Page 21

slushies and apologies

I made my way to the bathroom to wash blood off my hands–someone had pissed me off on the train to school that morning–when Reaper came out of the girl’s bathroom and paused in front of me.

It had been a week since the Vicary’s statements came out and to my dismay, it looked like Reaper wouldn’t be going back.

She glanced down at my hands, then back up at me. “Are you alright?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

Her eyes lowered as she laughed.

Before she could get past me, I asked her. “Are you?”

She avoided my eyes and whispered, “always.”

I took her hand and pulled her into the restroom, forcing her to face the mirror. “How do you see yourself?”

She met my eyes through the mirror. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m curious to know what’s going on in your mind.” I want to know you.

Her eyes shifted down to meet her own, but she quickly looked away. “I think you may have mistaken me for someone else,” she muttered. “I’m just wasting your time.”

“Okay, then, waste it,” I said. “Tell me something no one else knows about you.”

She hesitated before she finally answered. “I—um, I really like slushies, I guess.”

“Why?”

“I like that it’s cold. ”

“Not the taste?”

“I don’t quite care for taste.”

Turning on the tap, I washed my hands. “Does no one know that about you?”

“I mean, some people know.”

“I said something no one knows.” I applied more soap.

She washed her hands as well, as when I touched her, I smeared the blood onto her. “There's really nothing to know about me.”

“Honestly, anything.”

She let out a small breath, drying her hands with some paper towels. “Why don’t you tell me something that no one else knows about you first?”

“Okay.” I thought a bit. “I get detention every day because when I leave school I’m reminded of what I do and what I’ve done.” Deep, but I want her to tell me something more personal.

“You don’t like what you do?”

“I do, but I want to feel normal sometimes.” I dried my hands. “Your turn.”

She looked at the stalls, but they were all empty. I checked when we went inside. “I have a really bad memory.”

“Yeah?”

“Sometimes I find myself in a different place and time has passed.”

“Is that scary?”

She shook her head. “It usually happens when something bad is happening.” Then she met my eyes with genuine curiosity. “So maybe it’s a good thing?”

“Your mind is protecting you?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I guess it is.”

What is so bad her mind has to protect her from it? I’m not sure she would tell me if I asked .

“Did you watch the interviews?”

Reaper let out another breath, expectant of my question.

“How are you feeling about it?”

“Doesn’t matter how I feel. They said what they said.” She didn’t look at me as she spoke, not wanting to discuss it further, especially not with me. Reaper looked to the door. “I should probably go to class.”

I nodded. “Yeah, same.” And we walked out together. “Thanks for taking care of me while I was drunk.”

She laughed at the memory.

“I’m surprised you didn’t draw on me.”

“No one had a marker.” She gave me a teasing smile. “But I think you embarrassed yourself enough with all your rambling.”

Oh, no. “What did I say?” I don’t think I want to know.

“We were sitting on the sofa.” She started in a low voice, taking my hand.

“You put your hand here.” She adjusted it so it was around her neck, her back pressed into my chest, reenacting the memory.

“And you muttered into my ear, ‘louder. I want everyone to hear you. I want them to know you’re mine.’”

“I didn’t…” I paused. I had absolutely no explanation for my words, nor could I come up with an excuse.

She removed my hand and stepped away to face me. “It wasn’t meant for me, was it?”

“No,” I lied. “I was thinking about someone else.”

Yeah? Who bloody else, Hyacinth? Idiot…

Reaper nodded, avoiding my eyes again.

“And what we did,” I started. “We shouldn’t have done that. We were both intoxicated.”

“It meant nothing,” she said. “ I know.”

Before she left, I had to know. “Did you follow me home?”

“Of course I did. You could barely open your eyes.” She paused, smirking. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone where the great Vulture lives.”

***

During lunch, I left school grounds for the nearest convenience store. It was our longer break, so I had a bit of time. I bought a slushie and walked back, joining my classmates in history, finding Reaper already sitting at her desk, her head down in her arms.

I set the slushie down next to her water and she opened her eyes to look at it. My hands rested on the table on either side of her, and I leaned down close to her ear. Our classmates turned to stare, but I ignored them.

“I’m sorry for the things I said before. I actually kind of like talking to you,” I whispered for only her to hear. “You’re interesting.”

She’s not boring, she’s just closed off. She spent four years hiding, of course she’s forgotten how to have normal conversations with people her own age.

“Did you poison this?” she asked in a tired voice.

I took a sip to prove it. “No.” Poison was a boring way to kill people, and she deserved a more memorable and exciting death.

Reaper turned the cup in her hands, sitting up, and I followed her movements. “What do you want from me?”

“Nothing,” I replied, moving her hair to one side of her shoulder, revealing her slender neck, her red inked tattoo behind her ear, and I was tempted to bite that very spot.

“Then why are you being so nice to me?”

“I’m not nice. I just don’t want people touching my things.” Especially if they don’t appreciate and value her.

She shook her head. “I’m not yours. ”

I smirked, glancing at the silver chain I had just placed back around her neck after moving her hair. She still hasn’t realised it. “I wrote my name on you once. Do I need to make it permanent?”

“You know I have a bad memory.”

Bloody hell.

I couldn’t stop myself from biting her neck, exactly where her tattoo was. She sucked in a breath, quickly putting her hand over her eyes, and I felt the glares of those witnessing it.

I wondered if she knew what this meant. How intimate biting another's neck was in Stygian culture. Among Demons, it was a way of claiming a significant other–not that, that was what I was meaning by this–they drew blood to secure the bond.

“Hyacinth,” she sighed, and my heart stopped.

My smile grew as I muttered into her neck. “You drive me bloody insane, Celestine.” I pulled away, acknowledging the small mark I left on her soft skin.

I finally won.

Before I could get far, she grabbed the sleeve of my shirt, stopping me. Her eyes stared at the floor, but I noticed a soft red glow in them. “You said my name.”

Did I? Shit. Now she’ll be more difficult to kill if I ever decide to. Niko used to say it was best I didn’t know the names of the people I killed, otherwise it would give them a history and life that I decided to end. “What of it?”

She smiled and released me.

I stood upright and was faced with the teacher, who stood ready to give me a detention slip. I’m pretty sure the teachers already had my name pre-written on them. I took the slip and took my seat next to Iri’s while our classmates murmured, whispering about us.

“What was that?” Iri asked.

I shrugged .

“You’re getting a bit bold, Cinth,” Lin teased.

Jamiel turned in his seat. “Did she taste good?”

Yeah, she bloody did. “Shut up,” I muttered. “I just said some mean things to her yesterday.”

“You felt guilty?” Jamiel raised a brow. “You? Hyacinth Kolden? No way.”

I rolled my eyes and cursed at him. I didn’t feel guilty, that’s not something I’m able to feel, but I didn’t want her feeling bad over stupid things I said to her.

My friends exchanged looks with each other, and I glanced over at Reaper, her eyes were turned down, but she finally took the first sip of the slushie.

***

As I walked up the stairs, my friends behind me, I spotted Reaper at the top walking towards us. She hadn’t noticed me yet, occupied with whatever conversation she was having.

Then her eyes met mine, and I gave her a smirk.

Her mouth parted as if to say something, but then she missed a step, her friends screaming on her behalf. I was quick to grab her before her body could impact with the steps. I don’t know why I caught her, usually I would have just watched and laughed.

I had one arm around her waist, while her hand gripped onto my other hand. She breathed a curse in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I want to make her say that again. Exactly how she said it.

“Smooth.” Iri laughed.

“How the bloody hell did you get up there so fast?” Lin asked from below.

I ignored them, muttering in a low voice. “Reaper is surprisingly clumsy.”

“You distracted me,” she admitted in the same volume, holding onto my hand for dear life as she found her footing. Her friends helped her pick up the things she had dropped.

“You need to concentrate walking down the stairs?” I mocked .

She shot me a glare.

“Are you okay, Cel?” one of them asked, handing her books back to her.

Reaper was quick to change her expression back to neutral and nodded at her friend with a slight smile. She took her things, holding onto my hand, and I waited until she felt ready to let go of me. I should have just taken it back, but I didn’t.

Another one of her friends piped up. “We should get to class.”

“Yeah, we don’t want to be late again,” another said.

Celestine locked eyes with me, waiting for something, but I wasn’t sure what. Then her gaze shifted down to our hands, tangling them together, as if testing something. My heart raced against my chest, but before I could pull back, she released me, leaving with her friends.

“You’re bloody welcome,” I called after her.

“I didn’t ask you to save me. I don’t owe you anything.” She flipped me off.

I smirked.

“Sheesh,” Jamiel said. “It’s like watching a movie.”

My friends laughed, and I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.” Then we headed up to our last class of the day.