Page 5 of What Happened on Roslyn Street? (Strode University #1)

“That’s too bad. Good luck finding your way.” Without another word, I turn on my heel, leaving the strange man behind.

It’s easy to find the lecture hall now that I’m in the building. After walking straight for a few minutes, I stumble upon the right room.

Professor Cruz is teaching media theory. This will be the first time I meet one of Margaux’s parents.

I pause with my hand on the door, unsure if I’m ready for what lies ahead. If Margaux is a dhampir, is her father one as well? Or is he one of the turned vampires she talked about?

It doesn’t matter. Either way, I can’t trust him.

“Tobey!” The voice comes from behind, and I turn slowly, facing a smiling Amelia. She gasps. “Are you attending Professor Cruz’s lecture?”

I force a smile. “You, me, and the dozens of other students in there.”

“How fun!” She steps inside. “Come on. We can sit together!”

Ordinarily, I would appreciate having a friend by my side, but nothing about my presence at Strode is ordinary. I need to be detached and observant, but I also want answers. Having a friend as sociable as Amelia may be useful.

“Good idea.” I follow her inside.

Dark oak desks are lined up, and woody incense wafts through the room. Professor Cruz is at the head of the class. The lecture halls are smaller, with far fewer students than I’m used to.

Usually, I hide in the back and focus on my studies, but that isn’t an option here, especially when Amelia sits right in front. It’s an intimate setting, which makes it easier to stand out… and to memorize the faces.

I can see the resemblance between the professor and Margaux. He has her dark hair and brown skin, and he carries himself in the same graceful, confident manner. His smile is warmer than hers—surprisingly so.

He gives me a brief nod as I sit next to Amelia.

As Amelia unpacks her bag, she whispers, “Professor Cruz is a total hunk.”

I wrinkle my nose. “I am going to respectfully disagree.”

“Really?” She giggles. “Everyone thinks so!”

It’s hard to think of him that way, considering he’s a bloodthirsty vampire… and Margaux’s father. He already has two things going against him.

“He’s not my type,” I say. “And before you ask, my type is anyone who isn’t twice my age.”

“Anyone?” She lifts a brow.

“Anyone.”

It’s a complete lie, of course. I have a history of being picky in love, leading me to a handful of relationships that never amounted to anything. But I’m not telling anyone in this school a single fact about me.

Amelia may know I’m lying. She can hear my heartbeat, can’t she?

“And my type is anyone with a pulse,” she says, laughing at the double meaning.

I force myself to laugh. “Vampire humor. Very funny.”

“I think it is. I might as well find some humor in the situation.”

Before I can get a chance to ask what the situation is, she’s continuing.

It would have been a great opportunity to ask about her eternal damnation. Is she a dhampir, like Margaux, or a vampire?

“Are you a journalism major as well?” she asks.

“Mhm…” I leave it at that, not wanting to make further conversation .

My parents lovingly forced me to get a biology degree, hoping I would go on to med school, but I didn’t. It never felt right. While my presence at Strode is built on a lie, I’m studying what I’m most passionate about. It’s the only thing that feels authentic.

“We’ll probably be in a lot of classes together!” A fact she sounds all too happy about. “Well—I’m a sophomore, but I’m sure we’ll have some classes together. Like this one! Show me your schedule; we can sync up.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” I say. “We can walk to class together. At orientation, they were talking about the buddy system.”

That’s one of the only things I remember from the morning, thanks to Caldwell’s distractions.

“Yes. Exactly.” Amelia’s lips turn down in a frown, brows furrowing. Her usually sunny expression becomes grave.

It seems like she wants to say more, but at that moment, class begins. I’m grateful for the excuse to turn away from her, sighing in relief as I peer at the instructor.

Class would be a good time to jot down my observations—if Amelia wasn’t so close. Instead, I open my notebook to take notes on the lecture.

If I’m going to last here, I need to keep up with my coursework. It turns out that Strode University is more than a place for freaks to gather and hold hands around the fire.

Professor Cruz’s syllabus is insane. He has zero tolerance for tardiness, fails you if you miss three lectures, and the required reading takes up multiple pages.

I can’t coast my way through this one.

Regardless, he is a good professor… or a good speaker, or… something about him is good . It’s hard to put my finger on what it is.

Class ends, and I’m excited about my studies, feeling like Professor Cruz may have something to teach me about media. The rest of the students back out of the room, but Amelia is still at my side.

“Tobey…?” she asks, with a confused smile.

“I’m going to have a word with the professor,” I say. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

“Oh! Okay!” She smiles brightly. “Can I give you my number, at least? You can text me if you need a walking buddy!”

I should offer to be her walking buddy after class like we agreed, but I’m sure someone as social as Amelia will have no trouble finding another friend. I’m not as talkative, and I’ve already found two chaperones—if I count Caldwell. I’m hesitant to consider him at all.

“Sure,” I say, holding out my phone. “Good idea. I’ll totally let you know.” I shift impatiently from foot to foot.

She hands my phone back, and finally, she leaves me alone.

I let out a slow breath and approach Professor Cruz as he rummages around his desk. His head lifts when I draw closer.

“Hello, Professor.” I smile timidly. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of me”—he probably hasn’t, knowing Margaux—“but I’m one of Margaux’s friends. I’m excited about your course, so I wanted to introduce myself—and to thank you for a wonderful first class!”

My nerves are showing. Can vampires smell fear? If I have the misfortune of seeing Margaux again, I’ll ask her.

“Ah, yes…” He wears a knowing smile, observing me for a moment. “You must be the Tobey.”

I freeze. Margaux has told him about me, but how much has she said? Does he know about our fight, and, more importantly, does he know I’m supposed to be a human?

I clutch my books tighter. “That’s right.”

“Margaux spoke a lot about you when she was young. You two were going to become famous playwrights together, were you not?”

I blush. “That was the dream, but…”

“It’s funny how dreams get lost along the way.”

The dream he mentions is nowhere near what I want to do now. Mr. Cruz may tie into my new dream. Not only do I want to unveil Poppy’s murderer, but if Strode is involved, I want to uncover it from the inside out.

The world of the supernatural is known but shrouded in mystery. I want to learn everything about him—about vampires—and share it with the world.

“And we find new ones,” I say, smiling.

“We do.” He chuckles. “I’m happy to finally meet your acquaintance, Tobey Underwood.

Please let me know if you need to schedule a meeting.

You’re a transfer student, and I want to make sure you stay caught up with coursework.

Strode is a rigorous school; we uphold our students to a different standard. ”

“I will take you up on that.”

Information on his course is only one of the things I’m interested in. I want to push for more, but stop myself, already backing away.

“Thank you for all of your help,” I say.

“Enjoy the rest of your first day.”