Burn

CHAPTER 14

"Hey, Carter."

Carter flinched as Anthony sidled up beside him, his wild curls falling about his ears and jawline in scruffy ringlets. He'd been attempting to avoid Anthony all morning, and had hoped, considering he didn't have History until the upcoming Wednesday, that it'd be an easy feat.

Clearly, he'd been wrong.

"Er...Good morning," Carter mumbled, eyes fixed firmly on his feet as they weaved through the bustling corridor. "How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm okay now," Anthony teased, an amused lilt to each word. When Carter dared glance up, the glint in Anthony's eyes made his mouth go dry. "I've gotta say, Carter, you look good today."

Ryu made a disgusted hacking sound over Carter's shoulder, as though he were about to vomit.

"Oh...really?" Carter stammered, feeling his face flush. He stole a glance at the worn hoodie he'd thrown over his unbrushed hair, and knew, without looking, that he had deep purple bags under his eyes. The weekend had not afforded him much sleep, given Margo's revelation and the subsequent guilt that had followed.

To his immense relief, the bell began to ring, signalling the beginning of class through its sharp, nerve-grating tones.

"Well, I guess I better get to homeroom," Carter said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and directing a bland smile in Anthony's direction. "See you around-"

He froze as Anthony suddenly cupped his face and pressed a kiss to his cheek, his lips warm and damp against the cold of Carter's skin.

Ryu lurched forward with an infuriated hiss, red eyes blazing like twin flames of hellfire. "That scum-"

"See you at lunch," Anthony crooned as he withdrew, eyes dancing in the stark hallway lighting. He slung a wave over one shoulder, and Carter could only stare at his retreating form, one hand raised to his cheek, gazing dazedly into the distance.

"Carter?" Ryu prompted, waving one hand in front of Carter's vacant stare. "Carter, are you okay? Want me to kill him for you?"

Carter snapped back to awareness suddenly and turned to pin Ryu with a wide, horror-filled gaze, his bottom lip trembling violently. "Oh god," he began to whisper, the words a sharp, terrible chant. "Oh god, oh god, oh god-"

"Carter?"

Relief filled Carter from head to toe in a sudden, soothing wave as Margo rounded the corner, books pressed against her chest and dark hair pulled back from her face in a high ponytail. As she took in the terrified expression on Carter's face, her eyes widened, and she came to an abrupt pause in the now-empty hallway. "Carter?" she demanded, voice soft with fear, "What happened?"

Carter hesitated only for a moment before stumbling into Margo's embrace.

"It's okay," Margo soothed, her palm rubbing large, slow circles across Carter's back. "Hey, it's okay. Tell me what happened."

Carter's voice shook as he spoke. "A-Anthony kissed me."

Margo was silent for several moments. When Carter glanced up from her embrace, she was simply staring at him with a blank expression. "What's wrong?" she asked finally, cautiously. "Did you not want him to?"

Carter gaped at her. "B-But the more time I spend with him, the more vulnerable he is to demon attacks!"

Margo expression suddenly melted into one of pity, relief and exasperation. "Oh, Carter, don't cry." She began wiping the tears from his face, a smile flirting along the edge of her lips. "That's not how it works."