After classes ended the next day, I left immediately and roamed the halls looking for her.
Luckily... or unluckily, I ran into her with a group of other girls.
"Hey, my name is Madam Cantarella, I'm the chemistry and herbal survival professor here at the academy."
She and her friends stopped chatting to acknowledge me.
"Oh, hello," she said awkwardly.
"Could I have your name, too?" I inquired.
"Sure! My name is Star!" she answered cheerfully.
"I'm Gabby," the one to her left stated.
"And I'm Rocky," said the last girl. I wasn't interested in them but smiled anyway.
"I need to tell you something in private, Star... if that's okay?"
She hummed and looked to her friends for help deciding. They nodded, so she said,
"Yep, yep, I'll come with you!"
We walked off to the teacher's breakroom, which was empty since classes had ended for the day.
I was afraid Veil might pop up if I took her back to my classroom.
As soon as I closed the door, I began rambling about my findings, making sure she understood that her attachment to Veil is probably not even natural. She couldn't understand all the technical stuff but she did grasp my main point and muttered,
"I'm... addicted to Veil?"
I nodded to confirm. Her eyes welled up with tears.
"That's so scary... thank you for letting me know..." she mumbled quietly.
I brushed a tear from her cheek, and for some odd reason, I felt relieved or possibly... gleeful.
"I'm just doing my part and trying to keep you aware. You feel restless when you're apart and only satisfied when he's around, right? That's the drug."
Star's mouth quivered, then she pushed past me and said,
"I need to go."
Before rushing out the door.
I returned to my classroom then, and Veil was inside, working on a new gizmo.
I frowned, but I knew he'd receive his karma soon, so I didn't need to care about whatever it was he was making for that girl today.
"... You look excited," he commented, though he merely glanced at me.
I sat at my desk and let out some nervous laughter.
"Oh... I have plans tonight. I'm looking forward to it," I replied.
He twisted his screwdriver a few times, then said,
"... Why does it feel like you're lying to me?"
My heart jumped in my chest, then Veil looked up to meet my eyes. He stared into them deeply for what felt like an eternity, then, without another word, he packed up to leave.
I exhaled heavily. I can't wait until these darn side effects wear off.
I didn't see Veil at all for the rest of the week.
I wish I could get used to his absence... but these darn side effects are so persistent.
He showed up the next Monday with a scowl on his face. He then plopped down in his chair and banged his head on the desk.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" I shrieked.
"I'm fine," he muttered without moving a muscle. Anyone with eyes could tell that wasn't true.
"... You said we're friends, right? So talk to me," I urged.
Veil turned his head to look at me, and my pulse quickened.
"... I guess that's true. Some crazy b... person is spreading rumors about me. At first, I didn't care, but it's gotten annoying," he grumbled.
I couldn't suppress the smile tugging at my lips.
"What kinds of rumors?" I asked, while putting up my hands, covering my mouth, and hiding my joy.
"... Something like, I'm casting spells or mind control on people. I can't even use half of my powers because of the medication they have me on, so it's all bullshit," he muttered. He seemed to grow angrier as he talked about it.
"That does sound inconvenient... How did your girlfriend take it? I hope she didn't buy into these rumors," I commented.
"What girlfriend? Who do you keep talking about?" he muttered in an annoyed voice as he lifted his head from the desk.
"I... uh... I don't know her name, but you gave her the robot cat," I replied.
"Oh!... I forgot about her. That cat wasn't for her. I let her hold it, but I made it for my brother."
I felt a pang of guilt.
"... Does your brother like cats?" I asked shakily.
"He likes all animals. We're not allowed to have real pets here. So I designed it to mimic some mannerisms of cats, but it's mainly a transceiver so I can contact him from my room," he dug in his bag and pulled out another robot. It was around the same size as the cat, with big eyes, but it resembled a cute tree frog.
"This one is mine," he explained, and I felt my heart sinking.
"Since we can't have cellphones, I figured this would be the next best thing. I should be done by today," he added. Then he got up to put on his protective gear.
"My mistake... I just assumed... you wouldn't give a gift to someone you weren't dating."
"That's true," he agreed, "or my brother... I haven't even given Caster a gift, and he's my best friend," he remarked in a lighter tone.
He's successfully cheered himself up, but now I'm the one spiraling.
"So... you weren't seeing that girl at all?" I asked.
"Do you mean... casually?"
I blushed from the implication, and Veil smirked.
"No... she likes me, and stays in my circle of friends, but I've never done anything with her," he answered smoothly. I could tell he was being sincere.
"Not even a kiss?"
Veil chuckled, and his eyes met mine.
"You're so nosy for someone who already rejected me."
I swallowed hard. Veil then grabbed a few tools from the cabinet and returned to his seat.
"I haven't..." he mumbled while sitting down.
"... You haven't what?" I inquired. His cheeks darkened slightly, and he looked down at his project.
"I haven't even kissed her."
He sounded shy... I'd never seen him shy... and the only rational reason he might be shy talking about this... is because it's me. Perhaps he does have lingering feelings for me.
Why do I care? Why does that even matter?! Once he's gone, I'll need to study his saliva again to figure out how long this drug stays in my system.
"I'm going to find whoever is spreading rumors about me... soon," he commented while drilling something into the underside of his frog.
"... How?" I replied, feeling nervous all over again.
"I'll trace it back to the source... whoever it is... I know it's just someone trying to isolate or control me, and I won't let them get away with that," he muttered. Then he became intensely focused on his work and stayed quiet until it was time for him to go.
That usual twinge of sadness appeared when I watched him go.
I decided to get a drink before doing a deeper analysis of the chemical he produces. Ms. Emerald was there, lying across the bar as usual. When she saw me, she waved and said,
"Hi, Cat-face!"
I frowned.
"Don't frown at me, bitch. I'm being nice to you!" she slurred. I ignored her and ordered my drink to go.
"You... come here all the time... you drink more than me... why are you never wasted?" she muttered while tapping her shot glass on the counter.
I laughed off her statement dismissively.
"I can't get drunk, my powers automatically nullify anything that could alter..."
I paused... because I heard myself. I then rushed off to my room without grabbing my drink.
After analyzing the chemical, I found that its effects would only last three days, max. It can become habitually addictive, but has no harsh withdrawals or side effects...
And I... can only be affected by it for a few minutes at the most.
The reality is... I like him... I might actually love him, but I was looking for any excuse to escape that fact.
How did I get dumb enough to actually fall for him?! I wasn't even manipulated, and I fell for him anyway?! That makes no sense.
I didn't see him Tuesday... but he did come to the lab on Wednesday. Without a word, he placed his hands on my desk and looked into my eyes coldly. A shadow fell over his face when he finally said,
"... Cantarella... we need to talk. I'm sure you know why."
I think this is the first time he called me by my first name, without the honorific, or affectionately addressed me as just Madam.
I got chills, and instinctively I glanced at the door. Veil looked at it too, then walked over to lock it.
"Don't worry, we won't get interrupted, and... you won't be leaving," he mumbled. My worries intensified.
"What... do you want to talk about?" I asked, trying to hide how nervous I was.
"You. You already turned me down, so why are you spreading rumors about me?"
He leaned back against the door and folded his arms.
"I... was only... trying to make sure the people you were involved with knew the risks..." I stated defensively. Veil let out a bitter laugh.
"So... you gave someone, I'm not involved with, ammunition to ruin my actual relationships?" he remarked. I averted my eyes. "Do you know what Star said after she spread your rumor like wildfire?"
I bit my lip, but didn't reply, so he continued,
"She said... that she didn't care, that she'd accept me even if I was some sort of living drug. Star said, no one else would, so I should be with her."
Dang... I never imagined she'd use it like that...
"It only took a little pressing for her to tell me that she heard about my condition from you," he added finally.
How am I supposed to get out of this?!
"I'm sorry, but I thought she was your girlfriend!" I argued.
He was silent for several seconds.
"So what if she was? Do you think I'd purposely intoxicate people? Why didn't you tell me whatever it was that you'd discovered?... I had thought we were actually friends," he said softly.
"... I didn't think of that..." I admitted.
"Right... because you're just a jealous woman trying to control me. Not some concerned heroine."
His words stung. Veil laughed again.
"I really misjudged you," he began, "What was your goal? You can't bend your morals to be with me, but you don't want me to be with someone else either?... You're selfish."
I looked up and defended myself by shouting,
"What was I supposed to do?! You're my student!"
"... In two years, I'll graduate. I'll have to join the military, and you'd never see me again... This is the only time when we can be a couple. It's not even a taboo among the staff... you're the only one with such strict principles..."
As he spoke, he gazed at me as if I were something pitiful. I hadn't even considered that fact... Veil is too powerful to become a teacher. So all the reasons I've been pushing him away... were utterly pointless.
My eyes stung from holding back tears, then Veil shrugged and unlocked the door.
"It's fine... on the bright side, I handled all the rumors. My life will be back to normal soon, oh, and... I won't be needing your lab anymore."
After saying this, he left.
That's when I allowed myself to cry.