Bridge Of Solitude

Inside the university campus, at a dark, secluded corner around the long hallway, Margaret was slumped on the ground, clutching her abdomen and leaning back against the wall. The always busy and bustling corridor was rather quiet with only a few faint voices far away that were growing distant with every second.

She just sat silently on the floor, unmoving like a lifeless corpse. Her dark hair fell over her face, covering her eyes and it was unknown if she was even conscious. There was a purple bruise on her left cheek and her bottom lip was bleeding from the cut at the edge. And her leg was still in its brace as usual.

After a few quiet minutes, Margaret tried to move and sit up straight but a sharp pain pierced through her midsection and she instantly fell back with a groan. With her body in pain and no strength whatsoever, Margaret could only adjust herself to a better position against the wall and let out a depressed sigh.

She officially hated Mondays from that day. For two continuous weeks, Monday had been a painful and exhausting day. Last week, she sprained her ankle and had to struggle through the day; but this week, Margaret was wondering if she could even get home with her body feeling like its broken in half.

With her body in such state she could do nothing so Margaret closed her eyes and decided to wait till the pain eases off.

- -

Earlier That Day

It was Monday again and Margaret was looking forward to many things as she stepped into the university campus with a new spirit and energy. Although she still had the brace around her ankle and she had to be wary of a maniac, who was intent on making her repent and regret for refusing to be his slave; she still felt positive… and hopeful.

She was dressed in her usual style of one piece dress with a cardigan over it and a pair of vans. Her dress had a black top and a snow white skirt while the cardigan was dark blue in color, matching her vans. She tied her dark auburn hair into a low ponytail and slung her messenger bag across her shoulders.

She first stopped by the reception desk, registered herself for cooking classes and got her schedule. Even though she used it as an excuse in front of her mom, Margaret long wanted to improve her culinary skills and… open her own 5-star hotel?

She just wanted to prepare her lunches and reduce the burden on her mom, and maybe help out with dinners from time to time or when she was too busy with work. But most importantly, she would finally get to experiment to her heart's content. Ever since she left the science stream and shifted to arts, her curious mind has been too idle. Now she finally had a chance and place to unleash the craziness in her mind and 'sate' her deep dark d.e.s.i.r.es.

How many innocent lambs would fall before she could perfect her dark spells? Only time would tell. But for one particular kind soul, the future appeared to be extremely bleak and hopeless.

Margaret was already preparing a mental list of all the things she wanted to experiment with and possibly conjure her own unique recipe in the process. She suddenly had another class to look forward to, along with her favorite literature class. But as all nice things are limited, literature class was only twice in a week and cooking class was just once on Saturday. But she learned that students were allowed to use the cooking hall anytime and practice, as long as they prepare their own ingredients; and they could freely use the utensils and other equipment as long as they don't damage them.

Margaret was happily walking along the hallway towards her first class of the day when she felt many eyes on her. She calmed down her excitement and noticed a few students in the hallway seemingly 'recognized' her and were informing the others in hushed whispers. Then they all turned to her with curiosity and confusion.

Before Margaret could ponder what was wrong with that scene, she felt a chilling glare boring into her back. She instantly turned around but she couldn't pinpoint anyone with so many students looking her way. More and more students were gathering in the few meters around her and were now evaluating her from head to toe with mockery and disgust in their eyes.

Margaret frowned at her sudden rise in popularity and she could say that something was definitely wrong, but she wasn't able to figure out what that was. She had always been lying low after her grand show at the beginning of her first year and although a 'few' still recognized her, she was able to detach herself from that incident thoroughly and stay safe all this while. So why was she suddenly back in limelight again?

Michelle and her minions would not reveal her identity as Michelle wanted to personally torture Margaret to satisfy her anger. And even if she wanted to, she would've done so long ago. Why now? Margaret couldn't remember doing anything recently to rile up her anger to the point of taking such a drastic action.

Jacob was the only other one who connected Margaret with the incident, and how he managed to do that, could only be a mystery or a miracle. But would he reveal her dark past? Although he had a motive and the resentment to do such a thing, Margaret doubted he would go that far, because that doesn't do him any good. If anything it'd make it extremely difficult for him to make her prepare his thesis report since Margaret would be under people's scrutiny for a good while.

Even though that guy was not smart enough to think through these complex things, he was all about self-interests, so he was more than clear on what to do and when to do. It can be seen by the way he approached Margaret in a step by step manner. First, he asked her 'nicely', and then tried to coax her with the 'benefits' of helping him and finally warned her with threats of her safety. And Margaret would hate to find out what entails after that.

However, after analyzing everything, she still couldn't reach an answer. She had a feeling that she was missing something important and that 'something' was exactly which could spell her doom.

As she saw the people around gossiping more fervently while pointing at her with their gazes, Margaret became stressed and anxious.

Dammit, what the heck? Was there an ambush planned around here? Were they all waiting for her to enter the trap before attacking? If so, that's overkill, so many wolves were gathered just for a one small rabbit? Weren't they overestimating the rabbit a little?

And so, after rational thoughts came wild imagination.

And since neither logical thinking nor wild fantasies were making any sense, Margaret decided to just ignore everything and mind her own business. And so, she lowered her head, gritted her teeth and began to move forward.

After Margaret walked away, a dark haired girl in a pixie cut came out and stood aside. She kept her fierce glare on Margaret, her eyes were filled with anger and envy as she clenched her fists and growled hatefully.

"I will not lose to you, Margaret Laurence."

- -

Margaret quickly and safely walked out of the encirclement without stepping into any ambush on her way. But to her misery, just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she ran head first into a not-so-hard wall and stumbled back.

The unexpected collision startled her and Margaret couldn't maintain her balance and eventually landed on her b.u.t.t. A painful groan escaped her lips as a familiar feeling invaded her.

Fall number one.

Not even an hour in, and she was already on her b.u.t.t once? Would this Monday be the repeat of last week? What more does she have to face later today? More importantly, why was there a damn wall in the middle of the hallway?

She rubbed her aching back and raised her head to glare a hole in the 'wall', but instead, she was stunned to see a guy standing there, with his back to Margaret.

But what stunned her was his stature; 'big' seemed to be a small word to describe him. He was bigger than any person Margaret had ever seen in two decades of her life. She couldn't think of anything to compare him with, but she could easily say he must be close to 7 ft., give or take an inch or two.

He had a blue beanie over his head of dirty blonde hair that was peeking out from underneath. He was wearing a blue-grey t-shirt with khaki trousers and brown hi-top leather sneakers. But apart from his impressive height, he was a bit on the thin side and was hunching his back in a vain attempt to appear smaller.

While Margaret was amazed by the giant in front of her, a bald guy with a beard stepped aside and his eyes found Margaret on the floor. His lips angled into a smirk as he spoke in a complacent tone. "Ah, see… you did it again. You knocked down a little girl now."

The big guy jerked up as he heard that, and as he was about to turn around, a new voice snorted. "Heh, he is so big he is blocking half the hallway, how can anybody get past without bumping into him?" The deep and hoarse voice ridiculed and the big guy tried to shrink himself down further.

"But it doesn't matter, settle my debt first." The voice spoke again and the bald guy took the que and raised his head 90 degrees to look the big guy in the face and growled. "You better pay up now, or else…" he trailed off with a glare.

"But… I only have a note of twenty with me." A small whimper came from the big guy as he shuffled his pant pocket and held his palm out with a crumpled bill in it.

Margaret who was still on the ground couldn't comprehend what she was witnessing. There were two 'jerks' who were both of average size, and yet they were extorting the big guy in broad daylight?

Although Margaret didn't see the other guy, not everyone could be 6ft or 7ft right? So it was safe to assume that both jerks were of normal size, but with huge guts. And according to the conversation, it seemed they were dealing with something shady.

Dammit, where was the justice? And was she the only one who could see this?

"Tch, what a pain..." The bald jerk had a displeased look but he immediately snatched the note and held it in front of his eyes, as if to see if it was real. A smile formed on his face as he confirmed the authenticity of the rectangular paper before he shoved it into his pocket.

"You better get the rest of the money soon or it'll get nasty." The other guy with a deep hoarse voice spoke in a warning tone.

"But that's-" The big guy tried to voice his grievances but he was viciously interrupted by the bald jerk.

"Didn't you hear what he said?" He sneered and raised his head to glare at the big guy. "Huh, you think just because you are big, we'll be scared of you? Maybe we should teach you how to respect your seniors?" the bald jerk punched a fist into his palm as he took a step forward and stood face to c.h.e.s.t with the big guy. He was not the least bit conscious of his puny, insignificant existence but instead, it was the big guy who leaned back as if to avoid him.

"Enough, let's go." The deep hoarse voice spoke again and then, a guy with a grey, side shaved hairstyle walked away from the big guy. He was indeed of normal height as he wore a leather jacket and dark jeans. A tattoo of some kind of flower could be partly seen at the side of his neck.

He halted after a few steps and spoke again with his back facing them. "Don't forget about the remaining money you still owe us."

"Or you won't be getting away so easily next time." The bald jerk snickered before he too followed behind the other guy.

After the two guys were out of sight, the big guy let out a helpless sigh and hunched his back further. And as he turned around, he saw Margaret stand up and dusting herself.

With a single step he stood right before her and spoke with a concerned voice. "Are you alright?"

Margaret raised her head and saw a giant figure towering above her. She was startled and took a step back but quickly calmed herself and observed the guy in front of her.

He was huge, that was the first thing anyone would notice but Margaret was instantly captured by his clear green eyes filled with concern, looking at her. His features were soft and pleasing to the eye and he was exuding a calm aura which made him appear peaceful and harmless.

As Margaret was admiring his calm presence, two words floated into her mind she thought would fit him perfectly.

Gentle Giant.

Margaret chuckled at that thought and answered him with a smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure you aren't hurt anywhere?" The gentle giant asked again as he examined her carefully from head to toe. Margaret's small frame and the brace around her ankle made him anxious, so he wanted to make extra sure that she was truly alright.

As she saw the genuine concern in his eyes, Margaret felt that if she didn't settle his worries, she would be the most terrible villain in the history.

And so, she stood straight, cleared her throat, placed her hands on her h.i.p.s and replied with a big smile. "Don't worry, I'm not hurt anywhere. I'm perfectly fine."

The gentle giant blew a sigh of relief before he once again turned his worried gaze to her braced ankle. Margaret felt her head twitch and she turned away with a huff, crossing her arms in front. "My leg is fine too. If you don't believe me, I don't mind kicking you to prove it," she retorted angrily.

"That…" the gentle giant took a step back and forced a smile. "Won't be necessary." He scratched the side of his face and stood there awkwardly, wondering if he somehow offended her.

Margaret saw the uncomfortable state he was in and revealed a bitter smile. Was it good or bad that he was acting as if she would really kick him in the next moment? Or maybe he was afraid she would hurt herself trying to kick him? Yeah, that sounds more likely.

But she found his behavior quite honest and refreshing, and she felt a natural affinity towards him. Like a mother's strong d.e.s.i.r.e to protect its weak cub? Well, that was something new... and weird.

Margaret shook her head clear, dropped her arms and turned to him with a smile. "So, how did you get involved with those two, gentle giant?" She had always been a nosy person, so she decided to probe him and hear about his predicament.

"Gentle giant?" he looked at her with a puzzled face and Margaret simply shrugged her shoulders in response. As he saw her carefree attitude, he relaxed a bit and let out a chuckle as he shook his head in amus.e.m.e.nt. "That's the first time anyone called me that."

Margaret gave him a brief smile and went back to her main question. "So… who are those two guys?" She examined him briefly from top to bottom and nodded at her evaluation. "You don't seem to be the type to hang out with those kinds of people."

"Uh… Actually, I don't even know who they are." He replied after a bit of hesitation, scratching his cheek as he looked down. Margaret raised her brow in confusion and stared at him doubtfully.

He doesn't know them? That's not what it felt like, does he think her to be a stupid?

Noticing her suspicious gaze on him, the giant quickly waved his hands in denial, anxious to prove his innocence as he spoke in a hurry. "I was on my way to the B-Wing but I didn't know the way, so I was looking around for directions when I accidentally bumped into them. That one scary guy dropped his phone and the screen broke, so now I have to pay for it."

He then sighed and hung his head. "But then, the phone was not at all working, so they are asking me to pay the full price."

Margaret's suspicions increased after hearing his explanation as she found many flaws in his 'story'.

How did the phone screen crack with just a small drop? Weren't the screens usually protected with a tough glass layer, in addition to the shock proof case around the entire mobile? All that protection makes it very hard to damage the mobile with casual bumps and drops. But not only did that guy's mobile screen broke, moreover, it wasn't even working?

It reminded her of an old classic act where one would pretend to get hit by a car and then feign an injury to extort money. But would anybody even dare to think of deceiving people with such a classic act in this era? But then, what was she listening to now?

Margaret looked up at the gentle giant who was fidgeting about in front of her. He was big on the outside but inside, he was innocent and naïve as a kid. Margaret was able to determine that much after just a minute of interaction. And it'd be a piece of cake if anyone with bad intentions wanted to deceive him.

And with that line of thought, Margaret formed a scenario as to what might've happened before she bumped into him. She then stared at him and the longer she looked, the more she felt her guess might be on point.

"So, let me guess…" she started, pulling his attention to her and continued slowly. "After he dropped the mobile, you picked it up and said," she slapped her cheeks with her palms and squealed. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I broke your screen!"

She then dropped her hands, cleared her throat and looked up at him firmly. "Isn't that right?"

"Ah!" the gentle giant was stunned still for a second by her accurate 'guess'. He then averted his gaze and pulled his beanie further down. Margaret could interpret his actions as confirmation and sighed helplessly. The naïve boy practically handed them the chance to extort him.

She then looked at him again and decided to probe something else. "Didn't you think that maybe you didn't break the screen, but it was already damaged before you bumped into them?"

The gentle giant opened his mouth to speak but then held back and turned his head to the side. Margaret couldn't stop herself from sighing again as she held her head in distress. Her assumption had been correct; anyone who could go to Golden Dawn was either smart or rich. This giant doesn't look rich, so he must be smart enough.

That was to say, he already realized he's been set up, but it had been too late by then and he couldn't dare to argue back, and chose to pay them instead.

Margaret felt she underestimated his timidity and if he were left alone, it would be extremely hard for him to survive in this cruel world.

"Ah… first day in the university and I'm already in trouble." He grumbled, messing up the beanie on his head and letting his blonde hair to fall on his face. "Maybe Alex was right, university is not for me. I should've listened to him." He kept mumbling under his breath and scolding himself.

Margaret shook her head and smiled at his actions. At least he had self-awareness; all he needed was a bit of practical knowledge and few survival skills. And she could help him with those.

"So, you are a fresher?" she asked and then nodded to herself, as she already assumed as such after hearing his story.

The gentle giant stopped his mumbling and turned to her. "Ah, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself." He then swiped the bangs of his hair back with his hand, adjusted his beanie back on top, rubbed his palm on his pants and extended it with a smile. "I'm Joshua King, a first year. Just call me Josh."

Margaret was amused at his quick change of mood and let out a chuckle as she grabbed his large hand. "Margaret Laurence, sophomore. You can call me Maggy…" She introduced herself with a smile and dropped his hand. "Or big sister." She added and then laughed at her own joke. But Josh was stunned in place and Margaret was forced to halt her laughter.

She then cleared her throat and spoke again. "I was just-"

"Really?!" Josh exclaimed as he leaned into her face and looked at her with sparkles in his big green eyes.

Damn. What was with those eyes? Those were on a whole new level from puppy eyes. Alluring, bewitching and… full of hope.

Margaret couldn't bear to disappoint those hopeful eyes so she subconsciously nodded her head. "S-Sure."

"Yes!" Josh raised both his fists in air, a silly smile on his face and his entire presence glowing with a sense of joy. Margaret stared at him wide eyed as she was taken aback by how happy he seemed at that moment. That once again proved that despite his outer appearance, he was still an innocent child on the inside.

A few students in the hallway shot him weird looks and Josh quickly calmed himself down and turned to Margaret, with that silly smile still on his face. "You see big sister, I have four older brothers, but they never allow me to call them big brother."

His voice was full of disappointment as he thought of his mean, heartless brothers who practically forbade him to call them big brother ever since he outgrew them.

And his new found big sister was also beginning to understand why. If guy of his size called others big brother, it'd feel more like a mockery. But fortunately for Josh, Margaret couldn't care less about such trifling and useless things.

She was wondering if such a big guy wanted to call her big sister, how great and powerful was she?

Margaret let out a chuckle and patted him on the arm as she couldn't reach his shoulder or head. "Don't worry, Josh. You can call me big sister as much as you want."

Margaret was happy to have found such a sweet little brother. And Josh was more than happy that he met such a smart sister who was willing to be his big sister.

And so, it was Monday and Margaret gained 'a very big' little brother.