Lola walked with her head down to grab lunch. She looked around the cafeteria. The tables were filled with people, and in the crowd, she saw one familiar face. Melissa was sitting with some of the girls who also studied law. Their eyes locked for a split second before Melissa looked away. Lola kept her down, her eyes aimed at the food on her plate. One of the girls next to her looked at Lola and laughed. She turned to Melissa and said something that earned her a hard glare. The girl stopped laughing and turned around.
Lola walked to the table where she and Melissa always sat together. However, she sat alone this time and looked at the empty seat.
There was one person in the entire school who would sit with her, eat with her, talk to her, and now that person was gone. It only took a few days, but it was as though a whole lifetime had passed in those days.
Lola poked in her food. She moved around the salad pieces and tensed her brows when loneliness washed over her.
A tray slammed down next to hers, and the chair was pulled out.
Her head jerked up, and she looked with widened eyes as Jax sat down.
"What are you doing?" she whispered and worriedly looked around.
People were starting to stare more than before. They looked between Lola and Jax as if seeing them together was the oddest thing.
"Eating lunch. What about you?" He grinned.
"Must you sit here?" she asked and moved a few inches away from him.
"What-"
He noticed her worried gaze flickering around the cafeteria. Jax put his hand over hers to bring her attention back. "Ignore them." He said.
Lola scoffed. "That's easy for you to say," she said and pulled her hand back.
She felt the heat of judgment on the back of her head and slowly turned around. Melissa was staring with furrowed brows between Jax and Lola. It was a questioning gaze, loaded with judgment.
Her eyes narrowed to slits, and her lips turned down in a snarl.
"Hey." Jax moved closer to Lola. He reached up and grabbed her chin, pulling it softly toward him.
"Ignore it," he whispered.
Lola shrugged his hand off and stood up. "It was my best friend before you came into my life," she spat.
Lola stormed out of the cafeteria and down the corridor.
"Lola, wait!" Jax came running up behind her.
However, Lola didn't slow down until a door opened. She was forced to halt so as not to slam against it. She stopped inches away and watched as a young man stepped out, followed by the dean.
"We're very glad to welcome you to Lilac University, and we do hope that you will find it rewarding," the dean said and shook the guy's hand while wearing his statement smile.
The dean turned, his eyes flickered to Lola, and he reached out his hand.
"Here is one of your classmates! This is Lola Graves. Lola, this is Clementine Hall."
The young man reached out his hand to Lola. "Call me Clay," he said.
Lola looked warily at his hand. She knew that Jax was standing a few meters behind her. It was odd. She felt something radiating from him even though he stood so far away.
Lola reached out and grabbed his hand. Her brows slowly pressed together when she felt the coldness of his touch wrapped around her fingers.
"It's nice to meet you," Lola murmured under her breath, loud enough for only him to hear.
"You too, Lola." His voice was deep. The noise slipped into her ears, and soothingly, his words reached her mind.
"Two new students this far into the semester has never happened before." The dean laughed. His lips rounded as he looked down the corridor. "There is the other one! That young man over there is Jax Blackwood, somewhat of a legacy in this town. Jax!" he shouted and waved Jax over.
Lola heard the steps behind her, his feet slowly, heavily pressing against the floor.
Clay's eyes followed his every move. His lips turned up in a smirk, his shoulders rolled back, and his stance stiffened.
"Clay Hall," he said and reached out his hand.
Jax looked down. His eyes slowly rose to meet Clay's."Jax. Pleasure."
His fingers wrapped tightly around Clay's hand. His voice had taken on a darker tone, and Lola watched between the two as they stood tall in front of each other. She noticed how Jax stepped to the side, blocking her off from Clay.
A playful glint flashed in Clay's brows eyes when he scanned Jax's face. "The pleasure is all mine." He licked his lips and looked down at Lola.
The dean cleared his throat after the moment of silence that had tension pressing against the walls.
"Why don't you come with me, and I will give you a quick tour of the school?" The dean clapped a hand on Clay's shoulder, and they walked off. As they turned the corner to the lockers, Clay looked back. His eyes locked with Lola, and he smiled.
"Who was that?" Lola whispered.
Jax clenched his jaw, and his eyes shot daggers at the door frame. "A problem," he seethed.
She watched as he turned and, with a rough stride, walked away, leaving her standing in the corridor alone.
The new guy had piqued her curiosity. Another student who enrolled late. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it?
The bell rang, and the halls were quickly packed with students. Lola hurried to her locker and took out her books. She entered the classroom, where everyone was taking their seats, and she scanned the room for an empty table-preferably in the corner. Jax wasn't in this class, so at least that was something, she thought.
However, when her eyes landed on Melissa sitting on the second row, the feeling of relief swiftly washed away.
Melissa turned away and returned to the conversation she was having with her friend. Her eyes slowly flickered to the side, but she refused to acknowledge Lola.
Lola went to the back of the room and sat in the corner. She looked at the back of Melissa's head, wanting desperately to talk to her friend, but she knew it wouldn't be welcomed. She started thinking of everything that had happened, trying to pinpoint the exact moment that she had lost Melissa. Her search was cut short when the door opened. Everyone's heads turned and watched as Clay stepped inside. He stopped by the door and looked around as though he was putting on a show for everyone. Needless to say, it worked. He caught the attention of every student in the room. His head was shaved, but the blond color showed on the inch-long hair on his head.
His brown eyes had a halo of black around the iris, and his facial structure was something Lola had previously only seen on models in magazines: high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and a prominent cupid bow. Lola scanned his body. He wasn't as muscular as Jax. Clay had more lean muscles, and his T-shirt hung one size too big on his body.
She was so preoccupied with watching him that she hadn't noticed him talking to her.
"Excuse me?"
She shook her head and looked up. "Yes?"
Clay chuckled and pointed to the seat next to hers.
"Is it all right if I sit here?"
Lola nodded, unable to speak a word.
Clay pulled out the chair and leaned back. He threw a carless arm over the empty chair next to him and sucked in his lip between his teeth when the professor started speaking.