"Will you please just slow down? God! You were less of a pain in the ass when I was alive." Ignoring ghost Roman's whiny ass as I hasten my steps. "Come. The. Fuck. On. Don't be like that," his tones softens after the unnecessary period stops, something I know the real Roman wouldn't do. I don't know what this spirit is or why it's using Roman's face and up until now I've never been curious about it.

Why is that? I always get curious about everything but not this. Why?

"No one asked you to be here or follow me around like a lost puppy begging to be adopted!" I snap, turning my head briefly to see his face.

It's no using use looking at him, he's just an entity made of nothing, using someone's face.

I turn my head forward but come to a stop with a gasp as I almost collide with the figure that appears in front out of nowhere. "You break my heart, Cami." The spirit places his hand over his chest, rubbing the surface carefully as he pouts at me playfully. Another thing the real was incapable of.

It's not nice to speak ill of dead but everyone knew Roman wasn't the one to pout playfully. The guy was always serious.

I want ask him some questions but not right now.

"What are you doing?" I ask with a sigh, searching it empty face for answers I know aren't there and that annoys me more. "I'm having a really off day and if you don't mind getting out of my way, so I can go report to the headmaster."

Damian was right to bring us back today, as I know time counts differently in Inaral, and it's made me miss the some weeks of resumption. Being on the island meant no way of contacting people in the real world, I didn't even use my phone through my stay because there was signal, I treat it like I was in sabbatical. The only person I wanted to keep in touch with was Jessica but I didn't do astral projection because of what I saw the last time I did it. during my stay there.

I could tell classes have officially started from how active and full the school is. The Gemini witches, Brie and Ari told me classes doesn't start fully until all the students are accounted for. And seeing as the window of his office is opened, I'm assuming The headmaster is back too. I saw it when I was walking to the lake earlier.

"Report what exactly?" Roman mimics me by having his arms across his chest. "Your best friend shagging her boyfriend in your room?"

"In my room. On my fucking bed!" Not sure why I feel the need to correct him or justify myself.

He shrugs. "So what? Deal with it. I can remember a time or two when you let me snuggle you in bed." Like I need a reminder of the time when I was happy that there was someone that I could confide in, too bad he turned out to be the same person that lied to me. "You're overthinking again. Tell me, what's really going on with you? I asked you by the lake but you didn't tell me."

Finding that I can't stop looking at him, not because his presence reminds me of the real Roman. The fact remains that he's dead and never coming back, all I have is this mirage of him. Is it the guilt? Is that why I've been seeing him?

Everyone said it wasn't my fault but he died for me. A shocking reminder of how Jessica's spell still haunts me.

I haven't given it much thought until now. Was it the island magic that made me overlook it or was it me that didn't want to move on from his death?

My curiosity always gets the best of me. So I ask him the question I should have asked since the first time he showed up after the whole Grinch fiasco. "What are you? What are you doing here?"

Jessica said everything I witnessed was made up, my mind created a playground and I decided on the theme, but I don't think it was entirely true because if she did the spell give me a better perspective on things, it should have been over that very day after the green monster disappeared.

"I'm Roman, here to keep you company just like you wanted, just she wanted," he replies with a smirk.

Now I can confidently say something else is in play here because this is the first time he's acknowledge someone other than the both of me. This just complicates everything. Before he answered I thought I was going insane but now I know there's more to this whole thing than I'm seeing.

"Just like I wanted? Like she wanted? What the fuck are you talking about? Because I'm sure as hell don't know what you mean by that!" I notice the smirk spread around his face. It feels like he's mocking me like he has exactly where he wants and I don't like it, so I take a step close to him and wrap my hand around his neck.

He's a ghost but I can touch him, I can feel him. That shouldn't be possible. The realization hits me like a cold shower. "You are not Roman. You're something else." I tighten my grip around his neck, choking him.

I'm not doing any damage, it's not like he can be more dead than he already is. "And now I know someone is pulling your strings." Digging my fingers into his neck, the cold skin presses against my fingers. He has no blood or fluid going through him. Using my hand to pull him towards me. "It's only a matter of time before I find the person and when I do, whoever they are, they will be sor–"

"Hey, Cami."

Startling, I jump in fright, removing my hand from Roman's neck, well, the air because the spirit is gone. Poof.

I turn around around to see the person that almost gave me a heart attack. "Alicia?" Alicia Chains. "Hey." I quickly recover from my thoughts as soon as she gets to my front. She is the last person I expect to see.

"When did you get back?" She asks with a hopeful smile before wrapping her arms around me for a hug.

My body tenses at the unfamiliar feeling. First, I didn't think she'd remember me. I mean, we hung out last semester but I know how her sister feels about the friendship and I'd expected Alyssa to warn Alicia to keep her distance. Second, she's hugging me. Why is she hugging? We aren't that close, I can't call her my friend.

She starts rubbing circles in my back like she knows I'm in need of some comfort.

But I'm too paralyzed to do anything about it except from answer her. "Just now."

She hums moments later and pulls away, the smile has now spread all over her face. "God! I missed you. This place is so boring without you. The headmaster said you had a family emergency. Hope everything is okay now?"

Oh sweet naive Alicia.

I nod and stuff my hands into back pocket. "Yeah, yeah, everything is okay, everything is good." Doing my best to keep the smile on my face.

"Does it have to do with the phone call you received that day we met?" She asks.

She remembered that day, the day I found out about Roman's involvement in the manipulation of my life and his betrayal. And she remembered, she didn't even follow us to Roman's room. I guess that's what's unique about quiet people, they listen and notice everything.

"Something like that." I sniff, removing my hand from my pocket to tuck the loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I'd like to catch up, if you don't mind."

I'm mad at Jessica and Nate with no clue when I'll be ready to speak to them again. I need someone to vent to, Alicia is going to be that someone.

"Really?" Alicia's face lightens up like she wasn't expecting me to say that. "I thought you were mad... because you didn't say goodbye before leaving, I thought I didn't something to offend and–"

What is she saying?

"What? Of course not. Why would I be mad at you? I was in a rush. I'm sorry."

In rush to leave The Vale but now I'm back.

"Are you free now?" She asks with hope glistering in her eyes.

Oh, she wants us to catch up now.

"I...ah... I am going to see the headmaster, I'll come find you after?" I say in form of a question.

She nods her head with the hope still in her eyes. I'm glad I didn't turn that off. "Sure, you know my room?"

Yeah, I know that dreadful place, I spent the worst times of my live in that room. Okay just three days but still fits.

"Yeah."

She smiles. "Okay, cool. I will be expecting you."

"All right, see you."

I sigh after watching Alicia walk away until she fades. I turn the opposite side, heading towards the direction of the school. I'm not sure what day today is but I know it's a weekend because everyone is in the dorms.

Walking pass the place where we fought the battle prior to the big war, the exact place where Roman died in my arms. I stop and stare at the ground. I marked the spot but I never came back, even after we defeated George and his minions, I never came back here. I guess I was too scared to face the truth but now, with his wannabe spirit roaming about, my plans have change. Roman died in my arms and that was the last time I saw him. I woke up in some places with no idea of how I got there. I never knew what happened to his body. If it's true that someone is pulling the spirit's string, then the person probably knows where the real Roman is. Maybe he's dead or alive. I may not be good at magic but I know you can't make a copy of an existence without having something that personally belongs to the person, which mean whoever create that spirit have something of his. I know Jessica said it's all in my head and I created it, but something feels off about it. And I'm going to find out what it is.

I wouldn't have question this, in fact I would love nothing more than to keep thinking that I'm just imagining him, but his words earlier changes everything and I will find out who is behind his existence, starting with the kind of spell Jessica gave me.

Opening the door into the headmaster's office without knocking. It feels like old times but I love to make an entrance. The headmaster was the type of person that I would look up to and respect without letting him know, but he lied to me and left me when I needed him the most, just like my birth parents did, so no I don't like him anymore. He is fourth on my shit list. He has Damian, Jessica and Nate to thank for that because if it wasn't for them, I'd probably be squeezing the life out of him when I pull him into a crushing hug.

Damian is in front of his father, looks like they are having an important conversation with the way his hands are hanging in the air before I rudely interrupt. Their heads turn in my direction, I can see the surprise on the headmaster's face. Can't say the same about Damian, after all he's shielded himself. I can't read him anymore.

"I want to switch room as soon as fucking possible," I announce. I'm so angry at Jessica at the moment, I don't want to see her. I spent months on the island missing my best friend, I wasn't even angry when she went to Nate's instead of going to her parents place as promised. I was really looking forward to seeing her. I don't have problem with her having sex but on my bed, that's low, even for Nate.

The headmaster blinks, snapping away from his thoughts. "Hello Cami, nice to see you. How was your trip to the island?" He asks with a fake smile before turning to Damian, who is now sitting on the sofa in his office. "I thought you said her anger issues were gone, she is still behaving like she did when she first got here," he whispers, knowing I'm listening.

"Hey!" Snapping my fingers at him. The headmaster is taken aback by the sudden outburst. "I don't a roommate anymore, I want to change room, now!"

He frowns at me. "I'm sorry but no."

"That is a quick answer, you didn't even think about it."

"The answer is still no, Camille."

"My name is still Cami. On my first day here, you said I should ask you anything. You said and I quote 'we love to make our students comfortable' or does that only apply when you were being a lying son of bitch?" I say that, knowing it will anger him. He doesn't have anything to be worried about because he wasn't born, so I didn't insult his mom or anything.

He slams his hands on his desk. The reaction I was hoping for. "Camille, I am still the Headmaster of this school, and you will not speak to me like that!" He snaps, the headmaster rarely snaps.

Well, tough luck dickface.

"And I am the El-Sah-El Di Hipsodat, and you are just the gatekeeper, so technically I'm the boss here." I remind him as I place my hands on my hip, letting him know who is in charge.

Part of training on the island is knowing and learning about where I came from. Damian told me stories about the place and what would me expected from me as princess, well, if I get to be a princess because I'm not sure El even wants me. The woman gave up her only child, what's to say she wouldn't kill me? Anyway, Damian made sure I know how to order people around. Something I'm very good at doing. It's like telling a sailor that cursing has been legalized.

The headmaster groans, the anger slip from his face before turning to Damian for help but he just stares at his father, wordlessly. "I thought you fixed her, why is she still aggressive? More than her usual angry self," he address Damian in the Dihipian language. That sneaky little bastard. He is talking about me in my presence in another language.

"I heard that Squidward," I reply in English.

He frowns. "You can speak Dihipian?" He seems surprised before turning to Damian again, who just shrugs. "Since when? Who taught you?"

"No one did, I guess it the Dihipian blood in me." I don't even know how I know the bloody language.

"So this is just a temper tantrum?" He sighs and fall on his seat. He watch me before he speaks again. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "I don't know."

"We can resume our medi–" I cut him off before he can finish that ridiculous sentence. Gone when those days when I woke up earlier than usual to train for a fight I didn't even know was coming.

"Nah, I'm not that desperate. Room?"

He groans. "Fine! I'll see what I can do."

I sigh in relief. "Thank you. See you later, bye."

Turning around to take my leave, I stop when I hear his voice behind me. "Do you have time to talk about your education?"

Right, I totally forgot about that. That's what happens when you find out you're half alien royalty plus I have all the money I can ever think of, well, sort of. What's the point of education? I don't even know what I want to study in college.

"No."

"It was worth a try, bye bye and drop by the guidance counselor on your way out."

Yeah, guidance counselor, I should drop by her office. We have much to discuss.

Just when I want to open the door, another voice calls behind me. "Camille?"

The voice I don't want to hear. "What?"

"Be by the lake tomorrow morning." He orders.

What the fuck?

I drop my hand from the doorknob and turn around to glare at him, making eye contact. "I'm sorry, who the fuck do you think you are, telling me what to fucking do? That might have worked when we were on the island but we're back here and in this place I call the fucking shots."

"Cam-"

"Go fuck yourself, asshole." With that I walk out the room.

It is so good to be back and bad.