Chapter 28：Blinding Smile

A light tapping could be felt on my shoulder, pulling me out of my deep sleep.

"Mn?" I groaned out, blinking my eyes in the brightness of the classroom.

"The class is about to come in in a few minutes, it wouldn't do if they caught you sleeping now would they?" a warm voice said in a teasing manner. I turned my eyes to the source of the voice to see August staring back at me with his warm amber eyes.

"Does it matter?" I asked him, my voice still groggy from my sleep. It was a really nice feeling, the feeling of waking up after a deep slumber, though my back slightly ached as my sleeping position wasn't the best.

I hadn't had this feeling in such a long time, the feeling of pure sleep. Often I would wake up feeling the same as before I went to sleep. But this was not the case, my brain was rather slower than usual and there was a dull, pleasant throb in the back of my head.

"Of course it does! It matters to a teachers pride, you know?" he said in a joking manner, getting up from his crouched position.

"I suppose," I said, also getting up to stretch my legs but I soon saw stars from the blood rushing to my head when I got up too fast.

"Lighten up for a bit, yeah?" August said, "and don't sleep with your glasses on, it ruins them."

"I'll replace them if they do," I replied, missing the joking manner in his voice. As much as I tried grasp it, it simple eluded me. Perhaps it was because no one has talked to me in a manner such as August did.

"I need to talk to the principal," I told him, heading out of the classroom.

"Why? Is it something I did?" August asked curiously.

"It's not you," I said, turning to look at him.

"Does it have something with you being a Keeper?"

"I suppose."

"Then goodluck!" he said, with a blinding smile, stunning me in place. I quickly looked away, trying to get the image off of my mind.

"I suppose," was all I could say. His smile was really nice...did I really have to? The forest wouldn't mind now would it? If I can be selfish...this one time.

Maybe it will let me study him for a little bit, study the smile that seems to warm my heart ever so slightly. The forest would approve right? I'm just...going to see what causes the warmth I feel, to see if I can stop it.

Besides, it's been a long time since I have been treated like a human.

I sighed as I walked down the hallway, it's most likely because I haven't been treated like a human since becoming Keeper that I am susceptible to warmth.

But even if I knew, I can't help it.

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Deep in the forest, as the vampires roamed free during the night, was shadows of red. The trees rustled in the non-existent wind, as if they were talking with each other.

It won't do, now would it? If one of the three rules were broken.