Strike A Match
1004 Words
Dinner was… surprisingly nice.
The Grey parents were soft-spoken and warm, the kind of people who looked you in the eye when they spoke and passed dishes without needing to be asked. My parents loved them immediately, which should’ve annoyed me, but didn’t.
Maddy and I sat side by side, stealing second helpings of frybread and laughing when my dad burned his tongue on the green chile stew.
She leaned in halfway through the meal and whispered, “I take it back. If this is what dying off looks like, I could get used to it.”
We were mid-snort when a knock came at the front door.
I stood and crossed the adobe floor, still chewing a bite, and pulled it open.
Tally grinned first. Then Benji. And behind them, towering and warm-eyed as ever, was Boris.
“We’re headed to the bonfire,” Tally said, practically bouncing. “Pre-tournament celebration. You in?”
I turned toward the kitchen. “Maddy! You want to meet the local chaos crew?”
She poked her head around the corner, towel still in hand. “Are they cute?”
Benji struck a pose. “Devastatingly.”
Boris gave her a short nod. “Boris. That’s Tally. The flirt is Benji.”
“This is Maddy Grey,” I said, glancing between them. “She’s staying with us.”
Boris’s brows rose slightly, impressed. “From Blood Vale?”
She nodded, not looking the least bit intimidated. “Looks like we’re invading.”
“We’ll meet you guys there,” I said, already stepping back. “Gotta throw on something fireproof.”
——————-
Upstairs, I threw on high-waisted jeans and a cropped tank, then tied a flannel around my waist. I left my hair down—half-waves, half chaos. Maddy emerged from the bathroom in almost the exact same outfit.
We paused, looked at each other, and burst out laughing.
“Okay, creepy,” I said, grabbing my boots.
“Or fate,” she replied with a wink.
We walked the dusty path toward the bonfire, the sky bleeding into lavender and navy, sparks already flickering in the distance.
When we arrived, the clearing was alive.
Sparks flew in the firelight as two boys sparred shirtless in the center, grunting with each strike. Packs of girls whispered in tight circles, giggling over who looked hotter sweaty. Couples were already pressed against trees, mouths locked like it was the last full moon on earth.
Maddy spotted a cluster of Blood Vale kids and peeled off with a quick, “Don’t get into trouble without me.”
“Make no promises.”
I weaved through the chaos until I spotted the familiar trio near the fire. Boris was leaning back on his elbows, Tally crouched beside him tossing sticks into the flames, and Benji stood stiffly with a cup in hand.
“How’s your new roomie?” I asked Benji.
He rolled his eyes. “He’s a d**k. Asked if he should ‘sleep with one eye open’ around me because I’m gay.”
Tally hissed. “Asshole.”
Boris sat up straighter. “He says anything else, I’ll make sure he’s the one sleeping with one eye closed.”
Benji gave a half-smile. “Thanks.”
We talked about our new house guests—some better than others—and what we thought the tournament might include. Tally bet on some kind of endurance test. Benji hoped for strategy. Boris just said, “Doesn’t matter. I’m winning.”
But then the energy shifted. It was subtle at first, like wind brushing the wrong direction.
People turned their heads. Conversations dipped.
The fire snapped and popped as if it felt the shift too.
Koda entered the clearing like it was his birthright—spine straight, shoulders relaxed, and that maddening confidence that rolled off him like smoke. And clinging to his arm like an accessory she’d sharpened to a blade was her.
Ari.
She was tall, lithe, and far too perfect. Long black hair fell in sleek waves down her back, and her amber eyes sparkled with something cruel as they scanned the crowd. Her fingers wrapped around Koda’s arm like she’d been born there. Claimed him with a touch, a look, a smirk.
My stomach twisted, and not from the roasted corn scent drifting on the breeze.
Tally leaned into me. “Is that her?”
“Has to be,” I muttered. “She’s got the whole ‘future-luna-and-will-ruin-your-life’ vibe.”
Benji snorted behind his drink.
Boris didn’t say anything, but I saw the way his jaw flexed. His eyes flicked from Koda to me, and then back again. Measuring something.
Koda’s gaze swept over the crowd like he couldn’t be bothered, until it landed on me.
And stuck.
He didn’t stop walking. Didn’t smile. But that look—like I was the only thing in the firelight he could see—sent a buzz down my spine. Ari said something to him and tugged him closer, her head tipping toward his shoulder, but he didn’t look away.
“Should we go punch something?” Tally offered, bumping my shoulder. “You look like you’re about to combust.”
“I’m fine,” I said, but my voice didn’t quite cooperate. I took a sip of Benji’s drink to give my mouth something to do.
“Liar,” Benji whispered, amused.
“I’m fine,” I repeated, glaring at the fire. “Besides, she’s welcome to him.”
Boris made a noise low in his throat. “Doesn’t look like he’s too happy about it.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Because Koda and Ari had stopped on the far side of the fire, and even though there were at least a dozen feet and half a blaze between us, it felt like the whole night had narrowed down to this tight little moment.
And the worst part?
I still wanted to know what he would’ve said if Ari wasn’t there.
- Writer
