Gabrielle finally emerged under the strident screams of her wake-up clock.

While grumbling, the young woman resisted the desire to make him meet the pretty patterned wallpaper on his wall and simply silenced him.

She finally got up after several long seconds of debate with herself, her nature was shouting at her with all its strength to go back to sleep, the day had just risen, however, she had recently decided to resume her studies and had made a point of not doing them by correspondence for reasons that, at that very moment, were totally beyond her comprehension.

What idea did she had...

Don't think, however, that she didn't like her studies. Far from it, Gabrielle loved her literature classes simply, she was not a morning person, understandable of a vampire.

So here she was getting up at the first hour of the day when she was supposed to go hide from the emerging rays of the sun.

Dazed, she made her way to her bathroom and removed the fog that obscured her thoughts with a cold and wet glove.

With her head finally clear, Gabrielle quickly brushed her teeth and styled her long black hair, which always tended to get tangled during her sleep.

She struggled with them for a brief half an hour before realizing that if she wanted to arrive at a decent time, she would have to speed up the pace.

As a result, the young vampire quickly withdrew her elegant lace-filled pajamas, almost stumbling several times, and put on, after several minutes of deliberation, a long black dress adorned with nicely worked lace on the collar, straps and bottom.

All set, she grabbed her backpack, keys and sunglasses and went out of her apartment.

Although she was a vampire, the sun would not kill her. He was content to greatly reduce her powers and blind her, therefore, she was free to go out during the day as long as she wore opaque glasses.

Because of this star of misfortune, Gabrielle arrived in the amphitheatre out of breath but on time.

She swept the few students already present with her eyes before finding the one she was looking for and went to sit next to her.

Olwen turned her head, surprised to see someone approaching her but relaxed when she realized that it was only Gabrielle.

Olwen may have looked like a pretty young woman with her blond curls around her face and the bewitching look of her apple green irises, but in reality she was the same age as her friend, despite the fact that she wasn't a vampire.

No, Olwen was indeed human only with a few small advantages offered by her witch's blood such as being able to remain eternally young or being able to cast a plethora of sorcery spells.

“Hello! she exclaimed as her friend sat beside her.

— Hey... she replied softly, always tired from her morning run.

— You got up too late again, didn't you?

— Not at all! replied Gabrielle, falsely outraged.

— Then why did you run all the way here?

— It took me too long to comb my hair and choose my outfit... her friend grumbled with an embarrassed pout.

— Way better, teased her Olwen.

— Tss!”

Gabrielle was finally sitting down when a voice called her from the entrance of the amphitheatre.

“Princess!

— Oh, no... she whispered as she suddenly straightened up.

At the very bottom of the amphitheatre was a tall young woman with lovely blond boyishly cut hair, waving her hand towards her.

— What's the matter? Do you know him? He's pretty cute... commented her friend.

— She... corrected Gabrielle with a sigh.

— Well, I don't really know if one can say she... she added when this one was already reaching her level.

— Why are you ignoring me, Princess? Erienin complained as she sat next to her.

— Stop calling me princess.

— Fine, my Queen... she obeys, triggering a new sigh.

— I think I still preferred princess...

— You're confusing me, my Que... Princess...

— What the hell are you doing here?

— This is the best way I have found to reconcile my two main goals, studying humans and seeing you, Princess.

— Gab' why does your friend need to study humans? asked Olwen, whose curiosity, after having been destroyed by the discovery that it was only a woman, had just been revived by this information.

— First of all, she's not my friend, just a crazy person who thinks she's my soul mate and...

— I'm not crazy, Princess! Unless that means incredibly smart. And I don't think I'm your soul mate, I am your soul mate!

— Quite insane, indeed... Olwen teasedly agreed.

— See...

— I can hear you! exclaimed Erie, slightly upset.

— That's it! That's the problem! You shouldn't hear us since you shouldn't be here, Gabrielle replied.

— In any case, I'm Olwen! Pleased to meet you, this is the first time I've met someone like you...

— Her, she's... started her friend before stopping, not knowing how to say it.

— An alien! replied Erienin.

— You better not take your jelly form!” grumbled Gabrielle, stopping her in her tracks by pinching her cheeks.

As a sign of surrender, the alien gently nodded his head and made the young woman let go of her embrace.

“Erienin from the constellation of octopus! To serve you, my dearest... she continued, turning to the witch.

— “My dearest”, she wondered.

— Don't you like it?

— It's just been a long time since anyone had called me that, Olwen replied.

— You don't call everyone “Princess” anymore? wondered Gabrielle.

— No, I understood you didn't like it, Princess!” exclaimed the alien in good faith.

She kept quiet for a moment to remember her lessons, grabbed her princess' chin and added:

“I only have eyes for you and the only thing I want you to be sure of is that, Princess...”

Gabrielle did not manage to free herself quickly enough and saw, to her great disarray, a large smile being painted on Erienin's delicate visage.

“You are blushing, Princess! exclaimed the latter, triumphantly.

— Tss!” Gabrielle said as she finally cleared herself.

The young vampire would have liked to be able to deny it all, but her cheeks were too hot for her to refute anything.

Although she had lived longer than normal, she had to admit that, unlike her best friend, she was far from having any experience in the matter and was certainly not used to someone so... attractive? No, demonstrative? No, more like expansive.

Ever since she realized that her heart began to drum in her chest every time her charming princess was getting a little too close, Gabrielle had a hard time keeping her cool.

In fact, she had chosen the only tactic she knew and had fled.

However, as inexperienced as she was, even she had to acknowledge that her perfect technique was totally useless to her now.

“I was wondering, Olwen...

— Yes?

— Are you also a vamp...

— Not so loud, you idiot! Gabrielle cut her.

— No, I'm not like Gab', Olwen replied, without paying attention to her friend. But I do have my little secret...

— Oh, too bad... Erienin sighed, disappointed.

— Why?

— Because you could have given me a bunch of details about my princess... But it doesn't matter...

— Oh, but I can do it without any problem anyway! she added with a grin.

— Really?! exclaimed the alien.

— Of course!”

Gabrielle couldn't believe it. And now her friend was conspiring against her.

“Let me be clear, I forbid you to see each other. All the more so if it's without me.

— Would you be jealous, Princess? asked Erienin, with a smile from one ear to the other.

— Yes, Gab'... Would you be jealous?” added the witch, teasing.

To her delight, the teacher clapped his hands at that very moment, announcing the beginning of his ancient language lesson, sparing the young woman the painful process of finding an answer.

“Shut up!” she intimated to them.

The two partners in crime obeyed while suppressed a giggle.

                                                             ***

The three friends were quietly walking on their way home after school ended.

“Say, Olwen... What little secret were you talking about earlier?

— Oh, that...

— Remind me again why are you following me like this? Gabrielle asked as she sighed.

— Because Olwen promised to tell me everything about you, Princess! replied Erienin naively, getting a tap on the back of her head.

— To answer you, Erie. I am the descendant of a long line of witches giving me a longevity far superior to the rest of humans and the nice ability to cast all sorts of spells, she explained.

— A witch?” the alien wondered.

With a little laughter, Olwen pronounced a litany of complicated words whose meaning Erienin did not understand, making a red rose appear in her hand which she handed to her.

This small demonstration, in addition to irritating Gabrielle without her really understanding why, caused a strong interest to the alien.

“Can you teach me how to do that? she exclaimed, all in joy.

— Unfortunately, no...

— Fortunately, you mean... sighed Gabrielle. Otherwise, she would never stop offering me roses...

— Will that bother you, Princess?

— I would never have enough vase... she admitted.

— However, I still wonder why a witch and a vampire need to study literature, said Erienin after a moment's silence.

— Only Gab' studies literature, Olwen corrected her.

— Really? But what were you doing in there, then?

— I study philosophy and ancient languages as an option.

— Oh, okay. But that doesn't tell me why...

— Well, you have to eat to live, Gabrielle explained, nonchalantly.

— And?

— And food is expensive these days.

— I...

— Without money, we have nothing, Olwen developed. And without a degree, it's hard to find a job. So if you have to get one, you might as well spend it in areas that are interesting to you.

— Oh... All right...”

The three friends separated shortly afterwards, Olwen living in another direction.

As a result, for what would have been Gabrielle greatest displeasure some time ago, although now she no longer really knew if it was still the case, Erienin and Gabrielle both found themselves in the latter's home.

They spent the rest of the evening chatting, arguing and courting until hunger became an issue.

Hearing the rumblings of her princess' belly, Erienin suddenly stood up and disappeared for about twenty minutes only to return and unload about ten whole boxes filled with food in the small flat.

“What is all this? wondered the owner.

— Food for tonight, Princess.

— Because you think I eat this much in one meal?

— Of course not! Who do you think I am? Only this cardboard is for you, defended the alien, pointing to the little cardboard she had brought back first from her little adventure.

— It's not really better, you know...”

The young vampire nevertheless went to open the box and discovered to her amazement that it contained about ten boxes filled with mouthwatering pieces of meat still warm.

“What is it...

— Do you like it, Princess? asked Erie. Since you're a vampire, I took care to prepare your meat rare. Nevertheless, I added a few vegetables in a separate box, you need to eat a balanced diet.

— Where did you get all this stuff?

— In the faculty's kitchens, why?

— Did you cook everything?

— Of course! To satisfy my Princess, I'm ready for anything!

— You're completely insane...” sighed Gabrielle, touched by the gesture nonetheless.

She could no longer resist the sweet aroma which rose from the plastic boxes and attacked her meal while Erie returned to her original jelly form before swallowing all the remaining boxes in one bite before spitting them up, minus the food they contained.

“Is it to your liking, Princess?”

Gabrielle, embarrassed to admit it, simply nodded.

“You stole all this at the university? asked the vampire again between bites.

— Yes, why?

— I'm sure it's going to make a mess...”

And she was not mistaken because the next day, a notice was posted on all the billboards saying:

“Following major recent food disappearances, security in the kitchens and cafeteria has been heavily increased until the culprits are arrested.”

                                                        *****

Thank you for reading the eighth chapter of "White Lilies are in Bloom" !

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