Soulmates – Chapter 4

When Will awoke in the next morning, Hannibal's bed was tidy as if he had not spent the night there. Will was so exhausted from the trip that he slept soundly the entire night, and thank God, with no nightmares.

The boy took a quick shower and got dressed. He grabbed his books and ran down the stairs, because he was late for the first class of the year.

He wasn't late after all. Other students were arriving to enjoy the most boring class of the school curriculum, Geography, with Professor Jimmy Price. When Will got in the classroom, he smiled. Alan was there and saved a place for Will beside him in the middle of the classroom, as always. Will tripped over his legs as he walked toward the seat, falling to the ground and dropping his books. Will blushed with shame. Everyone started laughing at him, except for Alan who was at his side in a heartbeat, helping him to get up (without touching him) picking up his books from the floor.

"Such a perfect way to start the year." Alan made the joke to ease the embarrassing situation.

"You have no idea." Will replied remembering the previous day, unable to help but feel a chill down his spine.

The two boys walked across the room and took their seats. Will rubbed his eyes, he was starting to get a headache lately and it got worse when he was nervous or anxious.

"So, how is our new friend ?" Alan asked suddenly intrigued. Will had returned his attention to his friend.

"I don't know. We have not talked yet." Will said visibly disturbed. That was not a total lie. The few words that Will and Hannibal had changed could not be described as a 'conversation' anyway.

"Well, then your silence must have made an impression because he don't stop staring at you." Alan said with a tone somewhat intrigued.

"What do you mean?" Will asked confused.

Alan motioned with his head pointing to the back of the classroom. Will followed the gesture with his eyes and saw Hannibal Lecter sitting in his seat looking at Will with a curious look. He wore the uniform jacket, but his tie was still misaligned and his blond hair had a slight mohawk hairstyle, like David Beckham. He was sitting casually, as if not paying attention to anything but ... Will.

"Damn." Will looked away, returning to settle at his seat, but even he was not looking, he could feel Hannibal's scarlet eyes watching him. "If I pretend I'm having a stroke would I be released from this class?"

"It's everything okay, Will?" Alan asked noticing the boy's reaction.

Will nodded.

"You can't lie to me." Alan mused. "There's something wrong."

"It's nothing." Will shook his hand.

"I don't like the way he's looking at you." Alan said not being discreet and looking over his shoulder to where Hannibal was. "It's like ..."

"A Wolf, I know." Will interrupted supporting his forearms on his desk and burying his face in his hands.

"Did he tried to mess with you and you don't want to tell me?" Alan said seriously.

Will shook his head.

"Never mind. I'm fine. He is scary, that's all." He said and at that moment Professor Price entered the room, ushering in geography class and the subject was closed.

The rest of the class went like this. No matter how Will tried to pay attention in class, he ended up returning his attention to the back of the room, where Hannibal kept staring at him.

Once the class ended Will said goodbye to Alan that would go to math class, while Will was going to Literature class. He thought he would be free of the weight of Hannibals stare by then, but when he got in the room intended to literature, whom he saw there? Yes, Hannibal Lecter.

Again, Hannibal was there in the back, but this time Will didn't have Alan to distract him and so, Literature was as uncomfortable as Geography. But Will tried not to despair. After all, he only had two classes with Alan, it would be very ironic if he would share some more classes with Hannibal. However, when he left the room toward History class, the same thing happened. "What the fuck?!" He thought when he saw Hannibal Lecter enter the classroom after him and take a seat in the back of the classroom.

Will could not concentrate in class. Every five minutes he turned to see the blond student looking at him with that interested look. In the middle of class, Will turned aside again and Hannibal waved at him with a smile. Will had curb the urge to get up and ask directly to Hannibal what he wanted, but he was sure it would only make things worse.

Lunchtime came and Will thought this time he would have a little bit of peace. As it had begun to rain, he had no choice but to eat lunch in the cafeteria. He took a tray with a meal that was not good-looking and he managed to find an empty table he would keep for Alan, but after some time, the boy did not show up in the cafeteria. Will thought that maybe he was helping in the infirmary, as it was his role now.

He began to eat his meal when he was distracted by the sound of a tray being placed on his the table and he realized that someone had sat in front of him. He looked up, expecting to find Alan, but it was not who he saw. Hannibal was sitting in front of him with his tray, like he had the right to be there. Will dropped his fork with a clatter.

"What are you doing?" Will asked surly.

"I'm having lunch." Hannibal replied picking up his fork and poked his food. "I'll try, at least, if this food not eat me first, this steak is raw!" He looked suspiciously at the plate in front of him.

Will could not believe it.

"No! what I mean is: What are you doing here at this table?" he said exasperated. "With so many others in this cafeteria, why this one?

"Again... I'm having lunch." Hannibal frowned. "You're not very observant, aren't you?"

"Man, you're scary!" Will said shaking his head.

"Such a rude way to refer to a Count." Hannibal took a bite of the food into his mouth. Hannibal looked at him with the most calm and concise expression of the world.

"Count? I'm referring to the totally creepy guy who is following me in every class i have! It's like a god damn Hitchcock's movie." He said louder than it should and some heads turned in his direction. Will was angry.

"You do not consider that the classes are not chosen by students, but by the secretaries. Therefore, the fact that we have the same classes is completely by chance." He said with a annoying tone. "Eat, William. I know you didn't eat your breakfeast today."

"Look, Hannibal, I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not enjoying this. Thank you for helping me yesterday with the Orcs but ... "

"Orcs?" Hannibal had interrupted. "From the Lord of the Rings?"

"It's a nerd thing, that's how I have named the bullies." Will explained. "Anyway ... Thanks for the help yesterday, but you don't have to follow me twenty-four hours a day. I don't need a Nanny" he said standing up. "And definitely I don't need a stalker."

Will stood up abruptly and left the cafeteria. He never saw the smile plastered on Hannibal's face.