Chapter 4

Zea's POV

Your circle of friends. Pft, I didn't laugh. It was clear to everyone in this room that 'circle of friends' could also be perfectly replaced with 'pack'. I snorted quietly while Rider pointed briefly at the brunette TJ. I quickly offered them my hand and forced a smile.

I had to get out of there as quickly as possible. When I said get out of here, I didn't just mean the room, but also the college, ideally the whole of America. I didn't like the people here anyway.

"So you're the girl who planted Viagra on Rider." TJ folded his arms and a small smile appeared on his face. My mouth fell open in outrage and Shanice also spoke up from the side with a stunned sound.

"Please what? I didn't do anything like that," I justified myself and raised my arms defensively. Dismayed, I looked to Rider to get some support, but he just laughed quietly and ran his hand through his dark hair.

“Hey, it’s okay not to admit it. I wouldn't admit it right away if I wanted to get a boy hot." TJ winked at me. Was I allowed to see that as an outing? I shook my head in disbelief. What had Rider told the boys that they immediately called me out? classify the 'Viagra girl'?

“You- You gave him Viagra? "Say, are you crazy?" Shanice suddenly shouted from my right and I saw the guys next to me flinch a little. Nobody here would have thought it possible that TJ's simple joke could lead to a serious discussion.

Shanice shook with anger. “When did you even meet alone? You've barely been here a day and then you try to cheat me out of my boyfriend, my fucking mate. Are you lying snake still ticking correctly?" the black-haired woman then shrieked in a deafening voice.

The fact that the two were mates fit like a glove. To be honest, I couldn't tell which of the two had it worse.

“Hey, hey, hey, babe, come on down. It was just fun-" Rider tried to calm her down, but she interrupted her friend harshly.

“Yeah, sure, it’s all just fun! "Was that with Riley just having fun?" she then shouted. A quick exchange of glances with TJ told me that this discussion would turn into a deep relationship crisis in a matter of seconds, so I quickly tried to intervene, but before I could get a word in edgewise, Rider raised his voice again and walked towards his mate with a fiery look.

“It's been over a year since Riley happened. If you still hold this against me now, I don't know what's bigger, your jealousy or your incompetence."

It banged. It was immediately clear that Shanice's hand had hit Rider's cheek with full force, which was now gradually turning the color of a ripe tomato.

I groaned internally. I had only been here for a few hours and I just wanted to disappear.

“Do we still want to go to this party?” I tried cautiously to let at least a little of my empathy seep through, but no one was listening to me anymore.

Rider and Shanice were engaged in a heated argument while TJ watched. From the look in his eyes, I couldn't tell whether he was feeling excitement or concern. Funny. But what was even weirder was that Sean was completely unconcerned about the situation and his emotionless gaze was only on me the whole time.

I looked at him questioningly until his lack of reaction made me turn my gaze back to TJ.

"Don't you happen to feel like going out for a party?" I asked with a sigh. After all, it wasn't for nothing that I dressed up like that.

TJ grinned slightly, patted the motionless Sean briefly on the shoulder, and then pointed to the door. We left the room together and I was glad that I could only hear muffled the couple's annoying shouting.

Sighing with relief, I ran a hand through my hair before, without thinking twice, I raked TJ and strolled down the aisle with him.

“Is Sean always so quiet?” I asked after a while. Meanwhile, I casually tried to memorize the maze of corridors in this college.

TJ just shrugged. "My mom is engaged to his dad," he began. "He doesn't talk much at dinner, answers questions as briefly as possible, and has never tried to initiate a conversation with anyone.

To be honest, I think "I think he's never wanted that. Sean is correct, really. I think his role is to observe and evaluate," he said relatively indifferently and I nodded.

“Sean is a structured, logical person. Once in high school, he took a blank paper in a relic exam, even though he knew that would mean he would have a deficit in religion on his report card. Afterward, he explained to me that, in addition to Reli, he had two deficiencies in his main subjects and therefore wouldn't be transferred anyway. I mean, any other person would have at least tried!" TJ gestured around a lot and I nodded again.

Sean seemed interesting.

“But let’s leave the topic aside, more to you. "Tell me something," he then asked cheerfully, while he opened the double doors to the outside with his free hand. Fresh evening air came towards me and I closed my eyes briefly and relaxed, but TJ immediately pulled me on.

“Zea Venera Divina, everything ending in a, sounds shitty, I know. Where I was born, that was normal for women at the time." Rolling my eyes, I thought back to ancient Italy. How terrible the naming was back then. Even though 'Horst' and 'Jimmy Blue' weren't any better these days.

“I live with my best friend, Cole. Well, he's in Europe now and having a good time while I'm wasting my time here. Cole is my everything, he is incredible. I think you would love him.

I've lived everywhere, but preferably in Asia or Europe.

I am very interested in sports, art, and biology. "That's also the reason why I chose an arts- and sports-oriented college," I told him, revealing a fraction of my personality.

“I can't do anything with art. To me, they're just some blobs of color," TJ then laughed.

He whistled to a taxi driver, who greeted us in a friendly manner and even held the door open for me. I thanked him got in next to TJ and buckled up.

"So what's your first impression of college, Madame?" TJ then asked. "I haven't had any classes yet, but I don't think much of the people here," I answered honestly. TJ gave the driver an address I didn't recognize and then turned back to me.

“Shanice isn’t my cup of tea either. I consider your whole demeanor to be a bit questionable," he then agreed with me and I nodded. At least someone who saw this snake with the same eyes as me.

It was now late evening and the sparse light revealed little of the landscape we were driving through.

A concrete landscape littered with homeless people, rubbish, and broken windows.

"Before I forget, we're going to a slightly different party than you probably think," TJ remarked casually, but my preternatural instincts told me that something was wrong.