Vampire Blood

College Feud

"Hey, you're back!" Josh beamed at me from his cross sitting position on the bed. That cute smile it's not gonna work now.

"I need to know what you're putting in that fertilizer." I walked straight to the bed and Kirin got up immediately.

"I can't, I can't give you the formula we're using." Josh picked his notebooks and held them to his chest like his life depended on them.

"Why not? Are you adding something you shouldn't?"

"Easy there." Kirin placed a hand on my chest, stopping me from getting any closer to Josh.

"Okay, okay, sorry." I lifted my hands and stepped back. "Josh it is extremely important that you tell me now if you're making something dangerous." I asked, joining my hands in a plea.

"No... No!" He stuttered. "Of course not!"

"Do you think he's a terrorist?"

"No, I'm not saying that- I just need to know if-" I stopped to think, passing around under Kirin's murderous eyes. "Is there any possibility that someone might have changed the formula without you knowing?"

"The lab is open for all college students, even someone as stupid as Seth could've done something to it." Kirin answered not giving Josh room to speak.

"Am I in trouble?" Josh held onto Kirin's arm.

"No, no, no, honey, but when the police-"

"The police?" Josh shouted alarmed, clinging even harder to Kirin, who shoulder him from me without hesitation.

"You'll be fine, I promise." I tried getting closer to Josh but Kirin wasn't having it. He kept me away with a hand between us. "Just tell the police what you told me." I didn't step any closer. Kirin wouldn't let me anyway.

"You should leave."

"I can help you." I said, trying to look past Kirin's shoulders to get to Josh. "If you had nothing to do with it and even if you did, you probably didn't know, right?"

I hoped and prayed to God that he wasn't involved but I couldn't know for sure. All I know at the moment is that he's terrified, he's looking sicker by the second.

"I don't know... maybe someone messed with it, I -" He hunched over the bed with a hand on his mouth and the next thing I saw was his half-digested lunch on the floor, bits of it splattered over Kirin's shoe.

He didn't move one inch to avoid getting covered in vomit, instead he patted Josh's back as he kept gagging over the floor.

I found someone to clean the vomit and a fresh hoodie out of the donation box for Kirin. I got them both to settle down before questioning Josh again.

"I can ask the doctor to give you something for the nausea." I offered in an attempt to wave off the tension still lingering in the room.

"I'm good." Josh responded from the bed, holding onto a water cup for dear life.

He kept glancing at the door. At first I thought he was waiting for Kirin to come back from the bathroom but the more he looked the more I was beginning to think that maybe he was assessing his escape route.

The door swung open but instead of Kirin's brown angry eyes, Hilal's red terminated ones came through.

"You got me a good one now, I hope." Hilal looked at Josh over his chin with the same disdain he looks at every criminal he apprehends.

I could sense Josh fight or flight response kick in. I signaled Hilal to stay by the door and grabbed a stool to sit closer to Josh.

"Josh, kids are dying, if you know something you have to tell us." I tapped his leg gently.