Chapter 5

• Brook.
• To say that Columbia is incredible is an understatement, I've only been here a week and I can say that this is something else, the teachers are three times as demanding, it's as if they expect us all to be the best of the best that exist, the competition between some of the students is even greater and all this has caused a level of stress that is too intense for me.
• In my old university everything was much more relaxed and calm, I was the best in my group and that's it, I didn't have to try too hard but here, here I have to open my eyes wide if I want to keep my number one position and that has been nothing easy with the presence of Summer Shepar, she's a fucking girl who, although at first I thought she would be like all the beautiful girls I've seen in most places, I was terribly wrong as with many other things here.
• Summer is popular, beautiful, intelligent and has the number one position in the group, she is also kind, but up to that point she is a disgusting person in my opinion, a first class hypocrite and I knew that the moment I saw her talking to one of the girls after math class II was the kindest and sweetest person I ever saw.
• As soon as the girl turned and left her alone, she rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance as she turned to her coterie of equally cute and hypocritical girls and blurted out something like she seriously detested people who thought they might try to stand out. somehow, that dreaming didn't cost anything but that it was seriously desperate.
• From that moment on I made the cross and I try to overcome it to lower her temper, but I do it trying to go unnoticed, I don't want her to divert her attention to me, at least not for now. It's been an intense week, coming here after the first transfer break was pretty crazy and shocked a lot, but it's nothing I couldn't handle.
• "Hello, cutie," says a familiar voice next to me and I sigh when I recognize it.
• - Hello Charlie - I answer reluctantly, I've known him for a few days, because Sarah introduced him to me, he was her appointment on Monday.
• – Is something wrong, do you look tired? - ask in a whisper
• - I am, it has been a long and exhausting week - he sees me for a moment and gives me that sweet and funny smile that he has
• - I understand, by any chance have you seen Sarah? – Ask mischievously and sigh, I already missed so much kindness, the handsome and sexy boy who walks by my side is my best friend's new conquest, I think he is a sweet boy but I think he shouldn't hang out with my friend much , she is not serious or stable relationships.
• - I haven't seen her since this morning - I pause to study her expression and her smile doesn't disappear
• - I want to ask her out tonight, the band I play in will perform at a bar in the city and I wanted her to go - he comments enthusiastically and smiled, I insist he is a sweet boy and I had no idea he was part of a band.
• I actually met Charlie by chance two days ago, because we stumbled on our way to the parking lot where Sarah was waiting for me and he happened to be going to see her. We introduced ourselves and he seemed like a charming and funny guy, I like the energy he gives off and I like his carefree and simple style.
• I never imagined that I would be part of a band or something like that, he smiled once as I listen to him chattering next to me that it's an important presentation and that he would like my friend and I to be there if I want to go. The guy talks very animatedly and for a moment I feel a little bad because I know my friend well enough to know that this won't last long and that Charlie will soon be one more on her list of conquests.
• If my best friend is not characterized by that as a woman with serious or stable relationships, everything for her comes down to living the moments with intensity, which I admire, because I am more of something stable, of the security of clear and honest things. , she is much wilder than me in that aspect and I respect it but I have never agreed, I have seen many good boys hurt with her captivating personality and that exotic body that wears out.
• - Charlie seriously I don't think it's a very good idea - but the voice of another boy interrupts me
• – brother, where the hell have you been? – a guy covered in tattoos and looking like a typical badboy approaches us, Charlie smiles broadly at him and immediately introduces us
• "This is Brook, Sarah's best friend" he explains to the boy who turns to see me and immediately a mischievous smile appears on his pretty pink lips.
• - I'm Thomas, but you can call me Tom - he says holding out his hand in my direction - a pleasure - he says winking at me one of his beautiful brown eyes - I understand that you're seriously crazy about this girl but if you don't want Kyle to kick your ass repeatedly for be late move - he adds looking seriously at his brother
• - It doesn't make me crazy, I just wanted to invite her to the concert and Kyle can go to hell when he's late or something never happens, besides we're not late - he says looking at the watch on his wrist his brother rolls his eyes and he tells him he spits in a bad mood
• - Z is pissed off for some fucking reason and I don't want to hear them fight during the whole fucking rehearsal because we're late - he lets go without further ado and I recognize that name so I turn to see him
• – Z? - I ask surprised, I never imagined that this being could be part of a band and in which these two were less together, although if I analyze it coldly, Tom seems like Zero's kind of friends but Charlie doesn't
• - Yes because? – Tom asks suspiciously – are you one of Team Zero? – and I can't help but start laughing at that Team Zero thing
• - I wish that idiot, I was just surprised that you knew him or were in a band with him - I answer simply shrugging my shoulders
• – he's not part of the band – adds Charlie and sighs – well not anymore, but he used to be
• - Charlie it's getting late, come on - his brother snaps at him and turns to see me with an embarrassed expression - I'm really sorry but you have no idea how annoying those two get when they've had a bad day - he laughed because I imagine that for that Boy, every day is a bad day.
• - Don't worry, in fact I think I'm starting to pity them for being friends with that idiot - this time they both laugh looking at me curiously
• "I think we finally got a girl who doesn't fall for Evans's few charms" Thomas says amused and Charlie laughs with him.
• – or their eyes – adds the other before walking backwards and continuing to laugh – you know I see them at 8:30 at Madness and please tell Sarah not to wear anything too short or tight – a strange glow takes over of his eyes when he makes said statement and receives a push from his brother who begins to laugh
• – Why don't you fear that you can't keep your eyes on the instrument if not on her? - Charlie laughs a little nervously as he scratches his neck and says goodbye to me with a smile, I see them leave while joking with each other and he smiled.
• It's great to have a brother to share these kinds of things with, immediately the memory of Connor floods my thoughts and the lump that settles in my throat makes me think that I really should get busy doing something soon otherwise I will be plunged into Memories of my little brother and my week, which has been quite interesting, ends with a sea of negative feelings that I don't need right now.
• – Hello – says someone next to me once more and I turn to see the boy who is standing above me is very tall and just like Thomas is also covered in tattoos – you're new right? – Although your question seems a bit reckless and daring, it already seems normal to me, I have heard it many times this week.
• – yes, why? – he smiles and nods
• - You are alone in the middle of a corridor where everyone else is accompanied and I just saw the idiots of the Smiths talking to you - I turn to look at him badly
• - You shouldn't say idiots, they're not - I blurt out and he laughs
• - They are, believe me, I know them well enough to assure you and I insist you are new here - her comment and the arrogant tone she uses to speak makes me uncomfortable
• - Anyway, it's up to me to decide if they are idiots or not - I blurt out crossing my arms, I don't like his attitude at all, although I must admit that he is fucking sexy, he raises one of his eyebrows and laughs
• - Calm down, they are my friends, in fact I was looking for them, we have a rehearsal in 45 minutes but I wanted to ask them a favor just because something in you caught my attention - he comments looking at me from top to bottom, the corner of his lips pulls to the right showing me a stocking smile – that innocent touch that you have I like – he adds giving me a closed-mouth smile that if it came accompanied by other words I would surely like much more.
• - sorry? He laughs and shrugs.
• - I'm sure you're one of those naturally innocent girls who falls for guys like the Smiths and even though they're my friends, I must warn you, they're idiots - before I can say anything else, a deep manly and vaguely family voice sounds behind us.
• – Kyle, did you find them? - The aforementioned, who turns out to be the same boy the brothers were talking about a while ago, turns to see the boy he had least wanted to see.
• Zero walks towards us with one hand inside one of the pockets of his black pants - which I must say fits quite defined and wide legs - a dark flannel falls over his torso marking his defined, veined and perfect thigh muscles. his arms, his eyes fixed on the screen of his phone
• - No, but they go to the parking lot, they were bothering the new one - the other boy comments and I turn to glare at him.
• - My name is Brooklyn, not new - I blurt out irritated, he raises his hands in the air at my tone and smiles amused
• – Is your name like the city? - He says looking at me with an amused expression and I roll my eyes.
• "What are you losing?" Zero adds as he stops next to us, his eyes fixed on the screen when he began to recite the question, but as soon as his eyes meet mine his face changes completely.
• Her brows furrow, her ring-adorned pink lips press together a bit, and her piercing – and beautiful, I must admit – eyes look at me with displeasure?
• - What are you doing here? - he snaps at me in a bad way and smiled arrogantly
• - It's a totally free corridor in which anyone can travel smart - I snap at him in a mocking tone, the hand that holds his phone closes with more force and I see how his knuckles turn slightly white due to the pressure he exerts on it.
• - Kyle, can you tell me what you're talking to - he looks me up and down and ends with a contemptuous smile - Jake and the pirates ? – the guy in front of me looks from one to the other and then laughs
• – Shit do they know each other? - We both shake our heads, which seems to amuse this Kyle even more, who crosses his arms and watches his friend who hasn't stopped looking at me as if he wanted to dismember me and bury me five meters underground - then - he says once amused - this tension between you is the one between two perfect strangers and why the hell did you just call him Jake and the pirates , which is not the most children's animated series? – he asks with a frown.
• Immediately my body tenses my gaze drifts to the face of the boy covered in tattoos and cold expression who seems to be enjoying the moment, his lips curl into a closed mouth smile that seems evil to me but honestly makes him look amazing sexy.
• When he opens his mouth to respond to his friend, I go ahead and snap at him.
• - Dare to say something and I swear to God and all the saints that exist that I will erase that stupid smile you have on your face - ok I'm not an aggressive person, in fact I think that as long as conflicts are avoided the better, but this guy in Seriously, it makes me desperate and takes me to the edge so fast that I don't understand how I'm going to do that to erase his smile, since he's much taller than me, as well as corpulent and I'm very sure he's stronger too.
• His smile widens to show me perfect teeth, his eyes twinkle with mischief, and after a few moments when I'm sure he mentioned to his friend about the pen he picked up in the parking lot a week ago, he just flicks his eyes to Kyle and tells him. he winks then walks away ignoring me completely.
• Kyle watches him go with a smile very similar to Zero's, but with an amused expression, he turns to look at me and his smile widens I have no idea what expression I have but by how tense I am I can swear I'm smashing the back of his neck with my blade. look.
• - Normally the girls look at him like this right after they wake up in his bed and he kicks them out, this is totally new for me - he says amused and earns a resentful look from me - I like you Brooklyn - he adds, walking in his friend's footsteps , then stops and smiles even wider.
• - I'll see you at the show at 8:30, I assure you that if you arrive his smile will disappear - he comments amused and I frown, then he winks at me and starts running to catch up with his friend.
• I watch them walk away feeling like seriously there are too many different people on this campus, but these four are too strange a bunch for my liking, even though Kyle's last words are particularly enticing.
• I turn and continue my walk to the library where I was going before those four showed up, I took out my phone and sent a text to Sarah
• Brook: your boy wants to know if we can go to the concert tonight, he approached me a moment ago asking about you, please don't tell me that you're already starting to avoid him, you only went out with him once.
• She sent the text and sighed, I don't want to sound like her mom, but seriously, it seems to me that sometimes Sarah goes too far, and if she's already starting to avoid him, it must be for a reason.
• Sarah: Charlie I invite you to the touch??? And since you think I'm going to avoid such a specimen, did you notice how her hair falls on her forehead or how her beautiful smile dazzles? Impossible for Brooklyn to avoid it.
• I read the sms and I can't help but start laughing this is Sarah in her element, while I read the sms another one arrives and I proceed to read it.
• Sarah: I've run out of battery and the charger hasn't worked since last night and since we haven't seen each other because I'm full and you still haven't heard from yesterday morning. Do you want to go?
• Her question surprises me, seriously she is asking me if I want to go out on a Friday night for a gig, in a bar I don't know and where I have no idea what kind of music they even play, I sigh weighing my options, neither I want to be home alone on a Friday night. Suddenly Zero's mocking smile comes to my memory and irritation is present, Kyle's suggestion also comes to my brain and smiled
• Brook: there's that to that touch!
• That's all I write and he sent it, he smiled once more and I tell myself that at least I'll erase his stupid smile and eliminate his mocking attitude. I finish going up the stairs to the library entrance to look for the book I need to finish the essay on chemical processes, which I have to hand in on Monday.
• Once at home I organize the mess that I call a room, I have so many things scattered around that I don't know how it is that I haven't been stuck in the head of a Smurf while walking around the room barefoot. I pick up a set of sheets that have a lot of doodles on them, flip through a few to make selections of which of my drawings to keep and which to send straight to the trash.
• One of the things I usually do in my free time, besides dancing and listening to music, is drawing, I'm not an expert but I'm pretty good and I enjoy it a lot. As I browse I find the first drawing I did after my first day here.
• I look at him carefully, a pair of big eyes, framed by thick eyebrows and of different colors, look at me from the paper, I smile when I see them because I've drawn them like a million times. It's just that these don't have that warmth that the ones I draw usually have, these are much colder and I immediately curse under my breath when I remember that I drew them thinking about the idiot Zero and how similar he is to Niko.
• When I am about to crumple up the sheet to throw it in the bin in the corner, I stop doubting, it is the first time that this drawing is so perfect on me, I take so much care that even the small details are drawn in amber tones around the iris of her eye right. I sigh because it would be a shame to throw away such a well-crafted drawing, so I decisively take the sheet and pin it to the cork along with other drawings that I have been hanging from it.
• If I wasn't studying chemical engineering, I would study illustration, but in the end, illustration became a hobby and chemistry won the battle, so here I am. I throw the rest of the drawings that did not pass my harsh criticism into the trash can and finish organizing my shoes inside my closet.
• Once I finish, I turn around to contemplate the result when I stop my eyes fall on the cold look of the eyes that I drew and for some strange and inexplicable reason my heart races, I sigh because I recognize that reaction and it is the same as when I am nervous.