Vanessa watched her brother disappear, and somewhere within her, she felt that Alexander’s heart had started beating. At that thought, she placed her hand over her mouth, preventing a gasp from escaping from her lips.
The hearts of the vampires didn’t beat unless they had found their soulmate and started falling for them. They were still vampires though, only with a beating heart. They were still dead, yet they were given life with the blossoming of love.
For Vanessa, her dead heart started beating when she met Sebastian for the first time, which was a sign that he was her soulmate.
“Does that mean that Becca is Alex’s soulmate?” she murmured. “Holy crap.”
###
It was another new day.
Everyone was worried about the student who was missing. If Reena Weevils didn’t return by tonight, the campus authorities would file a missing persons report.
Becca was decorating the college bus which would be used for camping. Vanessa handed that particular responsibility over to her. So, instead of attending classes, she was busy doing her job.
She was attaching the small crafted stars on the corner of the windows, standing on the ladder. However, no one was holding the ladder because the ladder was strong itself. It wouldn’t even move an inch until a strong wind appeared, which was impossible because of the sunny weather today.
While attaching the stars, Becca’s heartbeat picked up the pace all of a sudden, as if sensing Alexander nearby. Realizing the familiar feeling, a smile crept on her lips as she turned her head to see him. She hadn’t seen him since yesterday and just at the thought of seeing him again made her happy.
She saw Alexander standing a little bit away from her, his arms crossed against his chest. He was looking at her with a neutral expression; mentally, he was trying to study her.
Becca waved her hand at him in excitement.
Suddenly, the weather changed. A cold wind blew—a strong gust.
“Oh, my God,” she mumbled under her breath, realizing the ladder would start shaking. When the wind started hitting against her face, her clip broke and her dark brown hair flew all over her face, along with the shaking ladder.
Not being able to see properly, she lost her balance and her leg slipped from the ladder. She closed her eyes, waiting to hit the ground and groan in pain. But when she didn't feel any pain, rather she felt like she fell into someone’s arms. She peeked an eye open to see whether it was true or she had already hit the ground, died, and reached heaven.
Her eyes grew as big as saucers, seeing she was actually in the arms of someone.
“Alexander?” she breathed out, her arms already around his neck in a reflex. He helped her to stand on her feet. “You saved me from dying.”
Alexander furrowed his eyebrows. “Dying?”
Becca gasped dramatically. “I would’ve died if I fell on the ground from that ladder and you just saved me.”
He rolled his eyes. “No one would die after falling from this height. The most that could happen was needing a bandage on your hands or legs.” He added, “Maybe even neck.”
“Really?” She placed her hands on her hips. “If that were the case, then why did you save me? You could’ve let me fall and cry in pain and agony.”
“If I didn’t save you, you would’ve taunted me till you were alive that I was near and didn’t help you,” he deadpanned. He was trying to not let it affect him, but he felt like his heartbeat fastening when he saw Becca was about to fall. How could his heart beat? I must be hallucinating, he assured himself.
“Wait a minute,” she spoke up after repeating Alexander's words in her mind. “You said that I would taunt you till I was alive. Are you trying to kill me, Alex?” she questioned, her eyes grew wider in terror. “Is that why you pulled me in that secluded storeroom that day? You want to kill me. It all makes sense now.”
“The heck?” Alexander said, not believing that Becca was actually assuming that he was trying to kill her. She created dots in her head and connected them on her own. “If I wanted to kill you, then why would I save you from falling in the first place?”
“Maybe because you want to kill me secretly and make sure I have no grudges against you. You want me to die in peace,” she stated her theory, which didn’t make any sense to Alexander.
“I wish,” he mumbled, which Becca failed to hear. He was angry at himself for saving her life when she wasn’t grateful to him at all. So, he turned his back to her and was about to head back inside the campus.
“Hey, Alex,” she stopped him by calling him. “Thank you for saving me.” She ran to him and stood in front of Alexander, who was awestruck hearing Becca thank him as if she could understand his feelings. “But I have a question. Can I ask you?”
“Won’t you ask if I say no?” he inquired, which made her grin sheepishly as she shook her head in denial. “What is it?”
“How did you catch me so fast?” she questioned. “Last time I spotted you before I fell, you were standing there.” She pointed in a direction far away from the bus.
Alexander cleared his throat and spoke up, “I was on my way to you already. So, when you were about to fall, I was near you and then I ran to catch you.”
She was confused with his answer. The way he spoke up, it seemed like he was sure that he was correct. Yet, Becca said, “If you were already walking towards me, then why didn’t I notice it when I was waving my hand at you?”
“Cause you weren’t paying much attention. Even though you were looking at me, your mind was occupied with how you would complete decorating this bus for the freshman trip of our department.”
Becca nodded her head, understanding Alexander’s point. “Wait. I wasn’t looking at you. I was waving at you.”
“Same shit,” he responded curtly.
“These are not the same,” she protested. “Looking and waving are entirely two different words. You must know the difference since you are in English Language and Literature department. Otherwise, how will you succeed in your career?”
With the least interest to hear Becca’s lecture, he regretted saying those two words were the same in front of her. He wished he could say to her that the only career in his life was to take the vampire potion from her and make his brother the king of the vampires.
“Als—” Becca stopped midway when her eyes fell to the person behind Alexander. “Look behind, Alex. Isn't that Reena Weevils? I saw her picture on the bulletin board after she went missing today.”
Alexander looked behind and found Reena walking towards them casually.
“Hello. You guys are freshmen, right?” Reena asked with a smile on her lips. “Cause I have never seen you guys before.”
“Where have you been since last night?” Becca couldn’t help herself but ask.
Reena arched an eyebrow in confusion. “Even though that is none of your business, I went to meet my parents last night because I was missing them. I just returned to campus.”
“Why weren’t you answering your calls then? The college thought you were missing,” she said while Alexander stood there quietly, listening to the conversation fully.
“What?” Reena chuckled. “This college is crazy. I forgot to charge my phone so the battery had died.” She pushed a few strands of her blond hair behind her ear.
At that instant, Becca saw the familiar vampire bite mark on the neck of Reena Weevils, but knowing Alexander wouldn’t understand her, she stayed quiet. She had to prove to Alexander that vampires did exist, that was by finding the real vampire who was a part of their college on the upcoming trip.
Chapter 13: Her Happiness Matters
After the return of Reena Weevils, the students were relieved knowing that she didn’t go missing. It meant they weren’t in danger since Alisha killed herself, and she wasn’t murdered. That's why the authority announced the death of Alisha Andy to be a suicide.
Everyone was busy preparing for the trip. Vanessa was struggling to complete the pile of works she was assigned wi
th. Becca, Alexander, Sebastian, and Lucas, all of them were helping her. Even though Sebastian was in a different department, being the college representative had its perks to help his girlfriend out in times of need.
“Becca, can you write an article about how exciting this trip will be?” Vanessa asked her as she was eating a cold sandwich.
“Sure,” she responded. “Where shall I write?”
Vanessa pulled out the phone from her pocket and handed it over to Becca. “Write a post and upload it from my social media. Let the students and a few annoying parents know how exciting the college trips can be.”
“Okay, Ness,” Becca mumbled and took the phone. She started brainstorming ideas on how she could make the announcement interesting.
“Seb, your responsibility is to make sure we have sufficient food for the three days. Lucas, your task is to arrange enough tents for all of us,” Vanessa instructed them. “And Alex—”
He interrupted her by saying, “I am gonna wait here. Thanks.” He was sitting on the benches inside the empty classroom along with the others, looking at something on his phone.
“Then you will sit here and help Becca write the post,” Vanessa said, leaving no space to argue. “If you don’t, then I will make you collect the funds from the students which is my task.”
Alexander said with a tight-lipped smile, “I would rather help Becca.”
“Well then.” Vanessa glanced at Lucas and Sebastian. “Get up. We need to do our work.”
They got up from their seats and followed Vanessa out of the classroom, leaving Becca and Alexander alone in the room.
Becca, who was sitting two rows away from Alexander, got up and told him, “Scoot over, will you?”
Alexander shifted his gaze from the screen of the phone to Becca. “Why should I do so?”
“We have to write an exciting article and publish it. So, we have to work together.” Before he could say anything else, Becca forced him to scoot over and sat next to him. Inhaling a deep breath, she looked at the notepad of the phone. “How do we start?”
“How will I know?” he deadpanned.
“Alex, come on. You should know the texting pattern of Ness. What if my writing pattern doesn’t match with hers?” She pointed out, People will know that someone else wrote it from her account and they might end up saying that Ness makes others do her work.”
“Does she not?” he asked, getting slightly confused.
“She has piles of work so she needs help. And we are the ones she can count on,” she explained.
“If she cannot handle the workload, why does she volunteer in the first place?”
Becca pouted and then replied, “Look, the students are still traumatized thanks to the suicide of Alisha Andy. They saw her hanging there lifeless. Ness is just trying to make sure everyone enjoys and can be themselves. They need a breather.”
Alexander’s eyes pierced through hers as he questioned, “Are you traumatized?”
She was taken aback at that question. She didn’t expect him to ask that question. Her mind shifted to the days her father used to torture her. He used to abuse her physically. With a small smile playing on her lips, she said, “I am used to pain.”
Alexander could feel the heaviness in Becca’s voice. What did she mean by that? he wondered. Did her father do something bad to her? He had no idea of it but he wanted to know more about Becca, by staying next to her side. Besides, the more he would know about Becca, the closer he would get to the vampire potion. And the best way to learn more about her was to go on the trip with other students, so he had to attend the three days of camping.
“Anyway,” she breathed out, making Alexander snap out of his thoughts. “Let’s check the previous writings of Ness and then start writing about the camping.”
“Okay,” he said and they started to read the previous posts.
###
Two hours have passed since the post about camping in the jungle on social media.
Becca was in the library, trying to find books on the vampires, but surprisingly she found no interesting and informative books on the subject. Almost as if someone checked out all the vampire-related books at once. Becca chuckled at that thought. After all, why would someone take all the vampire-related books at once?
While looking for books, her cell-phone rang all of a sudden. She pulled it out of the pocket of her jeans and looked at the caller ID.
Dad
Terror started to build in her. Hesitantly, she swiped the green button and placed the phone over her ear.
“Hello?”
“Becca Hertford,” Shier said harshly, “What is going on? Are you going on this trip arranged by your department?”
She bit her lips. “I am thinking of going,” she replied politely.
“What? Have you forgotten the rules?” Becca’s father shouted through the phone. “This trip is not compulsory and it is camping in the jungle. I am not allowing this.”
“But, Dad—” she was interrupted by her dad.
“No ifs and buts. You will not go on the trip,” he said sternly. Before Becca could say anything else, he ended the call.
Groaning in frustration, Becca pulled out a chair for herself and sat. Then she opened her notebook and started scribbling on it with a pen.
Alexander, who was secretly watching Becca while hiding behind the next bookshelf, heard everything. He was there to see whether Becca found any vampire-related book or not since he had taken out all of those books related to the vampires.
He got out of the library quietly and took out his phone. He dialed Sebastian’s number who picked it up on the third ring.
“Dude, I am with your sister if you are looking for her, which I suggest you shouldn’t cause we are in a position you should not see,” Sebastian said in one go and started breathing rapidly.
Alexander had the urge to roll his eyes, but he didn’t, and said calmly, “I need you to write a fake yet convincing email saying that this trip is compulsory.”
“What?” Sebastian asked, “And whom do you want me to send it to?”
“Shier Hertford,” Alexander replied curtly and he could already picture the smirk on Sebastian’s face.
“Consider it done,” he said and ended the call.
Since Sebastian was in the IT department, he was the perfect person to send a fake email to Shier Hertford because Sebastian would be able to make it seem real enough to convince Shier.
After waiting outside the library for a few minutes, Alexander watched Becca walking out of the library with a big grin on her face.
As soon as Becca saw him, she jumped in happiness and pulled Alexander into a hug.
“My dad agreed,” she chirped.
Alexander was surprised at the sudden hug. He felt sparks all over his body and warmer than ever. His heart, which was supposed to not beat, started to beat faster. Then a genuine smile formed over his lips.
He felt happy, seeing her smile.
Chapter 14: Tour Preparation
Everyone was busy with the preparations for the camping expedition. Vanessa was making the banner along with Becca by sitting on the ground.
“Alex, can you pass me the glue?” Becca told Alexander, who was busy booking a bus driver for taking the students to that part of the jungle.
He took a pair of scissors which was on the table and put them in Becca’s hand. “Here,” he informed her absentmindedly.
Feeling the cold metal on her hand, Becca glared at Alexander. “I said glue, not scissors.”
“I still don’t know which driver will be suitable,” he complained in frustration.
“For God’s sake, you are assigned with the task to appoint a driver for the trip, not for the world tour. Just choose someone willing to drive the bus properly that knows the location, it’s not like it’s rocket science,” she taunted, making him scoff.
Vanessa quietly listened to them and chuckled.
Lucas walked into the room along with Sebastian with a few packets o
f food in his hands. “Let's have lunch, guys,” Lucas announced, grabbing the attention of Becca, Vanessa, and Alexander.
“Sure,” Becca said and stood up from the ground. “I am starving.”
Lucas handed a packet to everyone. When he was about to hand one to Alexander, he said, “No need.”
“Why?” Lucas questioned with a smirk on his face.
“I am not hungry,” he responded curtly.
Since the food was warm, Becca kept her packet on the table, waiting for it to be cold. Meanwhile, Vanessa and Sebastian started eating quietly.
Lucas placed the packet in front of Alexander and sat next to Becca. He turned to her and said, “Becca.”
“Yes?” She decided to note down some story ideas on the notes app of her phone while the food was getting cold.
“Have you ever seen Alexander eating food ever since we met him?” Lucas pointed out, preventing the smile which was threatening to erupt from him.
Pin drop silence descended upon the classroom they were working in to make preparations.
Vanessa and Sebastian exchanged a look, while Alexander clenched his fist, having to fight the urge to punch Lucas in his face.
Becca thought about the question asked. She never saw Alexander eating in front of her. She even barely saw him in the caféteria of the college. So, she glanced at Alexander and shook her head in denial. “I haven’t seen him eating anything.” She further spoke, “Just because I didn’t see it though doesn’t mean that he doesn’t eat. Maybe I failed to notice.”
“Or,” Lucas added, “Maybe he doesn’t eat at all. Can’t you see how pale his face is?”
She noticed Alexander’s pale skin. “You might be right. His face does look pale.”
That’s 'cause I am a fucking vampire who is habituated with the weather of the vampire world, Alexander thought to himself. “I do eat, but I am just not hungry right now.” He looked at his sister for some help, but she raised her hands in defeat and shook her head, an amused smile on her lips.
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