“Yes.”I smiled at Ari and turned sideways so my legs were on the couch.“I’m a happy camper.”
“Okay.”She gave me a worried look before turning back to the movie.
I looked around while I ate, still dancing to the music. A minute passed before I spotted Dennis emerging from the second bathroom between his room and Sean’s. He ruffled his damp hair, seemingly lost in thought. I watched as it cutely fell back to the side. He looked up and right at me, smirking as our eyes caught.
I smiled unsurely, hoping everything between us was still the same, but my heart sank when he quietly laughed and shook his head. He went to his room without a second glance and shut the door.
I fought back tears as I stared at it, praying I hadn’t made a mistake. Please, please, don’t let this ruin everything. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to panic. I’m sure it’ll be fine. It has to be fine.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.”I opened my eyes to see Ari watching me.“I’m fine.”
Minus the fact that I might’ve ruined everything forever. But before I could think about it too much, his door opened and he walked back out. He ignored every other empty seat and came straight to my side.
“Hey.”He kinda smiled as he sat. I barely kept from crying as a wave of relief washed over me.“What’re you eating?”he asked, peering into my lap like an incredibly nosy person.
My fight-or-flight instincts kicked in when he tried to take the plate. “No. This is my snack.” I snatched the pizza off the kidnapped plate and held it close. Maybe he hasn’t noticed yet, but I don’t share food. Ever.
So maybe technically it’s his food. Just a little. But first come first serve, and I found it first so it’s going in my tummy. I took another bite and turned back to the movie no one seemed to be watching. Ari was fidgeting while Sean stared at the wall. Either that or into space, I couldn’t tell which. And Mateo was texting.
“Okay, I’m tired of this movie,”Sean said.“It’s really bad.”
“Games?”Mateo suggested.
Sean hopped up and went to their console, leaving Ari to almost tip over from the sudden void. He didn’t even notice and started setting up the game. I took another bite of pizza, then made a face at the way Dennis was watching me. His eyes were darker than usual.
“Did your back heal yet?”I asked, trying to distract myself from his unsettlinggaze.
“Mostly.I’m thirsty. Do you wanna come?”
“Sure. Gimme a minute.”I took a moment to wash my plate before lacing into a new pair of four-inch boots. They were about the same height as half my other boots but not broken in yet. I figure now is the perfect time to do it! If they start killing my feet I can always make Dennis carry me.
“I’m not carrying you,” he said, heading out the door without me.
I said a quick bye to the others before running to catch up.“When can I hunt on my own?” I hopped to a stop at the complex’s bottom stair, where he was waiting.
“Not anytime soon. You might lose control,” he said. I started to pout, but the second we passed the building’s shade my skin caught on fire. I cried out and sprinted back to the stairs.“What’s wrong with you?”Dennis gave me a questioning look while I checked my arms for melting skin.
“The sun tried to kill me!”
“Stop being dramatic. It’s evening. There’s barely any light.”
“I’m not being dramatic. It feels like my skin is boiling.”I finished squishing my cheeks, finally satisfied that every piece of skin had survived the brutal attack.
“It didn’t hurt when you went shopping this morning?”he asked, coming back to join me in the shade.
“No. It wasn’t sunny yet.”
“It’s literally not sunny. We can’t go out in blaring sun, but you’re gonna have to get used to a little light. Unless you plan to be fully nocturnal, but most of us aren’t.”
“I’m going inside.”I turned to go upstairs but nearly tripped when he grabbed my waist. I snatched the railing with both hands, holding on for dear life. “Stop laughing at my pain!”
“I’m not,”he said cheerfully.“I’m trying to help.”
“By burning me alive?”
“No, by helping you get used to dusk. You can’t only go out at night. That would get boring.”Hepried me off the railing and carried me toward the blinding light.
