ONE
—Years earlier—
It was a sunny day at Kreson University. Everywhere was lively and flooded with people; students, lecturers and visitors walking up and down with their books and bags, busy with one thing or the other, playing, laughing, rushing to classes or simply standing. But to Diane, her phone was the busy and lively one as she pressed and pressed while she waited by her jeep just a stone throw to the building of Social Science Department.
Though the sun was high and wouldn’t be blamed because it was summer, but the baseball cap Diane wore managed to put a shadow on her face and the barely leafy tree she parked under pulled some shadows on her with few rays of sunlight; she seemed to have targeted it. She made her only business the phone she was holding.
Diane was a picture of a very beautiful girl, green eyes, light skinned, average size and height, with a long curly brown hair. Her weight and height were proportional to each other. And to cap it all, at twenty, she was the sole heiress to multibillion dollar properties but she was not anything like the spoilt brats of rich parents with shoulders high and chins up whose legs couldn’t touch the ground. Diane never made these beauty and status of hers a threat to others or become a superior bully. She was large at heart and her friends were the common people, if not the poor. And these were the only fault of hers.
She waited graciously by her jeep just then Shannel, her age mate and best friend, slim, taller and dark with short bob ginger hair walked out of the Social Science building and towards her. She smiled seeing Diane waiting.
Shannel was a girl from an average family and it was always an amaze to her as to how she became best friends with the young multibillionaire, though she never knew the extent of her wealth. It was a disturb thinking about it and at the end of the thoughts, she would always come up with the conclusion that it was just meant to be.
It was still so vivid in her mind. The first day they came to the University for their Admission. Diane had asked her way to the admission building but she happened to be new to the school for her admission also and she just smiled, looking at the awesome sight of Diane. She was obviously from a ‘silver plus diamond’ background, if there was something like that, she had thought, someone should actually invent that.
Shannel stared at Diane and Diane wondered why she wouldn’t answer her but kept staring at her. So she repeated herself but in a slow and stressed expression now.
‘Do-you-know-the way to the admission building please?’
Shannel smiled and shook her head, ‘I’m a fresher too. I’m trying to find my way to the admission building also.’
‘Oh,’ Diane said and wondered why she was gazing at her.
‘By the way, you look good, you’re beautiful,’ Shannel said smiling.
‘Err…’ Diane was short of words. She furrowed in confusion but managed to say, ‘thanks.’
She was used to guys saying that; and lots of girls she knew didn’t even care about how she looked or what she put on because they were probably putting on the same or something more expensive. Even if they felt she was beautiful, they would rather swallow it up than spill. Their ego wouldn’t just let them say it. She was amazed and this was coming from someone beautiful too. Did she even look at herself? Diane gazed at her, thoughtful, but the gesture got to her and she didn’t know when she said it.
‘Likewise.’
‘Oh,’ Shannel was surprised, ‘thanks.’
She didn’t even know she’s beautiful? Diane was thoughtful and couldn’t help it but ask.
‘What, you didn’t know you’re beautiful?’
‘Uh—no; I mean I look at myself in the mirror and get compliments from—but I’ve not had someone like you appreciate me.’
Someone like me? I wonder what she meant by that. Diane decided not to probe further. She smiled, ‘well I guess those like me are bitches then.’
Shannel giggled at that.
Diane found her giggle amusing and she giggled too and then she held her hand out, ‘I’m Diane Murray.’
‘Shannel West.’
They held each other’s hand smiling and staring at each other. Soon Diane was finding it awkward and she looked away. Her eyes strayed few meters away from where they were and she saw the sign post.
‘Oh that’s it! The admission building!’ she grinned.
Shannel turned and saw the sign post too. ‘Wow, sharp eyes!’ she chuckled. ‘Let’s go.’
That day was the beginning of something new and wonderful in their lives. They never skipped a day without seeing each other.
‘Done?’ Diane’s voice intercepted her thoughts.
Shannel was snapped back into the present. Diane was looking and smiling back at her.
‘Yes darling, let’s go get our doctors,’ Shannel dropped nonchalantly. She squinted and then laughed. The sentence she just made sounded too possessive to her ears.
Diane chuckled. ‘Yup,’ she tilted her head up to the passenger side, ‘hop in then.’
Shannel walked to the passenger side of the car. They hopped in and drove off.
Rick was at his reading table in a pair of blue jeans and white under wear, reading. Terry, his roommate and best friend was dressing up for class.
Rick was a short dark skinned guy, maybe 5’5 but his weight and size were proportional to his height. He had sexy eyes and a perfect shape, slim built that one would think he often worked on his body and tummy to make sure they didn’t go out of shape. If he went for a modeling competition, his height would be the only thing to disqualify him. Terry on the other hand was tall and cinnamon skinned with an average body mass; a perfect shape for his height also. Rick’s neck always had to go up in 160 º angle when talking to him and times Rick would ask him to move back, just so he would have his neck in the right angle or bearable shift during the conversation and not have to go through the stress of looking up consequent to neck ache.
Terry poured a murmur of complaints as he dressed.
Rick looked at him and chuckled at his no-figuring-out words of murmur.
‘You know going to this class is not a necessity?’ Rick pointed out.
Terry turned to him sharply.
‘What! You wan’ me ‘o fail? How can I pass if adon’ a‘end classes?’
‘I don’t know, read your books? I’m not going.’
Terry looked at him; he then ignored him and continued dressing, ‘we don’ a‘end this same class, I chose this as optional you didn’.’
‘Exactly, you chose this on yourself, so quit complaining and disturbing me,’ Rick said and resumed reading.
‘But how was I s’pposed ‘o know he would be like this?’ Terry argued.
‘Research?’ he was thoughtful, ‘tell me something Terry, why do you hate this lecturer so much?’
‘I don’ know; maybe because of the way he lectures, he’s ‘oo sluggish. Do you know rou’ly eigh’y percen’ of the class sleeps during his lectures? And even the way he dresses like ‘em who ‘bou’ ‘o roll away the big s’one on Jesus ‘omb. I’m ‘elling ya when he walk-by a li’ candle, the fire‘ll go off.’
Rick looked at him in surprise, ‘seriously; Jesus tomb?’ he laughed. ‘Well, thank God no one was needed to do that.’
‘Exac’ly, if no’, I’d really believe he did i’,’ Terry said combing his hair.
They laughed and Rick started packing his books together.
‘That would have been a good name for him though, you know, Reggie the Stoneroller,’ Rick scoffed; ‘that sounded ridiculous,’ he walked to his bed with his books.
There were two beds in the room, one for Rick and the other, Terry. Rick’s bed seemed larger. He sat on the larger one, placing his books on the floor by his side.
‘No really, I think i’s nice; you know, people would love the name and the household would be popular and honored for their deed and who knows you migh’ be from the generation and bear, Rick S’oneroller,’ Terry argued, lost in his words.
Rick looked up at him with a frowned expression while Terry pondered on what he had just said.
‘Hmm, tha’ sounds lovely, Rick S’oneroller,’ he repeated it in a stressed manner and nodded satisfyingly. ‘And I’m sure God would really bless tha’ household f’doing His only son tha’ grea’ favor and you wouldn’ be in this wretched si’uation now; you’d be in migh’y weal’h which would also be passed on ‘o me ‘cos I’m your bes’ friend.’
‘Or you might not even be my friend at all and only see me in TVs; hearing my voice from afar and nursing the dream of meeting the greatest Rick Stoneroller someday,’ Rick said with the side of his upper lip slightly up, teasing Terry for his silly words.
Terry was thoughtful that it was very obvious he didn’t realize Rick was teasing him.
‘Hmm there’s tha’ ‘oo,’ Terry grinned at Rick, ‘tha’ would be lovely, don’ you think?’
Rick frowned at his friend in a silly facial expression, wondering if he was throwing his tantrums back at him or he was really being silly not understanding his sarcasm.
He smiled, ‘aintya amusing? Are you not going to—’
The door opened and Rick and Terry looked back to see Diane.
‘My love,’ Rick jumped out of bed and embraced her.
‘I’m leaving Rick S’oneroller,’ Terry announced picking his bag and turned to Diane, ‘hi Mrs. S’oneroller ‘o be.’
Diane looked at Terry in confusion.
Terry continued, ‘hope the s’one wasn’ ‘oo heavy for your boyfriend’s forefathers?’
Diane was confused but went with the flow; she chuckled and shrugged with her eyebrows raised, ‘how would I know?’
Terry laughed. Rick was shocked at that and he slogged Diane’s arm.
‘What?’ Diane shrugged at him.
Terry laughed and hugged Diane tightly, ‘oh Diane I love you,’ he looked at her, ‘you flow with the flow.’
‘Thank you,’ she said in her confused state, ‘I love you too.’
Rick chuckled watching them.
‘Don’ ‘ell Shannel I said tha’.’
She nodded, ‘and don’t tell Rick,’ she winked.
‘I won’, i’s our lil’ secre’—’
‘Hey I’m here,’ Rick announced interruptedly.
Terry stopped abruptly and furrowed at Diane, ‘did you hear anyone ‘alk?’
‘No just you; you?’
He shook his head, ‘nah.’
‘Seriously?’ Rick said looking at them in amazement.
Terry laughed and slapped Rick’s arm, ‘see ya,’ he left the room.
Rick chuckled and watched him leave. Then Diane gave him the tell-me-look.
‘Don’t worry, he’s just crazy,’ Rick smiled at her. He saw her fixed gaze on him, not blinking and he knew she wouldn’t budge, ‘ok, I will tell you but not now.’
‘Of course not now,’ she dipped her hand in her purse and brought out a bundle of notes. ‘Here, I came to give you this; I have a class now so I need to rush.’
‘Thanks my love,’ he collected it and kissed her on the forehead.
‘Let me walk you to the car.’
They walked out of the room.
Diane and Rick walked towards her jeep arm in arm.
‘I don’t know why you let that man harass you over this silly building when you have a mansion missing you. If he needs his house then leave it for him and come live with me,’ Diane said, a bit pissed. ‘I mean this is getting too much.’
Diane lived in a very big mansion alone and even though she’d been the one paying Rick’s rent, she’d always wanted him to live with her and this issue of needing the house Rick’s landlord brought up couldn’t make her more happy and pissed at the same time that a landlord is disturbing her love. The mere thought of anyone making her love’s life unbearable pissed her off easily. She couldn’t bear the thought of her man being sad or a less happy.
‘Well, it doesn’t look like I have any choice left,’ Rick exhaled; ‘but how about Terry?’
‘What about Terry? You of all people should know Terry has no problem. He can take care of himself, unless you mean, he will miss you which of course I agree he will and if he needs any help which I don’t think he will, I’m here and ready to help,’ Diane said.
‘Thank you my love.’
‘Don’t do that, it’s my duty to be there for you and anyone close to you,’ Diane said and opened her car.
Rick smiled. ‘So, later—in the evening?’
‘Yes; I will see you after class, you have class by noon right?’
‘Yes, I will call you when I’m through.’
‘Alright then, bye,’ she pecked him on the cheek, entered her jeep and drove off.