A VAMPIRE LOVE STORY

WHAT'S WRONG WITH VALENTIN?

I walked into class, feeling a sense of unease. Valentin was already there, sitting in his usual spot, but he didn't acknowledge me at all. He didn't even look up, his eyes fixed on the floor. I tried to catch his eye, but he refused to make eye contact. He looked...off, his usual calm and collected demeanor replaced by a dark and brooding intensity. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I took my seat. What was going on? At lunchtime, I met up with my friends in the cafeteria. They were all buzzing with excitement, but it wasn't the usual gossip. "Have you guys heard?" one of them asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "The cleaner in our dorm was found dead this morning." I felt a chill run down my spine. "What? That's terrible!" My friend nodded. "I know, right? And the weird thing is, there were no signs of forced entry or struggle. It's like...whatever happened, happened without a fight." I couldn't help but think of Valentin, and the wound on his neck. And his strange behavior that morning. "Does anyone know what happened?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My friend shook her head. "No, but there are rumors...whispers of something supernatural." I felt a shiver run down my spine. Supernatural? What did that have to do with anything? But as I looked around the cafeteria, I saw people glancing at Valentin, who was sitting alone at a table, his eyes fixed on the floor. And I knew. I knew that somehow, he was connected to this. My friends continued their conversation, their voices hushed but filled with excitement. "I heard the security man found her lying helplessly in her room," one of them said. "He said she was pale and cold to the touch." "That's so creepy," another friend replied. "I don't know how he can even work here after finding her like that." "I know, right?" the first friend said. "And the worst part is, no one knows what happened to her. The police are stumped." I listened to their conversation, my mind racing with thoughts of Valentin. Could he have had something to do with the maid's death? I didn't want to believe it, but the wound on his neck and his strange behavior that morning kept popping into my head. As I sat there, lost in thought, I noticed Valentin get up and leave the cafeteria. I felt a sudden urge to follow him, to confront him about what was going on. "Guys, I'll catch up with you later," I said, getting up from my seat. "I need to go talk to Valentin about something." My friends looked at me curiously, but I just shook my head and followed Valentin out of the cafeteria. I had to know what was going on. I followed Valentin out of the cafeteria, trying to be discreet as I trailed behind him. But as we walked down the hallway, he suddenly stopped and turned around. "Ava, leave me alone," he growled, his eyes flashing with anger. I stopped in my tracks, taken aback by his intensity. "Valentin, what's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. "You're scaring me." Valentin's expression softened slightly, but his eyes still seemed to bore into my soul. "I told you, Ava, I can take care of myself. Just leave me alone." I shook my head, feeling a sense of frustration. "I can't do that, Valentin. I'm your roommate, and I care about you. Whatever is going on, I want to help." Valentin sighed, his shoulders sagging. "You can't help me, Ava. Just trust me on this one." I hesitated, unsure of what to do. But as I looked into Valentin's eyes, I saw something there that gave me pause. A deep sadness, a sense of longing. "Valentin, what's going on?" I asked again, my voice barely above a whisper. But he just turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway. I followed Valentin back to our apartment, feeling a sense of unease. When we arrived, he entered his room and locked the door behind him, without even acknowledging me. I stood outside his door, feeling frustrated and worried. What was going on with him? Why was he shutting me out like this? I tried knocking on the door, but he didn't answer. I tried calling out to him, but he remained silent. I was left standing alone in the hallway, feeling helpless and concerned. What had happened to the Valentin I thought I knew? I decided to give him some space, hoping that he would come out of his room eventually and talk to me. But as the hours passed, the silence from his room was deafening. I tried to focus on my studies, but my mind kept wandering back to Valentin. What was he hiding? And why was he pushing me away like this? As night began to fall, I heard strange noises coming from Valentin's room. Whispers, creaks, and groans. It sounded like he was talking to someone, but I knew he was alone. I felt a shiver run down my spine. What was going on in that room? And why did I feel like I was losing my roommate to some dark force?