4. Alana
ALANA
“On the other hand, differentiation involves offering unique products or services that stand out from the competition. Think of PineApple. They don’t compete on price. Instead, they offer innovative, high-quality products that…”
I slid a hand down my face, sighing quietly as I tuned out Professor Thompson and his ramble on competitive advantages.
The last thing I was interested in was my business class.
Unfortunately for me, I had no other choice but to take it.
If I wanted to become a successful photographer, I had to know how to build my own business and learn about SEO, accounting, advertising, et cetera.
I suppose taking classes in business was going to be helpful for that.
I hated every second of it, though. Business was boring.
I’d never been one to fall asleep in class, always believed knowledge was power. I loved to learn new things, and, while that might’ve been controversial, I thought studying was fun.
Business, however, made me yawn and force myself awake with a few slaps every now and then.
“For example,” I heard my professor say the next time I realized I should listen to him, no matter how bored I’d been. “Elysian Motors focuses on luxury vehicles for a high-end market segment, combining elements of both cost leadership and differentiation within that niche.”
My eyes fell to the projector wall behind him, watching as the slide changed to a graph of market share and profit margins.
I took a deep breath before letting my head drop to the top of the table before me. What was I still doing here?
Did I really need this class? I mean, maybe business was a learn-as-you-go type of thing, you know?
“Hey, is this seat taken?” a voice appeared from beside me, and while I was sure whoever was talking wasn’t actually talking to me, I still looked up.
I usually stayed unnoticed in class and was one of the few people who always sat alone unless Asiya was with me.
Making friends wasn’t my strongest forte, but that was alright.
Sure, I would’ve preferred it if I had the chance to talk to more than just one person, but it was quite peaceful this way.
But either way, as I looked up, I was greeted by two very green eyes and a dimple-inducing smile. A few strands of Eden’s curly, blond hair hung right in his face, but he didn’t seem to care or bother to push them back.
My hands were kind of itching to do it for him, though.
“Uh…” I cleared my throat, or tried to anyway. “I guess it’s uh…”
Eden’s smile widened at the same time as I could feel my face getting hotter with every second. “Still can’t talk, huh?”
Oh, God.
I dropped my head back onto the table. Perhaps I should move across the country—I heard Oregon was great.
How did he remember this anyway? It had been over a week since we met at the party. Guys, especially guys like Eden King, didn’t remember someone like me.
I was just hot air to someone like him.
Every time I went out with Asiya and her other friends, I’d spend the entire evening watching them getting hit on while I was getting served pity drinks from the guy who wanted to impress the other girls. I wasn’t worth talking to, wasn’t worth looking at, and I certainly wasn’t worth remembering.
While I didn’t know much about Eden—didn’t care either—I knew that his family was… something. Very rich. Very known.
He was entitled, basically. Definitely not someone who wanted to be associated with me.
“So, Alana,” he spoke quietly, not to interrupt the class. He said my name with such gentleness, I’d never even known it was possible if he hadn’t just proved it to me. “Can I sit next to you?”
I nodded, still not bothering to look up again. “If you must.”
“Oh, she talks,” he snickered.
While I was sure he thought he was being funny, it wasn’t to me.
I could take a joke… but if all your life you’d heard the same few words, it was getting annoying.
Nonetheless, I chose not to let it get to me since Eden had no idea who I was and how little I appreciated being reminded that I was, in fact, able to speak.
He was moving beside me, taking out paper and pens and setting them down on the table. It finally made me lift my head.
As I looked at his writing material, my eyebrows drew together. “Do you always use paper and pens?”
Eden turned his head, his prominent smile drawing my attention to his lips until I forced myself to meet his eyes instead. “Mostly, yes.”
“Why?”
He reached for his pen, spinning it around. “Because it’s cooler.”
“Cooler?” My eyebrows raised. “How?”
“While everyone’s busy staring at their screens and risking their notes to be deleted by awful students who think we’re all competing against one another, or their laptops breaking down and leaving them without material to study, I have everything neatly packed in my notebooks,” he explained.
“Clouds exist,” I reminded him. “And you could lose your notebook.”
He laughed, though keeping it down. “Fine, you got me. I forgot my laptop at my sister’s place the other day. My schedule is pretty tight, so I haven’t gotten around to picking it up yet.”
“Oh.”
“She lives down in Staten Island, you know? So it’s a bit of a drive down there. I usually only ever see my family on the weekend, well, that’s if—” He stopped himself from talking. “I don’t think you care about any of that.”
My lips pressed into a line as I tried to refrain from smiling. “You and I don’t have that kind of relationship for me to care.”
“Oh, wow.” He nodded to himself a couple of times. “This was the part where you were supposed to disagree with me, Miss Alana. But alright. I guess you’re not my new best friend then.”
His new best friend?
“DeVille,” I corrected, mainly because I didn’t know what else to say or which part to react to.
“I’m not calling you The Devil.”
My eyes rolled. “No. Alana DeVille,” I said, emphasizing my last name and its pronunciation. “If you’re already using Miss to speak to me, might as well use my last name.”
Eden cocked his head at me, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I’m starting to understand why Asiya calls you The Devil.”
“Because of my last name.”
“Because you are, in fact, the devil,” he said. “I’m trying to be your friend here, Alana, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Oh. “Why?”
“Exactly.” Professor Thompson’s voice interrupted the beginning of Eden’s explanation.
Both of our heads snapped toward our professor.
“Higher production costs can be a significant weakness, especially if competitors can produce similar products more cheaply. Now, what opportunities might PureNature have?”
“Growing consumer demand for sustainable products,” Eden replied before anyone else could.
Professor Thompson glanced in our direction, a serious look on his face. “That’s right. What does that mean for PureNature?”
“As more consumers prioritize sustainability, PureNature can expand its market share.”
Professor Thompson nodded, but he appeared to be suspicious of Eden. “And what about threats, Mister King?”
Ever since the beginning of the year, there had only been a few lessons I’d seen Eden attend. As far as I could remember, he hadn’t spoken up in either of those. Seeing as he was a hockey player, he didn’t need to either. Eden would pass his classes no matter what. They all did.
On top of all that, the guy hadn’t even been in this class from the beginning; he just got here, or so I thought.
There was no way he knew what Professor Thompson was talking about. This must’ve been pure luck, right?
“Increasing competition from larger companies entering the sustainable market,” Eden replied.
“Larger companies with more resources could pose a serious threat. With that SWOT analysis in mind, PureNature should probably focus on strengthening its brand and perhaps look for ways to reduce production costs without compromising its eco-friendly values.”
He kept on talking about more business stuff, but even if I had tried to listen to it, my brain wouldn’t have comprehended more than gibberish. Professor Thompson, however, seemed very pleased with Eden’s knowledge.