Chapter 1: The Scholarship Kid
Ethan clenched the leather handle of his backpack, his heart racing as he walked through the impressive entrance of Ivywood University.
The lofty buildings, their walls adorned with ivy, appeared both inviting and intimidating. He had made considerable effort to arrive at this stage, the first in his family to attend such a renowned school.
However, as he watched the students moving around, clad in fashionable clothes and engaged in tight-knit conversations, he couldn't rid himself of the sense of being an outsider.
"Hey, are you lost?"A deep voice broke his thoughts as he stared back to catch his gaze.
Ethan glanced over to spot a tall, blond man grinning at him. Derek Wexler. Ethan had seen his face on the university's website under "Student Leaders." Derek looked every bit the part of a campus golden boy—polished, confident, and wealthy. Ethan felt the weight of Derek's gaze sweep over his thrift-store jacket and scuffed sneakers.
"No, I'm not lost," Ethan replied quietly, straightening his shoulders.
"Well, you look like you are," Derek said with a laugh that made the group behind him chuckle too. "This isn't a charity, you know. Did someone leave the gates open by mistake?"
Ethan's cheeks burned, but he said nothing. He turned away, gripping his schedule tightly in his hand. He could hear Derek and his group laughing as they walked away, their voices fading but leaving their words echoing in his mind.
By the time Ethan reached the lecture hall, his hands were trembling. He took a seat near the back, hoping to blend in. His eyes darted around the big hall for the new students, and he wondered if all of them had been admitted based on scholarship. His gaze caught one of the students who was walking towards him.
She was elegantly dressed, and the aura she gave made his heart beat faster. "Hello." She said with a soft smile meeting Ethan's gaze. "Hi." He replied, mesmerized by her beauty. "So you are a new student here?" She said slowly, using her hand to drop a stray hair to the back of her ears.
Ethan wasn't sure what to feel anymore.
Was she flirting with him?
He looked around to meet the gaze of the students looking at both the old and the new. "Isn't that Tessa Morgan? What is she doing with him?" One of the boys said while looking at the show.
"Derek must see this." Another said with a wise grin. "Are you sure you are okay with you being seen with me?" Ethan asked, seeing that they were drawing attention to themselves.
"My name is Tessa. What is yours?" She asked for a friendly handshake. "You can call me Ethan or Mydas. My friends call me that basically." Ethan replied. "Hmm, lovely name. Why mydas?" Tessa asked as she gripped Ethan's hand.
Ethan looked at her and wondered why she asked, showing keen interest in someone like him. He shrugged, "Well, Midas was a king who was granted a wish by the god Dionysus. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold, but he soon discovered that his newfound power was a curse rather than a blessing." He stopped and looked at her face.
Tessa smiled. "Well, let's hope that your power is not a curse but a blessing." Tessa said and walked away. Ethan immediately brought out his phone and googled who Tessa was on the student map. His mouth dropped in awe when he found out that Tessa was not only a popular face but one of the most beautiful ladies on campus.
But in truth, Ethan was not looking bad. He was outstanding and handsome, not to mention that he was on the leading board for the most outstanding student, being awarded the scholarship.
In a few days, Ethan rose to be one of the most popular faces on the campus, and many ladies wanted to be his friend, making Tessa Morgan a little jealous.
Derek, on the other hand, needed a means to bully Ethan, but he was giving him none. Ethan was easygoing and was a loner. One sunny afternoon, he was about to bend the corridor when he saw Tessa and her friends chatting.
Tessa looked up and saw him, "Hey nerd." She said with a lovely tone that made Ethan halt immediately.
"Are you avoiding me now?" She asked, looking at his face. She saw Ethan was blushing, and that even made her want to grab his attention.
"The name on the lips of all the beautiful ladies on the campus. Do you want us to take this to the next level?" Tessa said, looking at Ethan.
"Really? Are you being serious?" Ethan asked, staring at Tessa's friend and back at her.
He could hear them giggling, but then he saw Derek and his minions walking toward them. Tessa immediately grabbed Ethan's hand.
"What are you doing?" Ethan asked immediately, staring at Tessa. He wanted to remove his hands, but Tessa gave him a look to be calm. "So you are turning my advance down because of this pauper." Derek looked at Ethan with a smug grin.
The girls let out a laugh as they all whispered about what Ethan was putting on. He was wearing faded clothes, and his trousers were torn. Still, Tessa was drawn to him, and he was beginning to wonder why.
"Why do you care if I am dating him or not? Not like you cared anyway. You are free to date anyone you want in the school, but I can't?"
Ethan's face went pale, and he didn't understand what was going on. One minute, Tessa was lovey-dovey with him, and the next minute, she was showing her true colors. "I love him, and I am going to date him whether you like it or not."
"You dare not? Do you even listen to yourself? This boy is nothing compared to me. I am richer, more handsome, and better looking. So why would you pick him over me?" Derek snapped. Before Ethan could blink, Tessa had done the unthinkable.
His heart beating loudly against his chest as his face collided with hers.