Chapter 5-- Eye Candy
Lilia saunters across the campus grounds, followed by a small group of bright-eyed newcomers, many of whom are holding brochures, notepads, or cameras.
"And that one over there is the math and science building..." She turns to address the tour group, her ponytail flinging with the turn of her head. "It's one of the larger halls, so many of your core classes will most likely be in there. It's also equipped with five labs."
She continues on, leading the group past the large glass-paneled building. She has changed her clothes by now: A comfortable cotton white tee with
ELCC Sports
written across the chest, a pair of denim shorts tightly hugging her hips as she walks, and a pair of flip flops, which she has substituted for the pair of blush-colored trainer shoes she used during the volleyball match.
"Now, if you'll please follow me this way. We'll head over to the dining hall. I hope everyone's hungry!"
Unbeknownst to Lilia, one of the lads trailing behind her has a camcorder tucked in the black duffle bag in his hand, the lens peeking out of an unzipped gap and trained on her juicy rear swaying about in the tight shorts.
("Blimey! What a lush body! Uni gals are so much sexier than secondary school girls...")
The lad holding the duffle bag- first-year film student Melvin Tilton, grins to himself excitedly as his eyes remains fixed on the subject of his current recording.
("I've definitely gotta wank off to this tonight! But for now, I'll keep a close lens on her. She's the perfect model for my next film series!")
As the group stops outside the diner, Lilia starts walking from person to person, handing out slips of paper.
"Well, here we are. I will now distribute your lunch coupons, as well as an invite card for our annual Halloween Festival this weekend! It's free to attend, even if you are not yet enrolled."
("Aw yeah! I reckon there'll be loads of uni gals dressed like sluts!")
An ecstatic Melvin holds the invite card in his hand, which reads:
Haunted Night. 10.31 Sat. 10pm~3am
"And this concludes our tour." Lilia waves to the group as she finishes handing out the last card. "Enjoy your meal, everyone!"
As the group breaks, Melvin tries to follow Lilia, who is headed in the opposite direction. But his slight frame is unable to overpower the flood of his fellow visitors shoveling in front of him into the diner. By the time he manages to scamper past the traffic, Lilia has vanished around the building corner. Melvin sprints over and is unable to locate his subject.
("Shit! I hope she didn't catch on!")
In fact, Lilia remains oblivious to being Melvin's subject. She ponders to herself as she saunters down the pavement.
"I hope that went as well as I think it did...Hmm?" She lifts her eyes and spots a little girl with long, straight golden hair, probably no older than 7 and wearing a long, blue one-piece gown, sitting alone on a wooden bench with her head down- quite an unusual sight on a college campus. Lilia makes her way over and smiles in the friendliest way possible:
"Hi there, little lass. Is everything alright?"
The girl pops her head up and meets Lilia's gentle gaze with her large sapphire blue eyes. Then, in a soft, timid voice, stutters:
"I...I got separated from nana...And I don't know how to find her..."
"Oh no, that's no good!" Lilia's motherly instincts kick in as she bends over, resting her palms on her knees, and levels her gaze with the urchin's. "If you'd like, I can help you find her."
"R...really?"
"Uh huh, I work here, so I can take you to a place where nana will be able to easily find you. Would you like that?"
"O...okay."
"Great! Come along then!" Lilia tenderly take the child by the hand and guides her along. "I'm Lilia, by the way. What's your name?"
"Sapphire."
"What a lovely name! It's a pleasure to meet you, Sapphire. May I ask how old you are?"
"I'm...6."
"Oh! I have a little boy who's just a tad younger than you are. He'll be turning 6 this year."
"Really?"
"Uh huh. His name is Iley. He's a real sweetheart." Lilia chatters away with the child affectionately as they approach the campus security office...
"Got lost, huh?" Corbin Graystone stands leaning against his desk, dressed in his formal security vest, brown khaki pants, and a black necktie. His untidy blonde hair tucked underneath a black peaked cap.
"I suppose it would be best if she stays here until her guardian comes to look for her."
"That'd be great, Corbin."
"Sapphire, was it? Would you like some juice? Snacks?" Corbin ducks behind his desk to rummage through his mini-fridge.
"Sorry about this, Corbin. I know the security office isn't a daycare center." Lilia flashes an apologetic grin as Corbin hands a small juice box to the child. "I would take her with me, but I still need to tidy up the sand pit for tomorrow's club match, and after that I need to pick up Iley from school."
"Hey, no worries. I'm just doing my job as campus security." Corbin nods his head while little Sapphire eagerly consumes the orange juice.
("Mmm...juice...")
"Anyways, it seems like you've got your hands pretty full as staff, student, and a single mother. If you want, I can pick up Iley after my shift again."
"Appreciate it, '
dad
', but not today...I'm taking him to go pick up our Halloween costumes tonight." Lilia throws him a playful wink as she stoops down to give Sapphire a kiss and hug, then waves goodbye. "Thanks for today though. I'll definitely make it up to you. Play nice, you two!"
"Bye bye, Lilia!" Sapphire looks up with her large blue eyes and waves at her.
"Well, now then, Sapphire...What shall I do with you...?" Corbin leans against his desk, looking at the little girl with his arms thoughtfully folded across his chest. "Oh, I know! You can help me watch for bad guys on the campus CCTV!"
"Okay!"
"That's not appropriate for children!" Lilia turns to reproach Corbin as she reaches the door, but inwardly she's smiling. She can see why her son Iley adores this man so much.
Back when Lilia was a 18-year-old, leaving secondary school, she was at the top of her class and an aspiring college freshman. Her whole world came crashing down when she was drug-raped while attending prom night with a group of classmates and students from the nearby colleges, eventually finding herself pregnant with the child of an unknown assailant. The next few months were some of the most agonizing times of her life as she struggles with the trauma and clashes within herself on whether or not to have an abortion- Afterall, she never asked for this. It wasn't fair to her.
Ultimately, she decided it wasn't fair to the unborn child either.
She made up her mind to bring Iley into this world, much to the chagrin of her own parents, who cut off all contacts with her and refused to acknowledge Iley as their grandson. Lilia was heartbroken, but had no regrets.
She would spend the next 6 years raising Iley with as much love as she can afford, but not without help from the Graystones, who were poor in material wealth but rich in love for her like she was a daughter to them, and whose own daughter Colette loves her like a sister. And then there is this man: Colette's seemingly aloof older brother Corbin Graystone, who loves Iley like his own flesh and blood.
Lilia reflects fondly on how her misery has passed into blessing as she walks out of the security office, at ease in heart having left this lost little girl in the care of the man she trusts the most, but also blissfully unaware of the shimmering lens from the cover of a nearby shrub, trained on her swaying hips.
("Ooh! There you are, you luscious little crumpet! Let's see where you're off to next!")
Meanwhile, in a sound-proof studio of the performance arts building, 3rd-year music student Kean Kirkwood, a slim man with an array of piercings in his ears, lip, left eyebrow, and nose, wearing a towering multi-colored mohawk and two sleeves of tattoos, perches on a stool across from his band mates with one hand holding the neck of his electric guitar.
"Okay, listen here, mates..."
Across from him, Kazelle, as well as another young woman with a golden hair bun on bass guitar, and a dark-skinned man with glasses and a skull cap on a drum set, await his pep talk.
"The Halloween Festival is this weekend, that's three days from now. As you all know, the 'Maniac Minstrels' will have a spot on the performance program. As band leader, this is my chance to go big!"
