𝕊𝕥𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕕 ℂ𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕕 ➶

𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖: 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕚𝕥

Sometimes not knowing is better. For example, Valentina once had to do a school project on the meat-packing industry... And subsequently went vegan for a month afterwards. She would have kept it up, too, but her mother was worried she wasn't getting all the nutrients she needed without meat, milk, and eggs.

But it bore repeating, sometimes not knowing is better.

So Valentina avoided Morticia every chance she got. She stayed away from the quad and third-year classrooms, dodged all members of her posse when she saw them in the halls.

Hell, she even tried not to talk or think of her just in case doing so would summon her. Which was difficult, because it turned out that her roommate was borderline obsessed with the girl.

"Morticia's out of the infirmary, but Gomez still has no chill. Well, he usually has no chill, but he has even less chill than usual. Larissa apparently feels terrible that she took an arrow in the shoulder for her," CC informed her as they grabbed lunch.

Afterward, they would always part ways. She would go hang out with the fangs while Valentina snuck her food into the library. She was pretty sure the librarian knew what she was doing but assumed --correctly-- that she had no friends and felt sorry for her.

"Would you take an arrow in the shoulder for me, Val?"

"Hell, I would even take an arrow in the knee for you, CC."

The young vampiress balanced her lunch tray in one hand so she could throw her other arm around her roommate. "D'awww, you're such a sweetheart! Are you sure I can't convince you to sit with us?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I really have to go study."

"It's only the second week of classes," she whined.

"And botany is already kicking my entire ass," Valentina drawled in return before ducking under her arm and away. "I'll see you after dinner tonight, okay?" CC frowned but didn't protest.

Even when she was safe and tucked away in a dark library nook, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she wasn't really alone. It felt like the walls not only had ears but eyes as well. Hide as she might, someone --or something-- was always watching.

It was creepy... Gut-creepy, like something gone terribly wrong. Perhaps this feeling was just a result of her guilty conscience. She thought not, though.

Then, like a mirage in a desert, a boy suddenly appeared in front of her, as if to put a face to her paranoia. "Hey, Valentina, right?" He asked.

It was dark, seeing as the tall bookcases were blocking most of the light given off by the nearest chandelier, but she knew who he was right away. He was the handsomest boy she ever laid her eyes on, after all.

"Yeah, that's me. You must be Deuce! Can I... Help you with something?" If he needed help finding a book, a librarian would have been a better person to ask. Not a freshman.

He grinned at her instant recognition. His teeth looked like someone --probably an orthodontist-- carefully arranged Chiclets in his mouth. Did he use teeth-whitening strips? His smile was practically blinding.

"Wow, I didn't know I was so famous! I'm glad we can skip the awkward introductions, though. I actually came over here to ask you on a date."

Valentina blinked at him incredulously, the rest of her face slack with shock. "A date? Like, 'a date' date? With me?" His grin widened as he nodded eagerly along to her questions. There was a long moment of silence, before she asked, "Why me?"

She probably shouldn't have asked that, but she couldn't help herself. She needed to know this wasn't some cruel prank.

"Because you're the prettiest girl in your class, duh!" It was a shallow answer, but it still made her blush. "Plus, I think we would really hit it off. A little bat told me you're also struggling in plant biology. I figured, maybe we could be study buddies... Or maybe we could be more." Goddamn it, CC! Who was supposed to be the matchmaker here?! "So, what do you say?"

She pinched her mouth shut, as if opening it would release all the butterflies trapped in her stomach. But the boy deserved an answer. And the answer she so desperately wanted to give was...

Valentina nodded sheepishly.

Deuce's smile could light up a dark room. "Great! Awesome! Meet me in the greenhouse tonight at midnight."

That threw a wrench in her brain gears, made her stomach churn with a different sort of anxiety. Instead of romantic nerves, this was the fear of getting caught. "Midnight? That's past curfew."

"Curfew is more of a suggestion than a rule. Anyway, I've got a sweet deal going with the proctor of Ophelia Hall... I promise you won't get in any trouble, okay?" She nodded again under the weight of his questioning gaze. "So you'll be there?"

She bit her lip, took a second to think about it, before eventually answering, "Yes. Yes, of course."