The Moment I Met You (Chapter 435)

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

 Celine found that she couldn’t stay in bed for so long as she had classes to attend. She picked up her phone and turned off the alarm. Since she was admitted into Harvard University, Celine had been waking up against her will, for she needed to be up and doing. She had a target and that was to graduate with the best of results.       

 Stretching her body luxuriantly, she got out of bed, had a bath and chose from her walk-in-closet, a bold coat with red heels. She paired the bright red look with matching heels and a purple dress for today’s classes.                                                                      

Walking to class, Celine couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was like a princess in a coming-of-age movie, where she was admired by everyone around her, if not because of her outfit, it was because of her beauty or brain. She was beautiful in every way. Her sleek waves which were hanging down her shoulders complimented her beauty even more. She had just a little makeup, and smelled of Chanel perfume.

The setting was perfect; rolling green lawns, beautiful pathways, brick buildings, students everywhere with rucksacks. Celine didn’t carry her rucksack today but rather a handbag that could fit in her books for the day. She was like a model in student magazine.                                        

She made it to the Economics class ten minutes early and was able to get a seat at the middle row. Everybody in the room looked happy like they had finally achieved their dreams of studying in Harvard. They were all gorgeously dressed.                                                               

The boy sitting in the desk next to Celine was wearing a pale blue sweater with matching trousers. He flipped his laptop open, and nodded smilingly at Celine.                                                                                              

Celine smiled. Remembering that she hadn’t texted Prince who was also a student of Harvard, she reached for her phone in her bag.                 

‘Good morning, my prince charming. I’m in class already,’ she texted. ‘See you later.’                                                                                          

The boy glanced at Celine. Smiling, he dug out his phone out of his rucksack.‘Can I have your contact?’                                                                   

‘Maximo, there is no need for that. We see often in class, right?’             

Maximo nodded, forcing a smile.                                                               

  Just then a middle-aged British man in a black high-end suit walked into the lecture hall. Celine turned down her phone and slid it into her bag.

 

Celine unwrapped a strawberry lollipop on her way back to the dormitory and put it into her mouth. She was starving. At this rate, she could eat anything without being picky.                                                                  

Celine stays in Apley Court dormitory, which was south of Harvard Yard on Holyoke Street. The court has the most spacious rooms among the freshman dorms.

 The moment Celine reached her dormitory, she ascended the soaring marble staircase, opened her large wooden door, and walked to the coat closet on the left, hung up her coat, then she tossed her bag on her bed and reached for the protein bars. She broke open, a box of pure protein chocolate peanut butter and began to eat it in big bites. When she had eaten two boxes of the peanut butter, she flushed it down with a glass of milk.

  When she was satisfied, she slowly rose up while taking off her clothes. She was going to take a hot bath so she could feel refreshed.               

  Celine walked over to the marbled bathroom, which had a liitle wooden window. She went to the window, slide it up to let the refreshing Boston cold inside while she bathed in the hot shower. Celine liked this bathroom because from the window she could have a picturesque elevated view of the yard. She found everything in her room very soothing, though it couldn’t be compared to her lavish room at home, which had one of the best bathrooms in the world.                           

 She liked the high ceilings. Her roommate sleeps in the common room while she slept in the bedroom, which meant singles for both of them.  Celine’s bedroom was a little small, but cosy, and huge compared to most of the bedrooms in the yard. Her bedroom was enough to accommodate her desk, chair, books, bed and other things she had brought with her. There was plenty of space to walk on.                         

 After feeling refreshed from the hot bath, Celine sat on her dressing table and began to blow her hair dry as she looked at her reflection in the large mirror on the wall.                                                          

 Worried that Prince hadn’t replied to her text, she reached for her phone and dialed his number. His line rang but Prince didn’t pick up. She stood up to change into something better before leaving to look for him in his room. Entering the walk-in-closet, Celine’s expression froze immediately.                                                                               

On the lacquered chair in the closet was Prince sitting there. Prince had a charming smile on his face, his graceful hands holding a box of strawberry cake. He wore a navy suit, and he looked very handsome.                

Celine was surprised to see him but was pleased at the same time. ‘Where did you put your phone? I’ve been calling you for ages.’ Celine rolled her eyes at him.                                                                                  

 ‘My phone is on silent mode.’                                                                           

‘You purposely didn’t want to pick. Are you hooking up to a white lady?’ 

Celine provoked him purposely.                                                           

‘Catherine is beautiful, what do you think?’Prince teased her.                  

‘How dare you fall in love with my roommate? I sincerely hate you.’ Celine reached for his cheek and pinched him. Am I not good enough for you? I am light skinned, beautiful, slender, and tall. I have even small pink lips, long dark hair. My English is fluent like hers. I speak through my mouth like the whites do, yet you left me for my roommate?’

Prince didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his silly girlfriend.

‘I was worried that you are in trouble, and now you give me this sad news? Prince we are over.’ Celine pretended to leave as well as wanting Prince to grab her hand and stop her from leaving, just like in love stories.                                                                                                          

  Prince understood her intentions but pretended not to care. As soon as she noticed that Prince wasn’t coming after her, Celine turned around, glaring at him. ‘Prince, how could you embarrass me in front of the whole world?’                                                                                                     

 Prince glanced around to check if there was anyone in the closet other than the two of them, but there was no one, so he shrugged.                  

 ‘Prince, I came to Harvard because you wanted us to be together. I chose to be in Apley Court because you told me that this was the finest, most luxurious, most spacious, and coolest freshman dorm…People who are wooing me could line up all the way to Asia but I love you a lot.’

‘Congratulations, young prefrosh! Welcome to the home of the Apley Court Flying Squirrel…’ Prince laughed, but he stopped laughing when he saw that she was about to cry. He placed the cake on a table and walked over to her. ‘I’m sorry,’he whispered. ‘I didn’t mean to see tears in your eyes. I love you alone.’                                                                            

Celine’s freshly bathed body exuded a natural fragrance, her soft and sweet lips were refreshing to behold.                                                 

 ‘I was worried when you didn’t pick up. Don’t put your phone on silent mode again…only when you’re in the class.’                                                     

Prince nodded. ‘I will do anything for you…just for you.’                        

Celine smiled and embraced him. ‘If you I see you pursuing any of these skinny white women, I will chop off your head.’                              

 Prince laughed as he stroked her hair gently. ‘I belong only to you, no one else.’ Prince promised Celine in an extremely gentle voice.