Scarlet Craving

Chapter 1: Winter

During the peak of winter, the sky is constantly shrouded in a dark veil of clouds making it hard to distinguish if it's day or night. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun clearly or the blue sky for that matter. There are highlights to winter, you get Christmas and New Years but once that's over what's the point? Now you have to suffer through the brittle weather for a few more months until you hit spring, and well that just meant rain.

I was making the horrible walk to campus. It's not that far from my student flat but the brisk wind always has a way of getting into any crevices I hadn't wrapped up tightly enough. My whole body shivered and my teeth chattered. I smiled gleefully though as I thought about the warm classroom I'd soon be in.

I always seem to get more irritable when I'm cold. I guess I have a low tolerance for it? But you'd think three layers of clothing along with a hat, scarf and gloves would be enough to keep me warm but nope. I was still freezing. The icy air burned my cheeks, turning them slightly red.

As I made my way onto campus, various other students were wrapped up for warmth like I was and hurried past me to dash inside. I made a left turn, intending to head to the lecture hall for my lesson but I stopped as I noticed a tall slim guy staring hard at the campus map. A new kid perhaps?

I stepped closer to the newbie and noticed he was wearing a grey knitted turtleneck and a long brown coat that stopped just above his knees. His hair was jet black as it hung perfectly around his head in small waves. Small curls adorned his forehead as it parted slightly and his face, wow. His features were smooth and soft looking as were his dark chocolate brown eyes that focused intently on the map in front of him.

I opened my mouth to speak to him but before the words could come out the first bell for class rang. Crap I'm gonna be late! I quickly spun on my heel as I rushed to the lecture hall. I knew this particular teacher for my lecture was an arse to everyone so I didn't want to show up late and get scolded.

I sighed in relief as I walked quickly into the room to see that the teacher wasn't there yet. "Piper, over here!" I looked up at the room and saw my best friend Ava waving at me from a few rows away. I ran up the steps and sat down next to her with a heavy thud.

"Thanks for saving me a spot," I said smiling at her as I began to rub my hands together in an effort to thaw out my fingers from the cold.

"Hand warmer?" Ava asked as she handed me a spare one from her pocket.

"Lifesaver." I grabbed it gladly as I squeezed it in my hands, caressing it against the slightly frozen parts of my face.

Mr Lewis, our teacher, the only teacher I might add that asks us to call him by his surname rather than his first name like the rest of our lecturers. Walked into the lecture hall and began the class. Fifteen minutes later the doors to the classroom opened and the same stranger I had seen before walked in. His expression was completely calm as if he was unaware that he had just disturbed a lesson.

"Excuse me." Mr Lewis said in an agitated tone "This lecture is in session."

The whole class suddenly turned into a frenzied whisper about the handsome newcomer. I straightened up in my seat to get a better view which didn't go unnoticed by Ava. "Do you know him?" Ava said intrigued.

I shook my head at her. "No, but I saw him on my way here looking at the campus map."

"Why didn't you speak to him?" Ava asked me in a whisper as the class started to quieten back down.

"Well I didn't know he was in this class and I was running late!" I said back in a hushed tone.

"Name?" Mr Lewis asked the stranger.