The Purple Flame (A Mephisto Pheles/Blue Exorcist Romance Novel)

Chapter 13

"You're getting home awfully late, young girl."

I close the door and jump onto my bed. "Shut up. I'll have you know I'm a woman."

"Not here, you're not." Shura says, rising up from her chair to come and sit on my bed. She flicks behind my ear. "Under Shura, everyone is a child."

"You wish," I laugh, burying my face into my pillow. "You are more of a child than I."

Shura laughs obnoxiously. "Am I really?"

She pushes me over so that my face is no longer in the pillow.

I grunt and sit up, knowing that going to sleep is not an option right now.

"I am far from a child. Where as you-" She pokes my shoulder. "Are falling in love like a child."

"You're kidding right?" I say, pushing her hand away. "I'm not falling in love with anybody."

"Oh, stop."

"Stop what?"

"Denying every damn thing I say!" She laughs. "I don't know anyone else who would spend hours on end with Mephisto, and anyone who does must be head over heels in love."

She draws out the word 'love'.

"Well, I find that anyone could spend long periods of time with him. I'm sure I'm not the only one."

Shura giggles, looking quite content with herself. Her eyes find me again, and her laughter stops.

"Whoa..." She touches my scar with her fingers. "What happened to you?"

My throat closes up and my body tenses up.

I'm not good at coming up with impromptu lies at all.

If I'm going to lie, it has to be well planned and thought out thoroughly.

"I... I kind of-"

"You and Mephisto sure have some nasty cat-fights." She laughs, rubbing at it with her thumb.

I can't help but slightly giggle, but I try to act natural. "I-I wasn't in a fight with anyone... you know how clumsy I am."

Shura rises from my bed and jumps onto the couch. "Oh, Judi. You aren't clumsy at all."

My face begins to heat up. "I-I can be!"

"Whatever." She says, yawning. "I don't know what I was thinking... Mephisto would never lay a finger on you like that."

That thought comforts me a little bit, but I pretend to ignore it.

"After all..." She yawns one last time and sighs. "You are quite the beard."

"Shut up, Shura." I say, softly.

I hear her laughter for a moment, but it quickly dies out.

~

"Wake up, you lazy ass."

I grunt and keep my eyes closed.

"I know you're awake. You aren't fooling anyone." Shura laughs, her voice still demanding.

"Since when are you getting up early?" I say with a raspy voice, slightly opening my eyes to see her hovering over the side of my bed with her arms crossed. She's already dressed and ready to go.

"Well," She grabs my blanket and throws it off of me. "Today's promotion day. The one thing about Yukio's class that I actually care to attend."

I grunt and try to get my blanket back, but she pulls it away farther. "Okay... why should I care?"