Melanie had a cold feet moment, where she started to panic on hearing the knocks along with her mother's voice. Why was her mother even here in the first place?! She looked back and forth in her room before her eyes fell on Simon, who slowly got up.

"Melanie? Are you still sleeping?" questioned her mother.

Her lips parted, and she answered, "I will be right there, mom." She turned to Simon and whispered, "You should leave right now."

"Why?" questioned Simon, and Melanie looked at him if he was being serious.

"What do you mean why? Mom is going to think that something is going on between us," Melanie caught hold of Simon's arm and pulled him near the window.

Simon offered her a mischievous smile and said, "But that is the truth, isn't it?" and he stopped her from pulling him near the window. He stepped forward, completing the unfinished work that he had earlier started. "I don't know if you are doing it on purpose, but you would have to be blind to not notice that something is going on in between us."

Melanie looked back and forth between Simon and the dorm door, where her mother was probably getting impatient from waiting outside. She opened her lips to speak, but Simon placed his finger on top of her lips.

"Shh..." he hummed, his green eyes shifting from her eyes to her lips. "Always ready to protest and go against my word."

Melanie's face was set on flame when she felt Simon brush his thumb across her lips. W-what was he doing? Her lips trembled, and she said, "Simon, stop."

"Why?" Simon questioned her back, moving his face closer to her. "Do you deny that you feel nothing for me, apart from hate and annoyance. I can guarantee you that one day when I am not here, you will miss me terribly and you will feel like a frustrated cat who wants to scratch the walls."

"Are you way over your head," asked Melanie, using both her hands and pushing him away from her. "It would be better for you to leave right now."

"Are you Conner's girl now?" questioned Simon, who dropped his hand that was hanging midair.

Melanie's lips were set a thin line, and she replied, "I am no one's girl. I am my own person." Simon stared at her for a few seconds. Hearing the knock again and her mother's voice, she said, "Go now."

Simon went to open the window of the dorm, but instead of opening, he turned to look at her and said, "I don't think you have good luck today."

"Stop fooling around before someone decides to break open the door, Simon!" Melanie glared at him. Simon pointed his thumb to the window, which had her walk towards it. When she looked outside the window, she squinted her eyes. Her father was right there, talking to one of the professors, and if Simon decided to jump out of the window, they would easily be able to see him.

"You know... this feels like we are playing Romeo and Juliet. You are a hunter's daughter, and I am from the vampire's side, let us not die tragically, so confess yo—" Melanie pulled Simon towards the closet, not giving him the opportunity to speak. "I prefer under the bed better."

Melanie opened the closet door and pushed him inside. She said, "Stay here and please don't make any noise."

"What do I get in return?"

"You get to live without getting a damn stake through your chest," Melanie glared at him.

Simon chuckled, "You must be really attached to me, not wanting to see me dead." Melanie quickly closed the closet door, and she smoothed her hair before walking towards the door.

Melanie turned to look at the closed closet, and she finally opened the door, noticing her mother standing right in front of her dorm.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" asked Melanie in a surprised and cheerful tone, looking behind her mother.

"Why? I cannot come here to visit my daughter if I miss her?" questioned her mother, and Melanie shook her head.

"Of course, you can. Your visit took me by surprise," she replied, "Where's dad?"

"He's outside, talking to one of your professors, to make sure you have been doing well with your tests and classes," answered her mother, whose eyes fell on Melanie's messy room. Melanie turned to look over her shoulder and then said, "Did you have your breakfast? They have excellent food in the lunchroom and you will—"

Mrs. Davis waved her hand, "You don't have to worry about us. We have already spoken to your headmistress. Eloise Dante is it? She already gave permission that we could take you out for a meal and return you here so that you can continue studying for the exam."

"She did?" asked Melanie, and Mrs. Davis nodded.

Melanie was sure that the vampiress would have outright denied permission. Before she could step out of the room, in an effort to show her mother the place around, Mrs. Davis stepped right inside the dorm, caused panic in Melanie's mind.

"What took you so long to open the door? I was sure you were sleeping and look at this mess," a look of disapproval appeared on the woman's face, her gaze moving from her daughter to look at the books and other objects that crowded the room.

historical

"I was wearing my clothes," replied Melanie, "I just returned from shower and it took a while to dry my hair. You know how I catch cold when I leave it just like that, and with the exams nearby, I didn't want to take any chances," she rambled.

Her mother hummed, her eyes moving at the things in the room, and Melanie's eyes moved to the corner to take a look at the closet where Simon was in.

"Maybe we should clean up your things before we head for breakfast. You might fall sick by just staying in this place," pointed out her mother, who dropped her bag on the table and started to pick up the clothes that were dumped on the chair.

Melanie tried to stop her mother from helping by taking it in her hand, but her mother pulled the clothes back to her. This is not good! Thought Melanie in her head. Her parents had always been strict, and as much as they liked to joke about things, there was a side that scared and worried her. With Simon, a vampire, she didn't want his identity to be revealed to her parents.

"My exams will get over in ten days," she reminded her mother, who was busy folding the clothes. "I would have been home."

"I know," her mother nodded. "You seem a little taken aback by our visit. Everything alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be," Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "It is just that this is the first time you have come to visit me here," she remembered how she had asked her mother in the past to come and take a look around Veteris.

Her mother stepped forward and placed her hand on Melanie's cheek. She said, "There's so much disturbance outside Veteris, in our town and the ones around it. We couldn't help but come and make sure that you and Conner are alright."

Oh, Conner, thought Melanie in her mind.

Conner and her parents couldn't meet each other, if they did, it would be a disaster. Firstly because of the bruise Conner had received, and secondly, her best friend was a terrible liar.

Melanie smiled, trying to act normal as if everything was perfectly fine. She said, "I am happy you came. You finally get to see how lovely this place is," and the word lovely only reminded her of what had happened last night.

"That's right," her mother offered her a warm smile.

And as sweet as the smile was, Melanie, wondered why her parents were here. She doubted it was because they missed her.

She made sure her mother didn't go near the closet, but Mrs. Davis was a sharp woman who could tell that her daughter was up to something. When Melanie was about to offer to take the folded clothes from her mother, her mother said,

"Why don't you sit down on the bed and let me take care of things here? I am sure you must be tired from all the studying you have been doing."

Melanie felt a drop of sweat trickle down from her neck, and it slid to her back before being absorbed by the shirt that she wore. She knew if she spoke too much, her mother would be on her, but was there a way to distract her mother now?

She felt her heartbeat ringing in her ears with every footstep of her mother's that reached closer to the closet. Melanie knew today was the day either her mother was going to be hurt, or Simon was going to be hurt.

She saw her mother pull the closet door and catch sight of Simon standing there. The woman's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and surprise. She demanded,

"What are you doing here, Simon?"

Simon stared at her mother with the same smile that he often wore and said, "I have been hiding here upon your daughter's word. But I think it is time you pay a visit more than the dorm for what you have done." His eyes turned red, and Melanie saw her mother quickly pull out a wooden stake.

"I knew there was a vampire lingering near our children," her mother glared at Simon and tried to stab him, but the vampire pushed her backwards.