Egbert

Beast of Tartarus

When I wake up it's the crack of dawn. Sunlight dribbles through the tree tops, bathing the leaves in amber. Vikram lies beside me snoring slightly. Breathing a sigh of relief I heave myself up. He's okay. Just a little naked and cold, but okay for the most part. That is until I roll him over. A blotchy green bruise is starting to form on his left shoulder. But he's not dead and father could have easily killed him when he knocked me out to teach me a lesson. But he didn't.

Vikram stirs slightly as I observe the bruises on his back.

"Eg not to be rude but you're not my type." He mumbles sleepily. "For some reason I go for bad boys. It's my harmatia."

"What are you talking about I'm the sweet, goofy, lovable guy, I'm everyone's type." I help him to his feet and let him lean on me as we make our way to his house.

"Not me man, I'm a sucker for the dark eyed guys who make me weak at the knees with a glance."

I turn the back door handle, it's locked. Dammit. Vikram indicates to the bins and the slanted roof, I give him a leg up and follow him up.

"I s that why it didn't work between you and Topheer? I always thought he was too nice for his own good." I keep my voice low as we shuffle across the roof to his bedroom window which is unsurprisingly wide open.

"It didn't work between us because he decided we were incompatible."

So he's still not ready to talk about it. Carefully I cup my hands and Vikram uses them to boost himself up through the window and then sticks his arm out the window to yank me up.

When we're both safely inside I shut the window tight and rifle through his closet for a jumper to warm him up. I find one and help him put it on, trying not to feel too guilty as he winces from the bruising.

"Man. What a dick." He comments as he lies back on his orange coloured bed.

"I'm sorry about all that though. I know it must have been tough." I don't know the appropriate response to give your friend when he's nearly been killed by your father so I settle for the generic one.

He flails his hand as if to bat away my apology and scoffs. "That was nothing. Remember that time we first met and he actually bit me and then nearly threw me off the roof. I f you hadn't talked him down I would be kebab meat."

I shudder at the thought. "You would not taste nice as kebab meat."

"I would so long as your grill me rather than fry me. I'm delicate like that."

"Who's got the time for that?"

The door creaks open and my head snaps up. Standing there wrapped in a giant comforter with her black hair slung in a messy bun is Preeti.

"Ram where were you?" She rubs her eye sleepily.

"I was here sleeping."

"Don't lie I -" Now her eyes are fully adjusted she takes note of me sitting on the bench by the window. "Hey weirdo" Pleasantries aside she divides her attention between us and starts glaring now. "Did you both go to a party? Without me?"

Simultaneously we both burst out giggling, only to quiet ourselves so their parents don't wake up.

"Right I forgot who I was talking to." Preeti shuts the door and waddles in, flopping onto the floor beside me and using the bench to prop her back up. "In my defence it was Friday night so partying wouldn't be entirely out of the question, you know, for normal teenagers."

"We're undead little sister, our partying days are yet to come."

She grabs the nearest thing she can find, which happens to be a cushion I crocheted him for his birthday last month, and lobs it towards him. "You're so weird. How are we related?"