A Fate Worse Than Death

Chapter 2: Cherries

I wake up, my eyes fluttering open to see the ceiling of my room, my back feeling the hard wood floor underneath me.

Was that all just a dream?
Why am I on the floor?
It was kinda anti-climatic.

I get up only to notice two other teens in my room. Allura and a ebony haired boy.

A short boy...and is that...a mullet?? I almost laugh but hold it in, remembering what Allura said about the demon. Allura is standing elegantly, watching me rise. At my choked laugh the boy looks up with bright, glowing, blue violet eyes. He's sitting on my bed in a lazy criss cross position, wearing dress pants and shirt with a suit jacket over it, unbuttoned carelessly.

"Morning sleeping beauty." The boy smirks.

Holy fuck, he-he's kinda cute.

"Ah! I'm sorry about him. His dramatic entrance was not necessary." Allura starts but the boy, Keith Kogane , as Allura had written on the paper, cut her off.

"You did the same thing when you came here."

"Yeah but I didn't knock him out." She points out and glares at him.

"Fine fine, I'm sorry uh.." He looks at Allura. She glares and whispers 'Lance McClain'. "I apologize Lance..uh McClain. Anyway, Allura you can leave, I know how to do my job."

Allura opens her mouth to protest something but Keith speaks first.

"Allura, I'm fine. I'm not broken or messed up. You called me here anyway." He says with a little clearing of his throat.

I just stand there confused.

She nods and disappears, the vanilla smell fading away soon after.

Keith raises his eyebrows at me.

"My name is Keith Kogane." He keeps a straight face.

I shuffle slightly, keeping my eye on the boy on my bed.

"So Lance, here is my only rule. Don't try telling me what to do or I'll smite you. But I also have some facts you should know too." He seems a little unsure of himself as he speaks, although his voice is clear and smooth.

"What should I call you?" I ask kinda unsure about this whole demon thing and slightly frightened.

I'm still really fucking in shock that all of this is happening like what the fuck. Actual fucking demons and shit???

"You can just call me Keith." He says. I nod.

"Okay so, things you need to know." He holds up one finger, counting the facts. "I can make it so that people can or cannot see me." He holds up two fingers now. "This is just my human form. I'm actually way scarier." He grins and holds up three fingers. "This is actually a piece of advice, you probably shouldn't tell people you summoned a demon, humans tend to freak out about these things, or think you're crazy." He holds up four fingers. "And four, I actually have wings but I can hide only the wings if I wish."

As he said the last sentence, enormous midnight black wings shimmered into existence, stretching from his back to the opposite walls of my room. I gaped silently at the sight.

"Oh...Woah." I say, pretty amazed. I suddenly yawn and look at the clock, realizing its one a.m. "Shit. Uh Keith, buddy, I have school tomorrow and it's late, a-are you staying here for the night? Do demons even sleep?"

"Of course we sleep. Also yes I'm staying here, I have nowhere else to go right now anyway."

I quickly change into shorts and a muscle shirt, trying to subtly cover myself as I do, noticing Keith watching me. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Human bodies are so..weird-n-not bad I guess but weird." He stutters and lifts his nose in a look of distaste.

I take a step towards the bed, and he climbs off, his wings curl in to avoid knocking things over, unsuccessful, a picture frame of me and my little sister falls off my desk. Keith sees it and furls his wings in tighter. He leans down and taps the broken picture frame. Suddenly it looks good as new and he gently picks it up, putting it back on the desk. It's only now that I notice his outfit has changed. A black t-shirt with long sleeves and black shorts.

"Woah.." I say, really tired all of a sudden and I get into bed, having already turned out the light. Keith looks at me and tilts his head to one side. He looks really serene and..pretty.

How the heck does a demon look pretty??? Wtf

He glances around the room, noticing my blue beanbag chair on the floor by my desk, he plops himself down on it, his feathers ruffling as he does.

I watch him quietly until he seems comfortable enough and I quickly drift off to sleep, feeling a pair of eyes watching over me.