Agitation picked away at Adriana's already tiny amount of patients. Her eyebrows creased and the corners of her pouty lips, painted in her favorite red, turned down as she glared at the cars ahead of her blocking her way to the large gates that loomed over the entrance of the university.
"If you keep frowning like that Addy you'll get premature wrinkles." Adriana's features instantly smoothed out as she looked at the man watching her through the rearview mirror. "Smiling will do that to you as well Daddy." the older man chuckled "Besides that's what they invented Botox for."she stated with a shrug of her shoulder. "Honey I don't think you'll ever need anything like that. You are so much like your mother." his saying that brought a smile to her face. She didn't know her mother very well but her father had obviously loved her very much.
A glance out the window let her know they were at a dead halt. She pulled out her phone to check the time, it read three fifty-two. With a huff Adriana turned to the oversized tote next to her and fished out her compact mirror, touched up her lips, checked her eye makeup, then fussed with her hair a bit. Finally satisfied with a messy but cute high ponytail Adriana leaned forward and kissed her father on the cheek. "I'm going to walk from here I'm already pretty late. I'll probably get lectured by Ruben and classes haven't even started yet." her father gave her an affectionate pat on the head "I'll have your bags taken to your room. You'll call when you want to visit again?" She smiled a true smile at him. He had taken time away from work to drive the two hours journey just to get her back on her first day, something of a father daughter date, they rarely had time for things like that otherwise. "Of course Daddy. Thanks for bringing me." reaching out she grabbed the bag and hopped out of the car. "Love you, see you soon!"
Adriana stood on the sidewalk a moment watching as the other students gathered and crowded the drive. They swarm like ants, what a disgusting sight. The click of her boots echoed even above the noise of the crowds as she strode with confidence towards the university's entrance. She fought her way through the throngs of people often getting stopped to be welcomed back and to exchange politeness with other students all wanting to hear how her summer went. Often times they would comment on her outfit and how well it suits her and she had to agree, for her first day back she had gone with a Red and Black theme. Occasionally a student would reach out and grab her hands or a shoulder, Adriana did all she could to not shudder at their touch and yank herself from them. Instead she smiled brightly and acted as excited to see them as they were to see her.
She was about at her limit as a girl named Pamela, the daughter of a man that her father had done business with a few times, went on and on about a party she would be holding for the return to school all while their arms were linked. The moment she was about to tell the girl not to presume that she would have anything to do with some childish kegger and until she reached some level of class to never speak to her again, the penthouse of the student council peeked over the tops of the trees. "Oh that sounds wonderful but I'll have to get back to you after I meet with the other Student Council members. The first of the year is always really busy. I'll get in touch!" Adriana sped away as quickly as she could without looking rude.
Once inside the dorm she made a beeline for the meeting room and unceremoniously plopping herself down across from Daman. She sighed deeply as she reclined in the chair looking up at the ceiling. "I despise them, every one of them. The nerve of those classless insects to think they had any right to lay their hands on me. As if I wanted to know about their meaningless vacations and summer flings. Images of them rutting about, disgusting sights I'll never be able to unsee." Adriana inhaled deeply, the smell of freshly baked sweets hung in the air Ruben must have started early today. What reason would he have to begin baking at ungodly hours of the day?" sitting up and lying eyes on Daman reminded her of what else today was. She was about to say something to him when she noticed the gem he had in his hands.
"What is that?" Angrily Adriana stomped over to him and took the heart shaped ruby from his hands only to instantly set it on the table far away from either of them, shaking her hand as if it had burned her. "You can't hold that thing! It's covered in death!" she stared at it a moment longer before sitting her bag on the table and digging around in it before producing a rather large black velvet box, opened it, then gave it to Daman. "This ruby is much better." inside the box was a ruby of more than decent size cut in the radiant style. "I remember you said that the gemstone I remind you of is the Ruby so when I saw it I thought of you." sitting down in the chair next to him Adriana began to inspect her nails "Don't think too much on it, it's not like I went looking for a gift for you or anything. I just like to spend money." she said nonchalantly, but in reality she had thought about and bought gifts for all the members of the Student Council, not that she would ever tell them that and she would also never admit that the ruby was actually a birthday present.