Ecstasy

Chapter 9
Anthony yawned as he walked out into the afternoon sun, taking deep breaths of fresh air after being shut up for three hours. It had been his first lecture and already he’d taken 26 A4 pages full of notes. He’d kept an eye on Alex the whole time and she didn’t lifted her pencil or pen once, only to sketch a few doodles on the corners of her page.

“You got cramp yet?” Alex smiled at him as he cracked his finger before shifting the bag on his shoulder.

“Yeah you’re not kidding but don’t you know how to take notes?” Alex smiled and shook her head at him. Oh how much he’d have to learn about coming to this type of Uni.

“Yes I do and I did for the first year, but then I discovered the art of the conversing.” Anthony looked at her peculiarly as they walked back down the stairs and onto the campus grounds.

“Conversing?” Anthony queried totally confused by Alex’s laid back approach to her studies.

“Yes, now watch and learn.” Alex whispered as they rounded a corner to be confronted by a whole heap of students all arguing and bitching over pieces of paper and notebooks. The din died down as they noticed Alex enter their little debacle. “Alright boys, I’m after notes for last year art and last year modern lit, in exchange for first year art and first year business. There was a flurry of papers flying about, as Alex stood silent in the middle of it all. Anthony watched on in ore as she just got what she wanted and had their undivided attention the whole time.

“Here we go Alexandria, you’ve got a friend I see.” Anthony looked to the ground as both Alex and the young student looked over at him.

“Yeah he’s one of the roadies, staying at Masters with us and his friend.” The young man smiled and looked Anthony up and down before smiling back at Alex.

“Cute you think he’ll last the distance?” Alex laughed at the man’s comments before snatching the four folders out of tan’san’s hands.

“You know I don’t aid the little bets, my lips are sealed and what will be will be. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some reading to attend to.” The whole group smiled as Alex curtsied lightly before turning around and walking up to Anthony. “Come on we’ll leave them to it.” Alex whispered to him as they walked back around the corner and onto the Uni. grounds again.

“What was all that about?” Anthony questioned lightly as they walked towards the cafeteria. Alex smiled and handed him a large green folder before putting the other three in her bag.
“That is a whole years worth of notes for final year art and sculpture, free of charge and totally legal. The assignments change every year but the content stays the same so we swap notes. It saves you the hard slog of writing them and gives you more time learning them instead.” Anthony laughed as they approached a table where, Dawson, Jake, Jason and Craig were sitting together.

Everyone stood up as she passed each table in turn but she made no attempt to acknowledge their existence. It was like she’d learnt to block out all the people who seemed to hate her so much.

“Thanks.” Anthony smiled as they both sat down at the table.

“For what?” Craig inquired suspiciously glaring at Anthony before smiling back at Alex.

“Teaching him a little Masters know how, that’s all.” Alex sighed and relaxed back in the chair as Craig smiled lightly before glancing ss ass at Anthony dubiously. Anthony swallowed hard as Craig glared at him, he’d suddenly become cold towards him. Dawson glanced across at Anthony then back at Craig, he sensed a little bit of rivalry going on already between Craig and Anthony.

“So how is everyone?” Jason broke the silence after a few minutes of tension.

“I’ve been mauled to death by May and that other chicky, do they ever give up?” Dawson sighed as everyone laughed and shook their heads.

“Don’t stress once you’ve been with us for more than a month they’ll get the drift.” Jake sneezed just after his sentence sending everyone back into their chairs for fear of catching something. “I’m not that bloody infectious guys.” Jake snapped sharply as everyone nodded at him and laughed, before he gave them all the finger

“Well what are we doing for dinner fella’s?” Alex didn’t even have to raise her voice to attain the attention of everyone sitting around the table. Anthony was just utterly amazed that she never once raises her voice but was always respected in high regard.

“Well we thought we might go into town start the weekend off big?” Alex smiled as Alan and Josh walked up behind her and both kissed her softly on opposite cheeks. Dawson smiled as Anthony placed his hand in Dawson’s under the table, watching as Alan and Josh stood to the side of the table in each other’s arms. Dawson sighed he longed to have Anthony wrapped in his arms like that in public, just to announce to everyone that he was his.

“Dawson?” Dawson shook his head back to reality now aware of his distant staring.

“Sorry what did you say?” Anthony rolled his eyes as Craig addressed him for the forth time already.
“Are you alright to come into town with us for dinner, it’s a small club nothing major but they sell a mean pepper steak.” Craig smiled triumphantly as Dawson nodded in acceptance, finally answering the previous question.

“Great, we’ll go back to Masters and get ready then we’ll catch the 6:00 ferry across.” Jake stood up grabbing his bag off the floor as the rest of the group began to get up. Everyone was standing up when a silence fell around the group at the realization that Alex was still sitting staring at a large group of people in the far corner of the courtyard.

“Are you coming Alex?” Jason whispered, everyone suddenly apprehensive about talking to Alex. Anthony sensed something was happening between everyone and Alex as she stood up her gaze unchanged.

“I’ll meet you there.” Dawson looked across at Craig who nodded gingerly at her somehow knowing what Alex was doing or seeing. Her voice was cold and non-existent as she picked up her bag and began to walk out of the courtyard. Anthony shivered as he noticed two people standing alone in opposite corners of the courtyard, silent and staring at their little group. They both had long blonde hair, one with a skirt and top on the other with trousers and a jacket. It was strange as he gestured towards them with his head for Dawson to see them, but Dawson just shrugged his shoulders as if not seeing them at all.

“Come then lets get going.” Craig smiled as best he could as he led the group out of the canteen and towards the house. Anthony and Dawson walked behind the main group still a little confused at how everyone had just suddenly changed their mood.

“What was that about?” Dawson whispered as he and Anthony walked so close to each other that their shoulders rubbed.

“The two females standing in the corner did you see them, they were looking at us.” Anthony looked hopefully up at Dawson who shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

“Nup, you’re dreaming Anty there was nobody in the corners only empty chairs and tables.” Anthony sighed heavily he knew what he’d seen and they had defiantly been staring at them. Craig smiled as they both walked past him while he held the door of the house open for them.

“Get washed and changed then we’ll meet you in the lounge at 5:45 okay?” Anthony and Dawson nodded understandingly before making their way up the stairs after the rest of the group. The knife blade in the banister caught Anthony’s eye as he avoided it as he began up the stairs, remembering how much it had hurt this morning.

Something still didn’t feel right to Anthony as he and Dawson separated to go into their own rooms.
“Shit.” Anthony shivered as the coldness in his room intensified as if from nowhere as he entered and closed the door behind him. He put the side light on next to his bed as he began to search for something suitable to wear tonight. Dawson could be heard next door ferreting about in his own wardrobe looking for clothes as Anthony found everything he need and walked out of his room and into the bathroom next door. Anthony sighed heavily as he put his clean stuff on the toilet seat lid and began to get undressed. He noticed how every room in the house was warmer than his was and it kind of unnerved him a little to know this. Not that he should have been worried about it for all he knew he could just have a large draft in his room. Warm water ran soothingly down his back as he closed his eyes relaxing into the shower in an attempt to settle this unnatural feeling he had inside of him all of a sudden. As he did he felt a coldness run up and down his body causing him to shiver uncontrollably. “Oh god.” He whispered softly as he felt his legs go from underneath him allowing him to fall to the tiles on the floor of the shower, still shaking uncontrollably.

TbC....................