chapter eight

Auntie Yolei stopped the car at the parents parking lot where it was less populated with students. She must have done it considering that l would definitely be nervous of stepping out into the crowded front premises.

She turned off the engine and Keisty jumped out of the car. Auntie Yolei took a little glimpse of her reflection in the rear view mirror and that's when she saw me still rooted on my seat.

"Arielle, come on we have arrived", Keisty was calling me outside the car.

My nerves were now burning my stomach. I put one hand on my belly and stared back at Keisty.  Keisty's face became worried.

"Oh no, are you having your periods!", she said it so loud that l wished the earth would swallow me with embarrassment.

I saw some of the boys who were talking close by turn their heads in alarm. I heard a burst of laughter from a group of girls in a distance. Now l didn't wish to ever come out of the car.

"Honey, it's ok to feel nervous on your first day but don't worry it will just last for a short while. Soon you will be having friends. Now just try to step out of the car", auntie Yolei said in a soothing voice.

I took a deep shaky breath and stepped out of the car. The instance l stepped out, l felt all eyes on me.

"Hey look, who is that girl with Keisty!", a girl from the group that was laughing shouted pointing at us. The whole group stopped talking and looked at me.

Keisty came to my side and looped my arm in hers possessively. She leaned her head to me and whispered, "Don't listen to anyone else and don't be nervous, l got you".

"Keisty dear, you have to go to your class before it starts. Don't worry about Arielle l will be accompanying her to the principal's office", auntie Yolei said making sure that the car was locked.

After that, auntie Yolei air kissed Keisty and she ran to the crowded front entrance hall. Auntie Yolei led me to the back of the building where only the stuff was exempted to enter. She was trying her best to avoid other students. I was so grateful of her generous consideration.

We first went through the school's kitchen, since the school had a large boarding facility and then down a wide hallway that connected many rooms. You could have thought that the school was built to be a historical  museum.

The walls had large expensive portraits. At the end of the hallway was an elevator. The doors automatically slid open when we approached it.

Auntie punched the small digital screen on the inside wall of the elevator commanding it to take us to the third floor.

When we stepped out the elevator, l saw another stretching hallway with doors at either side. I was starting to feel exhausted before we even started.

Fortunately we only took a few steps down the hallway then auntie Yolei stopped at tall wooden double doors on the right side.

She softly knocked. An immediate response came from a male voice inside, almost like he knew that we were waiting at the door.

We stepped into a wide office room. It was a wooden, classic and expensive inside. The floor, the walls and the ceiling were all made of dark vanished wood. The wooden bookshelves were all lined up with thick hard cover files.

Like all offices l had known, the office table stood by the glass wall and a swiveling chair behind it. The unlikely thing was that the chair was empty. Before it on the table was a small silver table lamp casting a warm yellow light on an open file.

We stopped confused. Was the principal playing hide and seek with us?

"I'm right here".

I almost jumped out of my skin hearing a male voice from another corner of the room.

A man in a black tuxedo suit was sitting on a curving black leather couch his legs crossed over the coffee table.

We walked through two isles of bookshelves to reach the side. I bet that the office was originally a library. As we drew nearer, l noticed that the man was reading another open file in his hand and holding a flask of hot coffee in the other hand.

The man stood up when he sensed that we were within his proximity. He closed the file and placed it on the table. He carefully placed his flask beside the file then faced us.

"Mrs Charleston, pleasure to see you again", he said smiling and then turned to me.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "is this miss Loire? What a fair young maiden", he said with an amused smile.

At that moment l felt a cold run through my body. Something about the man's countenance felt like he knew something l didn't. It felt like he had some hidden agenda.

The man motioned for us to take our seats opposite him. Greetings were passed between us and then auntie Yolei began.

"Sorry to take your time Mr Greyson, l had just come to introduce Arielle as you had reques..." Auntie Yolei was stopped by Mr Greyson's raised hand.

"Mrs Charleston, no need to be too formal. Please feel free, besides l should be thanking you for bringing such a lovely girl to our school", he said smiling. "Would you like some coffee or tea maybe?"

"No thank you. l just want to apologize for all the hustle l might have caused you. Thank you for saving us the trouble".

"It was not much of a trouble as you might have imagined but anyway gratitude accepted.

They both laughed good naturedly then auntie rose from her seat.

" I am sorry I have to leave now, my schedule starts a bit early today. Should l take the girl to her class?", she asked.

"Save yourself the trouble, l will call some student to escort her ", Mr Greyson said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Auntie Yolei leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. She waved me goodbye then went out the office.

I was left seated facing Mr Greyson across the table. He met my eyes and smiled. I shifted a bit uneasily.

"What a pleasure to finally meet a Loire. I didn't know that they had such a beautiful young lady. I was so happy when your aunt came to my office telling me that there is a Loire who wants to join our school. I had to skip all other students and put you on the top of the list."

I narrowed my eyes at him then cleared my throat. "Why would I be so important to you"

"Oh you have no idea, but I do prefer it stays that way. You are so important in all aspects possible."

His words made me curious. " The way you are saying it makes me feel like there is a catch", l said seriously looking into his eyes. He smiled looking genuinely impressed.

" Oh Loires they never fail to impress me. They all carry that serious business charisma." He paused for a second sipping his coffee. His eyes were now steadily gazing into mine.

He continued, "l wouldn't quite call it a catch but since you put it that way, l would like you to be close with my son."

"What?", l asked thinking l had mistakenly heard.

" I want you to be close to my son. I don't expect you to do much, just be close to him. He is too quiet and mysterious even for me but l know that the two of you will get along."

I stared hard at him. "And what if he doesn't want me to be close to him?"

"Then we'll start from there ", he said with a smile.

"And what if I say l don't want to, will you kick me out of your school."

He laughed heartily after hearing my words. "Goodness no, what do you think l am, a villain?"

He regained his composure then stared back into my eyes. "You will still have your place but you would have missed a once in a lifetime offer of which you didn't have much to lose."

"What would l have had lost?", l said not flinching from his stare.

" What do you say, all l am asking from you is to be close to my son and l guarantee you a scholarship at one of the world's finest Universities after you graduate. I will make easy ways for you not to miss any great opportunity that arises on this school as long as you convince my son to be in it too."

He leaned back eyeing me waiting for a reaction. He was convinced that he had hit the right spot. I didn't want to give him the pleasure of seeing me impressed so I composed myself. I looked at him thoughtfully.

He leaned towards the table placing his flask beside the file then looked into my eyes.

"So what do you say, still the same answer?", he said raising one eyebrow.

"Give me time, l will think about it ", l said breaking our stare.

"Good choice, you are just as wise in business as your father, but tell me your answer as soon as you decide ", he said rising to his feet and walking among the bookshelves.

He brushed his fingers on the line up of different files then he pulled one out. He opened it then walked to the floor to ceiling windows and stood looking outside.

"Do you know, every student at this school has a family history. Some fascinating and some, well, not so fascinating. But nothing binds strong and securing the future than the union of two powerful family dynasties separated in the past Joining again."

I was starting to get lost in his words. What was he implying. I stood up and followed him to the window. I stood beside him and looked at him sidelong.

His gaze seemed to concentrated outside so I turned to look outside too. The overview was of the green sports field with small plastic tables and chairs. I saw students start to come out from the buildings walking and talking leisurely. It must be the break time now.

Suddenly the doors burst open. "Father, father where are you?, l have brought you the reports that you requested."

I turned around to see a tall boy with dark grey hair neatly dressed in a white half jersey and a white blazer with golden lining at the hems. Merit badges were lined up on both sides of his blazer. He was wearing grey trousers it was matching his grey gold striped necktie.

His grey eyes were scanning the room looking for his father. When they landed on me, he froze. A mass of papers fell from the pile he was holding. He swallowed.

"Father, here are your reports ", he said now in a calmer voice trying to keep his eyes from me.

"Good son, you can put them on my table. Now would you be generous by showing new miss Loire around our beautiful school."

The boy nodded then swallowed hard, "if she wishes ".

Mr Greyson looked at me then gestured his hand for me to go ahead. "Miss Loire, the gentleman is willing to show you around, feel free to ask anything."

I walked to the boy, he gestured his hand to the door and l stepped out. He came after me and closed the door.

"So-so where do you want to go first", he asked me stammering.

"To wherever you prefer to start with ", l answered. I was already trying to hide the annoyance l was feeling from his blushed face.

He led me to the dorms and hostels and the kitchen and the computer labs. He also showed me the innovation hub and all the areas with the fastest Wifi around the school. He showed me the large library then the bathrooms.

Everywhere we went, the few students we met with parted their way for us. Most of them would stare at us with eyes wide open like they were seeing the queen of England walking on their school. l noticed that many of them would start whispering in each other's ears after we have passed them. It was like they were seeing such a sight for the first time. This made me suspicious of how the principal's son behaves towards others.

He showed me the stone structures and monuments around the school. He would narrate some of the school's history enthusiastically. He told me the reason for the creation of such a school and the reason for being forced to sing the school song in Latin.

"And the federal government decided to turn this facility from a state historical museum to a school", he finished then looked at me. "By the way, l haven't asked your name yet. My name is Stewart, Stewart Rodgers Greyson. May l ask your name."

"Arielle Loire", l said easily.

His eyes widened. "You mean the Loires, you are a Loire?", he said with an unbelieving voice.

I nodded.

"Oh that's why, it explains a lot about you. The enchanting beauty and the radiance. To be honest when I first saw you l thought I was dying."

I frowned at him then asked,"why?"

"I thought l was starting to see angels so l thought I was dying ".

I didn't want to but l felt my cheeks blush. I hated myself for it. Without my consent, this body seemed to have a mechanism of its own.

I lightly smacked his upper arm in a playful manner and he pretended to be hurt.

"Ow, l didn't know princesses know how to beat others but l will gladly accept it, who doesn't like a mark from the royal blood or much better mark the royal blood", he said jokingly but l felt the same heat creep to my face.

"Stop your talking this instance", l said feigning seriousness.

"Yes your highness", he said turning a bit serious again. "Where would you like to go next, l think l have showed you everywhere else except the cafeteria."

"I want to see my friend by the name Keisty, do you know her?"

"Oh, l know her, we go to the same club. Right now almost everyone is in the cafeteria, it's break time so l can take you there and I go continue with my studies."

I agreed to his offer and he led me to the cafeteria.