Weekend visit to the family

The sudden words from Roman had Julie's heart almost slip out of her chest. She hadn't noticed him get up from the bed and stand behind her. Turning her head, she saw him looking at the notes she had made.

Roman said, "You have applied the wrong formula," and he turned his gaze to meet her eyes. He had been reading when he noticed the sound of Julie's pencil had stopped making noise against the paper.

He now crouched behind her, staring at her handwriting. "It is messy," he said, chewing the gum while not explaining what to her.

Julie looked back at her notes, a frown forming on her forehead, "I thought this was the one we make use of," she murmured, flipping her pages again. "Which one do you make use of then?"

Roman raised his hand forward, and Julie wondered if he was asking for the pencil or the book, "Money."

"Huh?" Julie responded, confused.

"I don't give people free lessons. As told by someone, it is always good to make money at what you are good at," said Roman in a serious tone.

Julie blinked at him if he was for real, "Who said that?"

"Me."

She pursed her lips and said, "I can ask the teacher and there's Melanie. Simon said he would help with our doubts. Free of cost," she added.

Roman bit into the gum before his eyes fell on Simon, "I thought you are busy with other subjects. I didn't know you have free time on your hands."

Simon slowly turned his head around, "I forgot that I had to make presentation slides for next week. My apologies, Julie. It looks like I won't be free this week."

That was a lie! Thought Julie to herself. Simon was the one who had offered to clear their doubts, and now he was going back on his word after Roman asked him.

She felt Roman look back at her while Simon went back to continue to help her friend. She turned back to look at Roman and said, "I will figure it out, but thank you for pointing out the error."

"It is a pity how people waste their time when things can be solved," stated Roman, looking right into her brown eyes.

"You don't look poor. Why do you need more money?" whispered Julie to him and Simon on the other side coughed.

When Roman's upper body leaned towards her, Julie leaned back. Maybe to him, with his reputation of being with many girls coming too close to her was nothing, but she was a girl who was new to such things.

The distance that Julie tried to create quickly vanished as Roman leaned closer and said, "It is so that I can pay people." He was only a student. Whom did he have to pay? Julie asked in her mind. To the other students whom he liked to bully? "Do you know what I pay them for?"

Julie shook her head, "I think I will pass."

"It is to have them dig up the ground, and bury the people who get on my nerves," said Roman, and for a second, Julie was terrified. She then heard him chuckle darkly at his joke. He got up from where he had been sitting on his heels and walked to pick up the book he had been reading and placed it back on the table.

Julie got back to her original position and looked at the formula that she had applied. After helping her friend, Simon stood up and walked to where Roman was. She picked her book and scooted to where Melanie was to fix the mistake.

At the same time, Roman had his back leaned against the table while drinking the cold drink he had opened a few seconds ago.

"You must have a death wish," commented Roman, his voice low only for Simon to hear.

"Why? Did I do something?" asked Simon, his expression perplexed, but Roman saw right through it. "And it was you and Maximus who told her your home was here, not I."

Roman rolled his eyes, "It was you who brought the question up. You should already know. Asking a question equals to being asked the same."

Simon nodded and then said, "Earlier you didn't return to the classroom, Rome. Did Dante call you?"

"I came back to the dorm to sleep," replied Roman. He could hear Julie getting her doubt cleared.

"Interesting, isn't she?" questioned Simon, noticing Roman's line of sight. "Maximus said she might taste sweet."

"Did the other girls run out of blood?" came the nonchalant words from Roman.

"Probably not, else there would have been more spare rooms in the Dormitorium," replied Simon. "Did you hear anything more about the body?"

A grim expression appeared on Roman's face, and he said, "The attack wasn't from a vampire. But it was only made to look like the death was caused by a vampire."

"Looks like this Sunday our hands are full," sighed Simon as if he wasn't looking forward to it. Seeing the girls starting to pack, Simon walked forward while Roman stood at the table watching Julie. "You are leaving?"

Julie and Melanie had found the right time to leave. Julie replied, "We finished our assignments and will do the rest of it in the dorm. Thank you for having us here."

"No problem," Simon offered them a smile, "We should do this often. It is always fun that way."

Julie didn't agree or disagree with his words, leaving her answer in suspense.

"Thank you for your help," Melanie thanked Simon, and he smiled.

Ready to leave, they started to head towards the door when Maximus returned with company. Olivia and Victoria were here. Olivia looked briefly surprised before giving a nod to both the girls. But Victoria stared at Julie harshly, her eyes quietly throwing daggers at Julie right now.

"I can now tell why Maximus picked snacks that we usually don't have," said Olivia. "You must have come to meet Conner?"

"Yes, we did," Julie nodded her head. She then said, "I wanted to ask you about him. He looks really pale and sick than how he was yesterday, is it normal?" in concern.

Olivia nodded her head, "The game usually tires the new players and it takes a day or two more time before they feel better. There's nothing to worry about," she assured Julie.

"Okay," replied Julie.

"Are you both leaving?" asked Maximus, and this time, Melanie nodded her head.

"Thank you for having us here," said Melanie and Julie awkwardly said bye before leaving the room.

Once the two human girls left the room and the corridor, Olivia's eyes fell on the books that were on the ground.

"How did they taste?" asked Victoria, picking up one of the cold drinks that Maximus had brought.

"We didn't get to sink our teeth. We were studying," replied Simon, walking to the bed and plopping himself on it.

"It is better if you don't unless you want to spoil your taste buds. We have been picking up the high-end students," said Victoria, and her eyes fell on Roman, who was staring at the door through which the girl had left. "Isn't that right, Rome?"

"I have never cared about taste. I am good if I drink directly from the body," expressed Maximus.

Roman's eyes moved to look at Maximus, and he said, "Victoria is right. Find someone else to prey on." Right now, he didn't want anyone sinking their fangs in the girl. Earlier, when he had come behind Julie to take a look at why she had paused, his sudden words had her heart pumping and rushing her warm blood up to her face.

He didn't want anyone putting his paws on his amusement.

Away from the boy's Dormitorium, Julie had reached her dorm. She dropped her bag on the ground, removing her shoes and getting on the bed to lay down on her stomach. She didn't know she could be this tired by spending time with the seniors. Thankfully it was the boys Dormitorium and not the girls to spy on them.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep for a few minutes before she woke up. Just one more day and then it was two days' holiday with no classes, thought Julie to herself.

Remembering the letter that was next to her window, she sat up and picked it. Opening it, she read— Time to say goodbye to the dorm and the university.

Julie's eyes widened, and she wondered if the person had already gone to speak to Mr. Borrell to hand over her letter. Until now, she couldn't make out how the note got picked and dropped. She had tried to stay awake before, but in the end, she had only fallen asleep. She had ignored writing back immediately, and this person had already decided to mention her rule-breaking. Hoping the person was only testing her, she quickly took to writing back.

'Pardon me. I forgot to read the note and thought to read it later once I was back. Please do not give my letter to Mr. Borrell >.<'

By the next morning, she received a fresh note from the letter thief— '-_- Deciding to conveniently ignore the letter, you aren't pardoned. For that you shall be punished. Next month, there's an upcoming Halloween, get lots of bandages to be an Egyptian mummy.'

Julie stared hard at the paper and wrote back—'And you won't give my letter to Mr. Borrell?'

She added another line stating she was going to visit her uncle and aunt. She didn't want the letter thief to throw another threat for not replying just because she wasn't here.

By evening, she had received the response and a question that she hadn't expected—'Yes. It looked like you didn't want to visit them. Why?'

Why Julie repeated the question.

Taking her pen, she replied, pausing many times before continuing—' Things are a little awkward and uncomfortable at my uncle's house. The relationship is a little strained, not that they aren't good people. I don't want my uncle to worry and thought it would be a good idea to show my face to him because I wasn't able to contact him through phone.'

The person responded with—'Beating around the bush. The question is why.'

Her response to it was—'Why are you the only one asking questions? Who are you? Do you live in the same Dormitorium as me?'

When Saturday morning arrived, Julie packed some of her clothes in her backpack, ready to leave on the bus. Today was the day her phone would finally revive with an internet connection! Before leaving, she picked up the new note that was left for her.

There was the expression of annoyance drawn before the sentence she read— 'The negotiator doesn't get to question when the abductor is holding the victim hostage. Anyways, to answer one of your questions. I have lived in your Dormitorium. When are you coming back so that we can decide which next rule you are going to break?'

Julie wanted to write 'Never', but then that would be a plain lie. Instead, she wrote—'Probably by Sunday evening. Are you going to visit your family?'

She asked out of curiosity. Folding the note, she placed it near the window. Stepping out of the room and locking it to head towards the bus that was waiting for students who were going to visit their families or going outside the property of Veteris.

Most of the students had filled the front buses. Getting on the last bus Julie and her friends walked past some of the filled seats, Julie sat at the window seat, and Melanie sat next to her.

The buses started to move forward one after another in order, passing through the university's main gates. Julie pushed open the window, feeling the wind rushing inside and falling on her face, which felt cold because of the trees surrounding both sides of the road. Melanie had closed her eyes as if she was trying to catch up on sleep. Julie took her earphones, pushing them into her ears. She played a song while watching the trees move past her.

After a minute or two, while she was still listening to the first song, she saw motorcycles riding near her bus. Catching the red hair, Julie realized it was Simon and Victoria sitting behind him. The next one to pass was Maximus, who had Olivia sitting behind, and finally came one more motorcycle. It was Roman, and like others, he didn't wear his helmet over his head.

Julie didn't know if it was the effect of the music or if it was Roman riding the bike next to the bus that had her eyes focus more on him. His dark locks of hair ruffled because of the wind. He didn't wear his jacket, revealing the tattoo inked on one of his hands. He wore black hand gloves. And for that moment, she noticed how he looked less intimidating and more attractive.

In the next second, Roman had accelerated for the motorbike to speed up and leave the buses far behind.