Our classroom for the first lesson of the day, my nemesis English, was also our homeroom. It was a pretty normal classroom for this school’s standards, well-maintained with nicely decorated walls and a typical baroque ceiling. However, what I liked most about the classroom was the amazing view you got out of its windows. Being on the second floor of the building it gave an incredible overview of the garden below. Excellent to gaze out from if I wanted to have a break from the lessons and be in my own peaceful world for a while.

Ria and I entered the classroom through the door in the back of the classroom and saw that, as usual, we weren’t the first students there. Karin was reading a book at a desk close to the windows, her long black hair draped over her left shoulder. So she could twirl her hair around her finger, something she usually did when she was engrossed by the story she was reading. The entire scene worked incredibly relaxing, it gave the feeling of a fairytale princess reading in the middle of a forest, the only thing that was missing were the chirping birdies around her.

“Hey Karin, what are you reading?” Ria-chan sat down next to her friend.

“Hey Ria.” Karin’s soft voice spoke out, barely audible, and she showed Ria the cover of her book with a smile.

“Chateau du pur-sang? What is it about?”

Karin nodded slowly, “It’s a vampire romance.”

I gulped. What was the chance of that happening?!

“Oh, sounds interesting. Tell me if it’s good once you finish it, I might give it a read then.”

“I will.” Karin nodded again and looked past Ria for a second, looking straight at me.

“Good morning, Karin.” I smiled and gave her a wave.

She gave me a little wave in return. “Good morning. My sister is looking for you.”

That wasn’t really that surprising. “Ah, we must’ve missed her then, is it about the athletics club again?”

“I think so.”

“I love that girl to bits but I would just hope she stopped asking me about it.” I sighed. Emma was my best friend, apart from Ria-chan of course, but she could get a little bit overzealous when it got to trying to recruit me for her club. I'd always been pretty good at sports and she knew that, but since I beat her on the 200 meter sprint during P.E. at the start of the school year, she hasn’t stopped asking me about it. I mean, in all fairness I didn’t really have any reasons to decline her offers except for just not being interested in clubs, well, before being turned into a vampire that is… So even if I wanted to join now, I simply couldn’t, especially since Viktor said my physical abilities were enhanced. Which I guess also includes running.

Karin simply nodded and went back to reading her book, before getting interrupted by Ria-chan again. “Before I forget we have a favour to ask from you.”

She curiously tilted her head. “Mhm?”

“You see, my parents were complaining about Rora again…”

“Oh.” Karin put down her book almost immediately, after quickly putting in a bookmark.

“And we were wondering if you could tell them she’s at your place when she’s actually at mine.” I continued.

Karin nodded and gave Ria a small headpat. “That’s fine for me.”

Ria-chan’s mood brightened up a lot. “Thank you so much, Karin.” and suddenly hugged her friend.

Karin’s face betrayed the surprise she felt about the sudden hug but a smile appeared nonetheless when she returned Ria’s hug.

“Thanks Karin. I will buy you a couple of extra éclairs as payment, they were your fav, right?” I know Karin would have done it without any reward just to help Ria, but I would feel bad not repaying her at all. Whenever I went to hang out with Emma at their house I’d always bring some sweets for Karin as well, anyway.

She nodded, just in time for getting released out of Ria’s embrace so she could get back to her book.

“Oh, Aurora you’re here.” A voice called me from behind, “Emma is looking for you.” It was Claire, the school’s self-proclaimed idol. She actually was a pretty good singer and amazing at theatre but I liked teasing her about it nonetheless.

“I heard, but thanks for the heads up, Claire.”

She put down her sports bag on the desk behind me and slid over the desk to stand next to me. Her dark brown hair, barely missing my face.

“Fencing today?” I poked her sports bag.

“No, I carry around my swords just for fun.” Some textbook Claire sarcasm.

“Hey, I’m not judging, sword lesbians are pretty neat.”

“Can’t say I disagree.” She finally started laughing.

“How’s your girlfriend, by the way?”

“The mere thought of her fills my heart with the raging fire of a thousand suns.” she proclaimed this with one hand held upon her heart and the other grasping into the air.

“Uh, that’s a good thing right?”

“Yes, yes it is.” A content sigh left her lips before bringing them closer to my ear. “And how’s the fire between you and Corelia?” She whispered.

The skin tone on my cheeks got remarkably redder. “W-what do you mean, w-we’re just best friends. A-and I’m not gay, s-so…” I whispered back.

“Hmm? Does her presence not fill your belly with the spring breeze carrying along millions of cherry blossom petals? Does the thought of her not fill your mind with cravings, like a glass of refreshing lemonade on a warm summer’s day?”

“W-what?”

Claire sighed again, although this time it wasn’t a sigh of contentment. “You really are going for the useless cliché aren’t you?”

“I’m so confused right now.” Although the lemonade thing did make me even more aware of my thirstiness.

“One day you will see the error of your ways, my student of love, but for now thou shalt wander around in cluelessness.” she posed dramatically, turning her face away from me and covering her eyes with the back of her right hand.

I hear some giggling coming from right next to me, both Ria and Karin can’t hold back their giggles, which, for Karin, was pretty surprising.

“What is this all about?” Ria managed to control herself for a second.

“N-nothing.” I replied.

“Fear not, Corelia, in time it will be clear as day.”

Ria-chan looked a bit confused but quickly turned back her attention to Karin, while it was finally time for me to test out the milk I bought earlier this morning. I picked one bottle out of my bag and opened it. Claire, who was still standing next to me was giving me a weird look.

“Hmm, interesting.” Is the only thing she said before I heard more movement behind me.

“Ah, there you are!” Emma ran over to me, her long black hair in a graceful ponytail swinging from side to side.

“What’s up Emma?”

She stopped right next to Claire. “The club president told me to…” She paused mid sentence and just like Claire did before her, gave me a weird look. “Since when do you drink milk? I thought you hated it?”

This also got Ria and Karin’s attention who both turned around at the same time. “Wait, really, milk?”

Now that everyone was staring at me I did get a little uncomfortable. “I’m just t-trying to get over my hatred for it, okay?”

After a moment of silence Emma started the conversation again. “I guess that’s commendable…” -Phew, they bought it-

Everyone kept looking at me, curious about what my course of action would be.

I sighed, taking the opened bottle of milk in my hand and putting it to my lips.

“You can do it, Rora!” Ria-chan encouraged me.

“Bottoms up.” I steeled myself and took a big breath before finally starting to drink the liquid.

It tasted… just as atrocious as last time, at least it did get rid of the thirst I’d been feeling since this morning. But my face had clearly betrayed

how horrible it tasted to me, making both Emma and Claire chuckle a little.

“Good job, Rora.” Ria-chan gently patted me on the back.

“The first step of many.” Emma was still chuckling.

“Sis, you don’t even like soup.” Karin remarked, breaking her usual silence.

Emma’s chuckling quickly stopped. “I just can’t handle the texture!” she quickly replied.

“Like, all soup?” I asked Karin.

She nodded.

“Even tomato soup???”

“Anyway!” Emma tried to distract us from the subject. “The club president said I was allowed to offer you perks if you joined the track club.”

“I really can’t.”

Emma interrupted me again. “She said you don’t even have to join the practices regularly as long as you show up occasionally.”

“Sorry, Em, no can do.”

She started looking pretty sad. “C’mon, I really want to run with you…You always say no, last time I thought you were actually considering it but today you sound as adamant as ever...” her voice was starting to break a little.

This situation was actually making my chest hurt. “I was going to… but things have changed, Em…”

“Bullshit!” She cried out, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Seeing my best friend hurt like that... -I did leave her hanging too long didn’t I?-

But before I could apologise Emma had turned around, clenching her fists. “Screw you!” and she started running away.

“Emma!” I yelled after her but she’d already ran out the classroom.

Claire was already standing aside. “Go after her, you dunce.”

I quickly turned to Ria and Karin and mouthed “Sorry.”

As soon as Ria and Karin nodded I was on my way, chasing my best friend...and I was getting thirsty again.