Thank you Kttn, Yankee Dan and every_horizon for editing.
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I stopped my bike in front of the registrar's office and cut the engine. This was my first day at college and I had butterflies in my stomach. I had chosen this college because it was almost six hours drive away from my parents' home and no one from my family had ever attended here.
I have this rebellious streak that gets me into trouble more often than not and absolutely refuse to do the expected... the expected being to attend the country's top university that most of my older cousins had gone to.
I took off my helmet and my dark, curly hair tumbled down my back. I have mixed parentage and my looks were exotic, so I've been told. I got my dark colouring from my mother and at 5'10" I got my father's height.
I quickly parked and secured my bike. A scene of mild chaos surrounded me. Senior students greeting old friends, faculty members organizing new students, parents' dropping off children, or even escorting them to get registered. Quite a few new students were on their own looking lost trying to find their way around. Just like me, I thought.
I walked quickly towards the Registrar's office, grabbing the documents I needed.
"Need some help, gorgeous?"
A guy was swaggering towards me accompanied by catcalls and whistles from his group of friends lounging about a few yards away. I ignored him and went on walking when he suddenly grabbed my hand.
"What's the hurry, babe?"
"Don't touch me," I answered coldly.
I wrenched my hand free, grabbed his wrist, then windmilled his arm causing him to land on his back with a loud thump.
Turning on my heel I quickly walked away hoping the idiot wouldn't want to pursue this further. I could hear his friends' howls of laughter in the background.
I registered and did all the course selection, got my schedule and accommodation details without too much trouble. I walked out of the building and started to look through all the documentation I'd received. I was trying to figure out the map to get to my apartment and not looking where I was going when I suddenly I bumped into someone.
"Oh! I'm sorry, excuse me!" I said startled. Looking up from my notes, I was confronted by the hostile eyes of the guy I'd tangled with earlier.
Oh, brother! I do not need this, not on my very first day at school.
"So, got everything sorted out?"
"Yes, thanks," I replied and tried to side step him.
"Hey, not so fast! I was just trying to be helpful." He grabbed my arm then dropped it just as quickly when he saw my glare.
"That's okay, I've got everything under control," I said trying to be pleasant. I just wanted to get away from the creep! I knew my earlier display had been noticed and didn't want to be branded a trouble maker.
I almost ran to my bike in my haste to get away from him. When I was just a few feet away from my bike, I heard rapid footsteps behind me. Damn! Why can't the idiot just let it go?
I side stepped quickly, put my foot out and bingo! The idiot tripped and sprawled all over the pavement. While he was dazed, I got on my bike, switched on the engine and roared away with a big grin on my face.
I knew that wasn't the end of it. I'd made him look a fool twice, in front of his friends and half the college and for creeps like him, revenge was going to be sweet. Well, fine. If he wanted war, I'll give him war!
College was turning out to be great. My lecturers were wonderful and my classmates cool. My room mate, Helen, a beautiful bubbly blond was doing an economics course.
Helen was turning out to be a godsend for someone like me. I'm a sociable person generally but I have this perverse streak and like to provoke people just to see how they'd react.
From the moment I introduced myself to her on that first day, Helen just knew that my attitude was an act. I was having fun being impossible just to provoke a reaction and Helen's way of dealing with it was to treat me like a spoiled four year old... she ignored me! I love that girl!
"Sara, me and the guys are going to do the club round tonight. You want to come along?"
"Nah, don't think so, I've got this paper to finish."
"It's Friday night, for heaven's sake!"
"Anyway, your guys don't like me," I continued, pretending not to hear Helen's protest.
"Can you blame them?" Helen asked, exasperated.
"No," I grinned back at her.
"I really don't understand you. You're gorgeous with a body to die for, which you like to flaunt, by the way. I know you're a warm, caring person, and yet, you put on this bitch act, which makes people feel like slapping you as soon as you open your mouth! Why?!"
"I like to provoke people."
"Yes, like I said, why?"
"Its fun to see their reaction, you know? Most people are just so predictable."
"One of these days you're going to get a reaction that you won't be able to handle, mark my words. After all, since you've been here you've already made, like, how many enemies? Blake's gang are just itching to get their hands on you, you've alienated half your classmates, not to mention mine. You've beaten senior guys in your martial arts class just to prove you could, out raced the school's biker gang and you do all this without breaking a sweat and keeping that irritating grin on your face!"
"Yeah, I'm good aren't I?" I grinned.
"What am I going to do with you?" Helen asked irritably.
"You can leave me to finish my paper."
Helen glared at me and walked away.
I went to answer the door when the bell rang some time later since Helen was still getting dressed. I opened it and there were the 'three stooges' as I've labeled them. Lucien Neils, Barry Donahue and Mike Peterson. These guys were Helen's best friends at college and the four of them always hung out together.
Barry and Mike were in her Economics class whilst Lucien was doing Biotechnology, like me. She'd hooked up with them on the first day of school and now the four of them were inseparable. Helen was always trying to include me into their gang but because of my wicked tongue, the guys weren't too fond of me. And me being my perverse self, I needled them all the more!
"Hey... the three stooges are here. Come on in, Helen should be ready soon."
