Julie, who had stayed tight-lipped about her time before coming to Veteris, had told the truth to Roman only because he already knew some things about her through their exchange of letters. Having said it out now, her chest felt lighter.

  "I thought people are usually sympathetic when it comes to situations like this," commented Roman. Both he and Julie were sitting on the bed with their backs leaning against the cold wall of the dorm. He had taken out his lighter and had flicked it to move his thumb back and forth over the flame.

  Though Roman didn't directly ask the question, Julie could sense the curiosity in his eyes, which had met hers for a brief moment before looking at the opposite side of the wall.

  Julie stared at her hand, which was resting on her lap where she had crossed her legs. She said, "My father… he was the one to kill her. I think my aunt is just worried that somehow my presence might be a bad influence on my cousin Joel, especially after what my father did."

  "Hm," responded Roman. "Your uncle is torn between you and his wife. Worried for his niece while making sure to not cross his wife. Do you miss them? Your parents."

  "I miss my mother," Julie clutched her hands together. "I don't know how I feel about my father." It was because it didn't make sense why her loving parents would end up in such a state. "I haven't gone to see him after the court's decision to put him behind bars. It took me some time to get over the shock. I think my crying had tired my aunt," an awkward smile appeared on her face, feeling slightly embarrassed.

  "Your aunt must be an interesting person to live with," commented Roman, his eyes shifting from the wall to look at Julie. His words somewhere made her smile.

  "You can tell that," replied Julie, remembering the last time when she had visited Uncle Thomas' house and how her aunt had refused to serve the chicken by making up reasons. "Did the person who killed your family go to jail?"

  "He was executed," responded Roman, still playing with the flame. He then flipped the lighter close, putting it in his pocket. He turned his head to bring his ear closer to the window that was next to him. He then pushed the window open, putting his head and looked around before he said, "Looks like the ground is clearer now. It is time for me to leave."

  Julie opened her mouth to say something, but she closed her mouth. Noticing this, Roman asked her, "What?"

  "Don't tell this to anyone," said Julie, wanting to keep her mother's death a secret from others.

  Roman stared into Julie's anxious brown eyes, and he said, "There's nothing wrong in embracing the truth, Winters."

  "I don't want people to mock and bully me," said Julie softly, her eyes searched in his eyes, believing he wouldn't. She had been bullied enough in her previous school, and she didn't want things repeating in Veteris.

  "Let me give you some advice, something I don't give freely to people," remarked Roman, his eyes on her. "When you embrace the truth and have made peace with it, no one will have a chance to mock you about it."

  A frown appeared on Julie's face, and she saw Roman jump out of the window with ease. Before he left the front of the window, he turned back and said, "Night, Winters."

  "Goodnight, Roman," said Julie, watching him disappear in a blink of an eye as if he hadn't been here at all. The only proof was the empty chips packet that was now lying in the dustbin.

  Closing the window, Julie got inside her blanket, where the time was thirty past two in the morning. She didn't sleep right away, and like Roman, she stared at the ceiling, wondering what he had been looking at when he had been here a while ago.

  With his presence earlier in the dorm, it had felt full, and now that he had left, the atmosphere had turned somewhat empty.

  The following day in the classroom, Julie laid her head on the desk with her eyes closed. Her head hurt, and every one minute, she yawned.

  "Julie, did you complete the assignment? Julie?" she heard Melanie's distant voice. "Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

  "Barely," whispered Julie, wishing she had a pillow so that she could have a good sleep.

  "What kept you up?" asked Melanie, and Julie sighed.

  "Satan had paid a visit to my dorm and ate all my chips," replied Julie in a sleepy voice, while her eyes tried to close in, and she yawned one more time.

  Seeing Julie yawn, Melanie couldn't help but yawn herself. "Looking at you, I think I am going to feel sleepy too," laughed Melanie and then said, "You should have probably skipped classes and slept in. It is just a few hours," she patted Julie's back.

  The classes passed by with great difficulty, where Julie tried hard not to fall asleep.

  The last class was physical education, where they had changed their clothes to their gym clothes. Julie wore her sweatband around her wrist to cover the scars. The reason she did it was so that others didn't think that she was inflicting harm to herself.

  "Have you decided yet? If you are coming home with us?" asked Melanie, having a hopeful look on her face.

  Ms. Piper hadn't mentioned any practice session for the drama, which meant they had both Saturday and Sunday for themselves. It wasn't like she had any plans to stay in her dorm, and she nodded her head. "I will come with you," smiled Julie and Melanie brightened hearing this.

  "Yay! I am so happy!" Melanie seemed excited, hooking her hand around Julie's arm as they entered the track. "I have so many places to show you in the town."

  Some of the boys walked past them in their Hawks and Ravens uniform, making their way towards the football field. Remembering Roman was part of the football team, her brown eyes looked around, spotting him walking next to Simon.

  Julie wondered how Roman could be energetic when she looked sleep-deprived. It made her wonder if he had taken a nap in the classroom and had directly come to play in the field. She realized he had mentioned him being part of the football match, and she had failed to connect the dots that it could be him.

  "The seniors are playing football during the same hour of our class! How nice is that!"

  "Look there, there are so many good looking ones," gushed the girls from Julie's class.

  "Have you heard about it? That we are going to have a match between the two teams. And this time, the older players are playing this season around the annual celebration?" The girls were busy with their discussions and their eyes checking out the boys.

  "It was a pity that last time, he played only the first half of the game. I had come to watch the game only for him. I hope this time I get to see more of him," giggled another one. The other girls made an 'Ooo' sound. "I mean, I would like to see more of him in different ways, if you know what I mean."

  Hearing this, Julie frowned.

  "Did you know that he doesn't have a girlfriend yet? You should probably go and ask him out," came the suggestion from the first girl who had noticed the players first.

  "I don't have a death wish. Did you not hear what happened to Eleanor? Considering how pretty she is, her background and good grades, I would say we don't stand a chance," Julie heard the girl who had earlier mentioned seeing more of Roman reply. "I think he has a very high standard," or he already knew how crazy Eleanor was, thought Julie in her mind.

  "I thought it was rude to tear her letter. I don't think any girl will ever dare to write him a letter," the conversation continued between the girls while the teacher was speaking to another teacher with his back facing them. Julie's eyes turned back to look at Roman, realizing the number of admirers he had just in her class.

  Her eyes followed him, watching what he was doing. When they were ordered to run around the ground to warm up, Julie noticed how the game between the boys appeared to be more aggressive than the previous one when Conner had taken part in it.

  Mateo and the other boy named Griffin, with his friends, were on one team while Roman and Simon were on the opposite team. With the way everyone were playing, it seemed like they were on the verge of breaking into a fight, where they were trying to contain their emotions. Julie caught sight of Roman getting hold of the ball to the goal, and the coach blew the whistle.

  It took less than half an hour before a fight broke out in the field, and the coach was pushed aside by the two captains, who stood neck to neck with their fists holding the other person's shirt.

  "The delinquents never get tired of fighting," commented one of the boy's from Julie's class.

  Julie, who had been keenly watching the game, said, "It wasn't for any reason. The Ravens' made a foul and the coach didn't see it."

  "I never knew you were interested in football, Julianne," replied the boy, having a sweet smile on his lips. Because he had found the opportunity to talk to the girl who was often quiet and didn't talk to anyone but Melanie.

  "Looks like Julianna is rooting for the Hawks too. Which player are you rooting for?" asked one of the girl's. "I bet it must be Roman, after all he is taking his time to teach you isn't he? What spell did you use on him?"

  "Probably acting dumb in front of him," snickered another girl.

  Julie put a smile on her lips and said, "Why are you jealous?" hearing Julie's words, the girl's face fell.

  Melanie supported Julie by saying, "If you haven't notice, Julie has better grades than most of you to act dumb. Roman is only helping her to get good grades, unlike you girls, who want to get close to him for different reasons."

  "Please, we all know Roman doesn't tutor anyone. Especially a person like Julianne-"

  "What about me?" Julie stepped in front of the girl.

  "You aren't his type. Glasses, sweaters, tied hair. Did you feel offended that you aren't his type?" taunted Julie's classmate with a grin. Roman's fan following were most of the time annoying, thought Julie in her mind. They were scared to go and speak to him, and at the same time, wouldn't allow anyone else near him.

  "I don't want to be his type," stated Julie. "Unlike some of you, I have better things to think about, than waste my time by looking down at people—"

  And the next moment, both Julie and her classmate broke into a physical fight. With the lack of sleep, she had turned slightly irritable, and with the adrenaline rushing through her veins after running in the tracks, she didn't hold back in pulling back the girl's hair. Both their hands tried to hit the other, and they fell on the ground.

  Seeing both the girls on the ground, who were fighting, Mr. Helm, their coach, his eyes widened as he had taken a short break to speak to one of the female teachers.

  "Stop that right now!" demanded the teacher, "Ms. Obson and Ms. Winters! Let go of each other right this instant!"

  But neither of the girls were ready to let go, and they continued to hit, scratch and pull each other. It took quite some effort for the teacher to pull the two girls away from each other, who now sustained minor injuries of nail marks on their skin and their hair looking ruffled like a bird's nest. The girls had not even spared the teacher, where there were nail marks on his hands.

  "You both will follow me to the headmistress' office for not just breaking into a fight but for not stopping when I told you to stop!" ordered Mr. Helm, giving them stern looks while both the girls had their eyes cast down on the ground.

  "I will wait for you in the locker room," whispered Melanie, offering an encouraging smile to Julie.

  When Julie started to follow the teacher with the girl with whom she had gotten into a fight, Julie's head turned, and she noticed Roman watching her with an amused look on his face.

  She quickly looked forward, closing her eyes for a second to curse herself.