Favours

I didn't like the idea of owing him so I mumbled, "An investment please."
"Against?"
"Future earnings...?" I offered, uncertain.
"Hmm."
He stopped the car suddenly and I glared up at his glorious face, it was glowing in the morning sun. "Why are you stopping, you idiot, I'm already late."
He leaned over me and opened the passenger side door.
A climate of déjà vu descended my conscious. "But I'll be late..."
I pulled my eyes up to see how long I'd have to walk only to find I was at the drop off zone at the campus. I felt guilty for the unholy thoughts I'd been thinking about Roman a second ago.
"Let's meet back here at..." he waited for me to fill in the sentence. His voice was suddenly light, not as angry as a second ago.
"Three thirty," I said. "And Roman...?"
"What now Nuru?"
He waited warily.
"Try not to miss me."
Roman didn't smile, but at least he didn't glare. "Of course. Just as long as you extend the same courtesy to me."
I'd expected him to be angry but instead he winked at me. I couldn't believe it. I was blushing deeper than I ever had.
I shut the door, dazed and disoriented and watched as the car disappeared out of sight. My heart sank. It was going to be a long day.
"Wow." It was a girl I shared most of my classes with, she was running towards me, a look of both astonishment and awe on her face.
"Who was that?" She was standing next to me by then.
I took the girl in in stunned silence. Of course she'd never bothered to talk to me until today. She was attractive with unnatural blonde hair, brown eyes, a body to shame models.
"Hello?" She waved her hand in my face.
I could feel the shock on my face, and I tried to compose it, inhaling deeply and turning to the girl. "It was Roman Reeves."
"The hell it was!" she bellowed in disbelief. "You're funny. Roman Reeves," she scoffed, laughing loudly, drawing the attention of people within a four meter radius.
"You know him?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.
The blonde gave me a look, one that said everyone should know Roman. "Why do I even bother with you?" she turned on her heels and paddled back where she'd come from towards the main block, where my first lesson was. She looked over her shoulder and said, "What are you waiting for? Follow me."
I ran to catch up with her.
"I never got your name," the blonde murmured.
" Nuru Lynn."
"Ah," her eyes lit up with immediate awareness. "Now it makes sense that Roman would be talking to you. Your parents socialize with the elite."
I couldn't find my voice yet.
"Well... hi Nuru," she continued when I didn't respond. "I'm Philomena."
Oh, for God's sake.
I cringed. "That's unusual. Do you have a second name?"
"Beatrice."
Even worse. I scowled, sniffing my laughter, staring at my hesitant feet.
"Yeah I know, right?" She chuckled. "I get that reaction all the time."
I shook my head in disbelief, smiling.
"Even my grandmother has a better name than me. Call me Zoe."
"Zoe?" I said softly. "Is there a meaning behind it?"
"It's my grandmother's name," she mumbled, her eyes amused. "Way better than mine, right?"
"That's right," I whispered. "Nice to meet you Zoe."
"This way." She turned towards the door labelled Mathematics and my heart sank and I groaned. I hate numbers. My day already starting off with a bad ritual. "I'll introduce you to my friends at lunch."
I thought I saw people moving out of our way, scared my bad luck would rub off on them. Their disbelieving eyes watching Zoe with interest. Wondering why she chose to strike a conversation with the freak. I was seriously hoping it was just silly paranoia gripping me.
"Thanks," I mumbled, embarrassed.
"So, you quite a loner there Nuru, er?"
I kept my gaze safely on my feet, making sure my red curls created a protective barrier between me and the wondering stares. "I guess."
"Why is that?"
"Um..." I hesitated on my feet. "Well... I don't relate well to people all the time... most of the time. People think I'm weird and they don't get me at all, not that I get them. I mean, not that I don't want to but just... I don't know... I just... can't."
Zoe frowned at me over her shoulder. And she gave me the weird-indeed look. She didn't get it at all.
Nonetheless, she took pity on me. I could see it in her eyes. "Nuru?"
"Huh?" I looked up at her and something on my face made her eyes soften.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
I shook my head and took a breath. "No."
She grumbled something inaudible under her voice and walked through the door without another glance at me.
We were late to class and all the desks were occupied, though there were empty chairs in a few. I didn't want to draw attention to myself by sitting where I was unwanted. I hesitated, searching through the sea of faces, looking for a friendly expression.
Zoe leaned across the two people seater desk to talk to me.
"Nuru?" she was rolling her eyes when mine finally met hers. "Sit down." She patted the empty next to her.
I smiled at her tentatively and took a seat.
Zoe sat by me in all of our classes and as promised she took me with her at lunch, and when I saw the cafeteria swinging doors a sense of dread washed over me. We approached a table with four people sitting around it. There were three boys, and a girl.
They all looked up as I sat in the only other empty seat.
"These are my friends; Melissa and her boyfriend Chad," Zoe said, pointing to the couple locked into each others arms. The girl, Melissa, was more muscular than her boyfriend, looked like she lifted weights, she passed off as a cross between Indian and Chinese.
Chad fell more on the thin side, with defined cheekbones and full lips. He wore his hair to his shoulders and it was very nearly strawberry blonde.
"This is my boyfriend, Harry." At that Zoe gave him a warm hug and went up on her tippy toes to kiss him for he had leaped to his feet to greet her. Harry had an Afro, black in colour, he looked the most fashionable. He was quite handsome.
"And that's Kyle," she continued.
"Ky," he corrected automatically. He took my hand and kissed it.
I couldn't stop my blush.
Kyle crouched in front of me, leaning close to examine my face with sharp untrusting eyes. "Are you new here?"
"No," I hesitated, not fully convinced I understood the question. "If by new you mean I just got here, no."
"Hmm..." He continued to stare at me, eyes still scrutinizing, for a long moment. I ducked my head.
"Stop it," I whispered shyly. "You're embarrassing me."
Kyle was about to talk when Zoe cut in. "Just ignore him, he's totally gay." She laughed. "And boy, he's had more men than all the girls on campus combined."
Kyle bit his lip.
"That's a little extreme, don't you think?" I asked.
"I'm nothing close to a liar," Zoe said.
Everyone looked at Kyle as he ditched some dirt on a former friend of his, Kelly. I started to feel uncomfortable. Gossiping. I shuddered.
"Here have some pizza, Nuru." Harry pushed the tray towards me.
I was hungry enough to eat a whole cow. It'd have made sense for me to take Harry up on his offer but an excited shriek interrupted my answer.
"Sweet Jesus!" Zoe blurted, interrupting all the conversations going on in the small table and possible every other table in the cafeteria. "Roman Reeves?"
My gaze searched for him immediately and when I found him, a flood of relief ran over me.
Kyle, Melissa, and Zoe stared at me with open-mouthed surprise.
"Wait," Zoe said, holding one hand up, palm first. Her glance flickered to Roman and then back to me. "...And he's staring at you?"
I bit my lip. Roman grimaced at the gesture, his eyes flickering with annoyance, and said something to the man standing to his left. There were two of them, both in black suits, white shirts, black shoes, black ties, black sunglasses. They reminded me of The Matrix.
Zoe gave a short, hard laugh, her mouth twisting down. "You were telling the truth!"
I scarcely heard her, the dull ache in my heart healed completely and I recoiled at that realization, shaking my head. I felt completely at ease now.