Blood on Fire

Chapter7

“I need to go to the bathroom,” he said with a shy smile. “I think the food’s working too well… I need to poop." Where’s your bathroom?”

I burst out laughing and pointed down the hallway. “First door on the left. "Disgusting,” I teased, still laughing.

He laughed too, already halfway there. “Blame the soup!” That was Stephen. Always making things awkward and funny at the same time. I shook my head with a smile and looked up at the clock on the wall.

My smile dropped.

7:28 a.m.

Crap.

We had class today.

“Stephen!” I shouted, jumping up from my seat. “Why didn’t you tell me we have class today?!”

I groaned and ran to my room, grabbing the first clean shirt I saw and throwing it on. I rushed to change into jeans, still half-asleep and panicking.

Behind me, I could hear Stephen laughing from the bathroom. “Good morning, sunshine!”

I rolled my eyes and rushed to get ready. Mornings with Stephen were never boring.

I sat in class, staring blankly at my notebook. I was supposed to be taking notes, but my mind kept drifting back to last night.

That kiss.

Who the hell stole my first kiss? It didn’t feel romantic. It felt like a joke. A dare, the person even said so.

“Sorry… It’s just a dare,” he whispered before leaning in.

And then—boom. Blackout.

Just like that, my first kiss was gone, stolen by a stranger who smelled like roses. I clenched my jaw. Should I ask Dennis? Maybe he knew who it was. He was the bartender, after all. Maybe he saw something. But then, what would I do if I found the guy? Punch him? Probably. Or at least yell at him. Ugh. I could still taste the whiskey on my tongue. Never again. Ten shots? What was I thinking?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by someone speaking beside me.

"Hey! Selene, are you sure you and Stephen are just best friends?" Wendy asked, her voice full of curiosity.

I blinked at her. "Yes," I said shortly, pretending to write something in my notebook.

She leaned in closer, clearly not satisfied. "I didn’t know your boy best friend was hiding something. He’s hot."

I rolled my eyes but said nothing. She kept talking, going on and on about Stephen, practically fantasizing about him. It made my skin crawl a little. Not because she liked him, that was her business, but because she was talking about him like some fictional character instead of a real person.

I was about to tell her to knock it off when she waved her hand in front of my face.

"Selene? Are you even listening?"

"Ye—" I started to say, but got cut off.

"Sel! Can you help me later with this?" Stephen appeared beside my desk, holding out our visual arts assignment.

I glanced up at him. He looked normal again. Calm, a little sleepy, but normal.

"Yeah, sure," I said with a smile. "But you have to treat me to lunch."

He chuckled. "Deal."

Wendy was still standing there, looking at us with wide eyes. She must've felt left out.

"Can I come with you two at lunch?" she asked, looking at Stephen with an almost pleading expression. Then she turned to me. "Please, Selene?"

Before I could answer, Stephen said, "It's up to you," in a flat, not-so-interested tone.

I hesitated, then nodded. "Sure. You can join us."

"Thank you! See ya later!" she said brightly, skipping back to her seat.

Stephen followed her, heading back to his own desk as our professor entered the room.

Class started, but I could barely focus. The kiss still haunted me. Wendy’s words echoed in my head, too. Was Stephen really just my best friend? Of course, he was. We grew up together. We laughed, fought, and helped each other through everything. But then there was this weird moment this morning, the way he looked at me, how close he stood. And that jawline. Ugh. Why did I even notice?

I pushed the thoughts aside. Now wasn’t the time to overthink. I needed to survive this class without letting my brain explode from confusion.

Still, the question remained: Who kissed me last night? And why did it feel like it meant something more than just a stupid dare?

After class, I went straight home. The moment I walked through the door, I dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto the couch. I leaned my head back, staring at the ceiling. My mind wouldn’t stop racing.

Who the hell sent me that letter with the names of vampires?

And who was the stranger who stole my first kiss?

My thoughts jumped again, Stephen. At lunch, I saw him talking to someone. A woman. I didn’t see her face because her back was to me, and they were standing outside the cafeteria while I watched from inside, through the mirror-like window. She was tall, with long black hair. I’d never seen her before.

Wendy sat beside me at the time, still going on and on. She kept asking me and Stephen if we were really “just friends,” and if that woman was his girlfriend. I couldn’t read her expression. Was she curious? Jealous? I wasn’t sure. She just kept smiling and leaning closer every time she brought the topic up. But what bothered me more… I didn’t know that woman. Stephen never mentioned anyone. In fact, he’d always told me he wasn’t dating. His parents were busy running a business in Canada, and he rarely connected with people. He always kept to himself, except with me.

So now, I have more questions than answers. Was he hiding something from me? But for now, I had something more urgent to figure out. Who the hell kissed me that night? I stood up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. I took slow sips, trying to calm myself. But the uneasiness didn’t fade.

After setting the glass down, I opened the drawer and pulled out my emergency weapon, my wooden stake knife. I never let myself get too comfortable. Especially not at night. I walked to the window and peeked through the blinds. It was already dark outside. The sky looked heavy, clouds covering the moon, and the streets were quiet.

My fingers tightened around the knife.

I closed the window blinds, switched off the lights, and locked the front door. Just to be safe.

I will find the person who stole my kiss.