Corviticus University Read online

  © 2019 J.E. Cluney

  All Rights Reserved

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  Glossary

  Arvo - afternoon

  Bogan - is Australian and New Zealand slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated.

  Bottle-o - Liquor store

  Chippy - Carpenter

  IGA - Grocery store

  Fortnight - two weeks

  Gumtree - either a tree or the Australian Craigslist

  Kiwi - New Zealand origin person

  Op Shop - Second-hand store that donates money raised to causes

  Singlets - tank tops

  Skippy - Australian Kangaroo show (popular and known)

  Stubbies - bottles of beer

  Thongs - flip-flops

  Trackies - Tracksuit pants

  Verandah - Porch

  Woolies/Woolworths - Grocery store

  Chapters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  1

  Sometimes change is what you need. Making one big choice to better your life.

  Little did I know that this choice would lead to a life I could never even dream of.

  The ugly orange taxi rumbled off into the darkness, spurting soft clouds of grey smoke as it struggled along the quiet, deserted street. I watched it leave with a tight chest as I stood on the sidewalk with my measly navy suitcase and green gym bag. It carried all my belongings from my life, everything that had any meaning to me. And my clothes and toiletries, of course.

  I bit my lip as the taxi turned the street corner and disappeared from view, taking any chance of returning to my old life with it.

  This was it. This was where the next step in my life began.

  I sighed as I turned back to take in the house before me.

  The large two-story house was quite the sight. Lucas had informed me through emails that it was an old two-story Victorian Georgian-style Villa built by his great grandfather. Apparently, it was inspired by the ‘Baddow House’ in Maryborough after his great grandfather glimpsed the home in the early 1900s.

  Both levels had beautiful wrap-around verandahs, with a staircase joining the top and bottom verandahs on either side of the home.

  The bottom half had a wicker table set off to the side of the front door before a large window with the drapes drawn. It was painted white like the majority of homes these days, with a heavy looking wooden door, set with a stained glass window. From my position, I could just make out the dragon presented in the stained glass with red pieces, the surrounding glass a deep purple and blue.

  I spied the ginger and white cat in the window watching me curiously, and I waved as I smiled at it. The housemate ad hadn’t said anything about a cat. Not that I minded, I preferred the company of animals over people. People were nasty pieces of work, I’d learned that with my Aunt and her boyfriend while I lived with them. I’d stayed with them until I was a teen before I ran away.

  I pursed my lips as I rearranged my bag on my shoulder and started up the path to the verandah. My suitcase bumped along the uneven path behind me, the one broken wheel scraping on the pavement and making me cringe.

  I left it at the base of the steps leading up to the verandah, jumping up them and smiling at the cat as it watched me inquisitively. Someone had left the light on, a small lantern fixed on the wall beside the front door. I was eager to meet Lucas and take my first step into this new life I’d started.

  I barely had the chance to raise my hand to the door to knock before it swung open.

  My breath caught at the utterly drop dead gorgeous man that stood before me. His jet black hair was spiked up at the front, cut in a crew cut style, his high cheekbones defined under the outside light. He had a neatly trimmed, short, boxed beard that only made him look more dazzling. His skin was pale, and that nose was sculpted to perfection, perfectly straight, and those frosty blue eyes took me in with a look of instant distrust. Those eyes were both piercing and bored, all at once. And he pulled the expression off perfectly.

  My knees went weak before this stunning male model, my heart skipping a beat as he scrutinized me. He was perfection squeezed into one man, in a tight black shirt that showed off his muscular frame, and baggy trackies. I could only picture what was hidden beneath them. He’d look so much better in jeans.

  “You’re Allison?” he asked, raising one perfect eyebrow as he scanned me. The once over wasn’t unsettling like he was undressing me, it was more like he was looking down his nose at me as his lip curled upwards. Not that I would’ve minded if it was an undressing one.

  I wished I’d worn a dress or something nice rather than my old ratty jeans and red and white long-sleeved flannelette shirt over a white singlet.

  I was suddenly very aware of how I looked, probably something he threw in with trailer trash or country bogans.

  I ran my hand over my pocket, comforted by the lump of my scratched up iPod I had tucked there.

  “Yes.” I managed to not squeak under his stony gaze, that slight smirk pissing me off. He may look like a God, but he certainly didn’t act like one.

  He’d just dropped a few levels in my books with that smug, uppity expression. Like he was above me. Maybe he was, but it still didn’t make me feel any better.

  He was supposedly my housemate. Unless he was just a guest, which a part of me hoped not. I could ogle this sexy slab of divine beauty any day. Even if he seemed like he was going to turn out to be a jerk. No, I already sensed he was one. With that look he gave me, one of distaste and annoyance.

  “Right, I guess I’ll have to show you around since Lucas isn’t home,” he sighed, as if the idea was too much work for him. He ran a slim hand through his hair, one that looked like it would be soft and smooth to touch.

  Lucas had been the one I’d exchanged messages with. He’d wanted me to meet everyone and see the place before deciding if it was where I wanted to live, but I didn’t have the cash to make two trips if I did like it. Not to mention classes started next week, and I was running out of time to find a place.

  There’d been plenty of wonderful photos and the price was quite reasonable, and the fact I’d be sharing with four men didn’t bother me. I’d lived with my cousin, a girl a year younger than me, and that had been a nightmare. Men were easier, they weren’t bitchy, just straight to the point most of the time. They didn’t care much about the same things girls did. No squabbling over the hair curler or losing their shit over misplaced eyeliner. She’d lost it herself, by the way.

  So I’d applied and gotten the room. I’d already landed myself a position in a local cafe as a barista and waitress, so I was set. I was excited to finally be able to save and buy myself new clothes. I’d worked previously while I lived with my Aunt, but she took most of my pay, and then when I ran away, I barely scraped by with my bills and rent.

  “Name’s Ma
rcus,” the devilishly handsome man said as he stepped aside to let me in.

  I glanced back at my suitcase wistfully, wondering if I should try to lug it up and risk scratching the paint on the verandah and the beautiful wooden flooring inside the house.

  “I got it,” Marcus sighed, noting my despairing look. He brushed past me, and I caught the softest scent of vanilla wafting from him. My favorite.

  He picked my suitcase up with ease and carried it under one arm as he led me straight up the stairs, brushing past me again in a delicious wave of sweet vanilla. Not too strong either, just enough to catch my nose.

  “Rooms are upstairs with a bathroom, Lucas’s room is downstairs with his own bathroom. You’ll be sharing a bathroom with me, Red and Kit,” he said as he glided upstairs silently, carrying my suitcase with no effort, like it was as light as a feather.

  “Got it.” I nodded as I tromped up the stairs after him with not even the slightest hint of perfect grace like him.

  So Red and Kit were the other two. Well, I’m assuming that wasn’t their real names, Lucas had emailed me with their names but I hadn’t memorized them. And without access to my email, since I had no laptop or smartphone, I couldn’t check the names Lucas had sent me over email.

  My room was at the end of the hall right next to the bathroom as Marcus had pointed out. It was an elegant hall with a deep royal red hall runner to save anyone slipping on that beautiful wooden flooring. No need for someone to take a daring fall down that staircase.

  Marcus led me to my room, moving sleekly like a cat. So fluid and silent.

  I smiled brightly as we entered my room. The single bed was ready for me, I’d paid a little extra for Lucas to get some bed sheets and a blanket for me, which he informed me would then be mine to own. The bed was positioned right before the door, so we stood at the foot of the bed upon entry. An arched window had the navy blue drapes pulled over the head of the bed.

  There was a desk set up under the large back window looking down onto the small backyard, an old wattle tree standing strong in the back corner, barely visible in the night shadows. My room was set in the back corner of the top story, and I wondered which way the sun rose. I’d love the early morning sun flooding in through that window.

  The built-in wardrobe had one mirrored sliding door which I’d loved the thought of, and there was a small set of teak wooden drawers to the left of the doorway.

  “Kitchen and living room are downstairs, same as the the laundry. There’s a library room too, and a games room. Most things in the fridge are shared, if you don’t want to share, you put your name on it. Doesn’t always mean it won’t get touched though,” Marcus shrugged as he set my suitcase down at the foot of my bed. The movement made his muscular arms bulge against his sleeves, and I bit my lip at the sight. Damn, he sure was fine.

  The orange and white long-haired cat scurried into the room, peering up at me with keen interest with bright amber eyes. He sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed, glancing between Marcus and I curiously before letting out a soft meow.

  “He lives here too,” Marcus scowled at the cat. “You’ll get used to his tendencies.”

  “Got it,” I nodded. I wanted to ask about the tendencies, but let it slide.

  “Well, here you go,” Marcus sighed as he glanced around my room once before striding out. He didn’t even say another word, just ditched me.

  “He sure is interesting, huh,” I murmured to the cat once I was sure he was out of earshot. “He didn’t even tell me your name, handsome,” I smiled as the cat leaped up onto my bed.

  I sat next to him, loving the bed set Lucas had picked out. A deep ocean blue blanket that was soft and plush, and the sheets and pillows were sky blue. It was made of pure cotton from the feel, and I inhaled the fresh scent of washed sheets, a hint of lavender wafting from it.

  He’d asked what my favorite color was, and I’d said blue. Blue was a calm, natural color that soothed me.

  I stroked the cat’s soft fur, bummed that he had no collar for me to check his name. I’d wait until Lucas or one of my other housemates was home. Marcus was not someone I wanted to bother, I could already picture him groaning and rolling his eyes. What was up with him, anyway?

  The first thing I intended to buy with my new job would be a mobile phone, since my last iPhone had died after an unfortunate fall off a counter.

  Thankfully Lucas had given me the landline number to give my new place of work.

  I had a feeling I was going to like Lucas, he’d sounded quite friendly and sweet on the phone when we’d discussed the place.

  “Well, I guess I’d better unpack, you going to keep me company?” I asked the cat. He just meowed and watched me carefully as I stood back up.

  My stomach growled, and I wondered if there was anything open still that I could grab a bite from. Apparently, there were a few small shops nice and close, within walking distance, same with the campus.

  I’d moved to this tiny town of Maple Grove to attend the Corviticus University here. It catered to others like me. Other unique people.

  It made me wonder how my housemates were peculiar too. Lucas hadn’t said anything, but the entire town of Maple Grove was special. The University only allowed entry to those like me.

  From what Lucas had said though, it was probably the only thing of any worth in this tiny country town. He told me it was better to head into the township of Maleny or head back down to the coast to where I’d grown up if I wanted to do shopping or anything of the sort.

  I knelt down and unzipped my suitcase, the cat peering off the end of the bed as he watched me quietly.

  I put away my few clothes in the wardrobe, leaving it looking still sparse and empty. I had a few pairs of jeans, one set of denim shorts, one pajama set and a few shirts. I hung up the two dresses, a striking bright red one that I loved to wear, and a more inconspicuous sky blue one. I had a handful of underwear and two clean bras, the white one’s straps were on their last legs, stretched and curling in on themselves. My black bra was newer, and the nude one I currently wore was only a little better than my white one.

  I sighed as I shoved my underwear and bras into the drawers beside the door, contemplating whether I should move my pathetic wardrobe of clothes into the drawers instead.

  No, I could save them for something else.

  I flicked on the bedside lamp, pulling out the drawer to my teak bedside table to inspect it. I dug my iPod out of my pocket and set it inside the drawer, before searching through my gym bag for my charger to toss in alongside it. I added a few other things in, like my manicure kit (okay, it was just nail clippers and a file), my small sample bottle of perfume, and a few important papers.

  I also pulled my handbag free of my gym bag and checked its contents before placing it in front of the drawers.

  I rose and strode over to flick off the main light before sprawling out on the bed beside the curious cat.

  This was it. My new home. And it would remain my home until I completed uni, at least, that’s what Lucas and I had agreed on. Technically, I was only locked into a yearly lease, but I intended to stay the whole time. It was a beautiful house, a huge step up from my last rental, that had cost nearly twice as much even though I’d rented it with a housemate.

  “Pretty big place Lucas has here, I wish my family had left me a house like this,” I mused as I stroked the soft, fluffy cat. He purred and nuzzled my hand as I rolled onto my stomach, his whiskers tickling the palm of my hand.

  “Lucas said I can use his laptop till I buy my own, you know, for research and assignments. I’ll have to get one asap, I don’t want to put him out,” I murmured to the cat. Animals had always been important to me. They never got angry with you or shouted at you, they were just there, willing to love you if you showed them even a smidgen of affection.

  My stomach growled again, and the cat cocked his head at me, those amber eyes staring at me in amusement. Strange, how he actually looked amused.

  “I haven
’t eaten since lunchtime,” I defended myself as the cat just blinked. I grinned as his tongue slowly slid out, and he just looked at me with that tiny pink tongue peeking out.

  “You’re a cutie,” I chuckled as I scratched behind his ears and his eyes half closed.

  Lucas had said we were to buy our own food if possible, but there were basics for us to share.

  Even just some pasta and shredded cheese sounded good. But first, I wanted a shower and to see if there was a set place in the bathroom that I could store my toiletries.

  I rolled off the bed and collected my old, faded set of pajamas. A grey short-sleeved shirt with a long since faded red heart on the front. The vinyl heart had cracked and many pieces of it had come away. There wasn’t much left of the heart to be honest, but at least the grey pants with small red hearts had fared well.

  I shuffled through my gym bag and pulled out my small bag of toiletries before heading out into the hall.

  The bathroom was decently sized, and the door to the right of it just before the stairs had to be the toilet, considering the other doors led into Marcus’, Kit’s, and Red’s rooms. Past the stairs was a door to the verandah, along with a window that allowed the moonlight to seep down onto the staircase. It gave the area an eerie, whimsical look. I headed straight into the lavish bathroom, loving the large, luxurious room with a separate bathtub and shower. It had been a major pull for me to apply as well. Who didn’t love to shower in comfort?

  There was a wooden cupboard behind the bathroom door, and I opened it to find all the fresh towels, the stash of toilet paper, soaps, and shampoos.

  I moved on to the vanity sink and cabinet underneath, which housed some shaving equipment labeled with names. Skip and Oliver had their electric razors there, and I wondered if Marcus kept his in his room. So these were my housemates.

  I looked forward to meeting them, a flutter in my gut making me roll my eyes. Yeah, being single made the prospect of living with a bunch of guys even more thrilling.