Feral: Book One Read Free

ruminations, I had been quiet for too long, and I could tell from his raised eyebrow that a response was welcome. “Sofia. Sofia Capriola. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Treviso, though it would’ve been nicer under less embarrassing circumstances.”
    “Please, call me Simon.”
    “Simon, then.” I glanced around and gave a sigh at the crowd before returning my attention to him. “Well, it really was nice to meet you, Simon, but I’m afraid I have to go give my arm to the bookstore now.”
    “Yes,” he chuckled. “It does seem universities’ suppliers of printed knowledge do enjoy extorting what little money students have remaining. And it was indeed a pleasure, Miss Capriola.”
    There was something about his manner which reminded me of an old Victorian gentleman. I half suspected if he had been wearing a hat, he would have pinched the brim and tipped his head in some silent acknowledgement. However, I kept that thought to myself, and simply smiled, nodded my goodbye, and made my way out of the crowded office, more aware of the people surrounding me now than I had been before my uncomfortable spill and pleasant introduction.
    As I walked in the direction of the bookstore, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was a student or teacher, and what he was taking or instructing. It was entirely possible that he was a student, but his demeanor and speech patterns gave me more reason to believe otherwise. This in turn made me ponder what subject he taught. With his use of language, I guessed he was probably an English or philosophy instructor. It just seemed to fit with his mannerism and voice.
    It was a shame, because I had finished my core courses, which meant I was done with English, and I had no reason to be taking philosophy. Though if Simon Treviso were teaching the course, I might have to rethink that idea, and join in the studies anyway.
     
    I was unsurprised to see Brie when I walked into the bookstore.
    I’d like to say it was sheer good luck that we ended up attending the same university, but the truth was neither of us wanted to leave home, or in my case, wanted to leave home again. And since the university had great programs in the fields we wished to pursue, and was within a good driving distance from our homes, we chose to attend the small college together—Brie had initially decided on English before she went into the Communications and Media Studies curriculum, and I chose to study Health Sciences.
    “Well, well, well…look who’s back.”
    Fortunately or unfortunately, Brie had alerted me a few weeks before I left London to the fact that Madison Kinley, after flunking out of a prestigious college in Boston, was back. Worst of all, her chosen studies closely matched those of my own, which meant there was a chance we would be attending the same classes.
    Wonderful.
    Madison and I had been friends for many years, since we were little girls. We’d lived near one another growing up and had constantly spent the night at each other’s houses. Our parents had met at an art showing at her family’s gallery and auction house, and for a long time after that, we were inseparable, which is why it hurt so much when we started growing apart early on during junior high. Despite dating the captain of the basketball team, I never really fell into the “in crowd” like she did, and over the years, I watched our friendship slowly wither.
    The end came when she did not show her support by attending either of my mother’s viewings or her funeral. When I called her the night after we buried her, she never answered, and when I tried to speak to her the following Monday at school, she had very coolly said she’d been at cheering practice and walked away laughing with some of the other girls on the team.
    I had never felt anything so painful at that point in my life.
    I forced a smile on my lips and turned to face the bleach-blonde just as Brie stepped behind my shoulder, most likely so I wouldn’t be alone when