Midnight Professor

Aurelia's POV

I stepped into the comfort of my home, the exhaustion of the previous night's events finally catching up with me. The first thing that crossed my mind as I towel-dried my hair was Raluca. I needed to touch base with her, make sure she was doing okay. I grabbed my phone and dialed her number, my thumb hovering over the screen as I waited for her to pick up. But there was only silence. I tried again, thinking maybe she was just busy or in a meeting or something. Still nothing. I called again, and again, each attempt ending in the same disappointing silence. I started to feel a twinge of worry, but I pushed it aside. She was probably just caught up in something, I'd catch up with her later.

I decided to distract myself with some mindless chatter, calling Tobias and Cody. We talked about everything and nothing, our conversation meandering lazily through the evening. We dissected the latest gossip, debated the merits of the newest video games, and generally just shot the breeze. The hours ticked by, and before I knew it, it was midnight. We said our goodnights, and I drifted off to sleep, the silence of my room a welcome respite.

The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed, the events of the previous day already starting to feel like a distant memory. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded over to my wardrobe, flipping through my clothes with a critical eye. Today's outfit was going to be perfect, I decided - something that would make everyone drool. I settled on matching tracksuits, the cold weather outside making the practical choice also the most appealing. I got dressed, grabbed my bag, and headed out the door.

As I walked into school, I scanned the crowds of students, my eyes automatically searching for Raluca's familiar face. But she was nowhere to be seen. I frowned, feeling a flicker of concern. That was unlike her - she was always early, always on top of things. I spotted Tobias and Cody lounging against a wall, and I ambled over to join them. "Hey, guys, have you heard from Raluca?" I asked, trying to sound casual. They shook their heads, looking equally puzzled. "No, I thought she was with you," Tobias said, his brow furrowed.

I shrugged, trying to brush off the growing sense of unease. Maybe she was just running late. I headed off to class, hoping she'd show up any minute. But as the hour ticked by, and she still hadn't appeared, the worry started to grow. Where was she?

Miss Reelingston's lesson was finally here, and I was nervous. Raluca's empty seat seemed to scream at me, and I knew I had to come up with something quick. "She's with her parents, ma'am," I said, trying to sound convincing. It was a bold-faced lie – Raluca's parents were gone, and we both knew it. But I had to protect her.

Miss Reelingston's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, but she moved on, instructing us to watch the news and write a report. The screen flickered to life, and I focused, trying to tune in. But then, the words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Breaking news... Raluca Slevaggia, daughter of the deceased Morticia Slevaggia and Nathanael Montgomery, met with an accident yesterday..." I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. The words swirled around me, making me dizzy.

I screamed, the sound raw and primal, and before anyone could react, I was out of the classroom, Tobias and Cody's names tumbling from my lips as I called them. The hallway was a blur, students crying and scattering around me. Miss Reelingston caught up with me, her voice firm but gentle. "Aurelia, let me come with you," she said, and I didn't argue, leading her to the mansion.

The drive was a silent, agonizing blur. My mind was a jumble of emotions – fear, denial, desperation. Please, please, please let her be okay.

"Do you think it has happened again Aurelia?"Cody asked with teary eyes.

"Shut up!"I exclaimed. "Not while she is here."I said looking at Miss Reelingston.

"I swear if it's him again then he dies this time .No excuses this time around Aurelia"Tobias added."That i***t had been doing this for a long time now. IT'S A PROMISE."

"Tobias shut up. Please!!!We can't talk about this now. Not while she is here."..

"Continue,I am not listening."Miss Reelingston said.

Before they said more,I opened the door and ran from the car into the house.There she was,her bed was moved into the sitting room and she had machines on her slender body.

I called out to her chef and asked him to take Miss Reelingston somewhere else.

"No I need to stay here."She exclaimed.

"Alexandro,NOW."I shouted.

I used a scissor nearby and made a cut on my hand. As the blood oozed,I placed my hand next to her mouth and fed her. She clearly hadn't had her dinner. The blood made her move a little and her wounds disappeared .She sat up and had only fear in her eyes.

"Was it him? Tobias asked.

"Yes."Raluca said shaking.

"Focus on healing and meeting guests first."Cody said laughing.

"What guests?"Ray Ray asked.

"I might have bought Miss Reelingston to your house because she wouldn't let it slide."I added.

Raluca looked at me with curiosity in her eyes.

"You did what now?"she screamed."You bought a stranger into my house?" Her fangs exposed themselves and her eyes turned blood red. A clear sign of anger. Before she could swallow me whole,Alexandro intervened,"Boss I am sorry but she is too stubborn and won't listen."We looked behind him and saw Miss Reelingston.

"It's fine go make these idiots a drink."I said back.

"You were covered in wounds,what happened?"Miss Reelingston asked in shock.

"I met with an accident and instead of checking how I am doing you are checking out my body?"Ray Ray questioned.

We sat down with Miss Reelingston who started bombarding us with questions.

"So you guys are friends or couples?Before I forget Raluca,how are you feeling?"she queried.

"Alive.?"she kicked back the answer almost immediately."And we are not couples."

"Raluca doesn't do boys . Tobias is not cut out for commitment and Aurelia is stone-hearted."Cody added.

"So what are you planning to do now that your parents are ...dead?"Miss Reelingston hesitated to ask.

"I basically raised myself. What do you mean?" Raluca intervened pissed by the question.

"I might have told her that you are with your parents. Miss Reelingston,Ray Ray's parents passed away when she was 8 she stays alone with servants of course."

"Way to go Aurelia.Go on tell her more."Ray Ray scoffs.

"You stay alone?Then how do you afford all of these. How do you pay all these people?Who raised you?Call me Indila by the way."Miss Reelingston fired.

No one spoke as we all saw Raluca staring at us. After a couple of hours,Indila left and so did we. We wanted to stay but Ray Ray was pissed about what we revealed.

I unlocked the front door, expecting the usual stillness, but instead found my parents in a whirlwind of activity near the foyer. Suitcases stood like sentries by the door, and the sharp scent of expensive perfume and leather filled the air. They didn't even look up from their phones as they gave me the news: another last-minute business trip, another city, another week of absence.

In theory, I have parents; in reality, I have two people who pay the mortgage and leave brief instructions on the kitchen island. I’ve effectively raised myself, learning to navigate the silence of this house until the emptiness felt less like a void and more like a roommate.

After they swept out the door with a hurried "we'll call you," I retreated to the kitchen. I prepared a solitary dinner—a skill I’d mastered years ago—and ate the mechanical hum of the refrigerator. With no one to check in on me, I headed upstairs early. Tomorrow was Saturday, a blank canvas of a day. My only plan was to escape the echo of the house and visit my best friend, the one person who made things feel a little more like home.