[Divinity’s POV]

I lock the door behind me meeting Kelly’s gaze. Her mouth lifts into a smile. She says, “So you’re finally interested in guys?” she says and I look at her with a raised brow.

Making my way to the kitchen, I place the box on my bed and start unpacking the bags, taking out the containers of icing sugar, packets of bread flour and, cupcake liners and the works.

“Dating, what are you talking about?” I ask her while unpacking.

“Corbin fucking Beaumont, I saw how he looked at you and there’s already an article of the two of you on the forums. You’re the talk of the campus.” She says and I roll my eyes not that she can see it.

“Varsity forum? And I don’t know what you’re talking about. He was with Daniel and the others and stayed behind when he saw me walking over. He helped me with the bags, you saw that and that’s all.” I say with a yawn.

“Yeah, he walked you here and back twice, accompanied you to the café and office… I think he’s interested in you and so does everyone else,” she says and I mentally take note of that.

I’m curious about him too after today but that doesn’t mean she must know. After packing everything away, I pick the box up and unpack its contents. Grabbing the scissor I start cutting my cards into the correct sizes.

“So what are you going to do about Daniel, you also can’t keep skipping classes,” I ask her.

She nods her head, “I’ll go back tonight but can you come with to practice tomorrow? I don’t want to be alone with all of them.”

I nod my head, “Sure but we have to leave soon so I can hand in my cards, then I’ll accompany you to the cheer house.”

“You’re walking back alone?” she asks and I nod.

“Yeah, I’m going to post the flyers so I don’t mind,” I say and trim the last card. Packing them into the specialized box I made for them.

Getting up, I head to the showers and wash up while being watched by the others. Arriving back at my room, I get dressed in a white tracksuit pants. Putting on a black sports bra and the matching jacket over my shoulders.

Kelly dressed in my red tracksuit and we slip into my sneakers. Putting her dirty clothes or well I did get them washed for her but she doesn’t want to wear them.

She fixes her curly locks and she plats my hair in a fishtail. Grabbing my box of cards and a file with my marking guideline in it and the flyers. We head out after I lock the room, making sure all the plugs are out.

We pass the security guard who nods at me knowingly. I told him Kelly was staying over after filling him on her appalling friends and boyfriend.

We head to Miss Green’s office and she looks at me with a smile as we greet her.

“Miss Dickson, you’re handing in your project late!” she teases me.

“Sorry miss,” I say and she nods her head.

“It's not your fault, I shouldn’t have let my daughter play with the cards. I didn’t know that she was going to cut it up, she did that with our money too.”

We laugh and after she gives me the okay we head out the office. I yawn and frown at my growling stomach. We stop along the way and ignore the curious gazes and pictures being taken of us.

Ordering burgers we pay and walk off towards the cheer house. Along the way, we get whistled at and you know, guys being guys but what do you expect, two sexy girls walking down the sidewalk with their stomachs showing? – Please just blame Kelly in my place because papa, Mathias and Easton will kill me!

I bite down on my food and hear Daniel's voice call out near us. I stop and turn my head and understand. The football team’s house is near the cheer house so it makes sense.

The handsome quarterback steps out and looks over at me and I see his eyes widen. He’s wearing the same jeans and tee shirt without the jacket on and the muscles bulging out are making me crumble and my mouth water – you know, I’m not as innocent as I seem but my parents and brothers at least know this, so no surprises.

I wave my hand at him because my mouth is full and I have manners. I start walking because I know this isn’t our destination and step into pace with Kelly who looks like she lost her appetite.

We stop in front of the cheer house and I start chocking because I swallowed too quickly. Bending over while coughing, I kneel down and throw myself on the grass which makes Kelly bursts out into laughter and starts eating again while walking towards the house.

I roll on the grass pretending to die, “Get up you idiot!” she says and I stop my antics.

I get up and shake the grass off me and look at the approaching slabs of chocolate. Corbin looks at me worried but I smile at him and when I meet eyes with Daniel I glare.

I follow Kelly to the porch while drinking water and we enter the house, shutting the door behind us.

The ladies look at us and the Angela girl is staring blankly at Kelly. The house is awkward and I’m being looked at with the evil eye because someone used to date Corbin here.

That person looks at me then clears her throat, “Kelly, we’ve been worried sick about you,” says the team captain.

Kelly spares her a look then walks up the steps and I follow while greeting them. We get to Kelly’s room and I close the door behind me.

She turns to look at me and I open my arms for her. She hugs me and starts crying softly in my arms. We stand there and I listen to her soft sobs that make me furious.

After she stops she pulls away and I say, “Why don’t you just pack a few things, you’re welcome to stay by me and the dorm mother knows about what happened. She said you’re welcome to stay as long as you want and you know I don’t mind you invading my space girl,” I say and she wears a self-mocking smile.

I help her pack and after a half an hour, we head downstairs.

“Kelly where are you going?” someone asks.

She ignores her and we step out of the house. Corbin, Daniel and a few others are waiting outside. Daniel runs up to us and I step in front of Kelly to block him then shove the bags in my hand in his and take the bags from Kelly and hand it to Corbin who willingly takes it with a smile.

Daniel looks down at me with a frustrated gaze. “Just leave, it’s too late to deal with you, we have a long way to walk and it’s getting dark,” I say and Corbin pulls Daniel away who still calls Kelly’s name but she ignores him.

I look over at them who are walking a distance behind us and see Corbin smile at me. I nod and ignore them. Kelly keeps wiping away her falling tears.

I wonder how long will this continue.

*

Unknown number: Hey beautiful, it’s Corbin.

Me: Handsome!!

Corbin: It’s pretty late, what are you doing?

Me: Raping the Wifi

Corbin: Lol

Corbin: Menace to society!

Me: I know right!

Corbin: So what are you doing on the internet?

Me: Watching food vids, what are you doing?

Corbin: I was trying to find you on Instagram but can’t, you also don’t have a profile picture up L

Me: I’m not on social media – too lazy and no profile picture because I’m a mystery.

Corbin: I see

Corbin: Can you send me a picture of you?

Me: I don’t mind, but what are you going to do with it?

Corbin: Look at it when I miss you.

Me: Cheesy!

Corbin: I know…

Me: Hold on

I type and look through the ten pictures I have of me. Sending him the one Kelly took yesterday of me sitting at the desk and doing my work. Then I click on the selfie I took three days ago.

Corbin: You really are beautiful.

Me: You’re making me blush!

Corbin: Sorry.

Me: It’s okay. Btw, thanks for helping me out today.

Corbin: It was my pleasure.

Me: The flyers you handed out were also a big help, I’m going to be very busy.

Corbin: Too busy to go on a date with me?

Me: …

Corbin: You don’t want to?

“Hey, he asked me out,” I say to Kelly and she jumps up. Grabbing my phone she types.

Me: I’d love to go on a date with you!

“Kelly!” I squeal.

“What, you’re ruining probably that best time of your life, he might be a keeper!” she argues back.

I mumble in my hands, “Couldn’t you just be normal about it?”

“Dee, I am being normal, you putting down the ellipsis is just being dumb, he wants you girl and I know you like that sexy dark chocolate too, I don’t care that you two just met, go for it girl!” she says and I look at her with glossy eyes.

I’m very afraid of dating although I want to.

She continues chatting and throws the phone back at me, I read.

Corbin: ?

Me: Yes!

Corbin: No joke?

Me: Why would I joke around with you?

Corbin: You just don’t seem like the type to date.

Me: Yeah…

I go back to chatting when he messages me again.

Corbin: So when can we go out, I’m excited.

Me: I’m not free this weekend.

Corbin: What? Are you serious?

Me: Yeah, I go to the library to work on projects during the weekends.

Corbin: What course are you majoring in?

Me: Early Childhood Development

Corbin: No wonder your room is colourful and those cards looked like they were for kids.

Me: Lol

Corbin: Then can I join you at the library?

Me: I don’t mind but bring your books with.

Corbin: I plan to.

Me: Okay~ Well see you then, I need to do stuff, night, sleep well.

Corbin: Sleep well beautiful.

I put my phone on charge and glare at Kelly. She looks up from her phone and says, “You really are the talk of the campus, I’m surprised no one from your faculty sold you out.”

I push the laptop aside and start tearing the A4 computer paper in front of me in half, “Why would they sell me out, do you know that the education department excludes themselves from the rest of the university. Everyone else knows this so why don’t you?”

“Why are they doing that?” she asks and I shrug.

“Apparently a few years back, someone from the other faculty spoke nonsense saying, “I don’t understand why you all work so hard for the little money you will be receiving” that person pissed off the entire education faculty and I’m pretty pissed off at that comment too. The other faculties don’t understand that without the early childhood teachers who gave them love when their parents weren’t around, who loved everything about them and or who praised their efforts for the creative work they did are the reason why they are so successful.

There’s a reason why you are able to count it’s because of teachers like us who taught you when you were little and not the ones who teach you from the first grade, if it wasn’t for the educarer’s who make sure that by the age of six, every child under their care is holistically developed otherwise, there would be so many problems but they can’t understand it and will only understand it when their child is put into that daycare where the principal will explain it to them.

The educarer’s and teachers in the education faculty have a pride that is much greater than anyone else and for us to be shit on by ignorant individuals. We have the power over your child’s future and you shit on us.

Just imagine you insult me during our years in varsity and one day when you have your family you bring your little bundle of joy to my kindergarten. Your child ends up having a development problem and I’m a qualified specialist but I reject you because of what you said to me when we were younger?

It’s a shitty thought but the reality of being a human being. You make money to pay me and if you don’t bring me that five hundred dollars, your child is not allowed to come to school until you as a parent can pay that money.

The power that an educarer holds is unbreakable. We don’t set those rules to shit on parents but we set them so that we have finances to run the daycare so that your child is in a friendly, loving and safe environment.

No one tells you to make a child but it is your duty as a parent to make sure that child of yours has a better future.

We choose to do this because no one else will and we love it, even if we are stressed out or get angry. That smile, a child gives you after praising his or her efforts gives us the teacher, the step in parent a form of motivation to strive further.”

“You should write a book,” she says and I laugh it off.

My words are true no matter how others see it.