My contract love story

Ashleigh walked away from the previous day’s events without realizing that by the next morning, she would be the talk of the department. It was Saturday morning, and Ashleigh had planned to sleep in, enjoying a rare weekend of rest. However, she was roused from her slumber by the persistent ringing of her phone, which vibrated against her bed. Groggily, she reached out in the direction of the phone, still half-asleep, and picked it up, eyes closed.

“What?” she groaned as she answered the call, placing it against her ear.

“What did you do yesterday in class?” the voice on the other end asked. Ashleigh squinted, trying to place the caller’s identity.

“Sorry, who is this?” she asked, her confusion evident.

“Damien. Does that ring a bell? Anyway, back to my question-what happened in class yesterday?” Damien asked, his tone urging her for an answer.

“Nothing much. Why do you keep asking about this, Damien?” Ashleigh replied, trying to recall if something unusual had occurred in class.

“Because you’re trending on the department’s online community page,” he said, causing Ashleigh to sit up in bed, fully alert.

“What!?”

“I’m looking at a video of you and Alana debating allosteric regulation, I’m impressed. It’s currently the most-viewed video in the science category,” Damien complimented, and Ashleigh swallowed hard.

“I mean, the lecturer made us do it as a mini quiz; it was nothing too serious. Why would someone record it?” Ashleigh wondered aloud.

“Drama, obviously. I thought I mentioned that you should steer clear of Alana at lunch? It seems I’ve been convinced by my friends to befriend a troublemaker,” Damien sighed in exasperation.

“I’m not troublesome. She tried to embarrass me yesterday by making me look foolish, but I managed to outsmart her. Now I’m the villain?” Ashleigh said, frowning.

“I hope you’re more than just talk when she comes for you,” Damien conceded, and Ashleigh rolled her eyes.

“So, is that the only reason you called? Nothing else?” Ashleigh asked after a moment of silence.

“Why? Is there something else you were hoping for?” Damien replied awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. He hadn’t considered what to talk about when he called Ashleigh, and since they had only recently formed an alliance, he didn’t know much about her apart from what he was learning now.

“Well, that’s a bit disappointing,” Ashleigh said in a low voice, chuckling at his attempt to salvage the situation.

“It’s fine. You just woke me up, so I expected a bit more than a reprimand,” she said playfully. Damien paused before clearing his throat.

“Alright then. Since we’re still on the phone, I’d like to use this opportunity to go over our study plans,” he said. They spent a few minutes planning their study sessions around the mid-semester exams. Damien informed Ashleigh about the school’s culture of keeping the library open 24/7 during exams and how some faculties offered overnight rooms and meal services. For biochemistry and other natural science courses, in addition to study notes, there were laboratory courses. To prepare for the mid-semester exams, the lab would be open on selected days for extra practice. They decided to use the main library on alternate evenings until midnight and do overnight study sessions on lab days.

As they were about to end the call, Ashleigh heard a ringing on Damien’s end.

“It seems someone has something important to tell you. I better end…” she began, but Damien interrupted.

“Wait! It’s Arthur. He keeps insisting I add him to the call,” Damien explained. With a tap, Arthur’s voice came screeching through the phone.

“Hey, guys!” Arthur greeted with a high-pitched tone that made Ashleigh pull the phone away from her ear.

“We were fine before you joined,” Damien said flatly, slightly annoyed.

“Boohoo, Damien. You’re always in a prissy mood. Ashleigh, darling, I called because of you,” Arthur said in a sweet tone, which made Ashleigh raise an eyebrow at his exaggerated sweetness.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re our new friend! And more importantly, from what I hear, you’re the drama, ” Arthur exclaimed. Ashleigh shook her head in denial.

“I’m not the drama! That video will probably blow over by this evening, and everyone will be back to normal… right?” Ashleigh said, hoping to reassure herself. Damien snorted in response.

“They might take it down, but it has definitely reached its target audience,” Arthur said, echoing Damien’s earlier point.

“My point is that you need to make a splash in the social scene. With this video, you’ve gained some traction in the online community. Although people don’t know you yet, with the right moves, you could rise to the top, just like Alana,” Arthur rambled excitedly. Ashleigh nodded silently, not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm.

“Although I appreciate your enthusiasm, Arthur, I don’t think I’m cut out for that. I just want to go through college peacefully,” Ashleigh said calmly. Damien remained silent during this exchange.

“It seems you and Damien are cut from the same cloth. But I won’t stand for it. You need to build a solid presence on campus to avoid being bullied. Socializing is also important for making connections. There’s no debate-we’re all going to be well-rounded individuals! That’s why I’ve decided we’re going to the club tonight,” Arthur announced. Both Ashleigh and Damien protested.

Arthur was determined this time. He had hoped that Ashleigh’s presence in their group would lead to more socializing, but it seemed he had attracted another introvert like Damien and Oliver. Realizing this, he decided not to let them be intellectual loners.

“You need this to fully understand the ins and outs of Robin College, Ashleigh. Mr. Smarty-pants over there can refuse because he grew up with some of these people, but you can’t. I’ll pick you up at 5 pm. Ciao,” Arthur said, ending the call and leaving Ashleigh wondering who Damien was connected to that are elite students.

After the call ended, Ashleigh checked the video online. She clicked on it and saw it was recorded by a student sitting near the front, capturing the entire debate from start to finish, including Alana’s expression when she was declared the winner. The headline boldly read: UNDERDOG BEATS TOP BIOCHEMISTRY FRESHER IN SHOWDOWN!!!!, making it sound more dramatic than it actually was.

She scrolled through the comments:

@biolover84: It was even more intense in person; the look on Alana’s face could cut through steel.Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

@Henrietta45: the girl just had a streak of luck, this proves nothing about Alana or the girl

@justlok: Serves Alana right; maybe now she’ll realize she’s not all that!

@Sadiesink: I like this girl, by the way. What she did takes guts! What’s her name?

@Ishnawaves: The girl is just a show off, eager for the opportunity. SMH

@weeba: why is this here when we have mid-semester next week? Petition to take it down!

Despite the praises Ashleigh couldn’t help but feel worried, as this was not how she expected the situation to go. She also recalled the words of Damien and Arthur and wondered if she was truly prepared for the attention. She closed the page and focused on getting some chores done and preparing a meal. As usual, her roommate was absent, so Ashleigh spent the afternoon watching a movie. After a while she checked the department’s online community to see that the video was taken down with a strict message from the Dean against use of phones during lectures unless permitted by the lecturer. He also mentioned that the student responsible for the uploading of the video will be punished accordingly.

Soon it was time for Arthur to arrive and when Ashleigh checked her wardrobe, she realized she had nothing suitable for a club outing. Her clothes consisted mainly of dresses and casual wear in pastel tones, with shoes limited to flats, sandals, or wedges. She sighed, recalling that Susan had left her more formal clothes at the mansion, reminding her that they might be useful for parties. With only thirty minutes left to prepare, Ashleigh quickly chose a jumpsuit and sneakers, then hurried into the shower.

By 5 pm, she barely made it downstairs. Arthur and Damien were waiting in a sleek red sports car, which was far more stylish than Damien’s previous vehicle. Damien was dressed in a full racing outfit-black pants, a jacket, branded sneakers, and Dolce and Gabbana shades. Arthur wore a full denim ensemble with stylish boots, and both had their hair impeccably styled.

As Ashleigh approached, Arthur removed his sunglasses and looked at her in shock.

“Is this what you’re wearing to the club?” he asked, examining her outfit from head to toe.

“Yes,” Ashleigh replied.

“Get in. We’re going shopping,” Arthur said with a sigh of disappointment.