To Rescue a Villain

Chapter 11

The shrill beeping of Dark's alarm clock was what woke me from my dreamless sleep. Ever since I'd started holding hands with him during the night I'd failed to have any dreams about monsters or my family dying.

Groaning as loudly as I could to let my sleep mate know that he needed to turn off his alarm, I turned toward him and pulled my numb hand out from under his. As I shook it to get the stabbing needles out, I nudged him angrily.

"Derek! Wake up!" When I'd first moved here I never would have had the guts to yell at him like this but now that I'd been away from home for a full month, being around him didn't frighten me anymore. I had adjusted quickly.

Derek opened one eye to look at me then rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. "Leave me alone. I'm sick."

My mind flashed back to what he'd been excitedly telling me about the night before. "No! You have to go to school. The Hikarius exam is today. If you skip it you'll be destroying your only chance to get in."

In response, the stubborn boy started coughing up a storm, making it clear to me how much phlegm really was in his throat. It sounded painful.

Pity ran through my insides but I knew that I couldn't let him fail. Losing his dream could be another event that could sent him over the edge, though in the books he didn't get sick on the exam day.

Biting my tongue, I placed both arms under his back and started to lift him out of bed, taking care not to hit his head on the top of the bunk. "Come on, Derek," I whispered as I climbed out after him, leading him toward the closet. "I'll go there with you. You just need to write it for one hour and then you can go home. It'll be fine."

"I can't," he moaned, slumping over weakly and letting his head rest on my shoulder, something he normally wouldn't do. "I'm so...tired..."

He seemed fine yesterday so it must have been the nervousness...I wondered if I would get whatever sickness it was because we slept in the same bed.

"Come on." I stood my ground and picked up his favorite blue sweater, pulling it over his pajama top. I then started searching for his boots. There was no way I was changing his pants so he'd have to settle for the black sweat pants he was sporting.

"If you pass, we'll go celebrate at Odette's, okay?" I bribed as he stumbled toward the front door like a child, forgetting that he wasn't wearing any shoes. I couldn't help but laugh as I ran after him and insisted he put the boots on before stepping into the cold.

"I don't think I'll make it," he whispered before I shoved him out the door.

◑○★☆●◐

By the time we reached the entrance to his school he was starting to gain more energy but all I could do was hope it was enough to last through the test. Waves of relief flooded through me when I spotted Ace approaching us from the front door.

"Ace will take you in," I told Derek as he stepped away from me and pulled the top of his turtle neck over his mouth to keep out the cold.

As I watched him form a sort of half mask with it, I chuckled. "So that's what that's for," I giggled, pointing toward it and making his eyes squint in annoyance. Frowning, he pulled it down to show his disgust, to which I just laughed again and pulled it back up. "Don't. It looks cute."

As soon as I uttered those words, a small bit of pink started to form on his cheeks. It could have been from the sickness or the cold but...

"Thanks for bringing him here." Ace interrupted our interaction by pulling Derek's arm over his shoulder and helping him stand. "I can get him inside from here and ensure that he stays awake during the test." Ace was applying for Hikarius too, though I don't think he was as obsessed with getting in.

"Thanks," I answered, nodding and looking Derek over one more time to make sure he was okay.

"No problem..."

I froze when I realized that the blond was studying me and my heart dropped when realization dawned in his eyes. He'd recognized me from Odette's.

"Hey, you're..."

My eyes went wide and I desperately whispered "don't" and "no" in his direction.

"...You're the one I passed in the supermarket yesterday," he finished, expertly hiding what he'd originally been saying. It was a good thing Dark was so sick, though, since he might have caught on under normal circumstances. "Well, we'd better get going, eh Derek?"

"Sure," Derek muttered before offering me a tiny wave and heading into the building with me watching like a proud mother. I knew he'd pass. There was no need to worry.

◑○★☆●◐

"Congratulations on passing!!!"

I grinned as Ace, Mary, and I clinked our glasses together before I chugged the light alcohol down before they could. Of course, I finished first and got to watch in amusement as Mary struggled to drink the whole thing without stopping.

It was odd. She didn't seem the type to attend these sorts of places but she appeared totally comfortable. Maybe I'd read her wrong.

As soon as she caught me staring I forced myself to look away to avoid any embarrassment. Didn't want her getting any wrong ideas. But, of course, the only other direction to look was toward the bar where my ex was standing, chatting up some customer.

And she saw me. Great. Now she was coming over to say hi. Just what I needed.

"Hey, guys!" The dolled up woman rested her hand on top of my chair and leaned toward Mary with a gleeful expression. "How's everyone doing? Do you need some more drinks?"

"I can buy the next round," Ace offered before digging around in his pockets for change. He never seemed to carry a wallet, probably in an attempt to avoid people asking him for money.

"How are you doing?" Odette finally asked me as I kept my eyes trained on Mary, who was helping my best friend count his coins. Rolling my eyes, I looked her way once to satisfy her, then turned back to my friends again.

"I'm fine," I answered curtly.

"How are you and Mary doing?" she asked, making it clear what she was hinting at.

"Fine." There was no way I was telling my ex about my current non-relationship. But now that I thought about it... "How do you know Mary's name?"

"Hmm?" Odette mockingly batted her eyelashes, pleased that she knew something I didn't. "She's a regular here. I see her almost every day."

"What?" I tried to keep myself from acting outwardly shocked but Odette already knew she'd managed to surprise me. What was Mary doing here every day? And why hadn't I seen her?

The bar tender smiled as she watched me mull over the information but I ignored her. I had more important things to think about.

Was Mary not aware of how dangerous it was here? I took a sip of my second drink while keeping an eye on her from across the table. I knew she could probably handle herself but...I couldn't help but want to make sure she stayed safe. I couldn't have some creep trying to trick or manipulate her.

Maybe I'd stop by the bar tomorrow just to make sure she was okay.

After all, if she got hurt there'd be no one to pay my rent, right?

Right.