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Chapter Three

Nathan gave his books a once-over, before zipping his black back-pack. Devin, his pale-faced and skinny roomie had already left for school, leaving him work to do.

Remembering him made Nathan think he had two people to protect, instead of one.

But here he was, still fidgeting with what to take, and if he was dressed alright.

Not that he wasn't confident or hadn't had friends or anything, but one couldn't help feeling first-jitters when in social settings like this, where so much people would be gathered at the same place.

He'd always been educated privately, no school setting like this. Master had employed private tutors to teach him, and now it seemed more like he was going to teach himself.

Because he had just one duty, and it wasn't to learn, it was to guard the daughter of Mr. Swack.

He looked at himself in the mirror, his pale blue eyes, the small silver ring on his nose.

His immaculate white hair was parted to fall on both sides of his face in curled loops, the black of his hair lining the partition.

He had downed a navy blue hoodie and black jeans to fit.

He took his backpack, wearing it before surveying the room once more, his raised cabinet bed that was level with the window.

Did the carpenters not have any human sympathy? What if he fell off the window?

He scoffed. Well the room was clean enough for him, as he wouldn't leave without making sure that was the case.

Most of the residence halls on-campus were quite far from school grounds and arriving for classes early always proved arduous.

But Mr. Swack had managed to get him a place in close proximity to school

Soon enough he had arrived the red-bricked building that was Galewood College---with abundant white windows and lawns---on time to push through the glass door.

The main hall was buzzing. He shuffled through the horde of students, varying color of clothing, hair and cologne.

"Sorry" He said.

"Excuse me" He muttered.

He had to find her, before everyone disappeared for lectures. He was having the same courses as her, so it'd be better to stick together, or maybe that was a bad idea.

He entered a lobby, floored with marble tiles and tall brown lockers lining both sides of the walls.

There were signs to departmental courses carved in solid black on top of walls, but none of them the one he was looking for.

Just like at the main hall, heads turned to stare, but he felt more aware of the lingering stares of the females and giggling.

He's cute.

He's hot. And many more things Nathan could imagine them saying, except they came as an after-thought. He needed to find the one reason he was here.

He located the sign board with "FRESHMAN" across the wall, leading to the large auditorium.

He walked in, his bag on his shoulder, and using the large ascending staircase that divided the wooden fixed-chairs in a rising form.

The hall was already clamorous with the few students who were already sitted, flipping through pages or chatting.

He searched the crowd, and no sign of her.

He sighed. She really was going to make his first day laboriously miserable.

He located a brown-haired guy wearing a white top and ragged jeans, a group gathered around him and listening to him talk.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Does anyone here know a Rosetta Carson?" He searched their faces imploringly.

"Of course, who doesn't know the Rosetta Carson" The guy said. "The girl typically owns the entire school" he chuckled.

"She's at the library, if you're looking for her." A fair-skinned lady with dark-blonde hair said, smiling at him. "That's where I saw her last" She had on a classic denim outfit.

He smiled back. "Thanks"

The library was your typical lined wooden shelves and walls of books. Except in this case you could almost get lost in here.

How exactly would he locate her in this maze of shelves.

But he'd come round to another aisle when he spotted her.

She backed him from where he stood, and was talking to her female friends. She wore a cream strap blouse and brown flannel trousers.

.

"No. I don't think I'm joining one of those, I'm thinking a debate club."

"Debate? Goodness, Rose"

He moved towards her, stopping a short distance and gestured to one of them that was watching him to tap her.

And she did. "Rose, someone is here for you"

Rose turned, then rolled her eyes. "A minute guys, I'll be back"

She walked towards him. "Follow me" She said as she went past.

There was a possibility for Nathan, this was going to be the most favorite part of his job, or the most annoying.

She rounded a quiet, empty corner of a bookshelf and stopped.

Nathan paused, his thoughts freezing as he stared at her. Some of her hair was tucked carefully behind her ears, making her look as cute as she was pretty. She had applied little make-up as well.

And her brown eyes. The smell of her cologne.

He tore away from his daze. He wasn't here to stare or gawk . "You're not going to make my job any easier are you?"

She furrowed her brows. "Have you been stalking me?

He frowned. "No, of course not. "

"What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you obviously"

Rose looked back, then to him. "Look, I don't know what you and my dad think you have got planned, or you think for some vain reason I need protecting...but I don't. I need you to stay away from me"

" I think we should stick together. Least till he is somewhat settled about your safety."

What did she think she was thinking? Was she trying to get him fired before he had already begun.

She gave him a wide-eyed, incredulous stare. "No, that is the very opposite of everything I've been trying to say. Stay away and avoid me pls"