Crimson

II- Chapter 49: Coffee Date Complications

It took a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the light, and a few more for last night's memories to resurface. With a jolt you sat upright, feeling your neck as your heartbeat brought you out of peaceful slumber. You didn't feel anything, and looking around the room was the same and you were the same.

The vanity across the room, beside the dresser! In a clumsy hurry you rushed across the hardwood and saw your reflection's wide eyes staring back at you. They searched until your head grew fuzzy and confused as to whether last night even happened at all or whether it was just a dream. There was no indication that you'd been bitten by a vampire at all. Nothing to indicate that less than twenty-four hours ago, as Lucian had put it, you had been lucky to be alive.

Your fingers trailed across your skin as if on their own, and you rested your attention on the bag beside your bed. With newfound eagerness and guilty sickness, you wondered just what you'd discover when you told Maurice what had happened. Finally, it seemed, you'd progressed in your plan.

You only hoped the other night students wouldn't find out.

A glance at the clock told you it was time for class in ten minutes. You'd slept in a bit, wondering why no one woke you up before wondering when you became so dependent. It was true, without Simone telling you to get up for breakfast you might not get up at all most days.

In a weird, awful way, without Simone being in the hospital, you wouldn't have been staying in the night dormitory. Without one friend being hurt you wouldn't have the opportunity to help your other friend. It was a complicated mess but you tried to focus on acting normal as you got dressed, slid your bag over your shoulder, and power walked to first period.

It was at the foot of the door that you heard your name.

'Y/n?' Dimitri called from the top of the staircase. Without waiting for an answer, he descended, his uniform pristine despite his lack of day classes.

You felt your heart rush to your head, ticking in your brain like the grandfather clock not far from the impressive crack in the wall.

"I'm just on my way to class," you said, forging a smile.

"Good," he said, returning the smile. Despite any fangs not being present, you felt he still had very sharp teeth. "I wanted to catch you before you left. Not to embarrass either of us, but I wanted to see if you'd like to join me after school. I thought it might be nice to show you Delwood when you aren't on vampire probation."

The last time you were with any night students in the small town was when you had no other choice. Was he asking you on a date?

"I... well I have a lot of, you know, school work," you managed to sputter. "I mean- I'd like to..."

"I can probably be of help to you you know," he said, stepping closer almost unnoticeably. "I have more experience in most subjects than any second year teacher here." Dimitri shot you a good-natured wink.

You knew Maurice would want to see you after class; you had a lot to fill him in on. As soon as he planted the seed, if what Jack said was true, then sometime around Halloween the leaves would be ready and they'd get out of Lucian whatever they were hoping to get.

Unfortunately, you wanted answers immediately and for Theodore to be fine and for everything to go back to normal. You wanted the culprit to be caught. But you didn't want Lucian to be the one responsible. There was no winning here.

"So what do you say?" Dimitri asked.

You gave him your answer, and then walked out the door.

~