Orlando

The assault continued on him.

“You grab his legs and I’ll grab his arms!” a female’s voice spat.

“No, I want to go top side. You always get to!” another female retorted with an annoying high-pitched whine.

Val suddenly felt his arms and legs being yanked in all different directions. He thought his arms might pop out of his sockets, but then he fell to the ground and was hit with the bat again.

“Ladies, stop fighting over him. He’s the LOASP’s problem!” a male’s deep, booming baritone command came. (The LOAS is the Legend of Anti-Sports People, this will be described later on.)

Val instantly brought his hands up to his face for protection, screaming with pain. Where were the campus police or cops? Surely this Orlando college called University of Central Florida had law officers on duty?

“But I saw him first!”

“Tough shit. He’s one of OUR problems, beat it Abby!”

“You’re going to disfigure his pretty face, Brock! He’s a human and human’s need to breathe!” she whined, pulling at the leader.

“I said get lost Abby!” He backhanded her away from him and she stalked off, with a squeaky “hmpf!” Then she gasped and more chaos ignited around the poor hockey player from the NHL.

Evelyna had been walking to her class, when she spotted the chaos occurring near the Starbucks. She halted and sprinted over. “Hey! Back off you crazy college bastards!! You’re going to hurt him!” her furious voice snarled from behind the scene, as she rushed forward. “Get off! Come on!” A thunderous clap of the hands came.

People began to back off, retreating. Some even looked scared of the newcomers’ presence. They whimpered and took off, sprinting away. Who was this mysterious person, who had come to his rescue?

“Ayuda!” The voice came again with more loud clapping sounds. It was like she was chasing off a hoard of nosy felines. It was a female’s and she snapped in some foreign language at the trio of girls who remained, picking on him. It was obvious that this was not her first language. She sounded completely and utterly American underneath. She plucked them off and flung them away, carelessly and bravely.

She knew what she was doing. Soon, only he remained, shielding his face with his hands, protectively. He peered through his fingers and saw a female smiling at him kindly. She had bright red hair and a freckled face with a pair of brilliant blue eyes, like his own. She didn’t like dangerous at all. She put her hands delicately onto his and lowered his arms downward.

“You poor thing. You are not from around here, are you? You are Russian?”

He nodded. “да, yes.” He was curious and bewildered at this strange girl’s niceness. It wasn’t common, but yet he felt himself giving into her. He watched her, as she blinked and suddenly her smile widened. It was a beautiful smile, very photogenic and pretty.

“You are Valeri Nichushkin?!”

She knew who he was!? Cool. Someone here knew him. He nodded his head vigorously and eventually cracked a sweet, innocent smile at her. He cocked her head to the side and it made her blush deeply. He could tell that this girl wanted to kiss him badly, but was seriously control her urges and being professional.

Behind them the attacking patrons fled or walked off, with disgusted looks and glares. A few gathered in a cluster and stood to the side, conversing to themselves. There was the tall man who had appeared as the leader, and his right hand man who held the bat still. There were two others as well, including one female with a nose ring and brightly colored shoulder-length blue hair.

“You will have to excuse them. Brock and Rick are the campus blowholes! They are like anti-hockey, anti-sports. They don’t like hockey players, like you Val.” She spoke slowly and evenly, articulating each and every word, so that he understood her.

“Thank you.”

“добро пожаловать, (You’re welcome)” she replied, wrinkling her nose up, cutely.

Val’s smile grew. She spoke Russian, like him. They might be able to communicate!

“меня зовут, Evelyna! (My name is Evelyna.)”

“Это удовольствие и привилегия встретиться с вами, Evelyna. (It’s a pleasure and a privilege to meet you, Evelyna)”

“Come with me, we can go some place more private and talk.”

Val cocked his head. She nodded her head to the side. “Follow me.”

“Okay.”

She kindly slid her soft, delicate hands into his, and led him away from the watchful eyes of the spectators. He heard a few of them gasp in shock. “She is helping out a boy?” and “She found a boyfriend?” They sounded surprised and bewildered. And Val wondered why they were shocked that this redhead had came to his rescue and saved his behind from crazy college kids?