HOSTILE OATH

"I just hope I got in, been hopeful" Kayla mumbled to herself, holding on to her phone while checking her mail maybe she'd get a positive response from her college of choice. A notification came in, she opened without hesitation. She took a pause, gasped and screamed out with so much joy.

She couldn't keep the news all to herself, she took her purse and went out to the bus station to get a ride to her best friend's house. On getting there, she knocked and Vivian opened the door. She jumped on her with a tight hug filled with so much joy. "YAY, I am so happy Vivian. I got in".

Vivian didn't understand what she meant so she asked "Got in where?"

"I got an admission into LANDA college " She screamed with joy.

Vivian chuckled hard and gave Kayla another hug, she then ran into her room. Kayla followed her, she went straight for her phone which she had left on her desk, she took her seat and unlocked her phone to check her mail. She opened it but didn't see new messages or new notifications. There was silence in the room, the sudden joy and excitement went quiet. She stood up from her seat and turned her back to leave when her phone chimed. She opened the message quickly, it was a message from her chosen college, she jumped up with more excitement when she saw hers "I got in too".

Both friends screamed with joy and hugged each other tight. Vivian's mom who was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner, heard their screams, she forfeited whatever she was doing and walked straight to Vivian's room. As she walked in, she met them hugging and full of joy, she asked "What is all the noise for?". They hugged her and chorused "We got into LANDA mom". Her mom was very happy to hear the good news and called for celebration with a champagne.

LANDA Talent College was every student's dream. The school's name was spoken with a certain pride by parents. New students arrived each year with exciting hopes and this term, among the new students coming in, two stood out: Vivian Austin and Kayla Depp, who were more than happy to be part of a college highly spoken of by people . Their yearning and hope to getting into Landa came through for them.

Vivian and Kayla had been friends since the days of middle school. They had collided on the playground when Kayla was at age eight and Vivian age twelve. When Vivian was searching for her lost toys and Kayla was busy with her dog, not looking up, she hit her slightly which created a spark between them but not afterwards they bursted into laughter. That laughter grew into something bigger and unexpected: a friendship with unspoken loyalties, and care for each other. Where one faltered, the other stood; where one spoke loudly, the other listened but little did Vivian know what she had done to her at the point of collision.

Kayla had always been a jovial and loving person not until she lost her father who died when she was eight due to cancer, she wished she could have had the ability to cure him but she never knew the sorrow she brought upon him. When he died, he left enough wealth behind to make her never to lack anything in this world but not to fill the hollow and his absence. Money had given her comforts but not a father's voice or a father's love. She lived with her mother, who guarded her heart with sweetness and never let her lack anything.

Vivian's home was more quiet in a different way. Both her parents were alive, they weren't wealthy in the flash of Kayla's world, but Vivian had only her mother while her dad never really had much time for his family, her dad was in her life more like a dead man; not because he had a mistress or divorced but the situation was more complicated that Vivian was never meant to be aware of.

The love she felt for her friend was larger than any measure of envy, filled with unconditional devotion and love that made their friendship richer and blissful.

They made necessary preparations for their resumption into LTC(LANDA Talents College) and that week was one of the best week they had together but little did they know that LTC was going to turn things around for them.

Preparations were done, they bought clothes, shoes,etc that would make them stand out on arrival. On resumption day, they arrived at College in a car and that kind of exhausted exhilaration that follows long travel.

They both stepped out of the car looking beautiful and stunning, that was the moment they captured Dave's attention, a senior in college, an arrogant billionaire's son and a bully that almost everyone feared or should I say hated.

Both parents stepped out of the car to give a farewell hug to their child. "Oh, I'm going to miss you darling" Vivian's mom said as she gave her a tight hug.

"I hope you be of your best behavior my dear child" Kayla's mom said, tears filled her eyes but she held on.

"Are you about to cry?" Kayla whispered to her mom's ear. They both giggled.

Both parents left.

Their parents made a choice of a college hostel, particularly for safety. Though, they weren't able to see them off completely because they were running late for work but made sure to give them some words of encouragement and a show of love that makes them remember the children of whom they are.

They got to their hostel room, it was small and sunlit, two beds close enough for both of them. Vivian hauled her luggage across the hallway with so much joy in her heart while Kayla wrestled with a heavier suitcase.

But there was something strange about the place that suddenly killed Kayla's joy, she felt this might be the beginning of their misery but shrugged it off. All that mattered to her was that she's here and Vivian is with her, happy.

"It's nice to be in our dream college, right?" Vivian asked, not expecting an answer though. She dragged her bag into the room and dropped it with a thud on her bed. Kayla, still wrestling with hers gave a smile.

"Let me help you with that, lazy bunny" Vivian teased. She stepped forward and took the suitcase, lifting it like she carried nothing. Kayla made a show of pretending to be offended and then sat on the bed beside her friend. They laid back, with their palms on top of each other.

"You know, I never knew we would be in the almighty LANDA Talents College" Kayla murmured.

"Same here, but here we are and I think it was a bit overhyped" Vivian said. She rolled to her feet and pulled Kayla up. "Let's go have some fun, please."

Kayla blinked. "So, where are we going?"

"I heard there will be a welcome party at Jackal Hall tonight. We should go after showers, of course."

Vivian's eyes were already sparkling with joy: the kind of joy that involved dressing up just right now and going out there to have a fun filled moment with her best friend.

They showered, dressed, and was prepared to go rock the party, when they heard a gentle knock sounded at their door.

"Who is that?" they asked in unison.

A voice answered "I am here to welcome you all to Landa Talents College".

Vivian reached for the door. When she opened it, a young man stood with a smile as bright as a sunlight. He was d*mn handsome, the kind that made Vivian speechless for some seconds.

"And who might you be?" Vivian asked, dangerously carried away by the sight of him.

"May I come in?" he asked politely.

"Yes... yes, please come in," Vivian stammered, stepping aside. He walked past her with a smile on his face. "So sorry, please forgive my manners, I am Dave Hurst by name, a senior here in this very college. Nice meeting you, ladies."

Dave extended his hand for a handshake to Kayla but it was Vivian's heart that raced faster and glad; Kayla's expression, by contrast, didn't show much interest; Kayla wasn't the kind to soften quickly. She didn't find Dave especially attractive, there was no rush of interest. She ignored totally.

To spare Dave any uncomfortable rejection, Vivian took his hand. The instant skin met skin, something like a shutter clicked behind her eyes, a flash of white and black, a rush of images that belonged to no present moment: a voice she had never heard, the repetition of a name. Vivian gasped, short of breath, and then she fell to floor.