Fate

Halle’s POV

I stood before Gleewood Arts, absorbing the breathtaking view. It was everything I'd envisioned; I'd always dreamt of attending Gleewood Arts, where dreams come to life. But a dream isn't truly lived unless it's pursued.

Jessie flashed me a hopeful smile as we approached the entrance. "Halle, sweetheart, I have a feeling this is going to be a remarkable year for us. Fresh beginnings, remember?"

I nodded, attempting to summon enthusiasm, yet the past lingered like a shadow. Confidence surged within me because Jessie, my lifeline, expertly concealed my massive scar with makeup, transforming me into an unrecognizable beauty.

"I need to return to college now. Adios, Red. Text me when you're back from your audition," she said, leaving me behind as she got into her dad's car. I waved goodbye as they drove away.

Standing before the school, echoes of voices and the flurry of students overwhelmed my senses. I felt like a lost ship in uncharted waters. Navigating through bustling hallways, I couldn't ignore the curious glances initially directed at me. At first, I assumed it was me, but then the screams began: "Xavier! Xavier's here! Come sign my book." The sound of approaching footsteps echoed like a stampede from behind.

As I stood there, a figure in a face cap rushed past me, knocking me to the ground and shattering my phone screen. Then came the stampede of girls, trampling over me, turning my first day into a living nightmare.

My neatly ironed clothes were now stained, and I leapt to my feet, seething with anger, and chased after them. They paused briefly by the female restroom before someone pointed in another direction, and they darted off with their signs and cardboard.

I hastily opened the restroom door, only to feel a hand grab me from inside, covering my mouth with a filthy hand. "Shush," he said, signaling for silence and placing the other hand on his lips.

For a few minutes, he remained silent, still staring at me, until he suddenly removed his hands from my mouth. "Hey, stop staring at me like that; your eyes might pop out," he teased.

"You! You!" I yelled,my frustration bubbling over.

"Oh no, just another crazy fan," he remarked while removing his facecap and sunglasses.

"Huh?" I replied, and he hissed his teeth. "Don't you stalking fans have anything better to do? You even followed me into the men's room," he said.

"Who followed you into the men's room? And this isn't even the men's room; it's the ladies' room."

"Ladies' room?" he asked.

"This is clearly—" he started, and he turned around to check the room. His eyes widened as he gasped.

"You know what, as a star, I'm just tired of being followed by you stalking fans," he said, frustration evident in his voice.

"So you came to the ladies' room to avoid girls, and you even tried to assault me?" I interrogated.

"When?" he questioned, pointing at my face. "When did I assault you?"

"You did out there!" I snapped, thrusting my phone toward his face. "You broke my phone!" I yelled.

"And how is that an assault?" he challenged.

"The media will find out. If you don’t repair my phone," I warned him.

"Fine," he conceded, collecting my phone. To my surprise, he smashed it right in front of me and stepped on it with his shoes.

"You son of a b*tch!" I yelled at him.

"Don’t try to mess with me, weirdo. Fine," he said, removing a wristwatch from his wrist and handing it over to me. "It's worth more than your useless phone. Get yourself a new phone and probably something to eat; you're so short," he added as he yanked me off the door and ran out.

"That jerk," I muttered, stamping my feet on the floor in frustration.

I marched to the front of the mirror in the restroom. "Don’t let him get to you, Halle. It’s audition day. You have to get into your dream school," I reminded myself with determination.

Deciding a bit of sightseeing would do me good, and with my audition in two hours, I ventured out. I had always dreamt of coming here.

As I strolled down the hallway, a fancy garden caught my eye. It seemed calm, and I just craved some peace. Stepping into the garden, I admired the beautiful view. After a moment of reflection, I screamed into the open air in frustration.

Angrily, I yanked the watch from my pocket and threw it into the garden. "He's just so rude. I wonder why those girls are so obsessed with him," I murmured to myself,shaking my head.

"You know, throwing away your belongings out of anger is a bad way to express your feelings," a voice behind me remarked.

Startled, I turned to see his face, and I met an angel. His blue eyes resembled the sea, his soft smile quickened my heartbeats. He was drop-dead gorgeous, with porcelain skin and blonde hair. He held a sketch pad and a pencil, pointing his arm toward me as if trying to capture my face.

"Hmm, hmm," I murmured, my voice barely audible. "You startled me," I admitted, pulling myself from my reverie.

"I've been here for a while. I watched you enter," he said with an air of calmness, as if he had been observing my every move.

Anxiety crept over me, and I panicked. "Oh my God," I stammered. "Did you hear me-?" I started to ask, but he smoothly cut in.

"-Scream," he completed my unfinished sentence, his lips curling into a slow smile. "That was so cute," he remarked, surprising me with his genuine reaction.

As he covered his sketch pad, signaling his departure, an impulse drove me to reach out. "Hey," I called out to him, my voice betraying a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. "I'm Halle," I introduced myself, expecting the usual exchange of pleasantries. However, his response caught me off guard.

"I know," he said mysteriously, leaving me with a sense of intrigue as he gracefully exited the garden. My mind raced with questions. "How do you know my name?" I asked, but he merely smiled, leaving me standing there, as he vanished into the surroundings of Gleewood Arts.