The Vampire Slayer

Chapter 34

Monday morning, Rashidi woke up, sensing the weight on his shoulders heavier than before. The guilt remained there, and even though he spoke with Kamama about it, he still felt awful. Kamama had to leave early yesterday because an incident occurred at the sorority house. She reported to him afterward that everything went well. Although he was too deeply involved in his thoughts, he didn't even ask for more information.
              Usually, Rashidi was a morning person, waking up before the alarm hit, showering, eating breakfast, and watching tv before his lecture began. Today though, he was still in his bed, covered in his black silky Egyptian duvet, gazing at the ceiling. He hoped Kamama didn't depart because he needed her wisdom and positive energy. He attempted to call Iason to hang out. Though Iason declined, pushing him to take drastic decisions. Rashidi peeked at his phone on the marble black and gold bed table. He picked it up, noticing a text message from Mariah, who he had contacted yesterday desperately to seek help. He wasn't sure if it was correct, but he hoped. 
             Unexpectedly his phone rang; he looked at the display, discovering that Iason was calling him, and Rashidi felt paranoid for a moment. 
"Hey!" Rashidi answered with an overly high-pitched voice tone. Then he cringed, probably making this already worst for himself. 
           "Where are you? For the first time, I've decided to arrive earlier for a coffee and hang out with you before the classes start, and here I am all alone in the office." Iason groaned, and his temper was still erratic. Rashidi put his fingers to his temples, massaging slowly, controlling the migraine about to surface. 
          "I'll be there in ten minutes," Rashidi mumbled and exited. 
"Did you oversleep? That's highly unlike you. Did something happen between you and Kamama?" Iason asked nervously, and his mood swings were getting out of control which troubled Rashidi. 
          "No, I'll inform you later." He hung up without acknowledging that it would irritate Iason even more. However, it was already too late. He sighed and picked up the clothes on the black velvet ottoman near the bed. Then he wore dark blue jeans, a white shirt, and a red knitted sweater above. Finally, Rashidi went to the bathroom, washed his face, fixed his curly hair by putting a product on, making the curls appear vibrant and solid, and left the apartment with Kamama. 
           Arriving at the university, Kamama followed Rashidi into the professor's room. Iason was facing the view outside the windows; he looked so lonely, his shoulders seemed tense, and he didn't react when they sat near him. 
          "Good morning!" Kamama said with her lovely and serene voice. 
"Morning," Iason mumbled, entirely lost in his thoughts. 
"How's the student Kamama? What exactly happened yesterday?" Rashidi questioned, endeavoring to bypass Iason's PMS. Men don't menstruate, but he's convinced that men possess the PMS span every month, and Iason was a great example of this. 
           "Well, Ms. Molony fainted, and I don't know why," Kamama replied, and Rashidi gazed at Iason, who moved his head quickly in their direction, listening carefully. 
"Antonio called me and informed me that she fainted. He didn't know why, nor did the person who talked to her. So, Antonio carried her to my office, and I examined Ms. Molony. Nothing was out of the contrary except the bruises, which seemed off." Kamama explained, gazing between Rashidi and Iason. 
           "After a while, she woke up feeling lost. I asked her what had happened, and she was not reachable. I didn't want to pry, so I didn't check her memory. But I'm certain that she's in complete denial about something." She continued talking, and Iason's face was unreadable. Rashidi wished he knew what Iason was thinking, but at the same time, he was pleased that ability didn't exist. 
           "Class starts in five minutes; let's head out." So said Iason with a cold expression. It wasn't what Rashidi envisioned him to respond or express. He expected Iason to ask more about Ms. Molony and be eager to learn if she was feeling better. Nonetheless, Rashidi witnessing Iason this coldhearted petrified him. 
            Ironically, the first lecture was with Ms. Molony's class; he observed her since she stepped inside the classroom theater. However, she seemed content, as nothing had happened to her, and from time to time, she shared glances with Antonio. 
"Good morning, class; this week may seem long because the holidays are coming soon. Despite that, I promise we'll have a relaxing time this entire week rather than lengthy courses." Rashidi stated confidently, and the whole class suddenly woke up after being fatigued. 
          "I love Christmas; it's my favorite holiday, and I enjoy playing games with my students yearly. However, these games have a winning price that I pay for." He glimpsed at the class, who appeared eagerly impressed by his statements. 
          "Well, put away those textbooks and form groups. Please, two to four people in each group; I'll appreciate it if you choose a name for your party. Then, I will write down the group names, and I'll explain further about the rules. Also, what each round is about and the final price." He continued talking, and Ms. Molony raised her hand. Rashidi nodded, letting her speak.
          "I might be mistaken, but this isn't a game but a competition?" She asked thoughtfully, yet he could see the glimpse in her eyes of competitiveness. He grinned, then took a hastily look around. 
          "Okay, you got me; this is a contest, and the winners get to choose a theme for the next round. The game is about trivia, mainly focused on mythological and ancient history worldwide. I'll select the countries for starters, though the more points you get and win, the more chance you have to choose whatever theme you want for the next round." He took a quick breath.
          "Each correct answer gives you five points, though Egyptian-themed questions give you ten points. Don't ask why." Rashidi stated and chuckled, and so did the class too. 
"And the winning price will be meals because the older you get, the more you realize that Christmas is not about presents but the food. So the winning party will have the pleasure to choose whatever they desire, and I'll make the order and pay." He noted, and everyone cheered loudly.
           Rashidi noticed how insightful everyone was during the competition and how much they'd learned in these months, which made him proud.