ROMEO (book 1)

18. DELILAH ✨

Eyes on me.

Five girls eyes are on me as Ilaria walks me into the lecture theatre, "The fuck are you looking at you ugly whore." She seethes at the blonde girl.

She's like my own personal body guard at this point, i knew she was fiesty but i didn't expect her to be scary.

The girls were quick to look away. I take my usual seat and look to the front, a different professor was here. Ilaria sits beside me, "Romeo seems happy with you." She pulls her laptop out, she isn't even in this class.

"You can go." I tuck my hair behind my ear.

"No, my dad threatens the owner to let me go to whatever lectures i want to attend, all he needs to do is make a donation at the end of the year." She shrugs.

"Why are you always in engineering then?" I ask.

"Because that's where all the hot guys are." She licks her lips slightly.

I pull my new laptop out of my bag, whispering starts and as soon as Ilaria lifts her head, it stops again.

At first, i didn't like the thought of people being injured because of me.

Now, i don't like to admit that i like it. No one has ever fought for me before, Ilaria did.

I type in my passcode and soon, the lecture starts.

Professor Down is replacing Mr. Falls. He said Mr. Falls has taken some personal time and won't be back until the next semester, so he's doing it until that.

We learn about sociology for this lecture, and how certain sociological upbringings can influence the minds of criminals. I take the notes i needed and it was much easier to use this laptop rather than my hands.

After, we join the seminar and ask questions about the upcoming assignment, then we get asked if we want to go on an field trip to one of the local prisons.

It was $100, i didn't have that money just sitting sround. So Ilaria pays for me and her on the spot.

Because it's normal to carry $200 everywhere you go.

She walks to the cafe with me, Romeo was sitting in the corner booth, phone pressed to his ear. It was like everyone was avoiding that spot, on the surrounding five tables not a single person sat down.

"I'll get us some food." I say to Ilaria, she shoves a $50 bill in my hand and then lets me go.

I wish i didn't like being spoiled but i do. I just don't know how to accept gifts because i have never been given gifts.

Birthdays i got nothing, a smile if i was lucky. And because of that, when Damon started making his own money i just told him i hated birthdays.

Christmas i got new underwear and socks, Damon would get me posters or KPOP albums and he would always take me out on Christmas eve for a meal.

I always saved to buy him stuff.

I even saved to buy mom and dad stuff.

The barista knew my order, i ask for some extra stuff on top of that and then carry the tray over to Ilaria and Romeo, handing her back the change. "Keep it for tomorrow." She winks.

I shove it in her hand quickly, sipping my tea. It burned.

Romeo keeps taking on the phone, surprisingly it was in Chinese.

When i was younger, dad and mom couldn't be bothered to look after me so they sent me to my Chinese neighbour who taught chinese after school. I picked up a lot of it.