Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Yes, I would like to renew these please." Grell smiled sweetly as she handed her stack of Shakespeare books to the librarian, who raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Sutcliff, you do realize you've had these books for two months now."

"Correct, but I've been renewing them each time the day before they're due. So you can't call me irresponsible on this one."

"Well, either way, you should really get to actually reading these and finishing them so that you can return them once and for all. Believe it or not, there are other students who would like to check these books out too."

Grell's sweet smile never left her face. She slowly flashed her shark-like teeth and laid her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her open hand. She looked the librarian in the eye.

"For your information, my dear, I read each one of these books every night, absorbed in the world of endless romance and rather sexy poetry. And as I recall, it's my right to renew these books as many times as I like. It's all in the student handbook. So unless you want to be fired from this petty job, then I would highly suggest that you keep your under-qualified mouth closed and bring yourself to cooperate. What do you say to that, hmm?"

Violated, the elderly woman tightened her jaw and narrowed her eyes. She sighed and began to scan the books before handing them back to Grell, who was standing there smiling in triumph.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"You know, back in my day, we were actually expected to OBEY and RESPECT our elders. Not mock them."

"And that is clearly not my problem." Grell waved it off. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." With that, Grell walked off with her books and began to head out of the library, where she found her boyfriend, Ronald Knox, standing by the entrance chugging down a bottle of Pepsi.

"Trouble with The Nutter again?" Ronald asked as he leaned against the wall casually. He took one final gulp of the carbonated liquid before tossing it to the closest trashcan. It made it inside on the first (and only) try.

Grell scoffed. "You can tell?"

"Oh yes, your face says it all. What did she do this time?"

"She tried to tamper with my student rights," Grell replied bitterly. "I mean, honestly! Who does that woman think she is?"

"She's nothing other than a planker that's dead from the neck up."

"Exactly what I was thinking. It must be awful for her spouse at home. Having her as a wife would constantly lower my risen knob."

"Therefore, I am hereby grateful to be with someone that constantly makes my ghost rise everyday." Ronald smirked.

Grell widened her eyes and blushed, clapping a hand to her mouth to stiffle a f giggle. "Ronald! Save the naughtiness for when we're alone! And I thought you didn't read Shakespeare."

"I only read those small little bits when I had to for school. The dirty jokes were the only reason I survived those sections. How do you even enjoy them? If I were you, I would look into more modern literature such as "Fifty Shades of Grey"."

"Goodness, no!" Grell exclaimed. "That book just loves to teach people that it's okay to rape others for our needs."

"I just figured we could learn a thing or two involving ropes," Ronald said.

Grell chuckled. "Honey, you are much better off learning from me than anyone else. These authors don't know a thing when it comes to coupling."

Ronald's cheeks flushed red. "Well in that case, how about you spare me a lesson tonight? Perhaps you can show me right and wrong..." He could only imagine the excitement that was yet to come.

"Darling, we can't tonight."

Ronald's face fell. "What? Why not?"

"Why not?" Grell gave Ronald a strange look. "We have plans tonight, remember? We're going to the new club that opened recently."

"Oh yeah... I've been wanting to go there since they first constructed it!"

"Me too. But the only problem is that I don't know what to wear." Grell sighed gloomily, making Ronald laugh a little.

Ronald smiled and gently took Grell's hand, swinging it as he walked side to side with Grell through campus.

"Don't worry, my dear. Whatever you wear, you are still mine."

The whole time, William sat on the other side of the library. He tried to stay focused in his daily studies but he couldn't help but be distracted by the ruckus Grell was causing. It appalled him by the way she spoke to the librarian but he figured it was best if he didn't step into matters that didn't concern him. If that wasn't bad enough, he had to listen to the conversation between Grell and Ronald.

Grell just so happened to be his roommate this past year and by miracle he was able to cope. William did everything he could in the beginning to get a new roommate as he couldn't stand Grell's overbearing personality but the system was set in roommate assignments.

Therefore, William had to learn to tolerate the redhead. His textbooks and headphones were his survival tools. Eventually however, William's desire to change roommates diminished as he realized Grell is actually quite interesting to be around, even if she is obnoxious. 

William chuckled. He wondered what it would be like to actually work with someone like Grell...

Later that evening, Grell and Ronald had their outing. Among the crowds, Grell and Ronald were showing off as they conquered the dance floor. The music boomed throughout the whole club, which was so large it could fit a whole one-story house. In the darkness, the lights provided were the multicolored nights.

"Boy, am I parched," Ronald said after an hour of hardcore dancing.

"Shall we get some drinks then? It's on me."

"Yes, please. But are you sure you wouldn't rather have me pay it? A lovely lady such as yourself deserves to be spoiled by her man."

"I insist. Tonight's a special night." They smiled at each other and headed over to the bar where Grell purchased some drinks for the both of them.

"This shall be dedicated in celebration for the four months we've been together," Ronald said.

"Agreed, and more that's yet to come."

They made a toast and sipped their drinks. They were nothing like the drinks they've had before. It was indescribably unique. So fresh combined with ingredients with who knows what. It was so good that despite them normally sticking to a minimum of one drink at a time, Grell and Ronald went back for another before going back to dancing.

A few hours later, as midnight passed, Grell and Ronald were out of breath and their clothes stuck uncomfortably to their skin. But they didn't care. They were having too much fun.

"Want to get another drink, darling?" Grell offered.

Ronald hiccuped. "Haven't we had five already?"

Grell giggled. "We can never have too much on this kind of night."

"Can't agree with that more!" Ronald cackled, finding Grell's small laughter to be contagious. He knew he had quite a bit to drink but he doubted that had any effect on him up to this point. Grell went and bought more drinks for the both of them in which they chugged down immediately.

Grell smiled in satisfaction from the refreshing alcoholic beverage. "As much as I would like to stand around here, I really must use the Lady's Room."

"I'll wait for you then." Ronald winked.

Grell pecked her boyfriend's lips, catching a taste of the drinks from them. She then proceeded to excuse herself and made his way to the restrooms.

She padded over to the sinks and looked herself in the mirror. Just a few hours ago, she had came in with her hair on point and looked full of life, ready to party. But now, her skin was coated in sweat. She was probably only one of the many that made the whole place stuffy. Do they ever plan on opening a door?

Her hair was sweaty and matted to her forehead. The next thing she noticed was her eyes. Instead of its normally practically glowing emerald, it happened to be mixed in with red. Just how did her eyes get so bloodshot?

Oh well, Grell thought. She was having too much fun to care. It didn't help that she was tipsy, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it.

Grell splashed some water on her face and washed her hands. After she finished refreshing herself, she headed out and searched for her boyfriend.

"Ronald?" She looked around but all she saw were crowds of drunken college-aged students. Where the devil was he, Grell wondered.

She walked through the crowds and checked the bar area. Nothing. Frustrated, Grell took a seat on the stool and ordered another drink. Between sips, she scanned around.

Did he go to the restroom or something?

Drink in her hand, Grell stood on her toes, looking over everyone's heads. In the back, there was some sort of lounge room with sofas. A familiar-looking blonde sat on one of them.

Bingo.

Grell made her way to her target, fighting her way through the crowds once more.

"Ronald!" She said when he finally made it through. "I've been looking all over for-" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw what was happening right in front of her. Somehow Grell fighting through crowds provided enough time for a young, attractive woman to come sit on Ronald's lap and here they were, making out shamelessly in front of everyone, even Grell.

"What the devil is going on here!?" Grell stood there clenching her fists at her sides, fury rising in her eyes.

The two pulled apart and looked at the redhead.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" The woman asked.

"No, but unless you want the walls painted with YOUR shades of red, how about you get your skanky fanny off MY boyfriend?"

The woman giggled. "YOUR boyfriend?" She raised an eyebrow. "From how well he's treating me... I would have to say you're lying." She went to plant kisses all around Ronald's neck.

"Ronald!" Grell scolded. "Aren't you going to do anything? How could you let her be all over you like that!? You have a girlfriend you know!"

Ronald looked Grell in the eye and smiled. "Correct."

Ronald sucked in his teeth. "Sorry, no can do."

"Why not? You just said it yourself that you have a girlfriend." 

"Exactly my point. Alyssa is my girlfriend now." 

Grell's face shifted from anger to heartbreak. "But Ronald..." She felt her heart shatter. Her voice was now barely above a whisper. It was a miracle she could be heard above all the noise from the club. "What about us?" 

"Us?" Ronald raised an eyebrow and laughed mockingly. "Honestly Grell, get a grip. Did you really think that just because we've been together for just a few months meant that were were destined to be together forever?" He laughed again and shook his head. "You really need to wake up, princess. Sometimes in life, sparks diminish when we meet someone new and that's exactly what's going on right now. As you can see, I've met Alyssa and just from looking at her, I can tell that I no longer love you, but her." He planted a soft kiss on his new partner's forehead.

"We had something special, Ronald... just how could you throw this all away so easily?" Grell squeezed hr eyes shut as she tried to stop shaking.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Ronald sighed. "You really are stupid. See, unlike you, Alyssa here is smart and beautiful. And you? You're just a desperate woman willing to spread your legs for anyone and everyone."

"Ronald's right, you know," Alyssa purred. "So how about you step on out of here and enjoy the party while we enjoy ours, hmm?" 

"Woah-oh-oh! So much sass, I love it!" Ronald laughed and began nibbling at her ear.

She giggled. "Oh daddy!"

Grell's face went back to being hard while mixed with grimace. She's given Ronald nicknames in the past but none of them were "daddy". 

"Fine," Grell said. "I will." With that, she turned and was about to head back to get another drink when suddenly she had a better idea.

She turned back around to see that the duo were making out again. She narrowed her eyes and silently approached them. After a moment of staring, Grell raised her hand and threw a punch right at Ronald's jaw, knocking him on his side on the sofa, causing Alyssa to fall off to the floor.

"That's what you get, you bloody cheater!"

"Hey!" Alyssa exclaimed. Grell struck a punch at her too.

"And you too, skank!" Grell then turned around and walked away. She quickly bought herself the strongest drink there was on the menu before heading out. She'd forgotten that she had a car here, but it was Ronald's and she didn't have the keys. So she walked back to the academy.

By the time he got there, Grell had finished her drink and could barely walk straight. It was by pure luck she made it without being arrested for public drinking yet it was London. Lots of things happen in big cities.

Grell stumbled to her dorm, where she barged in through the door and collapsed on her bed face-forward. Completely shredded from tonight's events, Grell's lip quivered and soon she let out quiet sobs into her pillow. Hot tears streamed down her face the more she cried.

William just so happened to be up late studying when this happened. When he saw Grell collapsing on her bed, he rolled his eyes and took a sip of his energy drink. But the sound of Grell's crying caught his attention. He turned around and looked over at the redhead. This was... unusual. This wasn't the first time Grell came home with too much to drink but never has she come home crying. Normally she and Ronald would spend the night at his place or Grell would be here laughing herself silly. But no, here she was: Crying her heart out. 

William took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. He took a seat on the edge of Grell's bed and stared at her. 

"You want to talk about it?" William offered. It felt strange. Normally he wouldn't bother with this sort of thing. Deep down, he knew he was simply doing this out of courtesy. But at the same time, William never brought himself to even do that. He had better things to do than involve himself in such petty drama.

In response, Grell shook her head and wailed more. William shushed him. The last thing he needed were complaints that could possibly get him in trouble. It wasn't something he could afford if he was going to make his way to the top. Just as he'd seen others comforting one another, William gently rubbed Grell's back in small circles, unsure if he was doing it right. It would appear so as Grell gradually calmed down.

"He left me for that whore..." Grell sobbed out.

"Who? Ronald?" 

Grell nodded.

"Hmmm... well, it would make sense as clearly you two had been drinking."

"Are you trying to say that I'm drunk!?" Grell snapped, words slurring slightly. "Because I'm not! Even if I was, I'm not as drunk as you think I am!"

"Of course you're not..." William said with a sigh. He carefully removed Grell's shoes and neatly set them to the side before pulling a blanket over her. "But you need to rest. We need to wake up in a few hours. You really need to plan these events for the weekends."

He stood and padded over back to his  own bed after putting away his study material.

"Why would he do that, Will...?" Grell sniffled.

"Because he's an idiot. And so are you. Now good night." William shut off the light and crawled into bed. He set his glasses on the side and closed his eyes. He heard Grell sniffling again and sighed. This was clearly going to take a while. There was no way he was going to get a decent night's sleep. Not like he normally did with his late night studies but still. He stayed awake and fortunately, Grell fell into a deep sleep, allowing peaceful silence to fill the room once again.

Even then, William couldn't sleep. He just knew that the next few days were going to be nothing but endless drama between Grell and Ronald which was going to interfere with his studies. He couldn't afford that. He just couldn't. Distraction was his enemy which was why he couldn't stand Grell. 

But then William realized something. They were dead drunk tonight and by morning, all would be forgotten without a single trace from tonight's events. Even if they remembered, he would have no involvement in it.

He was very wrong indeed.

Grell groaned. Not just from drowsiness, but from the massive headache she was having. She knew that she drank too much, and vowed to never do it again. 

At least, that's what she always told herself every time she went anywhere involving alcohol. Grell slowly opened her heavy eyes and looked up to see William, who was fully dressed in school uniform, ready for the day. 

"Water..." Grell begged in a raspy voice.

"Here." William handed the hungover redhead a bottle of water in which she  gratefully took and watched as she gulped it up greedily. It wasn't unusual for Grell to have a hangover, therefore William was completely prepared. 

"Thank you..." Grell said gratefully as she finished off the water and tossed the empty bottle to the side. William felt his eyebrow twitch. Littering was one of his pet peeves. Not because it was a danger to the planet, but because it was crucial for everything to be in its place. Trash belonged in the trash, not the floor. 

"Mmm..." Was all William responded. 

Grell forced herself upright and massaged at her temple. "What happened last night...?"

"Well, nothing out of the ordinary. You went out sober with that unruly significant other of yours and returned marinated in alcohol." William shrugged casually. "I suppose it wasn't so bad as you actually kept your stomach contents down unlike most drunks at night."

"Well if I came back here, then where's Ronald?" Grell widened her eyes as all the memories last night came back to her. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Will... did he dump me for another girl?" 

"You did mention something about that last night, but how should I know? I wasn't the one out drinking irresponsibly. It was probably a dream or something. Now, are you going get ready or not?"

"Well what time is it?" 

"Forty minutes before class. If I were you, I'd get out of bed if you don't want to be too late."

Forty minutes? At this rate, there was no way she was going to be ready by even an hour. There wasn't an ounce of energy in her body.

Grell shook her head. "I think I'll skip today." 

William muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "Typical..." He cleared his throat and straighted out his tie. "Very well, I'll take my leave then. Good day." With that, he began to take his leave.

"Why are you leaving so early?" Grell asked. 

William looked back at her over his shoulder. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I get to my studies, which means that I can graduate and no longer have to deal with tossers like yourself."

"Well at least I know how to have fun in life by living in the present," Grell mumbled. After recieving a venomous  glare, she watched as William took his official leave, leaving Grell alone in the room. Grell sighed and laid her head back on her pillow. She closed her eyes and told herself she would only rest them until her headache went away, only to accidentally doze off.

Some time later, Grell woke up. She yawned.

"Did I really fall asleep?" She wondered to herself. "What time is it?" She looked at the clock and squinted. She had only been asleep for two hours. Those two hours made a difference. Her headache had improved significantly. 

Grell would have gone back to sleep if it weren't for the fact that she was still wearing the same clothes from last night. They stuck to her skin from sweating so much and they reeked of booze and body odor. 

She dragged her tired body out of bed and headed to the bathroom, where she showered and cleaned up. She was dressed in fresh clothes. As she combed her hair, her thoughts went back to last night.

"Was all that real?" She wondered. She hoped not. With how well things have been going between her and Ronald, this had to be a dream. But at the same time, they usually wake up in the same room whether it be in his dorm or at some motel stripped of clothing. 

She needed answers. 

Grell headed out of the dorm and walked out on campus. There was a lot of land. A whole forest surrounding the academy full of life in all shades of green. As Grell walked along, she breathed the fresh, nature scent and smiled to herself. She and Ronald always took walks here, hand in hand. In the night, after they've finished exploring the forest, they would find the most comfortable spot and lay on the grass, where they gazed at the star and made up their own theories on what's out there in the galaxy.

"How I hope this is all a misunderstanding... It would surely be a shame if something so great had to end." Grell sighed sadly.

Grell tried to keep depressing thoughts out of her head as she headed over to the usual hangout spot in the forest. Ronald rarely ever attended classes and normally waited there for Grell who also almost never went to her classes. Neither of them did their homework either. 

As expected, Ronald was right at that spot. He was sitting on top of a boulder, holding an ice pack to his head. 

"Grell, there you are! You're la-ow!" Ronald hissed and held the ice pack tighter to his head. 

"You have a hangover too?" 

"Yeah... how the hell do you function like this?" 

"I simply slept in," Grell said with pride. "I'm surprised you haven't tried that method."

"I would have, but I was waiting for you." 

"For me? Awww you're just too sweet, darling!" Grell smiled and took a seat next to Ronald on the boulder. Doubts from last night overcame him. If Ronald really did like another woman, why would he go through all this hassle waiting on her? Besides, Ronald was much too sweet to be unfaithful!

"Even with this hellish hangover, I managed to make time to grab some breakfast." 

"Breakfast?" 

Ronald nodded and reached over to grab a McDonalds bag. He handed it to Grell. "Here you go, milady."

"Oh darling, thank you! I'm starving!" Grell practically snatched the bag and opened it up. It was full of goodies. With her stomach screaming for food, she immediately began munching on a hashbrown. "Didn't you get anything for yourself?" He asked between bites.

"I already ate mine actually. I was hungry too." He laughed a little. "What happened last night, anyway? It was all a blur..." 

"I don't know..." Grell responded. "But honey, I will tell you this..." She swallowed a mouthful of hashbrown. "I had the worst nightmare of all time. I dreamt that some whore was sitting on your lap and you were leaving me for her." She laughed. "Now I KNOW you'd never do such a thing, right?" 

There was a pause. "She's not a whore, Grell..."

Grell had just been about to take a bite of eggs and sausage but stopped abruptly. Her appetite was gone. She stared at the blonde. 

"Excuse me?" 

Ronald put on an innocent smile. "Nothing! I didn't say anything, love."

"Liar!" Grell grabbed Ronald by the collar and brought him close to her face. She delivered an intense glare into his eyes, baring her razor-teeth. "You said that she wasn't a whore... you know exactly what I'm talking about so I wouldn't play dumb if I were you. You have five seconds to tell me if you want to keep your head intact, BOY!"

Ronald actually looked intimidated. He couldn't speak. He'd seen Grell act aggressively against other people who've wronged her but one's perspective is different when THEY aren't the ones being confronted. He sighed in submission, knowing it was too late to take back what he just said.

"Grell... there's something I need to tell you..."

"Alright," Ronald brought his hands together, looking down on the ground as he gathered his thoughts. "Where do I begin?"

"Just get on with it already!" Grell stood with both hands on her hips, an intense gaze locked onto the blonde reaper. 

Grell's impatient demeanor forced Ronald to stand up straight. Calmly yet with subtle nervousness, he confessed, "Grell, I cheated on you."

"Tell me something I don't know!" Grell threw her hands up in the air. "Honestly!" 

"Well, I'm not just talking about last night," Ronald went on. "I've actually been cheating on you for the past few months."

"Months!? But it's only been five months since we started dating!"

Ronald hesitated. He spoke slowly, as if with each word he spoke, it was one word closer to Grell exploding. And he wasn't wrong. "Well, I just so happened to meet Alyssa about a month after we started dating. And...There are others too."

It took Grell every ounce of her strength to hold her tongue, refraining from spewing what she wanted to say. She and Ronald had agreed to have a calm discussion, but it just got harder the more Ronald went on. Even though she wanted to know the truth, she found herself wishing this conversation wasn't happening. 

Grell slowly crossed her arms, holding them tightly as they shook with growing rage. She took a deep breath. "Oh. I see. Care to tell me who they are? How many were there?" She struggled to keep her voice steady.

"There was Rebecca and Charlotte. I... don't know the name of the third one."

"How could you POSSIBLY not know the name of the last one!?" 

Ronald looked away, scratching his neck. "I drank too much that night when I saw her. I just remember what she looks like. I met her online." 

Grell couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stood, as stiff as a board, as she fought to control herself. Up until last night, she thought of Ronald as the sweetest, loyal man she's ever met. Even though he was slightly younger than her, he charmed her in ways several men hadn't. But it was all a lie. She wished that they had just stayed friends. Better yet, if she had never met him. 

With questions racing through her mind, Grell wanted to keep squeezing answers out of Ronald. But she had decided that she had heard enough.

But Ronald went on. "Look, I know what I've done was horrible. If it makes it any better, I've only seen that last one once. I've only seen Charlotte once too. Last night was perhaps my fourth time seeing Alyssa. Yes, I talk to all of them here and there, but starting today, I can get rid of them and focus on you." He looked at the redhead with pleading eyes. "I've always loved you more than the other women I've seen. So please, give me another chance and I'll fix this mess." He stepped forward and tried to reach for Grell's hand, but she had already turned around.

"No," she said calmly. "Go ahead and keep all of those other women. Goodbye, traiter." She began to walk away. Just when Ronald started trailing after her, Grell stopped. 

"On second thought..." That was when she whirled around and in a split second, she struck the younger reaper in the face. She delivered enough force to send him flying several feet backward. With a grunt, Ronald landed on the grass. Blood began dripping down from his nostrils. Before he had the chance to process what had just happened, Grell lunged at him like a tiger attacking its prey. She grabbed him by the collar and looked at him with pure disgust. Her voice that now dripped with venom, was far from calm.

"You. Putrid. Womanizing. Pig!" She shouted as she began punching Ronald as hard as she could, aiming for his face. But after two punches, Ronald managed to raise his arms to shield himself. But it wasn't much less painful when the punches landed on his arms. In fact, he found himself almost impressed at the redhead's strength. 

"GRELL!" Ronald shouted. "I thought we agreed to be rational about this!"

"That was BEFORE I learned your true colors!"

"You're still my priority, Grell!"

"Oh, like that makes it any better! I saw the way you behaved last night!" Grell was just about to throw another punch, only for Ronald to gather enough strength to shoved Grell off of him. Before she had the chance to grab him, he took off sprinting in another direction.

When Grell stood, she spotted a large rock on the ground. She picked it up and threw it at Ronald's back, causing him to yelp and stumble forward on his stomach. Grell grabbed the McDonald's bag from earlier. She had lost her appetite now. But even if she were starving to death, there was no way she would eat anything this traiter brought her. So, she marched right up to where Ronald was lying and dumped the contents of the bag right on him.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, BRAT!" Grell yelled as she chased the younger reaper. Ronald was only able to get to the campus grounds close to the academy building when he was tackled to the ground again. Ronald was fast, but Grell was even faster. 

When Ronald landed on his back, Grell seized that opportunity to wrap her hands around his neck. She used her thumbs to block his airways as she jerked his head back and forth. 

By now, people have long noticed this intense scene going on in the middle of campus. They had either picked up their pace as they walked away, or they gathered in a crowd circling the duo. Within that crowd, some stood there with shock but couldn't seem to look away. Others were laughing and cheering, encouraging the fight to go on.

"Come on, beat his arse!"

"Best thing that has happened all day!"

"Come on! Fight back already!" 

"I think he is turning blue!" 

The excitement captured the attention of the campus security guards who immediately stepped in to break up the fight. 

"Knock it off this instant!" One of them demanded as they both yanked Ronald and Grell away from each other. When they were officially separated, the same guard, who was restraining Grell, turned his attention to the crowd.

"Go on! Get out of here! Nothing to see here!"

With several grumbles, the crowd slowly broke off and each person went their own way.

The guards released Grell and Ronald. When it appeared that neither of them were going to engage in a fight again, they were questioned as to what happened and why they were found on campus grounds.

After a moment of silence, Grell looked at Ronald and said, "Well, aren't you going to explain? EXPLAIN how you're such a womanizer and that's why you got your arse beat?" 

Ronald awkwardly shifted his gaze from Grell to the guards as he tried to come up with a response. "Just a big misunderstanding is all," he finally said, which earned him a sneer from the redhead. He didn't even need to look at her to know that she was staring into his soul. 

After a long lecture and a verbal warning, the guards left. Not wanting to deal with this anymore, Grell took off as quickly as she could. She needed to be as far away as possible from Ronald. But even when she walked away, the rage never left. Pain exploded in her chest as she could feel her heart shattering into a million pieces. Furious tears welled up in her eyes.

As Grell sped away from campus, she brushed past everyone in her way without a care of being rude or not. She even crossed streets without bothering to look both ways, earning cursing and honking from drivers. But she paid no attention to them. Finally, she entered the building she was looking for. It was a restaurant with a bar in it. Once she was inside, she immediately took a seat on a bar stool and snatched the alcoholic menu. After everything that happened today, she needed a pick-me-up to wash away her worries, even if it was just for a short period of time. 

"Only question is, what would be strong enough to deal with this heartache..." Grell sighed. 

But suddenly, she heard a voice next to her that was too familiar.

"Don't you think it's a bit too early to be drinking?"

Despite his statement just now, he held a tall mug that was filled with ale. 

Witnessing the sudden appearance of Grell’s old friend made her forget about the events that happened just now with Ronald.

Grell's eyes widened. "Undertaker! What are you doing here!?"

"Weeeeeerrrllll…." Undertaker slurred. He may be someone who can usually hold down his drinks well. But Grell could already conclude that he had at least five or six of those ales. 

"No new guests came in terrdaaaayyy… I gerrt a bi' bored.. so I thought I came to see yerr… And get a lirrttle blathered of course!" As if it was the most hilarious joke in the universe, Undertaker repeatedly slammed the table with his fist as he cackled loudly. In between his guffaws, he would either wheeze, hiccup, or both. 

Grell watched in amusement as Undertaker leaned over until he had completely toppled over from his stool to the hard floor, where his seemingly endless laughter continued. She couldn't help but hold a smile of endearment, ignoring the strange stares from others in the building. This blitzed, giggling mess on the floor was the same man who she had turned to years back. He was the one she had confided in when she noticed she was feeling a certain way about her assigned gender that was frowned upon by her family. And he was the one who encouraged Grell to be the woman that she truly was.

When Undertaker finally calmed down enough, he clumsily pulled himself back onto his stool. When he sat down, he yelped a little when he found himself leaning back, but fortunately, he grabbed onto the table in front of him and balanced himself just in time. 

"Soooo…" Undertaker laid his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his hand. It was at this angle that Grell had a clear sight of the saliva that oozed from the corners of Undertaker's mouth down to his chin.

"What have yer'been up to these days?" He drunkenly asked, leaning forward slightly. "Studies geriing well?" 

"All I can say is that you've shown on at a dreadful time." Grell sighed melancholically.

"Ooooh? Well what's been going on!? Do tell me!" In an instant, Grell found herself wide eyed and sitting straight up when Undertaker's face was merely inches away from hers. He was breathing as heavily in her face like a salivating dog awaiting a meat treat. Grell tried not to grimace when she could smell the alcohol in his breath. 

Grell opened her mouth to say something, but like a small child with an infinite amount of questions generating at the speed of light, Undertaker went on excitedly with his flashing grin.

"Did somethin' exciting happen!? Any tea you want ter' spill to me!?" He turned to the bartender and said, "Oi! Can we ge' a drink over here!?"

"I believe you've had enough, sir," the bored-looking bartender told Undertaker. He was busy cleaning a glass.

"Not for me! A drink for the lady here." Undertaker made a gentlemanly gesture towards Grell. "What drink would you like, Grelly?" 

"I will take a red wine," Grell said. "Whatever you have that is the strongest." 

When the bartender turned to go prepare her drink, Undertaker turned to Grell. "Don't worry, this is on me." When Grell smiled in gratitude, Undertaker brought both of his sleeve-covered hands to his face, concealing his mischievous smirk. "But you do owe me stories still." He snickered.

Grell playfully rolled her eyes at him and smiled. Even if Grell were to enter a deep pit of endless despair without a speck of hope, just the mere presence of her silver haired friend could lighten her spirits. 

As soon as the wine was set on the table, she immediately began sipping on it. The red substance was potent enough to make her core feel warm at just two sips. 

"Just where do I begin…" Grell said.

Undertaker took a long gulp of his ale. "Werrll, perhaps you can tell me about your little boyfriend? How is Ronnie doing?"

"He has turned out to be a womanizing prick. He's been seeing other women behind my back." Grell sighed sadly. 

The news instantly wiped the carefree, mischievous grin on his face and replaced it with a concerned frown. Even though his long hair covered most of his face, Grell could vaguely see his eyebrows shoot up.

"Hmm?? Wha-I…" Undertaker paused as he searched for words. He distinctly remembered when Grell and Ronald first got together, and just how happy they were. 

"What happened?" Undertaker asked. 

"Long story, I'm afraid. But our Romeo and Juliet story came to an end after I caught him making out with another woman last night." Grell looked Undertaker right in the eye. "On. Our. Date!" 

"On your date!?" Undertaker wished more than anything that he had his old scythe with him. "Do tell me you're not with him anymore!" 

"Oh dear no!" Grell said. "We just parted ways not even an hour ago!" Memories from the night before began to swarm her mind. A dull ache grew in her chest as she thought about her intense encounter with Ronald this morning. She took a gulp of her wine to ease the pain. It worked.

"Damn love rat thought he could keep me just because I was his 'priority'," she continued. "Bloody pig…" 

Undertaker reached over and placed a comforting hand on Grell's. He spoke more gently in comparison to his loud, excitable demeanor just now. "Look at it this way, love: This is a perfect opportunity for Ronnie to become one of my guests. But in a way that I would make him…" The mischievous grin returned. "The quite opposite of pretty for his funeral." 

With a laugh, Grell said, "Be my guest. In the mean time, I'll make a dull and inflict the most pain to him before his ultimate demise." 

"That's the spirit!" Undertaker said before releasing a deafening laugh himself. The extra gulps of ale were already taking effect. 

For the next few hours, Undertaker and Grell enjoyed their drinks as they both chatted and caught up with one another. After Grell finally got tired of rambling about all the details from the chain of events leading to the end of her and Ronald's relationship, she got to hear about all of the different guests that appeared in Undertaker's shop. Most people would hurl as Undertaker discussed the details from the goriest corpses he's received and their stories, but not Grell. She leaned forward with an eager smile as her morbid curiosity captured her.

Finally, evening came and Undertaker needed to head back to his home to prepare for tomorrow. By the time he and Grell stumbled out of the bar, Grell had downed at least five glasses of that strong wine. The ground appeared to sway back and forth as she walked alongside Undertaker.

When the duo appeared in front of the dorm, they pulled one another into a tight embrace as they said their farewells for now. 

"Thank you for everything, Undertaker…" Grell mumbled, her face buried into the silverhead's shoulder. His arms wrapped around her were like being wrapped in a thick blanket in front of a fireplace on a freezing, winter night. "I'm so very grateful you've come after such a dreadful day, so thank you." 

"Ooooh not a problem, Grelly…" Undertaker let out a small giggle. He placed both of his hands on Grell's shoulders and held her at arms length.

"Just remember, you deserve much better than that Ronald. You'll find someone else in no time." 

Despite the heartache that lingered, Grell smiled knowing that her friend was right. "We’re having tea next weekend, right?" 

Undertaker nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." After one more embrace, they finally parted ways. Grell watched as Undertaker turned and walked away from the door towards the direction of his home. By the way he still didn't quite walk in a straight line, it was obvious that he was still a bit drunk. However, Grell wasn't worried one bit. She had witnessed him fighting and winning full battles with a lot more ale in his system. 

Grell finally made it in front of her dorm room. She obtained her key from her pocket and clumsily unlocked the door. When she entered, she could see that the dim room was merely illuminated by William's desk. William was sitting in his desk chair, eyes intently scanning his notes. There was still some time before exams came, but he was determined to review, retain, and have such a deep comprehension of the material until there was truly nothing more to learn from it.

He looked up briefly to witness Grell coming into their room. Without saying a word, she staggered to her bed and collapsed on it. William noticed that Grell hadn't closed the door properly. He sighed and shook his head. He considered waking her and ordering her to shut the door, but he decided that it would be a waste of energy. Instead, he stood and closed the door himself. 

Upon taking a seat at his desk again, he glanced at Grell and realized that her quiet snores were filling the room. He sighed again and returned to studying, grateful that despite the return of his roommate, he still had some peace and quiet.

It hadn't even been a day, yet Grell already knew that she no longer had romantic feelings towards Ronald after learning his true colors. Yet, sorrow consumed her. For all over these months, Ronald got involved with other women behind her back. She knew that he had flirted with them, kissed them, and everything beyond snogging. On top of that, he had lied to her. 

Sitting at the edge of her bed, memories of that dream still played in her head like a film. She shuddered as she imagined the vivid details of Ronald's body making contact with other women. The queasiness that Grell already had amplified itself, making her shake her head to rid herself of those disturbing images. She would much rather be looking at a pile of mutilated corpses. 

There was no doubt in Grell that she didn't love this man anymore. She didn't want him touching her in any way, even in a platonic manner. In fact, she was repulsed at the mere idea of being within a twenty-foot radius of him. Grimacing and staring down bitterly at the hard wooden floor, she silently cursed herself for being involved with a man like Ronald. She wished she didn't fall for his charm and being led into believing that he was honest when he was far from it. 

She wished she had never met him.

"As if I want anything to do with that lying, backstabbing, womanizing, son-of-a-!"

"Well, I see that you're awake early," a voice commented, snapping Grell out of her thoughts. She looked up to see that it was William. He was still wearing his dark blue, button-up pajamas with matching pants. His hair was disheveled and his bright green eyes were looking at her sleepily, which indicated that he had probably just woken up no more than ten minutes ago.

When Grell didn't immediately say anything he asked, "Are you finally going to class today?"

Grell shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not."

"Hmm." Grell's decision to not go to class today, again, didn't surprise William in the slightest. "That's a shame," he said before turning to head to the bathroom. 

"Ronald and I broke up yesterday," Grell stated gloomily. 

"I see." William paused, searching for a proper response. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said aloofly, without an ounce of sympathy in his voice. He then turned to head to the bathroom once more.

"Of course you are..." Grell muttered bitterly when William shut the door behind him. She fixed her gaze to the floor again, not knowing why she had told him that. Her roommate would be the last person to actually care about this sort of thing.

Freshened up, dressed in his uniform, and ready for the day, Will stepped out of the bathroom. As he spent a few minutes making sure he had everything he needed, he couldn't help but notice that Grell remained sitting in the exact same position on her bed. She was staring down unhappily at the floor not saying a word. It isn't rocket science for him to know that she was upset over her breakup.

"You know," Will broke the silence. "There is really no logical reason for you to not go to class today." 

Grell looked up at him, confused. "Huh?" 

Will zipped his backpack shut. He fixed his attention on the redhead. "Well, normally you're always messing around with Ronald when you should be in class or studying. But now it seems that he is no longer a distraction." 

With a scoff, Grell responded defensively, "Just what makes you think I wanted your advice!? You clearly know nothing." 

"Ah, but I do," Will said matter-of-factly. "It's unlikely he'll be in class if that's what you're worried about."

"And besides," he added, adjusting his glasses at the bridge of his nose. "You should be glad you can still go to classes here. This place has a no-tolerance policy towards violence of any kind." 

Grell knew exactly what he was referring to. "You saw that too?" 

Will nodded. "Yes. I just so happened to be walking to the library when that commotion happened. Unfortunately, other people on campus have been talking about it. You're lucky that those guards were new at their jobs. Otherwise, you and Ronald would have both gotten expelled." 

There was a moment of silence.

"Just something to consider," William said with a shrug. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going. Have a good day. " Without another word, he turned for the final time and exited the dorm.

Now all alone in the room, Grell slowly laid down on her bed, curled up in a fetal position. 

"Perhaps with one nap, I'll feel better," she hoped. Facing against the wall, Grell closed her eyes. But within just a few minutes, she let out a frustrated sigh when her restless mind refused to settle down. She sat up, trying to figure out what to do.

Contacting Ronald was obviously out of the question. Grell thought about asking what Undertaker was doing today but remembered that he was most likely busy with work. 

Grell knew she should be going to class, but she truly didn't feel like it. The last thing she wanted to do in this state of mind was to bear through a dull lecture.

But it had been ages since she had attended class now that she thought about it. Plus... if what Will said was true about Ronald not going to class himself, then she really had nothing to lose. 

Figuring that forcing herself to go to class would be better than just being stuck in the dorm bored out of her soul, she reluctantly stood from her bed and quickly got ready for the day.

With a sigh of relief, Will took a seat at his usual desk. He had made it at his usual time. Because of his chat with Grell earlier, he had used up more time than he had intended. So, as soon as he shut the door behind him, he picked up the pace of his walking to make up for lost time.

Even if he had walked at his normal pace, he would have still had plenty of time until class officially started. He preferred to have at least a few minutes to himself, whether it was reviewing material or just sitting at his desk, allowing his mind to wander and clear itself. 

As Will grabbed out his notebook and pen, setting them on his desk in front of him, he reflected on his motivational speech with Grell this morning. He failed to understand why he did such a thing, especially to someone who happened to be his irresponsible, obnoxious roommate. He didn't understand why he didn't simply keep silent and go on with his day. 

He remembered how grateful he was that despite the redhead being marinated with alcohol last night, she immediately went to bed when she burst in the room while stumbling. Will could have sworn that she was asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Just two nights ago, Grell had been bawling her eyes out, forcing his attention away from his studies. But last night, Will was able to be granted more hours of silence and focus until he got drowsy himself.

But the silence that carried onto this morning wasn't the same. Even when Grell sat on her bed without saying a word, there was a tense, sorrowful aura that screamed at him. 

He couldn't comprehend why he was bothered by Grell's sudden quietness. He remembered wishing that she and Ronald would just break up so that she would stop rambling about how handsome, breath-taking, and charming her boyfriend was. However, he figured at this point, Grell would find something, or someone else, to ramble about in just a matter of time. For right now, she was just grieving as most people would when they are heartbroken. 

Will had to admit, the break-up happened much sooner than he had expected. He remembered how they were all over each other and predicted that they may last at least a year. That was until he witnessed the big fight occurring yesterday. He had halted for a brief moment to stare at the commotion before he continued on his way to the library. He anticipated that the fight was an indicator of the end of their relationship, judging by how intense it had been. Grell's confession this morning was merely a confirmation of it.

"Why are you thinking about a problem that isn't your own!?" Will scolded himself. The silence last night and this morning was something he had been yearning for ever since he had met Grell. He cursed himself for daring to even think about complaining about it now. 

"It's not that I'm worried about her," he thought. And he ended up concluding that he was simply in shock at the sudden change. That change had an effect on his environment, which just distracted him. 

He knew he just needed to phase out the drama. After all, he had more pressing matters like his schoolwork. He couldn't afford to get wrapped up in someone else's nonsense. All he needed to do was bear through the rest of the academic year with Grell as his roommate, no matter how unbearable her personality was.

The instructor began the lecture, letting Will know that he really needed to focus now. It was then that he heard rapid footsteps from the hallway leading up to the classroom entrance. He briefly glanced back, astonished when he saw who it was.

The one that just so happened to be right next to William.

As soon as Grell took a seat, she took a glance to the side and noticed William staring right back at her. The look on his face had shifted from its usual flat affect. He looked as if he were shocked to see her. 

"Just what is HE staring at?" Grell wondered. "If this man is so smart, shouldn't he know better than to stare at a lady!?" 

When they held eye contact for more than a second, William quickly shifted his attention back to his notebook. He took his pen and frantically scribbled notes on the paper.

Grell grabbed out her own notebook and writing tool, her fancy fountain pen, and tried to pay attention to the lecture.

But unfortunately, paying attention in class proved easier said than done. It reminded Grell of one of the reasons she began skipping classes in the first place. Even when she wrote down information the instructor went over, Grell realized that there were gaps of missing information that acted as a barrier that prevented her from fully understanding it. She already knew that she was behind. But it was much worse than she anticipated. 

If that weren't difficult enough, Grell kept finding her mind drifting away to everything else but the lecture. One second she would be trying to comprehend the concise bullet points on the presentation, and the next she would be eyeing another woman's backpack and admiring the adorable colors. No matter how hard she tried, maintaining her attention span to such dull subjects like this one proved to be a long, tiring battle. Grell eventually ended up just glancing at the clock more frequently than she should have, praying that class would be over soon.

Grell looked over at William, noticing that his demeanor screamed the complete opposite of what she was experiencing. He sat in his seat with his back straight up, his calm, collected eyes attentively looking at the instructor as he went on. He only briefly looked down to jot information down, his hand moving in a graceful, efficient fashion as his pen made a small scratching noise on his notebook paper. Knowing him, William definitely had no problem absorbing information, no matter how difficult or boring it was. Grell concluded that she will never understand how he could do that.

But the struggling redhead soon came to find that it wasn't just her studious roommate who didn't seem to have any trouble paying attention. All of the students around her were also fixating their attention on the presentation while taking notes. Well, not all of them. There were a couple who were asleep in class. But even then, Grell knew enough about them to know that they were extremely studious as well. They were merely exhausted from the late night study sessions after working part time jobs. Even if they missed some information now, they could easily catch up.

With a sigh of defeat, Grell lowered her head to her desk. As she buried her face in her arms, she silently scolded herself over and over for skipping classes all semester. 

A wave of relief washed over Grell when the end of lecture came, initiated by the instructor's announcement reminding everyone of the homework due the next day. The chatter around the classroom rose as everyone stood from their seats and took their leave. 

Grell was in the midst of packing up her notebook and pen when William made a comment directly at her. "I see you've decided to come to class today." When Grell responded with silence, William continued. 

"Do you think you'll be able to catch up in time for finals?" He asked her.

Wide-eyed, Grell turned her head towards William at the speed of light. "FINALS!?" Her voice was loud enough to capture the attention of the nearby students around them. 

Unfazed and used to his roommate's dramatic antics, William nodded. "Yes. Finals are in just two weeks." 

Heart pounding against her chest, Grell's thoughts raced in her mind like a hurricane. There was no way finals were already this near. It still felt as though the semester had just started. 

"I've heard that exams with this particular instructor are quite difficult," William informed her. "If you don't catch up in time, then I'm afraid you'll struggle immensely. 

Grell closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Panic still ran up and down her body but when she opened her eyes again, a smirk spread on her face. "Well," she began. "I have no doubt I will catch up in no time."

"If you insist," William said.

"Well it appears that you underestimate a woman like me!" Grell whirled around and exited the classroom without looking back.

Grell trudged onto her next class. Since she and William shared that same class as well, the latter showed up very shortly after Grell arrived. But this time, they sat at opposite sides of the room. As soon as the clock ticked to the class's scheduled time, the lecture began. But Grell had a much harder time paying attention. She didn't bother even grabbing out her notebook. Instead, she stared down at her desk, distracted by her own thoughts. She desperately tried to wrap her head around how time had flown so fast. She really hadn't gone to class since the very beginning of the semester. And now she had to catch up on all of her assignments and studying to have a chance at passing.

"Well, it is two weeks. There is still a little bit of time," Grell told herself. It wasn't a lot of time, but it was much better that she found out now than the day before. She supposed she had her roommate to thank for that. Besides, it wouldn't be her first time cramming for an exam. She crammed in information at the last minute before and did just fine. Why would it be any different? Starting now, she would simply gloss over the material. As long as she forces herself to focus at maximum capacity, then she should have no problem learning the material taught over the semester. Having this plan helped ease Grell's nerves.

When the end of that class came, Grell and William didn't say a word to each other that time. Grell then went onto the one class that she and William didn't share: The one that focused on practical skills. She flew through that one with ease, providing a reminder that she was destined for field work. Thinking about customizing a unique, powerful death scythe filled her with grand excitement. She couldn't wait for the day she was stuck with the default scythe every reaper had to start with.

Thankfully for Grell, her practical skills course was the last class she had for the day. There was still plenty of time to kill before it got dark outside, so Grell decided to head to the main building on campus to grab lunch. However, in the far distance just by the main building's entrance, Grell spotted her ex-boyfriend, Ronald, leaning against the wall while chatting with another female student. He had a carefree, flirtatious smile on his face as if Grell didn't just catch him cheating on her the other night. Even from far away, Grell could vaguely see the bruises on his face that were gradually healing. Something told her that numerous people have asked him what happened, the ones who haven't witnessed the big fight at the time of their breakup. But it was most likely Ronald likely denied what happened, claiming that it happened at a victorious bar fight. 

Knowing him, Ronald lied to protect his own pride and ego. Not out of fear. Either way, it was clear he had already moved onto someone else.

The sight reminded Grell of how grateful she was to no longer be affiliated with that womanizing pig. But in the core of her gratitude was a growing ache in her chest. Grell could feel cracks forming in her heart until it shattered into a million pieces. Before she knew it, her blood began to boil. Her hands curled into fists. She wished that she could march right up to that blonde reaper and strike him in the face again, directly on the nose. After everything he had done to her. But Grell remembered that if what her roommate said was true, then she would be casted out of this university faster than she could say the word “Scythe”.

Appetite now long gone, Grell decided to not bother grabbing lunch. Instead, she turned and headed back to her dorm. She had loads of studying to do anyway. Not that she looked forward to it, but at this point, anything was better than fixating on the man who broke her heart. All Grell could hope was that someday, all of the women Ronald had ever cheated on would gather up in a single file line and slap him into oblivion. 

For the first time that day, Grell's lips curled into a smile. She had to admit that she found that imagery quite amusing.

Grell returned to her dorm. She noticed William sitting at his desk. His laptop laid on his desk in front of him, where he typed information on a document. All of his textbooks were scattered around on his desk too. It wouldn't faze Grell if he were at some point trying to read all of them at once. William briefly glanced over his shoulder when he heard the door open, then immediately fixed his attention back to the screen.

“Well, I see that you're not at the library today,” Grell commented as she kicked off her shoes, leaving them by the side of the door.

“Didn't expect you home so soon either,” William replied without taking his eyes off of the screen. “Hence why I came home sooner.” 

Grell let out an offended gasp. “Just what is THAT supposed to mean!?” 

“Whatever you want it to mean,” William said apathetically. “But whatever you need to do while you're here, I ask that you do so quietly. I have loads of work to do.” 

“Well, for your information, Will, I am going to be studying for the rest of the day.” 

“Okay.” 

“And despite what you may think, I will catch up before final exams,” Grell added.

“Good luck with that.” William typed faster, silently hoping that the blabbering redhead would stop talking already and let him work in peace.

But Grell just got defensive. With a finger pointed in William's direction, Grell declared, “Just you wait! Not only will I pass all of my classes,  but I will pass them with flying colors! So don't think for one second that you will still be the only A student in this room. I would watch it if I were you.” 

William turned in his chair to give Grell a disturbed look. He didn't understand where Grell's spewing nonsense was coming from. He hadn't said anything. He turned back to his work, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed tiredly, shaking his head. His roommate was already odd enough, but her behavior had certainly gotten more bizarre ever since that breakup. All he could do was hope that Grell would just quietly study for the rest of the day.

Without another word, Grell took a seat at her desk and gathered everything she needed. Fortunately, she still had the syllabus for each one of her classes that told her exactly which chapters to study. She quickly scanned over which chapters she needed to go over before officially getting to work. The first chapters she went over dated back to the earlier weeks of the semester, which wasn't entirely complicated to understand. 

Grell was grateful for her past self that she had at least gathered all of her assignments in a folder in one of her desk drawers so she was able to track them down easily. She finished the first few assignments with ease, and she figured that perhaps cramming may not be as painful as she thought it would be. 

But it wasn't long before she learned that she was very wrong.

Over the course of hours, Grell had come to find that as she went on with studying, the chapters she had to read got progressively longer. Not only that, but the assignments that paired with those chapters proved to be more time- consuming as well. Some assignments were simply answering questions, but others were full essays that required full demonstration of understanding. No matter how hard Grell tried, she had a much harder time wrapping her head around several concepts. It didn't help that her attention span fluctuated more and more.

Grell already knew that she was severely behind, but it was much worse than she thought. Since the class material was only getting harder, she doubted that two weeks would be enough to catch up. She didn't know what she was going to do, but whatever she did, she had to do it in the fastest, most efficient way possible.

Grell stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. At first, her vision was dark, but she realized that her face was planted on top of her open textbook. She lifted her head, rubbing the drowsiness out of her eyes as she sat up at her desk. Blinking slowly, she saw that the clock sitting on her desk read 7:30 PM. She had been asleep for hours now. 

The owner of the voice was William, who held two plastic cups sealed by a lid, one in each hand. He brought one of them towards Grell.

“What's this?” Grell sleepily asked, taking the cup. The hot liquid inside made it so that the cup's outer surface warmed Grell’s palm and fingers.

“Black tea,” William answered. “I went to the café closest to here. I grabbed one for myself, but figured you would like one as well.”

Grell took a sip. The tea was very hot, but not excruciating. There wasn't any sugar or cream added to it, allowing Grell to savor the herby bitterness.

“Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?” She asked William, who took a sip of his drink as well. 

“I suppose you can say that I'm impressed.” William shrugged.

A triumphant grin spread across Grell's face. One hand holding the tea, she used the other to make theatrical gestures as she spoke. “Why? Because a soon-to-be deadly efficient reaper like me will learn months' worth of uni in two weeks?” 

“No. Not quite.” 

“Huh?”

“It's not uncommon for students to wait until the last minute to cram for an exam or write an important paper just before the deadline. But you're a special case,” William explained.

“What is that supposed to mean!?” 

Unfazed by Grell's offended, venomous glare, William said, “Well, most of the students I'm talking about actually attend classes on a consistent basis. Even if they do, they do put off some studying and assignments. But you had only attended classes a handful of times at the beginning of the semester, only returning in the last two weeks. Yet you believe you'll pass.” 

“I will if I read everything!” Grell objected, narrowing her eyes at her roommate. “I still have a chance. It's you who is doubting me.” 

“Well, I had just witnessed you losing hours' worth of study time.” William used his free hand to re-adjust his glasses. “You studied for only a few hours only to fall asleep until now. That being said: I'm simply impressed at your determination at this point with your personal circumstances. I do hope that the studying you do goes well.” 

There was a moment of silence.

“Studying isn't going well, I'm afraid.” Grell let out a tired, sad sigh. “There are just mountains of information that I just can't contain! At first, it was easy. But it seems that the more I read, the more I lose other information like water leaking from an overfilled cup!” 

“That's what happens when you leave all of the studying for the last minute,” William simply said.

“Yeah, yeah, I know I brought this upon myself! No need to rub it in…” The redhead huffed in annoyance. 

“What were you working on anyway?” William asked. “Just before you fell asleep.”

“This.” Grell took the documents that were on her desk and held them up to show William. “Just these old assignments.” 

“Ah, I remember that one. That was due ages ago. If you're interested in my personal suggestion: Don't bother doing it. Or any overdue assignments for that class. Our instructor doesn't accept late work except for dire circumstances. Of course, you would know that if you actually went to class.” 

“You just enjoy lecturing me, don't you?” When Grell was met with a shrug, she slumped back in her seat. “I'm doomed, aren't I?” 

“Perhaps. But there is no need to take my word for it. Do you know what your exact grade is?” 

“No…” Grell admitted. “Just an A in practical skills.”

“I would email the instructors for the other classes if I were you,” William suggested. “If you talk to them, they would confirm where you are in the class and if you have a chance at passing or not. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my own work to tend to.” 

Grell watched as William turned and headed back to his own desk. He opened up his laptop and worked on his homework, periodically sipping at his own tea.

“Thanks for the tea,” Grell mumbled to him. The only reply she got was a subtle nod. She looked down at her desk, seeing the textbooks and papers that covered every inch of the surface. She had what seemed to be an endless amount of work to do, with a very limited amount of time. She supposed that she should be grateful that, at least, thanks to William, she knew that she no longer had to do the assignments. But that also meant that she wasn't going to receive any credit. Thus, how well she did on the exams dictated whether she passed or not. The information taught in that class was far from easy.

As William typed away at his own laptop, Grell took his suggestion and opened up hers. She sent a couple of emails, one to each instructor, to ask about her current grade. Since it was almost eight o'clock now, it was very unlikely that she would receive a reply tonight. So Grell silently spent the next chunk of torturous hours reading, going back and forth between textbooks, reading at a steady pace in hopes to retain information in an efficient time frame. However, Grell eventually called it a day at around two in the morning when she could no longer keep her eyes open.

Grell woke up the next morning, very much exhausted. Although she wanted nothing more than to remain in the bundle of her warm blankets and return to dreamland, she knew she couldn't skip class again. She begrudgingly dragged herself out of bed, noticing that William was standing in front of his bed, fully ready for the day. He was in the middle of slipping on his backpack. Grell glanced at her clock, seeing that there was still just over an hour before class started.

“Awake already?” Grell said.

William whirled around to look at her. “I've been awake.”

“Hold on… don't tell me you stayed up all night!”

“I did.” When Grell took a closer look, William's eyes did look the opposite of refreshed. “Thought I would get ahead of all of my assignments while I still could. That way, I have more time to study for exams.” 

“How did you manage to stay awake for that long!?”

“Simple. There is a café that is open twenty-four hours a day, every day. I walked over there and got more tea.” There was a small garbage bin right next to his own desk. It was filled with empty plastic cups.

“As of now, I've caught up on all of the assignments for the rest of the semester,” William went on. His voice was still monotonous, but Grell could still sense some pride in his tone. “Now, I'll head to class while the room is still quiet.” 

After William left, Grell got ready for the day. Just before she left, she remembered that She had sent emails to the instructors. She quickly went to her laptop that was still at her desk and opened up her email. Only one of them replied, confirming that he doesn't accept late work and that she currently has an F in the class. The only way she can pass the class is if she earns an A on the exam. But if she turned in the upcoming essay on time that was also worth an A, along with doing the rest of her assignments, then she would still pass. But she would still pass with a low score.

Although it didn't surprise Grell in the slightest, she had hoped for better news. There was hope that she would be offered extra credit, at least. But clearly, that wasn't the case.

Since the other instructor hadn't replied yet, Grell would have to speak to her in person today. 

Despite how much she dreaded it, Grell left for class and arrived just in time. Unlike yesterday, she didn't sit next to William, but behind him instead. As she tried once more to keep herself awake and attentive throughout the lecture, she noticed William yawning here and there.

As soon as class ended, Grell packed up her things and rushed to her next one. Those who witnessed her passing by could only see a flash of red. She accomplished her goal, having arrived several minutes early.

“Professor Belle!” Grell announced her arrival as soon as she sped into class. Her heels skidded on the ground as she abruptly halted in front of Professor Belle's desk.

“Hello… can I help you?” Professor Belle looked as though she didn't recognize Grell. It made sense, as this was only the second day she was here this week.

“Did you get my email last night?” 

“What's your name?” 

“The one and only… Grell Sutcliff, of course!” Even though she was slightly out of breath, that didn't stop her from performing her flamboyant introductions.

“Ah, Grell! Yes, one of my students this semester! Let's see here…” Professor Belle navigated through her computer until she found the email. “Here it is! Sorry I didn't see it. I've been trying to catch up on grading.” She skimmed through the email. “So you want to know what your grade is?” 

“Please,” Grell pleaded. “I know I've missed class, and I only have myself to blame. But I worry I won't pass.”

“I see…” Professor Belle exited out of the email and went onto the platform that displayed every student's grades. “Grell Sutcliff… it looks like you have an F here.” 

Even though it was what Grell predicted, it still pained her chest to receive that confirmation.

“I see… but do I have a chance at passing?” Grell asked hopefully.

“Maybe! If you pass the exam and catch up on your assignments! But remember that I only do partial credit on late assignments. And I do partial credit on most of them. You just won't pass with an A.”

“Oh, thank you!” Grell exclaimed sincerely. It was the best news she had heard all day. If it weren't for the fact that class was starting now, she would have reached over and pulled Professor Belle into a tight hug. She was kind of pretty, Grell had to admit… She wouldn't mind seeing her in certain crimson attire. 

Although the next two weeks were going to be painful, Grell now had a glimmer of hope. After her practical class, she grabbed a to-go lunch from the main building on campus. This time, with no sign of her ex-boyfriend anywhere. Though, he was the last of Grell's concerns at this point. She was willing to edit and re-edit an essay until she was certain it was optimal quality. 

When Grell went back to her dorm, William was already there. But his body was completely slumped forward on his desk. Grell carefully approached him, making sure that he was still alive by watching the fall and rise of his back. His head rested on top of his notebook, with some saliva slowly trickling down from the corner of his mouth. 

“He really sacrificed a whole night of sleep, just to have more study time,” Grell thought. Normally, she would sneer at him, looking at him with annoyance as she perceived him to be a boring man. Even if he was boring, that didn't change the fact that he spent all of his free time this entire semester not only making sure he completed all of his assignments, but made sure he created quality work. 

Grell, on the other hand, spent her time skipping class, putting off assignments, and spent late-nighters with a man who broke her heart in a way that made her feel repulsive on the inside to this day.

Finals were near, yet William got to sleep. On the other hand, Grell wasn't going to sleep much for the next two weeks, and her grades were now hanging by a thread. 

In other words, as much as Grell loved to envision herself as a powerful reaper in the future, it was really her roommate who deserved that title. He was the kind of person who would move up in the reaper community. The one with superior knowledge and leadership skills.

Grell considers waking him, but she figured that it was very likely that William had only meant to rest his eyes for a few moments before he drifted off. Instead, Grell grabbed a gray sweater that lay on his bed and draped it over his shoulders to keep him warm as he napped.