Purple Romance

Chapter 136: Slave? We are in a free world 1

A young girl ran hurriedly with her backpack hanging halfway in her left hand as she scurried through the University corners of her school. Her long black hair was tied with a hairband at the middle leaving the rest to dangle about at her slender back.

She didn't care so much for her image as the belle of the school at that moment because she was already late for lectures and the lecturer was sure going to roast her.

Paige Payin just knew she was beyond saving this time because the lecturer in her class today hated lateness the most and she was the queen of being late. It wasn't her fault that she had multiple part time jobs doing and always went to bed late but it was also definitely the fault of the lecturer for attending to class early because diligence was a virtue that one lacked and the other had.

Thinking about which excuse to give this time around for being late, Paige didn't look ahead of her direction and bumped straight ahead into another student. The student saw her first but it was still a little too late for him to dodge the weight that came crashing on him. He was already pissed off as it is to have another lady pretending to bump into him.

''Watch where you are going, shorty'' the student said with an annoyed and impatient tone.

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry'' Paige apologised but it was all for nothing because the man had walked away after pushing her to the side.

''Wow. He is even gone before I could apologise. What a jerk? Did he have to push me away like that? Do I smell?'' Paige asked rhetorically and sniffed her arms. She looked at her watch and almost screamed when she saw the time.

''I'm dead this time and there is no escaping'' Paige said as she scurried away to her lecture hall.

....

Paige stood behind a window and looked at the lecturer who was already busy teaching. She went closer to the window side and whispered to her friend who sat two seats away from the window. The students looked at her but Paige didn't mind. She was already used to the sort of eyes that followed her around.

''Did you get a seat for me?'' Paige asked her friend softly and the latter nodded her head pointing at the seat next to herself that she had placed her bag on when she first arrived. Paige smiled and removed her bag ready to throw it over to her friend when she saw a shadow towering over her.

Paige froze knowing she just got busted and with an awkward smile she looked up at the lecturer ''hi, Sir Lucius'' Paige said and bit her lips. The students in the class busted into fits of laughter.

''Paige Payin!!!'' Sir Lucius literally screamed out the name exasperatedly.

''Sir Lucius, please calm down. If you scream like that again, your blood might rise and I will probably go deaf''

''What do you think you were doing outside my class? Were you trying to get into my class like a thief?'' Sir Lucius asked.

''Off coursenot!!! Thief? No, I would never do that. I am a law abiding citizen of City B and University of Paramedics student. I know the code of behaviour so well. How could I possibly do that? Sir, it was an emergency'' Paige said the last piece softly.

''Did someone die?'' Sir Lucius asked sarcastically making the class to erupt into laughter.

''No!!!'' Paige said.

''You, if not because you still manage to top the class despite always being late, I would have casted you out of my class a long time ago. Count it your luck for at least being smart. If you were on the bottom of the class, I wouldn't waste my time on you either'' Sir Lucius said and Paige almost rolled her eyes at him.

''Sir, today is my last day of attending your lectures late. I will reflect on myself very well'' Paige said meekly.

''En, go in'' Sir Lucius said and Paige hurried into the lecture hall. She smiled at the students and walked proudly to her best friend.

''You... what is wrong with you? Did you sleep in late again?'' Carlien asked as soon as Paige sat down.

''I just returned from the wedding of my friend this morning and had to rush here''

''The ones you met in California?'' Carlien asked.

''Oh, I will tell you everything later. Let's pay attention or else Sir Lucius will give up on me'' Paige said and her best friend shook her head.

...

''I arrived safely Maria, don't worry. My regards to your husband and Kobby. I will call you another time, bye'' Paige hung up and took a can of juice from Carlien as they walked out of the lecture hall to the hallway after the lectures.

''Was that your friend, Maria Portia Lee?'' Carlien asked curiously.

''Yes, she called to find out if I arrived safely. I forgot to call her when I arrived'' Paige said.

''You are so forgetful, I sometimes wonder how you manage to pass exams and remain the top scorer for two years straight'' Carlien said and Paige chuckled saying as she placed her hand on Carlien's shoulder.

''Best friend, no hard feelings but I sometimes amaze myself''

''Shameless'' Carlien muttered and they both laughed.

''I still have some research assignment to submit, I have to go. are you leaving campus right away?'' Carlien asked Paige.

''En, I have a part time job at the laundry company to do around 15:15PM and is almost time'' Paige said looking at her time.

''Then, we will see ourselves at home I guess'' Carlien said.

''Sure, be safe'' Paige said.

''My words exactly. Make sure you watch where you are going and don't pour that drink on anyone, Miss clumsy'' Carlien said and Paige frowned.

Paige watched as her friend walked away to the right side of the lecture halls hallway before she turned and walked out, going towards the small exit at a far end of the campus. She was going to hail a cab from there since it was easier to get one there than at the entrance gate.

Paige sighed and thought about her life. Just a few years ago, she lived the life of a princess. Her family had money and she didn't have to worry about anything but all of a sudden, her family broke apart with her father having to spend some time in prison and her mother passing away. It was really hell for her but she had pulled through it all and was able to now send herself to school by working multiple jobs.

No one ever told her life was such an irony. Paige chuckled and shook her head, not wanting to dwell on the past again because it was too painful. Those memories were too painful for her. that man who framed her father and made their lives miserable was yet to pay for what he did. She was going to make sure she finds him and make him pay for everything.

Coming back to her senses, Paige realised she had spent too much time thinking about the past and her time was almost up. She hanged her bag well and ran ahead crashing into a man and the juice she had long forgotten about spilled on the man's shirt.

Jordan Attoh cussed as he pushed her aside and looked at his shirt. His group of friends looked shocked as they watched. This shirt was Jordan Attoh's favourite because his sickly sister bought it for him. He rarely wore it.

''Oops, I'm sorry'' Paige said and removed her handkerchief. She clumsily started to wipe the spilled juice on his shirt and ended up spreading it all over his shirt the more.

''Are you crazy? What do you think you are doing?'' Jordan Attoh pushed her hand away and spoke angrily. It was then that they finally looked at each other's faces. Paige frowned feeling as if she knew them somewhere but couldn't figure out immediately. But, Jordan Attoh and Lucas Bennet recognised her immediately.

''Young lady, so is you?'' Lucas Bennet said first.

''Do I know you?'' Paige asked confused. Though she genuinely couldn't recognise them at that moment, her actions came off as arrogance and made the two men angry. Jordan Attoh chuckled sarcastically saying.

''What the hell did you think you were doing? How dare you touch me with your filthy hands?''

''What? Filthy hands? Look here, did I bump into you on purpose?'' Paige asked clearly annoyed by his choice of words.

''If this isn't on purpose then what do you call it? You bumped into me in the morning and you bumped into me again this afternoon. Are you denying the fact that you were throwing yourself at me on purpose?'' Jordan Attoh said arrogantly.

''Wow'' Paige hit her chest several times trying to calm herself down. she just couldn't believe the guts of this man.