Chapter 6
Over the next few days, Christopher hung out with Kevin and me every afternoon. While Kevin never completely got over his dislike of Christopher, he began to get used to him. Christopher was quiet and moody. But, he was a good conversationalist. He wasn’t as open and witty as Kevin, but he has a less obtrusive sense of humor that almost always made me laugh.
The day before our presentation, the two of us sat in the library polishing our Powerpoint. I finished typing, giving a sigh of relief as the spell check told me that I spelled everything right. Looking over my shoulder as I exited the program, Christopher said happily, “We should celebrate. The new Bond came out last week. We should go see it.” Smiling at me, he added, “I know you have been wanting to see it for ages.”
I laughed. “Too true. But, we’ve been working on this stupid project. Let’s go tonight. Should we go to Regal?” I asked, naming the nearest theatre.
“Sure,” Christopher said, “I live near it, so it’d be a quick jaunt for me.”
“Really?” I asked, looking up quickly. Though we had become friends, Christopher had told me little about himself. I knew that he was born in Georgia and had lived in New York most of his life, but I knew little else. He smiled, and I knew that he understood the source of my excitement.
Teasing, he added, “Play your cards right, and I just might give you a tour.” I grinned, turning to call Kevin. As I dialed, I told him, “I think Kevin had class tonight, but we can still go.”
Sure enough, Kevin was just leaving his room to meet with his study group for class that night. “I have Statics again, but you two should go. I don’t really want to see it.” He didn’t really enjoy the Bonds as much as I do. “They all seem the same to me.”
I laughed, asking, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he said quickly. “But, we have to play pool tomorrow night, to celebrate together. I’ll bring Jeremiah.”
Looking at his computer, Christopher said, “There’s a six thirty showing. Let’s meet at six twenty at the front.”
I agreed, saying bye to Kevin and gathering up my stuff. Looking at my watch, I jumped up. “I have to go to Genetics,” I called over my shoulder as I ran off. I smiled at the prospect of watching the next Bond as I ran to class.
Chapter 7
That night, I met Christopher at the Regal. Only a few minutes late, we had time to grab popcorn before the coming attractions. Staring at the big screen as I saw previews for an assortment of terrible looking movies, two action, two horror, and one about penguins. The theatre was almost empty, but the sound of various voices critiquing the coming attractions reverberated around the room.
“Shhh,” Christopher told the group behind us as the first scene started. I turned to see Josh and his friends staring at Christopher.
“Do I know you?” Josh asked Christopher rudely.
“No, but-“ Christopher started to say.
I cut him off, looking at Josh and saying, “Josh. Shut up.” He turned to look at me, his eyes momentarily widening with surprise. He sneered at the Christopher, and I knew what he was thinking.
“So, you need a girl to fight your battles for you?” he asked Christopher. Christopher bristled slightly at the implication that he wasn’t masculine, but he smiled after a moment. He started to reply, but I cut him off again.
Grabbing Christopher’s arm, I leaned over to Josh and told him quietly, “He’s more of a man then you ever were.” I raised one eyebrow and gave Christopher a quick grin. Josh’s face filled with shock as I kissed Christopher on the cheek, whispering, “Sorry about that.” Christopher’s skin was soft and he smelled good, like the air after it rains. For the first time, I noticed how attractive Christopher really was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Josh stand up and move to the back row, dragging his friends along with him. I smiled at Christopher, returning to my seat. “Let’s watch the movie.” I felt his eyes on my face for more than a minute before he turned back to the screen.
The previews had just finished when the chaos started. Night became nightmare as the theatre was plunged into blackness, except for an unidentified flickering. Looking around, I saw smoke pouring out of the projection room. Flames leaked out of the booth, casting an eerie light down upon the audience. Fire alarms blared, urging everyone to evacuate the building. Christopher started pushing me towards the exit, but I couldn’t resist looking to the back of the theatre, at Josh. There, I saw Josh in trouble. The flames had dripped from the booth, falling onto his jacket, melting it onto his skin. The combination of heat and pain had made him pass out. Even though I severely dislike the guy, I would never wish what I saw on anyone.
“Josh!” I exclaimed, noticing that the flames were starting to spread. Terrified, his friends ran off.
Christopher saw the worried expression on my face, and told me, “Stay here.” I watched as he rushed over to Josh. The fire reached spread more and more, catching his jeans on fire. Christopher grabbed him, swinging Josh up onto his back. We rushed out of the building, making sure that everyone else was out safely. As soon as we cleared the door, I pulled my jacket off and started beating out the flames on Josh and Christopher. The fire had spread, engulfing Josh’s pants and Christopher’s jacket. I put the fire out quickly, but it was obvious that Josh’s skin would have serious damage. Christopher seemed virtually unharmed.
The three of us were quickly hustled away by the firemen that came to put out the rest of the flames. We made sure that Josh made it safely to the ambulances before leaving. I suggested to Christopher that he should have a medic make sure that he wasn’t hurt, but he refused, telling me that it was unnecessary.
“I’m fine, and people that got seriously injured, like Josh, need the help more than I do.” I sighed, and he added, “I’m completely fine. Trust me.” I did.
Christopher walked me to my car, intent on making sure that I was uninjured too. When we got there, I stopped and turned to him. “Thanks for getting Josh out of there,” I told him. “I know he isn’t one of your favorite people.” I put my hand on his arm in a gesture of sincerity. Christopher let out a hiss of pain, making me look up. “What’s wrong?” I demanded. Looking closely, I saw his shirt was singed, and that the skin underneath was probably burned. “Someone should take a look at that!” I exclaimed.
I turned to go back to the medic, but Christopher stopped me. “I’m fine,” he said quickly.
I could see the pain on his face, and the burn looked like it could easily get infected. I could tell that he didn’t want to go back to the paramedics to get checked out. “At least let me look at it,” I said. “I have some experience with burns, and I’m not leaving without making sure you’re ok.” I paused, not sure what he would say.
“Fine,” he said after a pause. “Follow me.”
Chapter 8
I was surprised by how big his apartment was. While I had never though Christopher was poor, I hadn’t though him to be so well off. His decorations, while lacking consistency, were unique and entertaining. I saw painted paper lanterns, a small metal fountain, and a painting of an ominous looking bird. He ushered me around, showing me the kitchen, living room, and bedroom that made up the apartment. “I promised to give you a tour,” he reminded me, wincing. I laughed as he led me to the bedroom. I gasped as I walked in. The entire room was painted midnight blue, and the comforter matching the walls. The dresser and bed were a pale wood, almost white. The contrast between the two was startling, making the furniture glow in the darkness. A gigantic bookshelf, similarly colored, was completely filled with books. Looking closer, I saw that the titles ranged from Sophocles’ Antigone to Hemmingway’s The Sun also Rises to the entire Michael Crichton collection. Movie posters were scattered around the walls. I smiled as I saw Blade, T2, Aliens, Bond, Star Wars, Highlander, and a few others.
I paused for a moment before remembering my task. I pushed him onto the bed, commanding, “Wait here.” I pulled open one of the two doors, hoping it led to his bathroom. I r
ushed in and started searching for a first aid kit. The medicine cabinet housed his toothbrush, toothpaste, and aspirin, but no first aid kit. Returning to the bedroom, I asked where it was. I was surprised to learn that his first aid kit was in his bedside table.
“I’ve just never met anyone that didn’t keep their first aid kit in the kitchen or the bathroom,” I said, explaining my reaction. He smirked at me as I added, “Not that it’s a bad thing.” I smiled. Grabbing the box, I jumped on the bed. “Now,” I commanded. “Let me get a good look at you.” Without any hesitation, he pulled off his shirt.
His skin was paler then I had expected, just light enough to cause the burnt skin to stick out. His upper body was impressive, indicating occasional use of a gym. What surprised me the most were the scars. He had two on his back and one on his right bicep.
One consisted of four dots, side by side horizontally, just below the nape of his neck, and another ran across his left shoulder, going from the neck to the edge of the shoulder. I traced that one lightly with my finger, causing Christopher to jump slightly. His hiss of pain reminded me where my focus needed to be.
The burn started at his right shoulder blade and spread all the way up to just above his collarbone. The skin was red and felt hot as my fingers brushed against the edge of the burn. The shoulder sported the most damage, while his left hand just had a small burn on his palm. I rushed back to the bathroom, soaking a towel in cool water and grabbing a dry one. Kneeling next to him on the bed, I carefully applied it to the burn on his shoulder, trying to cool down the burn.
After about a minute of this, I removed the towel, drying the wound with the second. I opened his first aid kit, looking for topical burn cream. There was a small foil packet sporting the title “Burn Relief”. I tore it open, applying it to the shoulder. Finally, I taped some gauze over the top, trying to make sure the cream would stay in contact with the skin. Looking at the small singe on his left hand, I asked, “Do you have any aloe vera?” His questioning look asked me to clarify, so I added, “Like for sunburns.”
“No,” he replied. “I don’t really have problems with sunburns.” Seeing my worried expression, he added, “But, I can pick some up at the store.” He smiled.
“It’s a green gel that has little bubbles in it,” I told him. “It’ll probably be in with the suntan lotion.” I slid off the bed, standing next to him. “You can put your shirt back on now. You must be cold,” I said blushing at the sight of his bare skin.
“I’m fine, I don’t really get cold,” he said, looking sharply at me. “But, I’ll put my shirt back on if it makes you uncomfortable.” He looked intently at my face, searching for a reaction.
He got one. My blush deepened as I tried to explain. “No, I don’t. It’s just… I thought you might be cold.” I thought of Christopher and Kevin as my brothers, but the reaction I was having to seeing his bare upper body made me think of Christopher as something completely different. “But, since you’re not cold, there’s no need to put your shirt back on.” I took a deep breath, taking back control of my face, “Besides, it smells like smoke.” I grinned, heading back to the medicine cabinet to grab the aspirin.
After giving him a few of the tablets from the bottle, I walked towards the door. “Well, it’s been… interesting. You should get some rest, if you want to heal quickly.” Opening the door, I added, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I practically ran out of the room and down the stairs, thoughts racing through my head. Since I accepted Christopher as a good person, I had always thought of him as a friend, almost a brother. But, seeing him without a shirt on sent new images flying through my head. I committed the ultimate friends taboo, thinking of the possibility of turning a best friend into more than a friend. However, I knew that, thought I pictured it, such an event would never happen. Christopher didn’t think about me in that way, and I would never act on my feeling for fear of risking our friendship.
Chapter 9
Once I got back to the campus, I slowly walked to my room, reveling in the silence. On my way up the stairs, I noticed a flier for a party the next weekend. “Halloween in February!!!” screamed the bold font on the bright orange page. I’d heard of and participated in Christmas in July celebrations, but I’d never even imagined taking another holiday and doing something similar. Smiling to myself, I resolved to take the flier to Christopher and Kevin the next morning when I saw them for breakfast. Catching sight of myself in the mirror on one of the doors, I grimaced and headed to grab my stuff to take a shower before bed. After the stress of the day, I knew I would drop off right away.
I stood just outside of Christopher’s apartment, debating whether or not to go in. Uninvited and possibly unwanted, I had shown up to tell Christopher how I really felt about him. Pacing back and forth, I saw a piece of paper slide underneath the door with my name written on it. I picked it up and opened it to see Christopher’s neat script. “Come on in,” it read. I made up my mind and pushed open the door. The apartment had lost none of the splendor of the other time I had visited. Walking in, I saw lit candles and two place settings on the table. A small white vase on the counter held a single white rose. A card sitting next to it bore my name in beautiful black script. I opened the door to Christopher’s bedroom to see him standing there, waiting for me. He pointed to the wall closest to the door. Turning around, I saw that he had added an Underworld poster to his collection. I smiled, and he pulled me towards the table.
He served me freshly grilled steaks, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Unable to believe what was happening, I asked him, “How did you know I was coming?” “I just knew. This is where you belong, after all,” Smiling, he grabbed my hand. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while.” He stood up, pulled me up out of my seat, and kissed me long and hard. For a moment, I was frozen with shock. Then, I started to kiss him back. After a minute or so, I pulled away. “Christopher,” I started to say, but he cut me off, commanding, “Open this.” He pushed a black box bound by a white ribbon across the table. I hesitated before pulling the satin ribbon, undoing the bow. I lifted the lid to find a knife that bore a tag stating that it was handmade. Confused, I turned to look at Christopher, but he was gone. In his place sat Kevin. He reached across the table, grabbed the knife, and turned to look at me. “Why don’t you just shove this in my heart? It would hurt less,” he said. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the blade into his chest. I could see the blood spreading up his white shirt, turning it deep red.
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to block out the sight of one of my best friend’s death, but someone else sat in his place. I had never seen this man before, but his piercing black eyes seemed like they could look into the depths of my soul. His shirt was bright red, matching the blood soaked garment Kevin had just been wearing. He was unbelievably gorgeous. His teeth were perfect, and his shaggy brown hair looked straight out of a fashion magazine. But, something didn’t seem right about him. He ignored me for a few seconds, staring at the food Christopher had made me and the setup of the table. Suddenly, he turned, staring at me. “Kill him,” he said. “Kill him before he kills you. Kill him before he ruins your life.”
I started, waking up. I looked in the mirror above my bed to see tears streaming down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly, taking several deep breaths. Feeling my heart beat return to a normal speed, I rolled over in bed and went back to sleep. That would never happen. I told myself as I was drifting off. Christopher and I don’t feel that way about each other. I smiled all the same, remembering the feel of his lips on mine.
Chapter 10
Just over a week later, I finished getting ready for the ‘Halloween in February’ party. “It’s just like Christmas in July,” Kevin had said, laughing when he saw the flier. Christopher and I had resolved not to tell Kevin what had happened the night before. Sure, we were all best friends, but we didn’t want Kevin to get freaked out about the fire. He could overreact about the smallest, most minute details, and fires were a trigger for him.
That week, I had experienced the same dream about Christopher, Kevin, and the unknown stranger almost every night. I obsessed over every detail before deciding that my subconscious was just playing a trick on me. Nothing would ever happen between Christopher and me, and Kevin could never stab himself or believe that I would willingly hurt him. As for the handsome stranger, I had probably seen him in a movie sometime, and he had crossed over from another long forgotten dream.
I smiled at my reflection, laughing inside as I surveyed my costume critically. I was wearing a blue, shimmering dress with spaghetti straps that ended just above my ankles. A silver collar composed of about twenty necklaces I had picked up at a thrift shop matched the silver scarf I had tied around my waist. Silver bangles, earrings, and a headband pushed down across my forehead completed my Cleopatra outfit. I even had silver sandals to match. The only thing missing was the anklet I always had trouble putting on myself.
Hearing a knock on my door, I turned to see Kevin standing in the doorway. His eyes flicked over my costume, and he smiled. I glanced at his. He was Luke Skywalker, wearing the light cloak and pants that Luke wore before being whisked into space by Obi-Wan and Hans. I grinned, saying, “Help me Kevin Jensen. You’re my only hope.” Pointing to the anklet sitting on the table, I added, “I can’t get this on myself.”
Blood Delirium (Blood Trance Book 1) Page 3
