Kill of the Night [BXB]

Chapter 27

My first period starts, and my mind drifts back to the Springfield situation. I don't like risking my identity, but I guess if Tardus and Sascha trust Ryan, then I can too. Hopefully. Maybe. Also, Marcel might know I'm joining them, and if he does, he definitely gave the go-ahead. It's at least a little reassuring to consider that, but it's only an if, and there's still an excited murmur in my head that wants me to believe it'll all go wrong. Hell, maybe the school will get shot up and they'll frame me.

I tear my eyes from where they've been glued to on the whiteboard and look at Tao's paper. He's doodling sushi in one corner, and I take the time to watch. Time drags by. Tao starts making a four-course meal on his paper.

A muffled wham tears me from my focused stare. The sound rattles off the lockers and sends a stone of fear rolling down into my gut. The teacher jumps and goes to close the door, but the bell stops her. She gives up and heads back before the first few people can run her over. I hurry to put my stuff away and stand to leave. I approach the door, and I feel a sickening dizziness that almost makes me lose my balance.

I see white. An unseen knife is driven into my heart, and I would have collapsed had I not experienced so much pain in recent weeks. I grab onto the wall and turn out of the way, feeling my shoulder meet metal. It's hardly painful, though, in comparison to the scorching hell that whirls mockingly in my stomach. My knees feel numb and strengthless, and I go down with a dull thud. I wrap my arms around my stomach in a pathetic attempt to shield myself, but the pain broils internally, deep beneath in a place I can't reach.

Someone touches my shoulder. "You alright, my dude?"

My vision clears, but the pain remains. I inhale and force the air out, steadily pushing myself up with the wall. I see Sascha walk around me, into view, and he's got a disconcerted look on his face, with a backwards draw in the corners of his mouth and twin wrinkles between his brows. I see the flash of a varsity jacket behind him, and he's shoved aside. I see dirty blond hair and flashing blue eyes, and I feel the breath get knocked out of me. In an instant, every ounce of agony is replaced with an addicting bliss, and that blissful smell surrounds me, sending butterflies flitting around my stomach. Rion buries his face in my neck and inhales deeply, and I feel his hand find my curls. He holds me in place, and we breathe together, and I feel and hear nothing except for us together.

Rion pushes me away. My back hits the lockers, and I stare in shock, feeling low, aching pain settling down once again. I see a red splotch on his face, but he whirls around and barges through the crowd before I can get a good look at it. Sascha grumbles something and snatches my arm, pulling me out of my stupor, and he yanks me in the opposite direction to our next class. I follow hesitantly, confused and somewhat hurt.

My second period drags on. I'm impatient and distracted, and even Sascha's nudges to my side do nothing. More than ever, Rion invades my thoughts and settles down for the night, and I know it'll be at least hours before I see the dawn again.

After what feels like a century, and certainly must have been by the teacher's slow descent into mindless droning, we're dismissed to lunch. I leap out of my chair so hard I bang my knee, but I'm too restless to care. After this, I can see Rion at the football game, and maybe I can even corner him afterwards. Sascha fumbles to follow me, and I dodge students as I head out of the classroom and into the busy hallway.

"Yo, slow down, seriously," Sascha says in my ear. I don't pay an ounce of attention to him.

The cafeteria is bright and airy. It smells faintly like chips and the indescribable amalgamated smell of hundreds of days of high school lunches. I slide into my seat at the art table, and Sascha barely sits his ass beside me before I see pink clawed hands slam down on the table. I jump.