Two for tragedy. Volume 1 - стр. 30

I couldn't help but chuckle. If only Viper knew that she wasn't naive in her fascination with books about us, and that one of the vampires was standing next to her, talking to her!

– Vampires? Good choice," I said with a chuckle.

– No… Bad. I should prefer more serious literature… Alas, I'm too light-minded," Viper said embarrassedly, hiding her beautiful eyes from me again, as if embarrassed by her fondness for mystical literature.

– On the contrary: you take things too personally," I said quietly, wishing she wouldn't dare to belittle her virtues. – Perhaps your soul is too tender for our cruel material world. And you have nothing to be ashamed of in your literary tastes.

– Yes… I suppose you're right," Viper said quietly.

No matter how hard I tried, she felt uncomfortable. Perhaps my chuckle at her mention of vampire books had misled her.

I was torn by conflicting feelings. In the books Viper preferred to read, vampires were always portrayed as romantic heroes whose romanticism overshadowed the true cruelty of our lives. Always dark but noble, book vampires remain ideals in the imagination of mortal girls that they can never find in real life, because vampires never come into contact with mortals. Unless I'm forced to, or, I'm not going to lie, I don't know why, I've sought companionship with this mortal. But humans have made idols of us. Is the Viper in this foolish delusion?

– I don't believe in the existence of vampires at all," I said, trying to ask Viper how she felt about us.

– To be honest, neither do I. Don't think that I think they're real – I just like the mystical atmosphere… Although, of course, this is a subjective opinion, because we can't say that vampires don't exist just because we haven't seen them. We can't see God, but there is a God," Viper said seriously. – But I don't believe in vampires. I'd rather believe that the sun revolves around the Earth… Okay, let's not talk about that. I realise this all sounds weird and stupid, and it's stupid that we're even discussing it.

– Whatever. So what about the next meeting? – I asked, satisfied with my mentee's sarcasm about vampire books and the fact that I'd managed to convince her to keep studying with me.

– Well… Maybe tomorrow? – she suggested timidly.

– Great," I agreed without hesitation.

– I'll have a call for a date soon. – Viper looked me in the eye. – 'Let's say five o'clock, same place. Is that okay with you?

– Sure," I answered briefly, deciding not to delay her.

– Then I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and grabbed her bag without turning round and walked away from the corner of the corridor.

As I watched Viper walk away, I grinned slightly. Strangely, the memory of apologising to her, mortally, and twice, made my grin turn into a faint smile of surprised satisfaction. It was wrong, unnecessary. It was unnatural. But I had no desire to stop the flow of these marvellous thoughts – they didn't threaten me. I could distance myself from Viper at any time, without regret or self-harm. It was so easy.

I didn't think it would come to reconciliation. On the contrary-I was going to humiliate and shame Viper again, but it turned out that I was the one standing in front of her, humiliated and ashamed of my action. Something inexplicable pushed me to tell her about my love of poetry, and even to explain the reason for that love. Why? Do I have to explain anything to her? It was as if my mind had fallen asleep: my contempt for Viper was gone, and I was enjoying her company, for I had always guarded my privacy and my thoughts fiercely, preferring solitude to any interlocutor. I liked this girl's voice – low enough, but soft and enchanting, as if penetrating to the very soul.