The talk seemed to go on and on. Nothing that had been said so far was remotely interesting. Becky doodled on the corner of her page. She looked up at the group of professors who had done nothing but pat each other on the back for the last thirty minutes. Not one of them seemed to have anything to do with the course she was studying.

The next speaker was a woman. She adjusted the microphone and then cleared her throat.

"Good morning. My name is Professor Sonja Lever. I am the head of forensic and analytical science." She paused as she looked around the room. "Forensic and Analytical Science. Tough." Professor Lever tweaked her eyebrows and grinned. "I hope you were all straight when you made the choice to take on this line of study." Her voice rose above the twitter. "For all you beer swigging, ice taking, pot smoking, I'm a super brain and can do anything, decision makers, I'm sorry but this little fantasy isn't going to work out for you like you thought."

The room filled with laughter.

Professor Lever smiled knowingly and held up her hand. "How many of you are first years? I would like you to stand please so you can see each other."

As the students stood, she looked at her notes and then back at the group. "My records tell me there are seventy of you." She swept her hand over the crowd. "I want you all to take a good look at one another. Put your fellow students' faces in your minds because by the end of this course, we estimate that only thirty of you will be left at most."

A loud murmur echoed off the walls.

"Yes. That's right. Only thirty. The odds are slim, that the person standing next to you will complete this course."

Becky looked at Demi.

The girl beamed back at her. "Don't worry, we'll be in that thirty."

They both giggled and looked at the guy with dreadlocks. He was still seated. His elbows on the arms of the chair and his hands, laced together, were placed in front of him. He didn't look back at them.

Professor Lever waved her hands to indicate the group should sit down. "Fourth years, please stand up."

Twenty students stood. Professor Lever clapped her hands as she said, "I commend you." Looking around the auditorium, she added, "These twenty students are the cream of the crop. When they started this course three years ago, they were a group of eighty. Seventy-five per cent of them failed or couldn't cope with the workload. If first years want to be part of the twenty-five per cent to succeed, then you need to know, right from the beginning, your next four years are going to be hard work."

Demi gave Becky another look and nudged her head toward the blonde guy. She leaned across in front of Becky once more and asked, "Are you a second - or third year forensic student?"

He smiled.

Even though Becky only had a side view of him, her throat constricted. His profile was angelic. She held her breath as his full lips formed the word.

"Neither."

"What?" Demi shook her head. "You don't attend this, Uni."

"Not what I said." He grinned again.

Becky tried to sit further back in her seat as the guy leaned a little closer so he could peer at Demi's face.

"I said I was neither a second or third year of F and A Science, not that I didn't attend this Uni." He laughed and tilted his head. Humour flashed across his face as he spoke, "If you want to pass your course, I think you're going to have to lift your listening skills." Still smirking, he leaned back in his seat.

Demi scowled. "I actually have really good listening skills. You need to work on your communication skills." She reached across in front of Becky and fluttered her eyelashes at him cooing, "So what are you studying?"

With his elbow on the arm of the chair, he rested his head on the tip of his forefinger and thumb. He looked at Demi as if in deep thought, grinned at her antics, and then said, "Vet science."

"Oh... so you want to make sick little puppies all better," Demi simpered.

Becky noticed he didn't appear happy with Demi's taunt as he sat up, faced the front, and said, "Something like that."

"So why would a vet science student come to this introductory lecture? Vet Science isn't on the schedule today." Demi cocked her head and raised her eyebrows.

He tapped his fingertips together and sighed.

Becky wished Demi would shut up or that she could change places with her because she was starting to feel like a third wheel, which made her really awkward. He hadn't once looked at her. Not even the slightest glance. Now, she could sense his irritation.

"Look, Demi," he said as he bent across in front of Becky again. "I'm here because I'm interested in attracting the attention of a girl who's doing this course and you are kinda fucking that up for me right now." He put his fingers to his lips and said, "Shh..." Chuckling he winked as Demi's face flushed and once more leaned back in his seat and looked forward.

When the talk finished, Dreadlocks stood but didn't move so the girls were stuck behind him. The crowd poured up the stairs towards the back of the auditorium to where the double doors were. Dreadlocks stepped into the line.

"Kane! Oh my God! What are you doing here?" A beautiful pale skinned girl with long wavy tresses of dusty red hair grabbed his arm.

"Well. That must be the girl he's interested in," Demi whispered in Becky's ear.

"Yes." Becky grinned and nodded her head as she watched the girl throw her arms around his neck. "His name must be Kane," she murmured back at Demi as he lifted the girl and carried her up the last step and out through the opening.

"It suits him." Demi huffed. "He looks like a tall stick of sugar cane in flower with that fluffy fair hair. What a stuck up prick he was?" She laughed and swished her finger. "We can scratch him off our list of hot guys."

"What?" Becky tittered and elbowed Demi as they headed out of the building. "Isn't he hot enough for you?"

"Oh... he was hot alright but he knew it. What an arse for telling me I needed to improve my listening skills." She swung around in front of Becky and walked backwards. "Did you check out his eyes?" Demi waved her hand up and down in the pretence of cooling herself. "Damn that man. He made me so angry but, far out. His eyes. Oh... so... green. I wanted to rush out and buy me a lawn mower."

Becky screeched with laughter as she slipped her small long strapped bag across her body. She pressed her hand against her chest to catch her breath. "Shit, Demi. You are so funny." She shook her head and gasped in a breath. "I didn't actually see his eye colour."

"What... woman! How could you not?" Demi jerked her head backward and screwed up her face. "Are you blind or something?"

"No." Becky chuckled again. "He never looked at me. Not once. Not even a quick glance. Plus it was pretty dark so a side view didn't highlight them." She grinned and jabbed Demi in the ribs. "I think it was your attention he was trying to get." She raised her eyebrows and gave Demi a light slap on the shoulder. "And I think it might have worked."

Demi flounced around, flicked her hair over her shoulder and wiggled her butt as she stepped forward. "Imma go buy me a puppy."

Becky shrieked again. "Maybe you should get a kitten instead. It might be too hard to hide a puppy in the pods."

"Why would I get me a kitten when I already got me a pussy?" Demi chortled as Becky went into another fit of laughter. She gave her a playful shove, and then slipped her arm through Becky's. "You and I are going to be great mates."

"Yes, I think we are." Becky beamed.

Hi all, sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up.  Just so you know this book is going to be a slow burn as life is pretty hectic at the moment.  

Thanks so much for reading, though. It'd be so great if you could leave me a comment or a vote so I know you're there.

Image taken from Pinterest.