– I wish I could, but you see for yourself: this chick wants to spread its wings and fly away» replied his father. – But I still have a question.

I tensed up.

– Where will you live?

– Ugh… How you scared me! – I exclaimed with relief. – I've already been allocated a university flat.

– You have a whole flat all to yourself? You won't get lost in it? – jokingly asked Mscislav.

– I don't know how it's done… And anyway, you've already studied there, so you'd tell me! – I parried his joke.

– I am happy to tell you, but I think Maria or Mariszka will give you better advice.

In the evening, sitting in my bright and cosy room, I still couldn't believe that I had achieved what I wanted: I would go to England! I'll fly away from Poland! I'll fly away from my family! And there would be a new, grown-up, independent life!

«Thank you, Cedric. You helped me to become myself» I thought gratefully, suddenly remembering him.

2

That same evening I called Mariszka in Prague to share my happy news with her, but instead of congratulating me, she strongly insisted that I give up this «madness». Her voice disturbed me: there was bitterness and some tragedy in it.

– Mariszka, what's wrong with your voice? – I asked, deciding that her resistance to my trip had something to do with the sadness in her beautiful voice.

– The thing is… Though I don't think you need to know about other one's problems» she replied.

– Something with Markus? – I suggested. – Was it really that serious?

I didn't know anything about love relationships, but I knew about them from books and films.

– No, no! Markus and I are fine. It's not our relationship that's the problem.

– Then what is it?

– I'll call you later. Tomorrow… No, next week, but promise me you won't go anywhere!

– I've made up my mind, and to be honest, I didn't think you'd mind! Even Martin agreed! – I said grudgingly.

– Misha! – Mariszka sighed heavily. – The path you've chosen is scary and difficult. Besides, no one in the family is even thinking of going with you! You think it's so easy to live alone in human society and successfully hide? You can't do it!

– By the way, your husband's brother thinks otherwise!

– Cedric? What did he tell you? – There was alarm in Mariszka's voice.

I was surprised at the haste with which she said those words.

– He told me I could do anything» I answered shortly: my instincts told me I shouldn't have talked about Cedric too much, and I regretted bringing him into my sister's conversation.

Now she was going to give him the full scolding!

– Cedric! You're the one to listen to! – Mariszka said harshly, clearly angry.

– I don't know what you're angry about. – I was surprised, feeling irritated by this conversation.

– Exactly, that you do not understand! That's enough moralising for today. Now I'm going to call my parents and tell them not to let you go anywhere! Are they crazy or what?

– You wouldn't dare! – I shrieked, but she had already hung up.

Throwing the smartphone on the bed, I jumped out of bed and ran to my parents' room to somehow prevent them from changing their minds about my admission.

«Well, Mariszka! This is unimaginable! My own sister wants to put such a piggyback on me!» – I thought resentfully, knocking on my parents' room.

But there was no answer. I listened: I couldn't hear their voices anywhere in the house. So they had gone somewhere.

«What shall we do? Mariszka will ruin everything!» – I thought with despair.

I went back to my room, sat down on my bed, hugged my knees, and was ready to cry with resentment at my sister: I was very upset, lost, did not know what to do now. I was unbearably bitter at my own fate of being forever bound to my parents' house, like a convict to a stone that would not let him escape. All my joy was killed by one phone call. And to whom? My favourite sister!

But as soon as the first tears rolled from my eyes, I hurried to wipe them away and pull myself together, lest any of my brothers or Maria come running to comfort me.

That was the inconvenience of being a vampire: it was impossible to feel free among my siblings, because they could hear my every word, my every breath, even my whispers. And that was another reason I wanted to leave home: I longed to just sit in my room or close myself in the bathroom and cry quietly. I couldn't afford that luxury at home, because I was in the palm of my hand.

I dialled Mariszka's number again, praying that she would answer the phone.

– Yes, Misha? Is something wrong? – I heard her voice.

– Yes, something's wrong! I'm begging you, I'm begging you! Don't call your parents! – I pleaded desperately.

– Oh, that's what you mean… I'm glad you called again, because Markus heard our conversation and told me to stay out of your life, so it wouldn't be like…» She cleared her throat loudly, clearly not finishing something.

– Your habit of not finishing things is a little annoying» I said, intrigued by her words.

– It's nothing. I wanted to tell you this before you run off on your own. Just please be careful, and don't ever come into contact with people, ever, apart from your studies. Don't make any mortal friends, and in general, don't socialise with them, because mortals are the real evil.

«I wonder why Mariszka disliked people so much» – I wondered, because she used to say that people were food, but not evil.

– In that case, too, I can reassure you: I'm not going to do that! Not since-» I almost said: «Cedric advised me» but I corrected myself, «ever since Martin told me about the incident in Chicago, I haven't had the slightest desire to talk to them. And I'm prepared to be thought of as an arrogant fool or a bore.

Mariszka laughed.

– If you want that you definitely no one to communicate with you, be hysterical: to the nerds are attracted to the same kind, and hysterical ones hate their kind, – she said.

It was like a huge stone fell from my soul. And I was so moved that I put my right hand to my rib cage. Of course, it's a bad habit to express my emotions so directly, but I couldn't help it, so my hand went to my rib cage when I felt tenderness, or saw cute animals, or watched heart-wrenching films, or listened to the same music.

– Well, I've always been good at being hysterical» I grinned. – Don't worry about me, I know what I'm doing. Say hello to Cedric from me and tell him that I got into Oxford!

Mariszka didn't answer anything.

– Hey, are you still there? – I asked, not hearing her answer for a minute.

– Yeah, yeah. Just thinking. All right, go to your England, but watch me! And study hard!

– Well, I can't promise that, as this is the first university of my life,' I said. – But I'll do my best.

– And call me often! And now I'm sorry, but I have some urgent paperwork to do.

– Then I won't bother you. And thank you for understanding.

– But please, Misha, don't make us all regret it later.

– You won't regret it. And no one will regret it. And when I have free time, I'll fly to Prague to see you.

– Okay, we'll talk about it. Bye!

– Bye! Say hi to Cedric for me!

I switched off and quickly ran to Maria’s room to ask her to tell me about her life and her studies in Oxford.

The world was getting colourful again, and I was already dreaming of stopping by my university flat and meeting my roommates. Of course, I wasn't lying about not talking to people (well, trying to), but roommates are a different matter! You can't live in one flat and not talk to them or even say hello to them!

And the things? What kind of things do I need to take with me to live in this female anthill? I didn't know much about what a 'university flat' was and how it functioned: my knowledge of it came from youth films and TV series. What kind of clothes are worn in Oxford? How do students get to the university? Do they need a car or can they get there by bicycle? All these questions occupied me, giving me a thrill and a thrill: it would be a completely different life!