20 First Kisses

What Happens in the Dark

Baz

"It's okay, Baz," Simon says for the third time.

Things are clearly not okay, though. I'm not sure what part of this situation makes him think that things are okay. I shake my head and ignore him.

"It isn't that big of a deal," he continues. "It isn't like this is the most trouble that we've gotten ourselves into."

The punishment has never been anything like this before, though. Usually, we manage to get off with what amounts to a slap on the wrist. Even when I got us into trouble with the Chimera (I really wasn't trying to kill him), I didn't get in all that much trouble.

The biggest punishment that I've ever had is being forced to sleep in the same room as the boy who I am in love with.

"I know that it isn't a big deal," I tell him. "I'm fine."

"Whatever." He says it like he doesn't believe me, and it's frustrating to see how calm he is about being in trouble. It's like nothing can touch the Chosen One, but he's wrong about that.

"You know, we wouldn't even be in this situation if you hadn't gone off and nearly destroyed that classroom." Arguing is the exact opposite of what we're supposed to be doing right now, but he's just so irritating. I can't help myself but try to rile him up again.

"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't have provoked me."

"I was just trying to give you some pointers on your elocution of the spell we were practising."

"No, you were just being your usual snobbish self, trying to remind me that I suck at magic."

"You don't usually go off when I do that."

"I've just been having a rough go of it recently." He tears a hand through his hair, looking exhausted, more mentally than physically, like something is weighing on him.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, changing my voice to a softer tone.

"Don't pretend like you care." He turns away from me, and I want to argue about it but decide not to.

I lie back against the wall that my bed rests against and let my eyes fall shut for a moment, wishing that I could get out of this room. This has to be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

They took our wands away and locked us up in here, banning us from using magic until we were let out again. They told us that we couldn't come out until we found a way to be civil around each other and not harm others during our "silly antics."

They said they'd be back in a few hours to check on us, and I'm lucky that I fed this morning because if I hadn't, we might be in some trouble.

I can go a while without feeding, but I don't particularly want to do that. It feels awful whenever I start to get hungry, and I'm sure that Simon wouldn't let me feed on him. (Not that I'd actually want to. I've never fed on a human, and I never plan to.)

If we couldn't figure out how to get along in seven years of being forced to room together, I'm not sure how we're expected to manage it in a couple of hours.

Anyway, no one got hurt. Well, no one but me maybe. My hair still won't fall right after Simon nearly burnt it off.

I'm all for fire, but what he started was wild and uncontrollable. I prefer something that I can tame, like the small flames that I can produce in my hand, even without my wand.

Except for now. I can't seem to do that with whatever they've done to our room to keep us locked in. (Whenever we get out, I'm definitely phoning the Families to tell them everything that I was subjected to under the Mage's rule.) It's not like I want to burn Mummers House down anyway. It just seems like fire is something that could come in handy.