Page 21 of House of Bass

It had been a week of living at…she didn’t want to call it home because it was never going to be that for her. She had only been there a short time so she shouldn’t be expected to feel that way about it. Clearly her subconscious was trying to tell her the opposite, but she would never admit it out loud.

It didn’t help that Annabel clouded her every corner. It was as if the girl had never heard of personal space in her life, she wanted to insert herself in everything. Still attempting to make her meals, wanting to go shopping, and have film nights. All of which Harley tried desperately to decline but had underestimated the girl’s persistence.

Despite the cold shoulder she tried to give her, it did not work. For whatever reason, Annabel was persistent in making a relationship work between them. Which was why Harley had left without saying anything.

She just needed a little distance. It was too much too fast, entirely disconcerting for her.

So she snuck out two hours earlier than she needed to and walked all the way here. The distance wasn’t far and she got to sightsee a bit. It had been getting colder, wetter and the leaves had started to change colours. Harley was thankful for her tights, jean skirt and black hoodie on top of her puffy coat. The coat was new; Annabel bought it. She bought Harley a bunch of new clothes and she wouldn’t have worn the coat but when she stepped out the house it had been too cold. Her sinuses could not handle it.

There were students littered around, with some also walking in at the same time she was, and they were staring at her blatantly, it was irritating. She looked down at her outfit again and felt a hint of insecurity peek through, but washed it down.

Quickly, she found her way towards Student Services. There she was meant to meet a student officer who was assigned to help her settle in, as she had already missed a week of classes.

Her head was bent over her phone, looking for directions, when she heard her name called, “Harley?”

She turned around to see a visibly black biracial girl in a multicoloured micro plaid tartan skirt and a fitted black jacket with black fur trim at the collar and cuffs, paired with black knee high boots, approaching her with a smile on her face. Harley nodded in acknowledgement.

“Hi, I’m Wren. First year student officer. Sorry to keep you waiting, the queue at Coffea’d was utterly ridiculous for a Monday morning. Have you been? You should, the coffees are to die for.” The girl spluttered out, speaking at a mile a minute.

“It’s fine. I just got here,” Harley replied. They walked together, Harley having to slow her stride to match with Wren's shorter legs.

“I can only provide a brief tour because a last minute meeting at the Student Union got called. Honestly, you will find your way around in no time at all. Your schedule and student details should have already been emailed to you.” Wren rushed out and started pointing out the different areas. The campus grounds were huge and each building felt like they were trying to outdo the others in size.

“What is your story?” Wren asked, working the question in between the influx of information she had piled on. “Where are you from? I’m guessing, from that quaint little accent, somewhere up north…Manchester?”

“Liverpool,” Harley corrected.

“Beatles!” she said with a proud grin. “How cute. I visited once, never going back.” She grimaced, recollecting whatever memory had her making that face.

“Cool.”

As they continued their tour, the small talk drifted yet again. Wren carefully asked, “So, how is it that we have a surprise scholarship student?” She had an eyebrow raised and her eyes twinkled, clearly itching for gossip. Harley had a feeling the girl was going to be trouble and immediately planned to steer clear.

“My scholarship approval got back a little late.”

“Hmm,” she said, skeptically.

“What?”

“It’s just that every year we have five scholarship students per cohort, and with your arrival that makes you the sixth. An anomaly. Which rarely happens, if ever.”

Posy hadn’t told Harley about that specific detail, or she had, and in the midst of her nerves she hadn’t been listening. She deflected, “Guess I must be the rare case then.”

“Keep your secrets, but I won’t be the only one asking questions.” Her eyes narrowed, evident that she didn’t believe a word out of Harley’s mouth. “This is you,” Wren said as they stopped in front of a lecture hall with a plaque titled ‘William Bass Theatre’ which made Harley flinch uncharacteristically.

“Bass?”

“Yeah, it's one of the lecture halls that the engineering students use,” she said as she double checked the papers in her hands. “That is your course, right? Design Engineering?”

Harley nodded, quickly recovering.

“Ugh, I’m late and our president is annoying about time,” Wren muttered, looking at the gold watch on her wrist. She waved. “See you around, Harley.”

Then she clicked away in her heeled boots, moving faster than Harley had ever seen a person move in heels that high. She shook her head in disbelief and amusement then headed to her first lecture of the day.

Harley entered the theatre and realised the lecture had already started. Everyone immediately turned to look at her as she tried to discreetly walk inside, there were more people than she had assumed there would be. The lecturer was a man named Kofi Mills. He didn’t look that old, likely early forties. He also paused as she walked in. “If you’re going to be late to my class, don’t even bother showing up at all.”

Then he returned to speaking without giving her another glance. Harley took a seat at the very back of the room and brought out the notepad and stationery Annabel had also bought her, when the dark-skinned black girl next to her whispered, “Don’t take it to heart, he’s like that to everyone. He’s been really supportive and helpful so far.”