Chapter 11: The Semester

Ella Lattone's POV

It has been a month since I was registering myself for NYU. It was the most exuberant of my year. I cannot believe I was starting my journey to be a Master's student here. I could not sleep when I was looking at the building and faculty here. They seem nice enough and friendly.

"So, what do you think?" Daisy asked me as I was looking around. It was nice and I cannot believe that I will be in my first class after my orientation and all the stuff that I have to do to get enrolled again.

"It is nice not to think about work once in a while," I said as I was walking with her on the quad. I have enrolled myself in the path of science and it seems that I will be doing some ecology coursework. I might be thinking of research of the new volcano ecosystem that has shocked the world.

"Well, as long as you're happy, I'm happy," Daisy said as we were walking to get some breakfast in the cafeteria. I was thinking of a cold roast beef sandwich. It was nice to have it before my first class.

But, when we turned the corner of the cafeteria, I thought I saw someone familiar with a redhead.

Dear God! Not him!

But then, of course, his royal pain in the ass turned to look around the cafeteria while he was refilling his water bottle. I gritted my teeth.

Damn it!

I know who I saw when I was rounding around the quad as his figure was not one to distinguish. What was he doing here? Was he following me? I thought before I shook my mind at that notion.

My boss followed me across the country? Pfft, yeah right. That man was cold as ice.

But I know that hair everywhere or maybe I was mistaken for someone else. I don't know what to do but to hide but it would bring suspicious to everyone else.

"What are you doing?" Daisy asked me when she was looking at me strangely. I was smiling at her before she arched her eyebrow.

"Do you see that man over there? By the filling station?" I asked her as she turned to look around the corner that Hayes was still there. She nodded.

"Yeah, he was filling his bottle. What, are you afraid of him or what?" She asked bluntly. I cursed at her bluntness since Daisy was not a very perceptive person.

"Remember when I told you that I have a boss that was a stick in the mud?" I asked her before her eyes were wide.

"Wait, don't tell me, that's him? Whew, quite hot," she said as she was checking my boss. I gritted my teeth before I was shaking her.

"This is not the time to appreciate the male's body. He cannot be here. I thought he was in France for that conference meeting that he will be wanting to get some juicy detail," I said before Daisy was arching her eyebrow at me.

"Okay, first and foremost, you need to get out of that hiding spot," she said as she was dragging me out of the corner that I felt safe before she was glaring at me.

"Second, you go and say hi. Or maybe ask him what is he doing here? Out in NYC where he supposed to be in Seattle," Daisy said before she was pushing me to get to that icy man. Not in this lifetime.

"No, what are you doing? Are you insane? He is not friendly with me when we used to work together so I don't think he would appreciate being here and chatting with me, his employee," I hissed at Daisy before I can sense that she was rolling her eyes at me.

"Come on, Ella. You need to step up and you need to confront this devil of yours. Maybe he was not as cold as you think,"

"You want to bet?" I asked her before I was trying to stop her pushing me toward Hayes. I need to get out. Oh God! I cannot humiliate myself like this.

But of course, my luck was not on me today.

"Ella? Ella Lattone, is that you?" His sultry voice was coming into my eardrums like I was being caressed by it. I turned slowly as Daisy was arching her eyebrows at me before I glared at her. She rolled her eyes before I turned to look at Hayes. Cameron Hayes, the cold man of WWF.

Which happened to be my boss and my crush once upon a time.

"Hi, Mr. Hayes. Long time no see," I said as I was trying to be cheerful in my tone. I cringed at my attempt.

"If I recall, it was only a month. What are you doing here?" He asked as I was looking at Daisy before I was smiling at him.

"Well, I am pursuing my Ph.D. here. What about you?" I asked as I was smiling at him. He nodded.

"What a small world? I am doing the same thing as well. I hope to see you at one of my classes. We can be classmates from now on,"

"That would be lovely, Mr. Hayes," I said as I was smiling at him.

"Please, call me Cam. It seems that you and I will be the best of friends after all," he smirked at me before blood drained from my face.

I know my life was a series of unfortunate events. Why do I have to choose NYU where my other 3 best friends were studying. And why oh why that Cameron Hayes need to be here as well?

Not only he was my boss once upon a time, but he was also my bully.

Then, Hayes went away with a glint in his eyes that I know he will be the death of my Master's year and I don't think I can handle him anymore. I was tired and that was the first reason why I was to be on the other side of the country to avoid him.

But I guessed Fate was tempting with me.

After breakfast, we went to our classrooms as I have one in the seminar hall and I think I don't want to be late for my first class. I said goodbye to Daisy as she went to her class and we won't be seeing each other as she had her lab to teach after this.

I was still waiting for my TA program and classes that I will be teaching. I would guess that I will be teaching French since it was my strength among the Romance languages, even though I can speak them fluently.

I went inside the hall as I was taking my seat at the center of the room. I don't think I wanted to be eager or at the back of the crowd. I promised my uncle and aunt that I will be giving my best and I think it was nice to be obedient for once.

Only for my tuition fees.

My aunt convinces uncle Edmond that I wanted to continue my studies and he agreed since I will be coming home for Christmas this year. And it was only June. I sighed before I pulled out my laptop and started to get ready for my class. Then the professor was coming in.

"Well, good morning class. My name is Professor Maxwell Swift. You can call me Max," the professor said as he stated that he was a Ph.D. researcher for Volcanology and he was excited to experiment with the recent volcanic activity in the news.

"It seems that this class will be a very good one this year since we have our very special alumni that will be your TA for this Volcanology Ecosystem 101, Mr. Cameron Hayes," the professor said.

I blinked my eyes before Hayes was walking toward the professor and they shook hands. They seemed friendly with each other and I cannot blink fast enough to know that it was not a joke.

This shit was real as fuck!

I saw that Hayes was scanning the room before his green gaze settled on me. A curve on his lips was indicating that he was enjoying my discomfort much more than I should give him to. He will be taking advantage of me, I'm sure of that.

"Well, hello everyone. It was nice to see a new fresh face, and some familiar one, that I will assist you guys this year. I hope that we will be a great acquaintance and maybe be friends," he said as he was settling his eyes on me.

"A very close one at that," he said as he smirked.

I gulped. I know that smirk will be the death of me for the rest of my year. Damn him, Cameron Hayes!