that must be involved to get him into this college now. We are already two months through our last semester!”

“Pretty obvious isn’t it?” He is rich”, I said distastefully. Huh. I never understood this equation, god made the rich ones beautiful? or the beautiful ones rich? Whatever I thought and shook my head.

“Hey! What are you guys prattling about?” Sharon questioned and sat beside Maggie. “Nothing of consequence, we were just talking about the new arrival in our class”, Maggie said.

“Oh yeah, heard he was gorgeous!” Sharon exclaimed with a short laugh.

“He was perfect, there he is!” Maggie indistinctly pointed her finger.

I followed her eyes, to see him seated two or three tables across from us. He was seated beside Kate, who looks more like a model than a student. I brought my eyes back on him he was relaxed and appears to be thoughtful, the way his eyes flitted around the room made me wonder about his thoughts.

“No one told me he was stunning!” Sharon almost shouted with her mouth wide open. Sharon was tall and has beautiful blonde hair with smooth features, she’s pretty. I love her voice. And Maggie is beautiful in her own way, she is a strong person, her features add certainty to her character. I am surprised she doesn’t have a boyfriend…yet.

I smiled at their similar reactions and continued to have my food without any remarks on my part. May be that’s what motivated her to ask the next question.

“Ana? Why don’t you try talking with him?” Sharon asked out of the blue. My smile vanished.

“Why on earth would I do that Sharon?” I asked more confused than appalled.

“You might like him”, Maggie answered. I looked back and forth between them. I laughed out loud at their hopeful expression. May be they really are crazy. They raised their eyebrows uniformly at my outbreak. This had me go on with another series of laughter. Slowly, my laughter ceased looking at their ‘You are impossible look’.

“Are you serious? He looks like Greek god! I mean, Does it even matter whether I like him or not?” I said shaking my head and getting up to dump my plate.

“Ana when are you going to realize your own worth? You are quite a catch,” Sharon said seriously.

“The lunch hour is over guys, get your behinds to your classes,” I retorted, cutting her off middle sentence. I collected my tray and departed. Seriously? I mean, who are they kidding? I am so mad at my friends. I honestly don’t want to have this conversation, Again. I entered my next class and took my usual seat, the one I share with Maggie and started to read, to steam off some of my tension that left a frown amidst my brows. I wasn’t quite aware of the sudden silence in the class until someone cleared His throat standing in the isle right beside me. I looked up and met two shiny grey eyes, I was momentarily caught off guard. It was the new one. Ethan.

“Are you expecting someone?” he asked in his alluring voice pointing at the empty seat beside me. It took me a moment to compose myself and once I did, my previous irritation flared.

“Yes, my friend, she will be here any minute now”, I almost snapped at him trying hard to mask my irritation and failing miserably. It’s not his fault! I reminded myself.

“It’s okay”, he said with a frown marring his beautiful brows. His face mirrored my screwed up face moments ago with so much perfection and way more attractive than me of course. It was obvious that he was confused at my tone, he shrugged and went back down the aisle to take the empty seat. A wide eyed Maggie was by my side within minutes. I sighed.

“What did the pretty face want?” Maggie asked nonchalantly trying to mask her curiosity for my sake.

“He wanted to know whether the seat was empty, and as soon as I said it was reserved for my most good hearted jackass of a friend he decided to rather look for a better place” I said feigning sarcasm at the end.

“Almost all the girls in this college are dying to sit near him, and yet here you are!” she said shaking her head. I rolled my eyes.

“Well I ain’t”

“I know”, she said with a smile. I smiled too. The hour flew off, as if it can’t wait to be out the door.

For the next class Sharon entered with john. This is the only class I have with her. She waves at me obviously trying to decipher my mood from my expression. When she catches my eye, I mouthed an apology at her, she gave me a flying kiss and waved at Maggie. John who had his arm around Sharon’s waist winked at me, I rolled my eyes at him and together they took their seat side by side. Once the day’s classes get over, I indulge in two activities on alternate days of a week. Firstly, I work part time in our college library. I simply assist my fellow students in organizing and locating the materials so on... I do love that job. My dad is so against it, he doesn’t want me to work, I don’t really have to work, as I have very few needs. My dad is a professor in state school I just don’t want him to work overtime to provide all that we need and more. We headed towards the sports court near our college grounds. And this is my other indulgences. I play. This was not mandatory like it was in the high school, it’s just for fitness. I love the adrenaline and sporty atmosphere. I am not much of a player, well, I used to be in my primary school. We quickly changed into our sports clothes and took our respective places in the badminton court. Kate was stretching with few of her friends in the basketball court. Maggie was right beside her and was spinning her racket in her hand looking distracted. Across form us on the other side of the net was The Greek god, Ugh… Ethan. Does he have to appear here too? And make all his pathetic worshipers swoon in here? Even at this distance I could see the shine in his eyes, and they were glowering at me. I surreptitiously looked away from his odd grey eyes, and noticed that everyone was looking at him, Nope! Gapping at him! With their mouth wide open. So, this is how I must have looked when I first saw him, I realized. I sighed and looked back at him, he was still looking at me, now I glowered at him and turned away from him, shaking my head. A few games later I realized that the Ethan was really good in sports. He was graceful in all his moves. The coach divided us into two teams. I can’t believe Ethan was paired up with me for a game against Maggie and Alan.

“Hi”, he said.

“Hello,” I replied and twisted away from him. I don’t really want to have a conversation. He was pretty good in gauging the ball, he appears to be extremely cautious about something, for what I wonder. We won four games together. He is a good partner in games I can give him that. Throughout the game I was concentrating, not to bump on him but he did! To my great embarrassment I fell down with a huge thud. The fall did hurt my left knee but I am sure other than that I was okay. There was laughter all around the room. Great! My little admiration for him that just started to bloom went off in a puff like a deflated balloon.

“Oh Ana! I am so sorry!” he exclaimed with an appalled expression and offered me his hand. I really dint want to take his hand but I kinda needed the help. He helped me up. He was strong! Trust me. I looked up at him with more irritation than embarrassment. How did he know my name?

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his beautiful face.

“I am fine”, I said struggling hard to mask my irritation. He looked worried.

 “I think I am done for today”, I added and marched towards the dressing room. I was careful not to meet others eyes. I bid goodbye to Maggie as soon as I have changed my clothes and stomped off in the direction of the parking lot. It was crowded. I got inside my car and locked it. I shoved the awkward moment to the dark corner of my mind and started to read. I always liked it when it was quite. After some time, I pulled out off the now empty parking lot and headed home. As the realization dawned my hands tightened on the steering wheel. I had always been happy that, I shared all my class with Maggie and now Ethan too! Great! It’s not that I don’t like him. It’s just that I feel mildly irritated or frustrated at him. I am not really sure why. May be, ‘cause of the comment my friends made. Like I said, I am not sure though!