Any feedback on the story would be helpful of course and I will edit and tinker as I go along.
Prologue: A Pleasant Change
Spoiler (Click to Show)
George Prince was the heir to the Prince Empire; A big corporation that manages and controls most of the trade and corporate financing of StickPage city. They control assets and shares in almost any company of note and created a nigh-on monopoly in the business world.
George however was not happy. Today of all days his parents decided to send him away. The one day he thought he had it all figured out. As the eldest son of the family he was supposed to earn the family company once his parents (God bless them) passed away. During the last few years he used his capital and savings to party and spend on alcohol and women. He became quite a popular figure among the paparazzi and always found new and creative ways to: “Live the good life.”
His parents, disliking his disregard for their hard earned enterprise, named their second eldest son as their heir. Peter was a quiet old chap with his head in books and behind computers. He always found a way to obtain the newest and best gadgets and software. George did not like this news at all.
He stormed into the mansion on upper-east StickPage Avenue and went straight to the study where he knew his mother will be crunching the numbers and utilizing her knowledge of financial planning and accounting.
He opened the door in the way he always did; by pushing it open wide to present himself in full before anyone who might be on the other side of it.
The study was well lit with the massive windows stretch up to the high ceiling. In front of the windows was a standard sized desk, dwarfed by the windows and sheer size of the room. His presence, as grand as he tried to make it, was unnoticed by the greying woman behind the desk.
Muttering to himself, George quickly and purposefully crossed to room to where his mother was sitting. In a few quick and long strides George reached her, but before the tall and skinny man could say a word his mother interrupted him.
“I’m glad you could make it Georgey-boy.” She said not looking up from the quick taps on the desk calculator. “Mama missed you.”
George, anger still boiling within him, gave a horrible and violent sigh. “Mother, I told you I don’t call you ‘Mama’ anymore!”
“Oh don’t be ridiculous, you still call me that.” A teasing smile crossed her mouth for an instant.
“I don’t!” He said and quickly changed the subject. He didn’t have time for his mother’s insufferable know-it-all teasing. “It has come to my attention that I no longer have the funds to continue living: ‘the good life’. I demand...”
His mother stopped the tapping and looked up from her work. She gave him a sharp look. His voice caught in his throat before she talked. “You do not demand anything from me little boy. You might be 21, but you have absolutely no authority over what your dad and I decide. You have been wasting away our money and our efforts and for what? A quick laugh here or a quick fuck there? It has been a while coming, but in order to make it in this world, you have to start working and the only way we can see you doing so is by sending you off to University.
“SPU has always been a friend to the family and they have so many programs to choose from. I’m sure you can get in at any time if you apply yourself. If you do not go to University and you do not complete the course and get a job, you WILL be cut off from the family funds and you WILL never set a foot in this estate or any other ever again.” She ended the speech in a sharp tone. He face slowly melted her ice cold exterior and she took on a warm expression, voice as sweet as syrup. “You understand love?”
George was frozen in his stance. Blood was completely drained from his face and he felt a little light-headed. Cut off from the family? Forever? This can’t be… And University? He’s never studied a day in his life. He is smart, he knows how everything works, but he’s never applied himself.
He nodded and matched her stare with a less angry one. “I do. W-what could I p-possibly study?” His anger was now only a memory. Acceptance of his situation has sunk in and fear of his mother’s wrath.
“That’s for you to decide.” She reached into the top drawer of her desk. “Here is a brochure. Find something that interests you and from next month you start.” She tossed the brochure at him. By the time he caught it she was looking down, ready to work.
“Thank you.” He said in a shaky voice.
“You’re dismissed.” She said while her tapping on the calculator and scratching of pen started up once more.
He slowly crossed the room this time. The sun on his back from the high windows was barely being felt by him. His mind was milling with thoughts. What was he going to do? What was he going to study? Why were they doing this to him? Peter is lazier than him. He won’t be working one day either. Hopefully his parents will crack down on him too one day.
He reached the door and opened it up a little bit and exited the large study. Only when the door closed behind him and he was standing in the long hallway alone did he look down at the brochure. A picture of a girl and guy standing under an umbrella was on the front page. Their smiling faces looking up at him.
‘I would use that umbrella for more than just protection from the rain.’ He thought to himself. Suddenly he had an idea. He opened up the brochure at the Engineering section. He read through the Mechanical Engineering bit.
By the end of the last paragraph he was in his room. He looked at himself in the mirror and gave his thick moustache an inquisitive pull. “Time to Live the Good Life.”
[/spoiler]
Chapter 1: The Unsuspecting First Day
Spoiler (Click to Show)
‘I thought I was trying to leave my old life behind.’ He thought. ‘Yet here it is to greet me with arms open wide.’
George was consumed within the welcoming week at SPU. Campus tours took him too many places. The Arts building; for those who did not wish for a financially stable future. The Library; a place that is ignored for the first half of the semester and then over-populated in the second half. The Quad; where everyone gathers for their lunch between classes and sometimes for protests and markets. Then there’s the Business building, the Rutz building (for the post-graduates) and then finally the Engineering building. It is here the most socially distant students study. Where their minds are constantly tested and where they are consumed by work load and do not have time for the fun of others.
The rest of welcoming week was a series of parties. Monday: A festival of colour, where everyone paints everyone with every colour of the rainbow and more. George wasn’t a fan of getting his clothes dirty, so he sat on the side to avoid the gorgeous girls wearing nothing but their teeny bikinis while they giggle and paint one another. He made friends quite quickly as he bought first years beer and flirted with the girls. Even he couldn’t help but get swept into the colour eventually, dirtying his fine button-up shirt and trousers.
Tuesday was a pub crawl. There everyone got to know their night life and the town. How it works was everyone got dressed in a golfing outfit. They start at one pub, order a beer and then see by how many sips it is drunk. The less sips the lower the score. The lowest score wins at the end of the night. And so they set forth into the town. George was quite confident that he can handle his liquor. However, his night became quite a blur after the fourth beer he downed at Rafiki’s.
Wednesday was hangover day. It was used to recuperate from the previous night’s competition (that George sadly came third in) and to explore the best places to eat. Here he found the best discounts, thanks to his new found cheap friends, and what specials to buy to get value for money. At night it was a relaxing night where everyone went to their favourite pub from the previous night to karaoke and has a beer or two.
Thursday is known as the Nakey Race. How it works was that all the guys got together, strip naked and run into town. There they have to try and convince a girl for their number. After a whole night of dodging police, George actually managed to get the number of a girl named Alice. He would give her a call once he gained more appropriate attire.
Friday was the night of fire. The Quad was the place to be and in the centre of it a huge bonfire was made. Everyone gathered around it and it became a quick party with music playing and drinks making the rounds. George managed to get with Alice that night. As well as Kendel, Ella and Kristy. None know of the other of course and they will also be contacted again shortly.
Saturday night was the night of disco. Everyone dressed up as some icon from the old times and a huge dance floor is set up on the quad where everyone busts out their moves. A disco ball could also be seen above the floor and everyone drinks and has a general good time.
Finally, Suicide Sunday; appropriately named, because every bar, pub and club has drink specials and are open later than normal. Not even the cops can close down this party. George has gone to suicide Sunday before during his endeavours prior to his parents threatening to kick him out the house. It wasn’t as fun as this year however. The whole night was a blur of drinking, hooking up with girls and the sudden feeling of: “Where the hell am I?”
Monday: First day of class. The general population of SPU was missing, including George who woke up around midday. His first thoughts were; ‘How the hell did I get in bed?’ Which was quickly followed by; ‘Why aren’t I wearing any pants?’ Which was closely followed by; ‘Why is there a girl in my bed?’
He rolled out of bed and quickly slid on a pair of boxers. The girl, blonde, was lying face down on the bed and he couldn’t exactly tell if he should be proud of himself yet or not. He entered the kitchen and poured some water into the kettle and brought it to a boil.
While the kettle rumbled on, he walked out onto his balcony that had a clear view of the engineering faculty. ‘They can do without me for one day, I’m sure.’ He thought to himself. He suddenly heard movement in the kitchen and walked back inside. A man, roughly the same age as him, was seen with his head deep in George’s fridge.
Thinking quickly, George manages to find a book (Calculus 142) which he can throw at the man, if he presented himself to be foe and not friend. The man seemed to be humming a popular club song and as he lifted his head out of the fridge, George sighed with relief.
Martin Evreux was a lanky fellow with little to no facial hair and long brown locks that reach to his shoulders and covered half his face. This however did not stop the man to smile his charming smile at George. He held a bottle of milk in his hand and seems to put his free hand through his hair. Most would call him tall, but he was still half a hand shorter than George. Not overly handsome, but still attractive, Martin relies on his quick wit and smooth talk to get girls.
During Tuesday’s pub crawl, George met his new flatmate for the first time. They drank together, hit on girls together and he was an all-round awesome guy. He knew how to drink and hold his liquor (coming second in the pub crawl on Tuesday) and always looked for a fun way to spend his time. A true believer of: Living the good life.
George put down the textbook and walked over to greet his new mate. They shook hands and laughed despite the fact that they both are clearly skipping class already.
“Were you about to smash my head in with that book?” Martin started pouring milk into a bowl of cereal. “It would give me a better excuse to miss class than my head trying to climb out my scull.”
George smiled. “Headline reads: ‘Man killed by calculus textbook.’” He walked up and opened the fridge, taking out an apple.
“’More and more victims fall to the murder of calculus. When will the carnage stop? Students in uproar!’” They both laughed as Martin dipped his spoon into his bowl and took a big crunchy bite from it.
George started eating his apple while making some tea and the kitchen was in silence except for the sounds of eating by the two men. After a while, the tall man threw away his core in the dustbin and wiped his face of the juice.
“Say,” Crunch. “Didn't you come home with a girl last night?” Crunch, crunch, crunch. “I swear I saw you…” Martin swallowed. “I swear I saw you with some blonde at some point.”
“I don’t remember much from last night, but there is a blonde in my bed, can’t tell if she’s attractive yet or not.” George walked to peer down the hallway toward his room. Nothing stirred. “Please tell me she is.”
Martin put his bowl in the sink. “I will buddy. I will.” He giggled like mischievous man and walked down the hallway. Silence was suddenly followed by his flatmate's voice saying: “Gooooooood morning!” and a sudden scream. It turned out, he ripped off the blanket to reveal a girl underneath. He came strolling back with his hand in his thick long hair as if nothing has happened. “You’re good man. She’s hot.”
George smiled to himself. ‘Still got it.’
Martin went to take a shower and George went to sit outside and drink his tea. Students can be seen walking about the Quad and some seem to have a similar feeling than he did; the mild pain of a hangover. He however barely felt it, because he’s so used to it by now that alcohol doesn't seem to upset him as much any more.
George could hear someone approaching and he quickly turned to see who it was and was greeted with a pleasant sight. Long blonde hair that probably came to her lower back, deep blue eyes, soft round lips, fit body and well looked after. It suddenly dawned on him who the girl was; Alice. She was the hot girl from Thursday’s Nakey Race.
She was wearing a white t-shirt that wasn't see-through sadly, a tight fitted jean and a leather jacket. She wore sandals and he could see the red nail polish on her toes. ‘Such a well-kept girl.’ He looked her up and down and liked what he saw.
“Martin’s an ass.” She said in a voice of pure silk. Nice body, nice voice. Wonder how good her personality is.
“You get used to him. He may be rough around the edges, but heart of gold. That comes from a man who barely knows him for a week.” He offered her a chair.
After Alice sat down she took in the few of campus. “Nice view. Must’ve cost quite a bit to get a place all the way up here.” She eyed him suspiciously. Sh