Haphephobia: the fear of being touched.
Blake, a second-year Psychology student, hadn't ever heard of such a phobia, until the day he was hired as a guide for Dean, the heir of a rich family.
Even though Dean had the appearance and behaviour of a ge...
This is the revised version of the original chapter 5 (part 1). Even if you have already read the original chapter, I would love to know your opinions on this version.
(for those who commented on the original: don't worry, I didn't delete the chapter, it's just not public anymore)
Please don't forget to vote and comment :)
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Everyone made mistakes here and there, and it was important to embrace them as part of being human. That was, except if the blunder was the reason Blake was sprinting across campus first thing in the morning, trying not to trip over his own feet.
The night before, Blake had stayed up late to study until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. So, he put down his books and set the alarm on his phone, ready for his first day of work. Or so he had thought.
That morning, he had awakened to Finn getting ready. He took his time, stretching out his limbs like a cat before sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes. His blurry vision slowly focused on the clock on the wall. He blinked once, twice. And then leapt out of bed.
He dashed past his brother, cursing and nearly tripping on his own feet as he raced towards the bathroom. In a flurry, he fumbled to gather his belongings, including his useless phone. Why hadn't the alarm gone off?
His eyes met the screen, and Blake wanted to punch himself. - How the hell did I set the time in the calculator?
And so, Blake was late for his first day on the job.
Entering the car park, he noticed a sleek silver car pulling into a spot. Dean emerged, dressed in a light camel button- up shirt tucked into his tailored black pants. He acknowledged Blake with a brief, polite smile.
- Hey, - Blake huffed out once he reached the car, struggling to catch his breath and steadying himself with his hands on his knees.
- Good morning, Blake. - Dean looked down at him, eyebrows pulled together. - Are you alright?
- Yeah, yeah. - He swallowed, waving a dismissive hand. - Just give me a sec.-
He took a deep breath, rubbing his sweaty neck with his hand until he regained feeling in his scratchy throat.
- Sorry for being late. - He faced Dean, scratching the back of his head. - I over- slept.
Before Dean could reply, the tinted car window rolled down and Blake smiled at the man in the driver's seat.
- Hi, Mr Abe.
- Good morning, Mr Blake. - He returned the smile with a tip of the head and then shifted his attention to Dean. - I'll be leaving now. Have a good day and call if you need anything, sir.
Dean replied with a small smile, yet there was a slight twitch at the corners of his lips, almost undetectable. They watched as Mr Abe pulled out of the parking spot and drove off.
