Chapter Four

Ostport was very much different from the little town of Rosario. Every part of the city was full of life; every corner had buildings and large establishments. People were also more well-off here than those at my hometown.

After having brunch at some fast food restaurant outside of the academy, I spent the next hour buying school supplies from the allowance I got from the academy. Tricia Beauford, the Vice-president of the Human Division, handed it over to me last night. Now, I got to spend some of it.

When I was sure I'd bought everything — and by everything, I meant a few notebooks, pens, and a pad paper — that I'd be needing for school, the next thing I did was look for a job. I tried asking at fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and bookstores near the academy, but almost all of them had no vacant positions.

It was already past six when I found a coffee shop a few blocks from the academy — my last hope. The heat and fatigue was starting to take a toll on me, but still, I took a deep breath and went inside.

Caffeine Hub, as the sign outside said, was fairly large but didn't had enough customers. The busy street of Ostport could be seen through the glass walls, which surrounded almost half of the shop, while the other half were reddish brick walls decorated with vintage paintings. Even the tables, booths and lighting were vintage-looking, but overall it had a homey feeling. A bit on the dark side, but I liked it.

I scanned the place and immediately spotted a girl — who could easily be noticed — with long red hair was standing inside the counter, her back was facing me. She looked busy, if the way she strode back and forth wasn't an indication.

I walked towards her and was about to pat her on the shoulder to get her attention. But before my fingers and her shoulder could even make contact, her curse already made me freeze, my hand left suspended in the air.

"Bullshit!" she said.

Okay... This was probably not the best time to disturb her.

As if she had noticed my presence, she quickly turned around to face me, her brows meeting halfway whilst biting her lips in annoyance. I froze. Not that she looked terrifying; she was beautiful, actually. She had a slim face, a nice thin nose and amazing gray eyes. But something fierce was hidden behind her angelic features.

It was her turn to freeze when her brain finally acknowledged my presence. I gave her a tiny smile, and let my hand fall on top of the counter.

"I can come back later if you're not in the mood for customers," I said, quite unsure.

She forced out an awkward smile, probably feeling a bit shy as she brushed her long hair with her hands. "Sorry, ma'am. I was distracted. Can I get your order?"

"Uhm... a cappuccino, I guess?"

She nodded, and finally flashed me a bright smile. "Right away."

But before she could turn around, I quickly added, "And, miss? I wanted to ask if there's a vacant position here at your shop? I'm kinda looking for a job. Any position's fine."

"I think our manager's looking for another part-time waitress. I'll ask her about it."

My face instantly lit up. "You will? You don't have to if it's a bother."

"It isn't a bother at all," she said, but then realized she had customers to tend to. "Sorry miss, be right back."

She left me with an I'm-freaking-screwed look on her face. I couldn't help but chuckle. She seemed nice and funny — completely different from the impression I had on her just a few minutes ago — that she somehow reminded me of my friend Lianne.

Later on, I found out that her name was Grae. She said she came from somewhere far and just moved to Decipula the other day — the same town, or city, where Narelle came from. She ended up working here at Caffeine Hub because of a friend, and I guess, we'd soon be co-workers since everything went well after she introduced me to their manager.

It was around six when I finally got to the academy. The sky was in a mixture of pink, orange, and blue; the moon was already visible; but the sun hadn't yet set, so I walked my way to the dormitory.

I was exhausted by the time I arrived in front of my dorm room. Just the thought of a long shower and my body buried under the soft sheets of my bed was enough for me to open the door in record time.

"You're back early," Narelle welcomed.

I shrugged as I took off my shoes. "Job hunting was surprisingly easy."

"Well, this one will surprise you more."

"What?"

I turned to her. She was now sitting on her bed, back against the headboard and legs crossed on top of another. She lazily held a clear plastic bag with some kind of cloth inside using one hand, while the other held her phone.

"What's that?" I asked, walking towards her, then grabbed the plastic bag from her grasp.

"That, my roommate, is our uniform."

My brows instantly shot upwards. Of course, the uniforms were expected to arrive today, since tomorrow would be the start of our classes. But what surprised me was not the uniform, but the color it was in.

I opened the bag, took one piece from inside, then held up the long-sleeved blouse that I'd got. It was red; like blood, but a few shades darker, bordering between crimson and maroon. The side of the collars, end of the sleeves, and the part just above the hem were all lined with gold, intricate-looking designs.

"Is this a joke?" I couldn't help but mutter.

Yes, the uniform was beautiful. And yes, it looked comfortable to wear. But it felt... wrong.

"That's the very same thing I said when that came in," Narelle said.

Without looking at her, I walked my way towards the full-length mirror by the side of our couch. I held the uniform up against my figure, and for the second time, I was speechless. Narelle was behind me in just a few moments, hands crossed against her chest.

"Hilarious, right?" she said, sounding a bit pissed. "Now we officially look like human blood bags."

That was all it took to make my stomach turn.

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