"You all need to understand that your degree is totally dependent on this work placement. That is the reason why it is mandatory. 70% of your final marks rely on this case. So I advise you to get a good patient," Professor Blackthorne exclaims, for the fifteenth time. For the past few hours, the old bald man is trying to make us understand the importance of studying psychology. The importance of doing this task. The importance of getting a good patient.

We all nod at him and a tired yawn escapes my mouth. This shit is too boring for me to do but hell if I didn’t give my best effort in this bullshit they claim to call assignments. I look around the seminar room and notice that I’m not the only one who’s almost done with this shit. My gaze lands on Millie, my friend, sitting beside me, who’s trying her best not to fall asleep.

"Your seminar is over now. You may leave now. But remember, get a good patient." The bald man says again before packing his things up and leaving the room.

16th motherfucking time.

I hear a tired groan from beside me and turn my head to face Millie. Raising an eyebrow, I ask, “Want me to bring you a pillow and a blanket?”

She raises his head and shoots daggers at me with those cloudy grey eyes of hers. “Fuck off, asshole.”

I shrug and stand up.

Millie does the same, and we both make our way to the seminar room’s door. We almost make it out of the room when the girl walking beside me speaks up.

“Where should we go?” Millie casually asks.

“To Thorn Cafe to meet Ian and Lucas,” I casually reply back.

The painful punch is not something I was expecting from her. I let out a wince as I rub the sore spot on my arm and glare at her. “What the fuck was that for?”

Millie crosses her arms over her chest and glares back at me. “I wasn’t asking where we are going right now, asshat,” she snaps. “I was asking about which asylum we should go for our assignment.”

Oh that. In all honesty, I don’t know if I want to go to some mental asylum to complete this stupid assignment. Those kinds of places scare me and might lead me to insanity. Especially after last year’s incident. The last thing I want is to get triggered by some random psychotic patient while trying to observe them.

I stare ahead as we keep walking side by side. “I don’t know if I’d really like to go there and observe a patient. I might make Ian do my assignment,” I tell her honestly and shrug.

Millie probably understands what I was referring to because the next moment, I falter my steps at her words.
“Not everyone is like Benjamin,” she softy says.

I stop walking and face her. The expression marred on my face is deadly because Millie’s face blanches the moment she notes my look.

“Never, and I mean never fucking speaking his name again,” I tell her, my tone calm, cold and deadly. If she wasn’t scared before, she is definitely petrified now.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, breathing out a sigh. Great. I made my friend scared of me because I can’t handle my fucked up issues.

“I’m sorry,” I apologise with softness in my voice. “It’s just, whenever I hear his name….” my voice trails off and I gulp, not knowing what or how to say it out loud.

Millie’s terrified expression turns into a sympathetic one as she touches my arm and says, “It’s alright, Nye. I was stupid enough to bring up his name. I’m sorry.”

I give her a curt nod and we resume walking.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hits my nostrils the moment we enter Thorn Cafe. I let out a breath, loving the cosiness this little place provides us. Looking around the place, I immediately spot Ian and Lucas sitting by the window, both of theirs head down as they talk about something. I pat on Millie’s shoulder and nod my head towards them, silently beckoning her to move.

We walk up to their table and I notice that they haven’t ordered anything yet. Seems like we got here just in time.

Lucas is the first one to notice me. “Yo motherfucker!” He shouts, even though I’m just a few steps away from them. An elderly couple sitting near our table gives Lucas horrified glances but of course, the bastard is oblivious to it. Ian turns his head towards our direction, nods at me and then goes ahead to talk with Lucas.

Before I can comprehend what is happening, Millie smacks the back of Ian’s head, earning a wince from him. The girl has a good arm.

Ian shoots the coldest glare at her and growls, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Millie, being the dramatic bitch she is, puts her hands on her hips and glares back at him. “You barely acknowledged us. That was rude, you asshole.”

“Do I look like I give a fuck?”

“We are your friends. You should give a fuck about us,” Millie says, as if she’s stating the obvious. I want to tell her that Ian do give fucks about his friends more than himself but that bastard would never agree with the fact.

“Fuck off!” Ian snaps, looking visibly angry. He opens the menu and proceeds to check what’s available in the cafe.

Millie opens her mouth to probably give a snarky reply to him, but Lucas beats her to it. “Drop it, Mils.” He throws a worried glance in Ian’s direction before looking back at us. “Let’s sit and have somethin’ delicious, alright? I’m already hungry as fuck.”

Millie looks like she wants to say something else but ends up choosing the silence. We both sit at the booth, me beside Ian and Millie beside Lucas.

“What are we talkin’ ‘bout again?” I grab the menu and start scrolling through it, even though I know what I am going to get. Thorn Cafe is one of the best cafes near the college campus and the food and drinks here are top tier.

Someone clears their throat, making me look up from the menu card.

Huge mistake.

Isla Young stands in front of us in her black and red waitress uniform with a notepad and a pen in her hand. And she is currently looking at me with….. longing.

I give her a small smile. Once upon a time, we fucked at some party. For me, that was just a simple casual fuck after getting drunk and all, and I thought she knew it. What I didn’t know was she thought it was because I was into her and wanted  to pursue her. Isla is hot, I will never disagree to that fact but at that time, I just wanted to have some meaningless fuck with someone with the same sentiment. It did take me more than a couple of months to make her understand that I was not in her, or anyone per se and I felt like a total dickhead for that. I never wanted to become the boy who leaves a girl heartbroken but accidentally, I am one.

But I know it’s for the best. She deserves someone who treats her right and loves her unconditionally. Which is not me.

Although I don’t think Isla is still over with me. From what I have gathered, I was the subject of her obsession and she still tries to hit on me every now and then, though I politely brush her off and reject her advances. Everyone goes over this sort of phase and I know Isla will too, although it’s taking a bit of time.

“Are you guys ready to order?” she asks everyone even though she didn’t remove her eyes from my form.

“Cheeseburger and fries. No ketchup please,” I murmur my order. I forgot how weird this shit gets.

“Anything else?” Why does she sound like she’s purring?

“Cheeseburgers and fries for me as well! And a large strawberry milkshake!” Lucas chimes in, immediately followed by Millie, who orders herself some waffles. Thankfully, Isla’s invading stares were off me and she listed down our orders.

Only Ian was left to order. We all look at him, waiting for him to say something, But he doesn’t. He just keeps his head tucked down, staring hard at the table.

Isla shifts on her feet, seeming uncomfortable for the first time since she arrived at our table. Clearing her throat, she says, “Do you want to order something?”

“Caesar salad,” Ian grumbles under his breath but thankfully, Isla catches it.

“Your order is coming in a few!” Isla cheerfully says, and with one last glance at me, leaves.

Fucking finally. I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Millie sips from her glass of water. “She seems to have a serious ass thing for you, I am telling you.”

“Yeah well I have told her multiple times that I am not looking for relationships. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer,” I mutter under my breath.

“Can we talk about something else other than your not-so-secret admirer?” Ian snaps, his cold eyes focused on us.

Millie raises both her hands. “Alright alright. No need to snap at us.”

Ian clenches his jaw but doesn’t utter a word afterwards. I narrow my eyes at him. Something’s up with him and I can’t figure out what. That bastard will never tell me or anyone else if we ask. I have to figure it out on my own.

Soon enough, our order comes and this time I try my best to avoid any sort of  Isla’s advances. We all talk about our assignments and some other stuff - well only Lucas, Millie and I since Ian prefers silence over anything.

When we exit the cafeteria later, we all make a beeline towards Ian’s Range Rover. As Ian opens the door to the driver’s side, Millie taps on his back, making him pause and look over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

Millie gives him a small smile and says, “I am sorry about earlier, For hitting you. Even though it was a friendly hit.”

Ian’s voice is void of emotions as he says, “I snapped at you. So we are indebted.”

Millie nods and gets in the backseat with Lucas while I go for the passenger one. The moment we are all inside and buckled up. Ian turns on the ignition key.

CRACK!

I barely register the broken glass falling over us the moment I hear the glass shattering sound. I immediately cover my face with my hands to prevent any shard of glass going for my face.

What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?

──────────

Gah the first chapter is done! If you like/love this chapter, do vote and comment tour thoughts. I love love reading everyone's comments and theories <3

Also, please keep in mind that this is the first draft of this book. So while constructive criticism is very much welcome, no hate comment okay? :)

Next chapter coming this Saturday!

Until then, see ya <3