There isn't going to be much more of this story, so I hope to get the rest of it out quickly!
~Belle
I snuck into the dorm where of course my best friend Akane was awake why would I expect anything different.
As soon as I opened the door she was whisper-yelling at me.
"You kissed Aido!" Her grip on my arm was like a vice, and I gently tried to pry it out of her grasp.
"Technically he kissed me."
"Not from where I was standing!" She crowed, sitting at the kitchen table and putting her head in her hands. "I knew it. Are you two official yet?"
"Yes?" I replied, shrugging. "I guess. He asked me to make it official, yeah."
"What does he kiss like?"
"Akane!" I blushed, and turned away.
"Really well then!" She laughed, and I turned bright red. I threw my bag on the floor and stomped into our bedroom where she followed me.
"Yeah well I should ask you how good of a kisser Rei is then because you've probably already-"
I broke off at the sound of Akane's gasp following the mention of our mutual friend and classmate Rei Takahashi. She threw her hands over her face and made a high-pitched whining sound, and my jaw dropped.
"YOU'VE KISSED REI?!" I shrieked, and then lowered my voice quickly. "When was this?"
"Twenty minutes ago?"
"TWENTY" I checked myself again. "Minutes!? Okay girl you had better tell me everything."
"There's not much of a story to tell." She sighed, resting her hands on her lap. "He kind of just confessed to me that, realizing he wasn't really getting anywhere with you, he had let it go, and in the process he'd developed feelings for me. We've kind of been seeing each other. Tonight was our second date." She seemed very exasperated with me.
I guess I have been pretty absent lately. I thought.
For good reason. My inner reminded me, but she didn't seem very convincing.
"Aw man." I said, trying to lighten the tension. "I'm going to be the third wheel for sure now."
Akane threw a pillow at me. "Not at all. Anyway it's usually you leaving me alone."
"Ugh." I sighed. "I'm sorry."
"I know girl, I know." She said mildly. "It's tough when your boyfriend lives in another dorm."
I flopped back onto my bed and grinned in spite of myself. "Boyfriend." I let out a giggle.
"Seriously?" Akane laughed. "You're giggling over the word 'boyfriend'. Are you six years old?"
"Shut up." I sighed, looking at the bedroom ceiling.
If only she knew. My inner kept my feelings in check with the reality of the situation.
Yeah. That he's pretending to get people off our backs. He's kissed me even though he doesn't like me, and now he plans to fake an entire relationship all the while just counting down the days until Kaname or Headmaster Cross finds a spell that will actually erase my memory, so I won't even remember vampires at all.
That night my dreams were strange again. I dreamed of Aido, who in the dream appeared to have lost an unhealthy amount of weight. I could see indents in his cheeks, and his collarbones protruded in a sickly way. I was wearing a Night Class uniform when I looked down and myself, and when I looked back up our gazes met.
His eyes were scarlet, and his mouth turned up at one corner upon seeing me. He took one extremely slow step toward me, and then I woke up.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to dispel the image of Aido from my eyes.
"Oh yeah," Akane said, getting up from her own bed. "Did you hear about the soiree they announced on Friday?"
"Uh, no." I thought back to what I was doing on Friday. Was I at school listening to announcements? I was probably long gone by then.
"Well it's black and white formal, chessboard theme. They're calling it Checkmate? It kind of sounds weird."
"Great. Another night of wearing uncomfortable clothes and watching the insane Day Class girls absolutely lose their minds over the Night Class. I can't wait."
"Well you're dating one of those Night Class boys." Akane teased. "Maybe you should be worried about the Day Class girls."
"For the love of- I hadn't thought of that." My mind was busy racing with the fact that perhaps Aido and I would have to dance in public? Hold hands in public?
Pretend to be a couple in front of the entire school.
Yeah, that. I tried to quell my oncoming anxiety.
"Hey, it isn't that big of a deal!" Akane seemed to notice what was going on. "I'm sure Aido will take care of you."
There was a knock at the door. I shot a glace to Akane.
"Is that loverboy?"
"No!" She shrieked, trying to get to the door before me, fixing her hair with her fingers as she went.
But I was faster. I wrenched the door open to see Rei, fully dressed and ready to leave, and I cocked a hip against the doorframe. "Rei! How nice to see you!"
He had the grace to look uncomfortable. "I hope it's not going to be uncomfortable for you."
I shook my head. "Mm mm." I stayed in the doorway. Akane was glaring daggers into my head, and Rei looked confused.
The silence extended for close to 30 whole seconds, and I watched Akane's eyebrows get closer and closer to her hairline.
"Um, I'll see you guys at school." Rei slung his book bag over his shoulder and walked down the hall.
As soon as I shut the door I braced for Akane's wrath.
"You brat!" She play-snapped, elbowing me in the side.
My sore side.
"Ack!" I collapsed to the floor, putting both hands over the probably still substantial bruise I had on my side where Aido had previously hit me with his dormitory door.
"Oh my god, Kisa, I'm sorry." Akane knelt beside me and yanked the side of my shirt up.
"What is this." She looked at me, deadly serious.
"It was an accident." I tried, knowing how incriminating I already sounded.
"What kind of accident didheaccidentallyhityouwithabaseballbat?" Akane was speaking quickly so I tried my best to calm her.
"Aido's... strong. And it was technically a doorknob that gave me the bruise. He didn't expect me to be behind the door."
Akane stood. "Jesus. Tell him to lay off the poor doors. What did they ever do to him?"
I laughed nervously. "I know, right?"
After getting ready quickly we both grabbed our things and walked out the door.