it only hurts this much right now ━✫ sebastian sallow

chapter 8

Secret Admirer

---------

"Sofiya!~"

"..."

"...Sofiya! I can not continue to wake you up like this!"

Bright blue eyes carefully squinted open, even the dull light filling the dorm room being too harsh on Sofiya's eyes. When the image before her came into focus, Samantha was once again looming over her as she slept. This time, however, she was far too exhausted to react.

"What time is it..?" Sofiya asked, her dry voice cracking through her words.

"Nearly 8:30, it is! I tried to wake you up this morning, but you did not even wink at me!"

The girl shot up from her bed, nearly smacking her head into the upper bunk in the process, "8:30?! I can't make it to breakfast now, Samantha! You should know by now I do not wake easily!"

As Sofiya shot out of her bed and rushed over to the nearby closet, shoving through the hangers to find a clean robe, she spotted Samantha give her a tired look in the corner of her eye.

"Here I began to believe I wouldn't have to wake you in the mornings. Just how late were you out last night, hm? Off with Sebastian Sallow again?"

Sofiya felt her heartstrings twang in her chest. It's as if every time his name was uttered, a symphony of guilt yet resentment sang in her mind. She continued to gather her clothing into a bit of a messy pile hanging on her arm, hiding her frown from Samantha.

"Sebastian and I are not on speaking terms. I assumed you would know, given how quickly word travels around the castle." The girl sighed, facing Samantha as she shut the closet door, "I was simply up reading last night."

"Oh! Well... I was never one to keep up with the school gossip..!" The other girl chuckled slightly, though she clearly became slightly uncomfortable at Sofiya's confession. She could see it on her face, the way her eyebrows sunk and her smile barely looked natural.

"Anyway... I brought breakfast to you! I of course learned my lesson last year after all your barging into the room so late at night."

Sofiya glanced at the desk on the other side of the room, a plate of all traditional breakfast foods loaded up onto a plate, pale steam still floating from the surface.

She looked back at Samantha with a small smile, "Thank you, Samantha, dearly. I shall try to wake up on time on my own, from now on."

"Very good! I am your roommate, after all – not your mother!" Samantha laughed as she exited the room, leaving Sofiya with her rapidly cooling breakfast and fresh robes. She almost didn't want to move, to instead stay in the dorm all day, with not a care in the world. Though, there was no fun in that.

---------

The morning flew by, and Sofiya wasn't quite sure if it was due to her late wake-up this morning, or having a busy couple of classes.

Her day started with Charms, which she spent with Natty, along with Callum and Garreth – sadly. The energetic Professor Ronen was just who she needed as her first professor, his exciting attitude keeping Sofiya awake enough to continue with the class. Not only that, but his assignment was quite simple – to turn vinegar into wine. The process came quite naturally to Sofiya, and Natty followed suit. Callum and Garreth, however, ended up turning their vinegar into a disgusting green sludge that overflowed from the bottles and nearly tainted the wooden desks. Sofiya couldn't even begin to describe the smell.