Aris Part 2

And, well... my life story was a perfect combo to attract all of this.
My father was one of the biggest textile industry entrepreneurs in the country, and that somehow provided me with some protection during my childhood and adolescence. But now, out of the house and starting adult life away from family protection, I knew I would have to face it all more directly.
I just didn’t expect it to come so quickly and so drastically.

We left the restroom and returned to our table. Only then did I notice that the blonde girl was at the table right next to ours, with a group of five other young people – four men and one girl. One of them, sitting with his back to us, also had a leather jacket with the same bird emblem on the back. It looked like a meeting of the group I had been advised to avoid.

Lizzie and I exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that it was a good time to leave and find another place for lunch. However, before we could get up, one of the guys came up to us, stopping right in front of me and looking directly at me.

“You’re new in town, aren’t you?” he asked.
I simply nodded, and he scrutinized me a bit more before firing another question:
“You came to study at Aristotélica?”
“Yes,” I answered, trying not to show that I was intimidated.
“It’s a university famous for taking in students from all over the world. But they tend to leave after they graduate or, if they stay, they contribute somehow to society. They’re not parasitic refugees.”

“Hey!” Lizzie shouted, ready to defend me.
However, I was grown enough to handle it myself.
So, I stood up, holding the gaze of that jerk and not showing any discomfort despite him being about twenty centimeters taller than me.
“I don’t argue with xenophobes. So, I’d appreciate it if you could move out of our way so we can pass.”
“Look... The refugee’s got a bit of courage. And what if I don’t want to move? What are you going to do about it?”

Before I could respond, the guy who had been facing away from us stood up, pushing his chair back. When he turned around and I saw his face, I felt a jolt of recognition run through me.
Dimitris Makris...
The forbidden boy...

When he came up to us, I thought he would join the other guy against me. But instead, he grabbed the other guy by the arm, pulling him away from my table.
“What the hell, Dimitris?” the jerk asked, furious.
“I think that’s enough of playing the fool for today,” Dimitris replied.
It was the first time I heard his voice. Despite being low, it was strong and commanding. It showed me that it wasn’t just money and influence that made the other group members apparently respect him so much.
Although visibly irritated, the other guy didn’t respond.
Lizzie stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the restaurant.
As we left, I took one last look back. More specifically, at the guy I was supposed to stay away from, but who had surprisingly just defended me.