Whylight

12.

When Paul was finished getting dressed he began to look for Chris, finding the other boy in a room about three doors down from where he had been sleeping. It seemed that Chris lived in an apartment above the club along with his parents who to Paul's relief, seemed to have already left. Paul was sure that they were nice people, but he didn't really wish to explain to Chris's parents why he had been sleeping in their apartment the first time that he met them. That wouldn't make a very good first impression.

Pushing open the door to the kitchen Paul headed inside. Chris was already seated at an island and sipping at a flask but he looked up when Paul walked in and quickly licked his lips.

"Hello again darling," Chris said, nudging a bowl of cereal across the island towards Paul who sat down opposite him and accepted it gratefully. "Nice hoodie."

"Thanks. It was the closest thing to my usual pink that I could find," Paul explained, already eyeing his cereal. He dug his spoon in and immediately began to eat, which made Chris half smile.

"I see." Chris took another sip from his flask then looked Paul up and down. "You can keep it if you like. It suits you."

Paul froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth, glancing up at Chris.

"Oh. Well, thanks but would your dad not get--"

"It wasn't my dad's. It was mine, but I will admit it was getting a bit short on me. It looks better on you."

Paul felt his cheeks flush pink against his own will. Of course it made sense that the hoodie was Chris's, he was dumb for thinking that it had been anyone else's. But Paul wasn't sure why that embarrassed him.

"Okay... Thanks Chris."

"You're welcome Paul." Chris paused, tapping the edge of the flask against his chin and Paul was startled to notice that there was a faint smudge of pink beside the other boys lips. "I hope you slept well enough though, that room gets the worst of the noise from the club I'm afraid and Mama and Papa would have killed me if I had of disturbed them from their work to ask if you could have used their room so..."

"....Uh, no. No it was fine, I slept well. Thank you Chris."

"You're welcome Paul."

Paul's head was spinning and he hated himself due to the fact that it was mostly because it seemed that he had been sleeping in Chris's room, but he also was confused about the pink stain. He inwardly cursed himself for his own shitty eyesight as Chris got to his feet and put his flask in the sink.

"Ready to go then?"

"Huh?"

"To school Paul, unless you've decided against going that is."

"Oh....No, I'm ready."

"Very well. Allow me to find you a jacket."

Chris got up and Paul hesitated, watching as the other boy left the room before going to the sink. He unscrewed the lid of the flask then ran his finger around the rim of it, pulling it away only to inhale sharply and it was all that Paul could do to prevent himself from screaming.

It seemed that the flask had been filled with blood.