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“I’m sorry,” Zoey says in a too-bright voice, “I think my brain stopped working.”
Mira for her part simply squints her eyes a bit, looking into the distance while nodding to herself. “Yeah, no, that actually makes a lot of sense.”
Rumi looks between the two girls as if she can’t believe what she’s hearing. Which is ironic, considering the bombshell she’d just dropped.
“Girls-” Celine presses the tips of her fingers together, prepared to launch into a lecture. “I know this is a lot to take in.”
“Take in? What’s there to take in?” Zoey’s smile is plastered to her face looking remarkably like one of Rumi’s when she’s trying to pretend to be cool and normal and failing entirely. “It’s not that much to take in.”
“Zoey, breathe.”
“I’m breathing, I’m totally breathing! Why would you tell me to breathe, I know how to breathe. I’m really good at breathing, I do it all the time.”
As if finally figuring how two pieces of a puzzle connect, Mira's brow furrows. “So last month, when you were-”
“Yeah,” Rumi finishes.
“And the time when we were all at the mall and there was a -”
Rumi nods, “Yeah.”
“So you’re a-”
“Slayer.” Rumi cringes, as if hearing it out loud stings.
“But you get squeamish when I kill a bug!"
“Bugs are gross!” Rumi protests.
Mira gives her the flattest look known to mankind, an impressive feat even for her. “Rumi. You literally had your thumbs stuck in a demon last night when we found you.”
“That’s different!” Rumi huffs and crosses her arms.
"Barnacles are bugs."
“Oh good. You back with us, Zo?” Mira asks not unkindly. Zoey turns to Mira as if to respond but then gapes, her brain short-circuiting once more. “Mmkay, let’s give her another minute,” Mira concludes without missing a beat. “She’ll be fine.”
“Children,” Celine tries again, an edge of frustration in her voice, “I know you must have a lot of questions…” Both Mira and Zoey’s hand raise immediately, “...which we will get to later.” Mira scowls and puts her hand back down. Zoey simply retracts hers smoothly and quietly. “For now, we must make sure this secret does not leave this room.”
Mira makes a face that communicates ‘that’s the stupidest thing in the world you could have said.’ “Well, yeah,” she drawls, gesturing with empty hands to the air around her, “Who are we going to tell?”
Rumi urges forward, worry suddenly painted on her features. The Council is thousands of miles away, she knows, but the threat of it has always loomed her entire life. The thin line her and Celine are already walking, the extra scrutiny they already couldn’t afford to be under presses at Rumi’s temples. “Really, we mean it. No one can know.”
“Yeah,” Mira repeats, like it's obvious, “We’re not going to tell anyone, Rumi, that was kind of a given. People already look at us weird, it’s not like telling them there are vampires and demons is going to improve our social standing at all.”
“What? People don’t look at you weird,” Zoey protests.
“That’s because my family is rich and I look scary and don’t take any shit. But they don’t actually like me. Well,” a hint of pink colors her cheeks, “No one except you guys.” Mira doesn’t meet their eyes and keeps her posture casual but shrugs her shoulders just a little bit, as if part of her couldn’t help but soften at the admission.
“Yeah, we look at you weird for entirely different reasons.”
“Hey!” Both Rumi and Mira object, glaring at Zoey who doesn’t look the least bit bothered.
“I’m just saying, we’re all a little weird," Zoey reassures with a warm smile. She pulls Rumi into a hug so firmly that it throws her both physically and emotionally off-balance. “But we love your weird.”
"I might love Zoey's weird more," Mira says, and Zoey smiles, pleased, taking it as a compliment. “But yeah,” she says reassuringly, turning back to Rumi, “Same.”
Rumi blushes from somewhere buried in Zoey’s arms, body still tense as if she can’t decide whether to sink deeper into the hug or pull herself away. All she wants to do is stay in the safety and warmth of Zoey’s hoodie and not think about the fact that she doesn’t deserve an ounce of the kindness and acceptance being shown. Absentmindedly, she rubs her arm, patterns burning under the sleeve.
She meets Celine’s eye across the room. Concern and unease flicker across her face before settling into a fierce determination. It’s okay, Celine seems to say, we won’t let anything happen to you. Rumi so desperately wants to believe her and yet the thought turns her stomach. She holds onto the unspoken promise and allows herself to grip Zoey a little tighter. The other girl doesn’t seem to mind, happily accepting the affection while Rumi tries not to think about how selfish she’s being for putting these peoples’ lives in danger.
Rumi closes her eyes and sees May.
One girl in all the world presses down and Rumi can feel the weight of it on her shoulders. She alone will wield the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness.
Rumi closes her eyes and sees the blood.
She alone
She alone
She alone
And Rumi is selfish, selfish, selfish.