Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings

"Watch it boy!" A cab driver yells from his car as he nearly bumped into a twenty-two years old boy who is riding a bicycle. The boy appears very good and skillful with the bike, so good that he should be in a bike racing competition.

Behind and in front of his bikes were some old and rusty looking equipments, one could tell from his uniform that he is a maintenance guy under the famous company, "Alaska Runies" which was bodily written on the back of his stained blue coloured outfit.

He swerves himself in between cars infuriating the drivers who always yells continuously. In the busy road of New York, every morning this lad always poses a menace to drivers and road officers.

In all this he drives the bike so happily like a kid who was gifted a Christmas gift from Santa himself.

On reaching the less busy street of New York, Texas street where the well do individuals inhabit he slowed down as he joyfully greets some familiar passersby who often ignored him. He was conspicuously elated, perhaps it is because his beautiful girlfriend is celebrating her one more year on earth.

He adjusts a skin tanned leather bag to his shoulder as it was about to slip. He appeared relieved as he held it tenaciously as if his life depends on it. He smiled on remembering the beautiful present that cost him a fortune, which he bought for his girlfriend, Choley Ganner, one of the University B-Listers in terms of beauty. Her beauty is unparalleled despite being a B-Lister she was easily everyone's favorite. Her 6 feet height accentuated her hourglass figure.

She would have definitely been a perfect match for his secret boyfriend, Marcel Audrey, the Milky colored 6 feet 5 inches blue eyed boy if not for his poor and weak background hence they relationship was never something that was public especially since it was part of the agreement between them. She can't be seen around with some loafer that can't even keep up with his school expenses. It will be a huge disgrace to her. This, Marcel accepted happily. He was very content being just her boyfriend, for someone as broke as he was it is a herculean task to find a girl to call their own but here he is dating one of the University beauties.

Marcel would easily be any girl's dream guy but his wretched life has casted a horrible shadow on him, a shadow that only seems to appear conspicuous to people hence he was considered as a low fit individual that was only privileged to grace their presence because of his bright and genius brain that earned him scholarship.

"Is that not Marcel? Marcel Audrey, the University pauper?" A blonde girl asks her friend

"Oh yeah! On his daily shity routine"

"Shity! that's so kind of you, he is just a loser and a terrible one at that" The blonde said as they skyrocket themselves with laughter. Their laughter caught Marcel's attention, as he saw the beautiful girls on one side of a compound he smiled at them showcasing his perfectly matched dentition. He waved at them with one hand while the other was on the bike handle but as usual they ignored and frowned their faces.

Embarrassed, he brought down his hand slowly and shamefully as he paddled his bicycle down the street. He is already used to such treatment 'who on earth likes a poor guy like him?'

"No one" came from the voice of a man who was discussing with a lady.

"just as I thought " He sadly mutters despite knowing that the man wasn't directing it to him but it all made sense to him.

Marcel bites his lip on seeing the number of the remaining compounds that he's yet to attend to. He uses his hand to rub off the sweat that was dripping from his head to his eye. This has been Marcel's daily routine before preparing for lectures since his graduation from high school. He is a well known Maintenance guy, something he does to keep up with the expensive tuition fees of the University and also for his personal feeding and care

It is sad for him that he lost his parents at a very young age and has been alone since then after all his father's properties were taken away from him by his father's relatives that declared him illegitimate. Since then he has been on his own fairing for himself. His intelligent and smart brain earned him a scholarship at the prestigious University of Maryland, the country's most expensive and astute tertiary institution. For a poor boy from a humble beginning it was something huge and precious, to be a legal and proud student of Maryland University.

Although the tale and the promised life he expected has failed to leave up to expectation he still kept on striving. Marcel may be one of the school best brains but this wasn't enough to place him on the right side of his fellow students. He is a popular kid in the University for all the wrong reasons which ranges from physical presentation, financial capacity and his nobody background.

He came to a stop in front of a huge and beautiful mansion. As he packed his bike, his face was beaming with smiles. These used to be his dream building, a building that he admired from afar and hoped one day to be able to access. He just couldn't believe it that he is living his dream, it all came to him like a shock when his company assigned him to venture into such revered and magnificent building, something that they have refused him for three years now and for no reason all of a sudden the manager handed him the golden privilege of accessing and repairing any malfunctioning appliances or machines in the building.

'It seems like I have found favor in her sight all of a sudden or could it be that Miss Evelyn is now having feelings for me? Hmm no wonder she dressed so sexy and smoothing today. Common why on earth will she have a thing for me, she'd rather die single than date me but it won't be bad if we are actually couple' He thought to himself as he smiles mischievously on remembering his last meeting with his manager, Miss Evelyn before embarking on this adventure.

Here he is, in Forcados Tower, it is one of the University's huge buildings that is highly revered largely because of its structural and functional capacity. A building where only the affluent and very wealthy students of Maryland University dwells. It is a very magnificent abode whose fee will surely dwarf whatever quid that Marcel gets in five good years.

These were one of those moments that always serves as the perk of his strenuous work. He smiles sheepishly as he dusts his dirty trousers. He brought out a cheap perfume and sprayed himself and then rubbed his hand with spit to adjust his ruffled hair. He waited patiently as he was carried up by the very expensive looking elevator. He comes out from the elevator and then grins In front of a huge mirror just opposite him. He adjusts his bourgeois looking workshop goggles, satisfied with himself he heads to the Lobby just as he was directed by the receptionist earlier.

"Bing shrrrrrrrh!" Came the ear pearling sound of the elevator as it opens into a big hall where faces that are very familiar and taunting to Marcel were partying.

The once smiley face of Marcel became so squeezed that he looked like a horny man whose wife denied sex. He wasn't expecting to see anyone there but here he is, some group of students were having fun. Some looked familiar while others were not. He could tell that those students were from Maryland university. He thought about going back but realizing the possible consequences of not doing his job he decided against it besides everyone already knows him as a maintenance guy.

As he walked past them he was halted by a sudden eruption of voices that resonated in unison. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!!!" The once relatively peaceful students chant with joy and smiles on their faces.

Marcel's attention was caged hence he couldn't restrained the urge of feeding his eyes with what was happening. He matched towards the crowd and forced himself in between not minding being on his dirty workshop wear. At least the crowd were quite busy and engrossed that they didn't notice the discomfort he offered as he made his way to the scene.

Just like a warrior he triumphed and made way to the front but what he saw made him to cringe and stutter.

He gasps as his facial expression says it all. A bamboozled countenance, like one conned by someone they love. His throat became dry as he prayed for earth to swallow him whole