Modern Day Santa Claus

MDSC [33]

Chapter 33

Sera was curious yet delighted when Jae sent her a text. She sees Jae as this introvert who shuts herself out from other people and Sera has been slightly worried about how college had been treating her. College can be hell for some people and if you don't gather connections, college can crush you with its tight grip.

Although Sera doesn't actually care that much about how Jae was doing, it was something when Jae had reached out to her. They never talked that much and that made Sera deduced that Jae really had no one else to turn to if she was asking her for help. She must be desperate.

Sera sent a text to Margaret, her other roommate, to check on Jae last night yet Margaret gave her a flimsy excuse. Margaret was the opposite of Jae. Margaret was able to adjust fairly quickly to her new environment and can also adjust her personality whenever she likes. That was why Margaret has already been invited to a clique even though she was merely a freshman. They were two people on the opposite sides of the spectrum which made Sera interested in how they became friends.

When Sera had lunch in the cafeteria that afternoon, her eyes wandered over the place, searching for Jae's familiar face, or even Margaret or that cute guy with ashy-gray hair. She found Margaret sitting with a new crowd, possibly a circle that has adopted her in one of her classes. She always noticed that Margaret jumps from group to group, which to her was a power move. If you garner connections from different people in different years and departments, college will be a breeze.

Sera passed by her group to which she casually asked Margaret, "Hey, Mag. Have you seen Jae?"

The people sitting with Margaret all stopped talking and looked up at Sera, evidently eavesdropping on their conversation. Maggie darted her eyes up from her phone with a bored expression on her face. "Nope," she replied. "Haven't seen her since yesterday."

Sera bit back a scowl. "You didn't check the apartment I sent you?"

"I told you, I was busy," Margaret said, her eyebrows furrowing.

A silence passed between the two of them as they stared each other down. Margaret was difficult to talk to sometimes, especially when she doesn't need anything from you. Sera nodded stiffly and was about to leave when another person showed up.

"Hey, have you seen Jae?" Skye appeared right next to Sera. Skye turned on his cool facade when he spotted Jae's two roommates across the cafeteria. He got worried when Jae didn't come to her morning classes where he sat by himself for an hour or so before getting up and leaving. "She didn't come to class."

Margaret shrugged. "Ask each other. Also, please talk elsewhere? We're trying to eat here."

Sera rolled her eyes, turning around to leave the group. Skye had followed behind her. Margaret's group suddenly began to whisper excitedly once the two strangers left their table.

"Who was that guy? What year is he in?"
"Isn't that girl a senior? Wow, Margaret, I never knew you're close with so many people!"
"You're friends with them even when you're a freshman?"

Margaret smiled to herself as her friends circled around her. She answered their questions vaguely so she could keep up her 'mysterious' side. The juniors and seniors in her group began to offer their assistance just to get close to her and possibly be introduced to one of her more popular 'friends'.

Sera was walking back to her own table when she paused because of the tall, cute guy strolling casually behind her. She turned around. "What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Jae," he simply answered.

"She isn't here," Sera flatly responded. "Also, aren't you closer to her than I am? Why are you asking me?"