“Why did I drink so much pop smoothies? I feel like crap now,” Rom said to Suke as they were walking out of a malt shop not far off campus.

“Yeah, it was like you never had one before,” Suke replied.

“I haven’t had pop smoothies before. Today was my first time.”

A dropped jaw of silence was Suke’s face. “Then you're in for a surprise because I know of places with way better pop smoothies.”

“Well, it feels like I drank enough smoothies to last a lifetime so I will just take your word on those places.”

As the two arrived upon onyx gates that surrounded the college with golden etched towering bars, Yale was seen coming towards them from the opposite direction.

“Damn,” Rom uttered, “it’s one of the Tool brothers.”

“What are you looking at gloom?” Yale coarsely said and then he paused while looking at Suke. “Also tell your friend to stop staring at me like that or else she will be in for a rude awakening.”

“You really have no problems fighting girls. I’m sure your mother would be really proud of you,” Rom expressed.

“Don’t talk about my mother and no matter if you're male or female, a death stare like that” Yale said pointing to Suke’s face, “only means violence.”

Rom turned to see Suke’s face the same as it was during the first day of classes before they went out to the freshmen event.

It’s the haunting again!

Before Rom could even do anything, Suke launched a punch towards Yale which was quickly deflected.

“I warned you,” Yale remarked but as he went to grab Suke, Rom had already tackled her to the ground.

“You know what to do Shade.”

“Yup. On it.”

Shade perched on the nape of Suke’s neck while Rom had her pinned to the ground. Yale just looked on in confusion about what was happening.

“What the hell is happening!”

Rom ignored Yale and kept holding Suke down until Shade was finished.

“Done!”

Suke stopped resisting and let out a downhearted “Sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Rom replied.

While the girls were getting up from the ground, they were slammed up against the school’s gates.

“Do you two think this is a game? I am not to be toyed with,” Yale declared holding Rom and Suke by their necks with both of his hands.

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“He must be using his quill again to increase his strength because he is easily lifting Suke and me up like we weigh nothing.”

Shade started to fly around Yale and sited bright red eyes within the collar of his shirt. “Spotted but I’m being tracked.”

“Tell your stupid quill to stand down or else my grip will get tighter,” Yale threatened.

Shade hovered in place, glaring at Yale who just smiled.

“Why did you attack me person I don't know?” Yale asked looking at Suke.

Mustering the words through the tight grasp around her neck, “Well maybe it's because of the multiple groups if people you sent to attack us for an entire week.”

Yale released his grip on the girls. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Don’t play stupid. We know you sent those people,” Rom stated while rubbing her neck.

Yale sucked his teeth. “Why would I embarrass myself and send people to attack a gloom and her friend? Do you believe I need help to deal with someone like you?”

“Well the last time you tried to deal with me, you ended up unconscious,” Rom replied with a smirk that enraged Yale.

“We can go again right here, right now!”

As Yale and Rom stared each other down, Suke pulled Rom away saying “This is not the time or place,” while pointing to campus security walking their way. With the decision to leave, the girls scanned their school ID to get through a locked door to the gate and enter their campus.

A shout of “Don't ever speak lies of me again!” came from Yale as Rom and Suke ignored him and continued walking away.

Once the girls got to a secluded area, “What happened back there? You told me that I didn't have to worry about you getting haunted again,” Rom stated while trudging back and forth upon an open field of grass.

“I know I know. Being on guard all the time and looking over my shoulder every second waiting for people to attack us has just been really draining. I also barely get any sleep due to the fear of someone breaking into our room to get us,” Suke confessed.

While her roommate was expressing her distress, Rom seemed calm and unbothered with everything that had happened.

“How are you able to do that?” Suke asked.

“What do you mean?” Rom replied.

“I have bags under my eyes from my lack of sleep but you look fully rested as if we are not public enemy number one at this school. This entire week you have been acting as if this is all normal for you and it is really irritating.”

Rom looked puzzled since it was normal for her. Sleepless nights living on the streets, defending against thieves trying to take what little she had. Watching her back every place she went became second nature and people wanting to do her harm was not new to her.

“We just lived different lives and we need to focus on the major problem which is your haunting. However, it would have to be later since I have class in a few so please try your best not to punch someone who doesn't deserve it,” Rom said before rushing off to class.

“Ms. Dorfmure, I see you have made it a duty of yours to be early ever since the first day of classes last week. You are even the first person here. I hope this practice extends to other classes and events,” Professor Hash said, erasing the chalkboard in his classroom.

“Most definitely. What is the saying, the early bird gets the worm,” Rom responded walking up to the front of the classroom.

“Yes that is correct but I like to lean towards the other saying that early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable. Also, are you still in and out of the clinic giving my friend more work to do?”

Hash’s emotionless face didn't give any hint as to if he was asking his question in a joking matter which brought hesitation to Rom's reply.

“Ummm…yes…I mean no. I haven't been there since Friday but I have a question about hauntings.”

Hash stopped erasing and turned to Rom. “What do you want to know?”

“Can a haunting be prevented?”

“In terms of it never happening?”

“Yes.”

Hash tilted his head. “Yes and no. Rekbanes can latch on to traumatic memories in order to haunt people but we can stop the haunting of that specific memory by healing or resolving that painful emotion. Unlike using the black pieces of paper offered to soon-to-be freshmen who need to complete their expunging prerequisites which…”

Hash paused for a second.

“I am assuming you know where the black pieces of paper come from?”

Rom leaned on the podium. “Luckily my high school didn’t drop the ball on that. The black pieces of paper called oak tags are made from a feathery oak which is poisonous to rekbanes.”

“Correct but unfortunately for us, the oak tags only work on people infected by rekbanes whose mental break from a haunting and become a host to the parasite. Placing a tag on the physical body of the person will sear into their skin and poison the rekbane within.”

Scratching her head, Rom noted, “Or consume enough tags so your blood would be able to contain the poison and a simple spit of blood into the host’s eye would spell bad news for the rekbane.”

A small and quick grin was seen on Hash’s face before he started to write on the chalkboard as other students came into the classroom. “Clever one you are but this talk would have to be postponed since class is about to start.”

As Rom began to walk to her seat, “Resolve,” was said by her professor, prompting her to turn around. “Resolve?” She questioned.

“If a person is able to resolve their trauma then the rekbane would have nothing to latch onto,” Hash imparted to Rom.

Yale was among the students who were coming into class and glares were exchanged between him and Rom. Hash noticed the unpleasant looks and clapped his hands together to break the tension between them and gain everyone’s attention.

“Ok everyone, hurry up and get settled so we can start the lesson for today.”