Karen

St. Aldwyn University had a small population, Yaren noticed, everyone seemed to know each other and what they were up to. And it was probably why everyone seemed to notice she was a newbie, yes, there were other transfer students and even freshmen, but somehow, they all seemed interconnected; their families knew one another because their parents did business together, or this person's mom owned a luxury brand everyone patronized, or that person's dad was a major sponsor one affair in the university or another.

You'd think these connections would lead to friendship and all, but it was quite the contrary. Everyone seemed snobby and cocky, Yaren noticed they all seemed to have a superiority complex; this group was always trying to outshine that group. It was kind of crazy really.

The university consisted of people from all over the world so her looks didn't stand out in the pool of various skin colors. There were a lot of people who had similar looks, really; pale skin, slim build, long, naturally wavy black hair, brown eyes, and pale pink lips. Her outfits and the way she carried herself, however, made her stand out.

Long baggy jeans and oversized tops were what she'd been used to. And though others wore such outfits occasionally, her combination was what made her stand out; her messy bun, her thick-framed glasses, her backpack which was always loaded with textbooks and all. Perhaps everything about her screamed 'nerd!'

Having had little to no time to engage in affairs of her peers, Yaren had never been one too care much about her looks. While girls her age worried about their nails and hair, she channeled her energy into studying and babysitting. Elif was twelve now, she'd looked after her since she was little because their parents were always unavailable; her dad worked extra time at the carwash, and her mom spent all day at the market trying to sell vegetables.

And perhaps the truth was that she couldn't afford to paint her nails and straighten her hair even if she wanted to; there was hardly enough money for food and rent. The high awareness of her roots was the drive behind her dedication to her studies; she was the one to make things better for her family.

She may have been studying at an Ivy league school but she sure as hell didn't look the part. She had made it to class on time today, and there had undoubtedly been snickers when she walked in. She was used to this, it also happened back in Rize. People made fun of her outfits, and her glasses and literally everything else.

A person couldn't possibly get used to being laughed at, but she had surely grown a tough skin to protect her from it all.

"Oh my God, who's she?" The whispers started all too quickly. "Where did she come from?"

"What is she wearing?"

Yaren's gaze flickered around quickly in search of where to seat, she needed to escape the watching eyes as quickly as she could. The plan was to hide at the far end of the class, that's way, she'd be spared the unsolicited criticism from her classmates while also having a clear view of the professor. She had it all sorted out at this point.

"Hey Karen!"

Her gaze snapped up on hearing that all too familiar drawly voice from yesterday. Cassie. She was seated with a group of people; two boys and a girl with bright ginger hair and deep green eyes.

Unlike yesterday, Cassie covered more skin. She had on a white silk blouse tucked into tailored high-waist black trousers. Her legs were crossed at the knees so her pointed loafers were on display. She looked better today, even her messy hair was now pulled back in a sleek ponytail.

"Cassie." Yaren responded awkwardly.

Her friends were just as elegantly dressed as she was, and they were all watching Yaren curiously. The attention made her want to walk away immediately.

"Who's she?" The ginger-haired girl asked, and Yaren realized she was the girl with the high-pitched voice. Her cheeks heated up immediately for some reason.

"Karen." Cassie replied easily. "The girl next door."

"Oh. Well hello." She said. "I'm Aisling. Aisling Flanagan."

Yaren repeated the name in her head; Ash-leen. She responded in her own awkward way. "Hey. I'm Yaren Kaya."

On closer inspection, she noticed Aisling was very pretty; freckles powered her nose, and her lashes were long and delicately curled. She had on a light grey cashmere crewneck paired with a darker grey tailored skirt, opaque tights, and ankle boots.

She seemed nice, or perhaps Yaren just wasn't a good judge of character.

"Oh, introductions? Well, I'm Cassandra Thornton." Cassie spoke again. "Where are you from?"

"Rize, Turkey." Yaren replied. She was truly uncomfortable now, they kept watching her like she was some specimen under examination. She couldn't help but squirm under their scrutiny.

Cassie was about to say something else when a hush suddenly settled over the hall. The professor was here; she was spared for now.

"See ya around, Karen." One of the guys muttered as Yaren hurriedly made her way to the back causing the others to snicker quietly.

Finally settled, Yaren blew out a heavy breath. It was time to clear her mind and focus on Art History.

The lecture was delivered by Professor Helena Strauss, a woman who looked like she was in her early fifties, but she was beautiful and poised, snd somehow, she reminded Yaren of Meryl Streep. The class had been an introductory one so it had been brief, she had introduced art history as the study of how art reflects culture and society through time, from ancient to modern works, showing how artists express ideas and inspire change.

Yaren liked her, she was eloquent and she didn't spend a lot time on explanations because her lecture was easy to grasp, it was concise. And when she concluded, there was still about an hour left for Yaren to go through the notes and possibly prepare for the next class which was scheduled for 11am. But there was not much to prepare for really, it was Fine Art and a part of her wished it was Cross-Cultural Literacy Studies instead.

A part of her anticipated her next class with the professor from yesterday, yet the other part dreaded being in his presence again; he was intimidating, too intimidating. But maybe that wasn't so....bad.