Chapter 5 Sleep tight

ASIRI'S POV:

"Shit! I'm so tired" Olivia my new seatmate and roommate said, tossing herself on the bed. She was quite shy, but weirdly a chatterbox to me.

Today was a long day. I received a message from Mr. Williams last night and came over this morning for my registration. He had to go through the trouble of putting me in a class. He had initially intended to put me in class A, but the class teacher, Miss Celine, didn't want me in her class because of my–past records. He later conceded and called in Mr. Timothy, who accepted me into his class-class C.

And to my utmost surprise, I met Vincenzo there. I had felt a familiar gaze on my back when entering the school hallway, but I had shrugged it off as nothing. I was very curious about what business Vincenzo had with Mr. Williams. I had wanted to say something but decided against it at the last moment. I could still remember how deep his gaze was, and how it sent a tingling sensation down my back.

After leaving the office, I went to see my new class and was given a seat, that was how I met Olivia. I was met with a shy smile from her, and she seemed so pure. For the rest of my classmates, I could barely register their faces.

After seeing my classroom, I left school and went home to get my bag, I had sent the rest of my bags to the school, before arriving at Reston, so all I had left was my backpack. I had planned from the beginning to live in school, instead of at home. I could never live with those people.

My mother was shocked when I told her the news, she was not happy about it, at all.

"What do you mean living in school? Why can't you stay with us? Your room is already ready. Here is far more comfortable than living in school.

She ranted. What a fucking joke.

After getting my bag, I did some things and returned to school. When I got to my hostel room, I was surprised to see that Olivia was also my roommate. I had two other roommates, but I haven't spoken to them much since I got here.

Now I'm just playing a game on my phone, not paying attention to them.

"Bella, you're going out?" Olivia asked Isabella who was currently applying some light makeup on her face. She was wearing sweats and a hoodie, but beneath that outfit, I was sure she was wearing another outfit.

"Yes" Bella answered curtly, not sparing Olivia a glance. From what I gathered from Olivia's chattering, Bella was the spoilt daughter of an influential family in Reston and was obnoxious, partying a lot, and always raising her nose high. As long as she didn't mess with me, I couldn't care less about her.

"You look as pretty as usual Bella" Lisa, my other roommate, spoke up smiling at Isabella with stars in her eyes. She acted like a minion.

"Yeah, you look pretty" Olivia commented, I looked at her, but she was on her phone, so she might not be Bella's minion.

"I know," Isabella said, with a proud smile on her face.

"Asiri, don't you also think Bella looks nice?" Lisa asked, staring at me with furrowed brows. Her question caught the attention of Bella who turned her head slowly to me. Was she really waiting for a compliment, how stupid?

I shot them an indifferent glance and turned my attention back to my game.

"Hey! How dare you ignore me" Lisa yelled in a high tone, she was really trying her best to sound powerful, but she failed awfully.

"Noisy" I sighed, fixing my glare on Lisa.

"Huh? Who is noisy? Why are you speaking so brazenly in front of Bella" She said, her face red with anger. This girl was mentally disabled.

"Crazy!" I shot, gazing at Lisa with indifference. I found the whole situation very amusing.

"Bella, look how she's cursing me out" She turned to Bella, with teary eyes.

"Asiri we are all classmates, no need for these fights, just apologize to Lisa," Bella said, furrowing her brows slightly as she stared at me.

"No" I said, casting Bella an indifferent glance and turning my attention back to my game.

"Bella, you see how rude she is," Lisa whined, with her lips pouting. She was trying to act wronged.

I ignored her words tapping away on my game, but soon my phone went blank, and lines of numbers filled my screen, with only one line of message.

Midnight rose.

8 pm.

Be safe.

A deadly glint appeared in my eyes immediately I saw the message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mr. Arlo you promise us and our goods safe entrance into your country. What's the catch?" A burly man, with a burn mark marring half his face, and tattoos peeking out of his clothes spoke in a deep gruff voice, immediately I walked into the room.

They paid me no attention as I began setting down the meals and wine, just what I wanted. I was dressed in a waitress uniform and my hair was hidden in a cap. A mask covered most of my features so I was unrecognizable.

"50% of the profit" The man sitting opposite the tattoed man spoke up with a thick accent, he was dressed in a blue suit, and his brown hair sleeked back with gel, his posture carrying an air of elegance. Who else could it be if not Arlo.

"Hell no! That's too much. All you do is grant us free entrance, while we are still the ones taking the heavy risks" The tattooed man fumed, with his brows furrowed as he shot a disapproving glance at Arlo.

I raised my brow in amusement, still setting the table, making extra sure my movements were slow and didn't draw their attention.

"Mr. Lucas, I'm also taking a huge risk getting your goods into the country. Such things have not entered our country in bulk before" Arlo said, rubbing the rings on his finger.

"Lucas, that's his name" I thought inwardly.

"Mr. Ar...." Lucas was about to refute Arlo, but I cut his words short.

"If you don't need anything else, I'll be leaving" I'd heard all I needed to hear and achieved my purpose, so it was about time I left.

"How dare you interrupt me bitch" Lucas snapped, his brow furrowed and his voice edged with anger.

"My bad sir" I said the next best thing to an apology I could think of, my tone flat and devoid of any emotion.

"You may leave" Arlo said, waving his hand dismissively in the air, not sparing me a look as he remained focused on Lucas.

As I walked away, I heard Lucas yelling at Arlo. "Why did you let her go so easily? You would have let me teach that bitch a lesson" If he was trying to hide the anger in his tone, he wasn't doing a really good job at it.

"No need.." I heard from Arlo before shutting the door, I roamed around the hallway for a while.

"Should be about time" I whispered under my breath, brought out my phone, and typed a message.

SLEEP TIGHT

A mischievous smirk crept onto my face as I clicked send.

Soon after, Arlo's men rushed out carrying his unconscious body, he shouldn't be out for long, I smiled mysteriously to myself.

"Oh, poor Arlo" I muttered, the fake smile on my face not masking the glint that flashed through my eyes.

I walked around the restaurant for a while, skillfully avoiding people and the security cameras. Suddenly, Lucas' men rushed past me with panicked expressions. I wondered what had their pants in a knot.

I walked toward the direction they had run away from, which was logically not the right thing to do, but when have I ever done the right thing? I was also genuinely curious.

I found myself walking into a beautiful garden. It glowed under the moonlight, with a gentle fountain at its center. Tall trees cast intricate shadows as a breeze rustles the leaves in the quiet stillness.

My eyes landed on a familiar figure sitting on the bench staring into the lake, I couldn't see his facial expression, but a small cloud of smoke surrounded him, so I could tell he was smoking. I wanted to walk away but I found myself rooted to the floor, staring at him in such a peaceful state.

"Weren't you educated on the dangers of smoking?" The question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

He snapped his head back in shock, trying to see through the shadows which was covering his view of my face.

Oh shit! What was wrong with me?