"There are few people whom I really love, and fewer still, whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it, and everday confirms my belief as the inconsistency of all human character, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.

-- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice.
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As he opened his mouth to respond, his phone went off.

Talk about fucked-up timing.

"Rebecca. What is it that you need?"

The girl on the other side said something, causing my room-mate's features to harden.

"Tell him to get his shit together. I'll be there in five."

Disconnecting the call, he tossed his phone carelessly on the bed and tucked furiously at the roots of his hair in frustration.

As he began pacing around the room, muttering profanities under his breath,I cleared my throat, not exactly uncomfortable with the situation. It seemed like he'd forgotten about my presence until I took it upon myself to remind him.The frustration on his face melted into a soft look at my sight and he held out his hand to me.

"Come on darling. Let's get you to the dinning hall before you get us into any more trouble than you already have."

My face scrunched in confusion as he led me out of the room and into the hallway.

"Trouble? Since when is going to cafeteria compulsary?"

He froze mid step, and his hand on the small of my back fell limp, as he gave me a long peculiar look, before throwing his head back in a loud roar of laughter.

Okay, not insulting at all. What did I even say?

"Really now, hon, I get that your laugh is cute and all, but you need to stop. Didn't you have some place to be at? In like five minutes? No three."

He sobered up a little before patting my back and saying,

"Forgive me gal, but you are way too cute for your own good. If you think we're going to stand in a queue and bring back a tray of tasteless food in our hands, then you are in for a big surprise. Just hold onto my arm and don't get lost."

"How considerate of you.", I huffed in annoyance, and engaged myself in appreciating the architecture of the place, rather than involving my escort in a small talk.

After descending a large staircase, my eyes landed on the hall my room-mate had mentioned. Impressive. But then again, pwhat wasn't?

And now I realised why he'd been worried about getting late. All the students were already seated, making us the center of attraction, which I'm sure my compassionate mate had wanted to avoid.

Oh dear, if only I had known.

"Don't panic. I've got your back. ", he murmered soothingly in my ear, and led me to a table, where sat, five people, who were so stunningly beautiful in sight, that I almost stumbled in disbelief. Not that the ones I had passed till now were any less, but these people, were beyond perfection. Atleast their beauty was. And that in itself, was enough to make a person like me fidget with inferiority in their presence.

My perfect-so-far-roomie pulled out a chair for me, and sat on the adjacent one. The conversation at the table resumed after we got comfortable, and I smiled nervously at him to show my discomfort. Getting the hint, he cleared his throat, probably for introduction, but was interrupted when another chair was dragged back at our table. The noise caused me to look at the direction and, I, quite literary, forgot how to breathe. All the admiring, swooning, drooling aside, this man was carved to be gawked at. Without blinking, without breathing.

Why in the name of god wasn't I informed that I'd be attending school with fucking supermodels. A little warning would've sufficed.

The latest addition to the table, looked around, acknowledging everone's presence, before his eyes landed on me, widening in the slightest, and raking over my body with such an intensity that I found colour rising to my cheeks. As my lids rose to his face again, he shot me a question, the condescending note of which, made me want to cause some serious damage to his face.

"Who allowed you to sit here?"

Oh the joy of being a new student.

"It matters because?", I retorted, my temper barely in control.

You could be the son of the fucking president of the States, and I wouldn't care. Like hell would I take shit from anyone.

"She's with Ethan.", the blond guy who sat opposite me, answered the asshole who'd questioned.

Ethan? Oh! Ethan. Well, fuck.

To think I'd allowed a man to lead me here, without as much as knowing his name was frightening to say the least.

Ethan repeated the throat clearing action he'd done earlier and voiced out,

"Everyone, this is my room-mate, Hera Harrington, whom I was going to introduce, before we were so rudely interrupted by Theodore here.", he stopped for a second to glare at Theo, who returned it with a thunderous look of his own.

"Anyways, to answer what you are all probably thinking, yes, she's as lovely as she looks, and without a doubt is the newest member of our squad."

I shook my head and grinned at him. There was no way I could avoid falling in love with him. After introducing me, he did the same with with his friends.

"The guy beside you is, Elijah. Don't believe a thing he says, unless you want to end up in his bed, and out of it, just as soon. He isn't a good fuck anyway. Trust me, I've heard."

"Hey.", Elijah let out a scandalised screech, before leaning over to smack the back of Ethan's head, who dodged the attack and landed one of his own. Elijah glared at my room-mate, probably promising a retaliation later, and then looked at me fondly, while laying a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"Helen, darling, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hera.", I corrected, thinking he'd heard my name wrong, but he shook his head in denial of the idea.

"Oh I'll call you Helen, alright. Lord knows, you are going to cause quite a few duels, if not a war."

Ethan then proceeded to point out a gorgeous green eyed brunette, Katherine, who gazed at me disinterestedly, and muttered a forced hello; her boyfriend James seemed even more beautiful than her, and clearly well mannered, as he shook my hand warmly. Then there was another short, brown haired girl, with warm, honey brown eyes, and a dazzling smile which immediately made me want to get to know her. She jumped excitedly when Ethan introduced her, and lunged for a hug, telling how cool it was to have another girl in the group and how sorry she was for her brother's behavior. So, Evangeline was Theodore's sister. If not for their striking resemblance, I would have refused to believe that there could be any sort of connection between the two, given the difference in their personalities. Finally there was Lucas, the dark and mysterious type, who barely breathed in your direction, but you followed him none the less. He smiled slightly at me, and then resumed scrolling through something on his phone, lost to the conversation and those around him.

We ate our food and engaged in small talk, as I tried my best to avoid Theo's accusatory glare at having befriended his pals.

I was almost done with my meal, correction, exceedingly delicious meal, when loud clicking of heels stilled the conversation at the table, and Theo was suddenly tackled by a tall, leggy blond, who shoved her tongue down his throat, causing him to pull her closer and proceed with their public indecency. Everyone turned to their phones to shun the scene out of their sight, except Ethan, who's body burned and eyes glazed with fury.

As the two reluctantly ripped apart, the girl turned around and smiled crookedly at Ethan, who called her name with so much hatered, that I couldn't help but lean away in terror.

"Rebecca."

The word echoed over every other noice in the hall.