Star Eater
Chapter Six

Kai woke up from his nap to the dinging of his Fitbit alarm. He stretched out in the sun like a lizard, enjoying the cool breeze that wafted over the sun-baked roof of the gym.

“Ugh, I have to go to physical science,” he groaned.

“With the hairless one?” Akuma asked.

The demon had taken form in Kai’s shadow and was currently sprawled spread eagle, soaking up the sunlight.

Kai sighed heavily. “It’s a crime against humanity, that class,” he complained. “Mr. Rump’s voice could put a rabid animal to sleep.”

Akuma grunted and sighed, unwilling to retreat. Below them, the building vibrated with the bell.

“Come on,” Kai said, nudging him with his foot. Even through his shoe he could feel Akuma’s cold. “We gotta go.”

The demon sighed and deflated the shadow. Kai grabbed his backpack and walked through the roof access door, then down the stairs. He made it to class just before the last bell, with a dark look following him to his seat. Mr. Rump was a stickler for being on time.

It was five minutes into the lecture when Kai realized that Ava was missing from her usual spot behind him.

Where did she go? he wondered.

He didn't wonder for long. The monotone voice of his teacher droning on about nuclear energy was enough to send Kai into full nap mode.

Kai, the hairless one is speaking to us, Akuma’s voice intruded in on Kai’s dream. It was a pleasant dream, about running around a park with Akuma and Ava, laughing and enjoying themselves. Akuma even had his own body in the dream, although he looked exactly like Kai, and he wasn’t made of darkness. No, he was Kai’s twin.

The hairless one, Akuma repeated.

Kai lifted himself up from the desk, unaware of when he’d laid down, and opened his eyes.

“Mr. Davault,” a voice snarled.

Kai found the ugly grimace of his bald science teacher hovering over him.

“Principal’s office,” Mr. Rump said. “Now.”

Kai blinked not comprehending at first.

“Wha-why?” he asked.

“Now, Mr. Davault,” Mr. Rump repeated.

“But why?” Kai asked again. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“This is the sixth time you’ve fallen asleep in my class since the start of the semester,” the man growled, his face going tomato red.

“You’ve been keeping count?” Kai asked.

“NOW, Mr. Davault,” Mr. Rump snapped.

Glancing around, Kai found the other kids in class avoiding eye contact. He felt heat rise in his cheeks, caught somewhere between embarrassment and anger.

“I have a condition,” Kai protested, thinking fast.

“I don’t care,” Mr. Rump said. “If you can’t stay awake in my class, you can’t attend my class.”

That seemed like a stupid policy. True, Kai didn't see anyone else asleep, but he thought it had to be tough even for the best of students. Plus, this was a remedial class. Shouldn't Mr. Rump be more compassionate? And it was Mr. Rump’s fault. His monotone voice was the most boring sound Kai had ever heard. Boring yet soothing.

As he gathered his things, Mr. Rump told him to move faster and Kai scowled at the dick teacher. Ignoring the look, Mr. Rump walked back to the front of the class and opened the door expectantly. Akuma rumbled in Kai’s chest, and Kai had to fight to keep the sound from erupting in his throat.

He felt his anger rise to match the demon’s and struggled to control it. He was rarely angry, rarely had reason to be angry. So he wasn’t used to the feel of the heat on his skin or the way his heart pumped chemicals into his bloodstream. Or feeling so wide awake.

Kai had never been sent to the principal’s office. Sure, he’d had some serious conversations with teachers and even warnings, but he was an under-the-radar student. He did his homework and he passed his tests. He may not have been the most active student, certainly not a scholar, but he never stepped out of line.

And now this balding bully was sending him to the principal’s office with no prior warnings for sleeping in class. When Kai had an entire medical file to back up why that might happen. Kai was pissed. They might call his dad.

Mr. Rump stood waiting, impatiently tapping his foot at the door, while the entire class watched. Bully tactics. Kai wasn’t usually disposed to violence, but he really wanted to hit the guy. Akuma didn’t have any reservations.

The morning light streamed through the windows, throwing Kai’s shadow ahead of him. As Kai approached the door, his shadow fell over Mr. Rump’s leg. The demon reached out through Kai’s shadow and sunk his claws into the teacher’s ankle. Mr. Rump jumped straight into the air like the coyote from earlier, yelling and stumbling back as he came down.

Kai stopped abruptly a foot away, as surprised as the rest of the class. Everyone stared and burst into laughter simultaneously. Kai joined in.

“What in God’s name?” Mr. Rump demanded, pulling up his pant leg. The skin was bright red where Akuma had touched him, though the demon was smart enough not to have torn holes through the material. Mr. Rump looked up at Kai accusingly.

“You all right there, Mr. Rump?” Kai asked. There was no way Kai could have done it, and they both knew it. He was too far away. Mr. Rump glared at Kai anyway, and pointed at the door.

“Get out of here,” he growled, straightening with a wince.

Kai walked passed him, and broke out into a Cheshire grin the instant the door slammed behind him. Sometimes being possessed had its moments.

The smile didn’t last long. Along the walk to the principal’s office, it melted into worry. Kai needed to come up with an angle fast.

You think they’ll call your dad? Akuma asked.

Kai didn't know. Maybe he needed to be preemptive and call Dad himself.

Yawning, he turned into the school office. The school secretary, Mrs. Sumner, looked up from her computer screen.

“Falling asleep in class, Kai?” she asked, clucking with disapproval.

“I have a condition,” he said.

It was always safe to start with the condition. It reminded everyone that the sleeping fits were out of his control. He smiled as he said it, conveying that he wasn’t trying to give her an attitude. They got along in the way that one did when one spent as much time passing her office to get to the nurse.

Mrs. Sumner just sighed and gestured at the one empty chair.

“The principal’s busy. Grab a seat and I’ll tell her you’re here,” she said, picking up the phone and dialing a number.

Kai turned and felt Akuma shudder. It was a strange feeling that crawled up Kai’s legs and through his spine, then out his fingertips. It wasn’t like the itch in his nose he got when Akuma shrugged or the tingles he got when he phased out. No, this was a new, strange tightening of his muscles, like an electric current running through him. He wondered why the demon was so antsy. Then he noticed sneakers just inside his peripheral vision. Still, he kept his eyes glued to Akuma to make sure the shadow didn’t flutter.

The owner of the sneakers bent over to drop something into a backpack, revealing a head of short-cropped black hair. Trying to play it cool, Kai slid into the seat next to the kid without making eye contact. He pulled his schoolbag onto his lap, and dug out his second bear claw. Tearing off a piece, he shoved it in his mouth with relish. He wanted to look over casually. Akuma was practically quivering at full attention, but Kai could feel the kid’s eyes on him.

“Can you buy that here?” the kid asked.

Kai snorted. “No, but there’s a donut shop a block away,” he said, taking the opportunity to turn towards the speaker.

Kai took in the sight of the kid—warm green eyes, light brown skin over high cheekbones and a sharp jaw—and felt his entire body infuse with heat. He felt himself get hard, and was suddenly glad his bookbag was on his lap. This wasn’t the warm, pleasant feeling he got staring at Ava, no; this was outright lust.

What made it even more confusing was Akuma’s reaction. As soon as the heat came on, Kai felt the demon’s coolness spread through his limbs and other parts, causing a somewhat painful crossing of signals.

The kid was looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry, what?” Kai asked.

The other boy grinned easily and ran a huge hand over his shaved head. Kai noticed immediately he had gawky, oversized hands, like a puppy that hadn’t grown into his body yet. Somehow this made Kai like him even more. Which confused Kai more.

“What are you in for?” the kid asked.

“Sleeping,” Kai said, answering automatically.

Akuma began dripping down into his shadow.

What are you doing? Kai asked. You can’t be spotted.

I just want to know, Akuma said.

Know what? Kai demanded.

Below them, on the floor, Kai watched from the corner of his eye as his shadow reached out and touched the kid’s shadow. Kai saw the kid shiver.

“Geez, what a draft,” the kid said, searching for a vent. Kai watched Akuma’s claw retract. There was a sizzle of satisfaction from the demon he didn’t understand.

What the actual fuck? Kai demanded.

He’s very warm, Akuma said. You should wrap yourself around him.

Despite himself, Kai blushed.

“So what, is it really strict here?” the kid asked.

Kai tore his eyes away from that face. It was way too distracting.

“What do you mean?” he asked, popping another piece of bear claw into his mouth, hoping to buy time. His eyes wandered back to the kid’s face of their own accord.

“Well, like, they sent you to the principal’s office for sleeping? At my old school, the teachers just snuck up on you, and yelled really loud. This one time, my friend Jeff passed out because we were out partying the night before, and our math teacher, Mr. Dreimer, took this yardstick and slammed it on the empty desk in front of Jeff. Sent him flying out of his seat.” The kid chuckled throatily. Kai was mesmerized by the bobbing of his Adam’s apple.

Oh my God, Kai thought to himself. What is going on with me?

You want to mate with him, Akuma said matter-of-factly. Kai was mortified. He refocused, and saw a flash of sadness on the kid’s face. It disappeared a second later.

“Anyway…” the kid said awkwardly.

Kai swiveled his gaze once more away from that face and to the floor. Akuma fluttered and Kai ordered him to stop, even as he searched furiously for something clever to say.

“I have a condition,” he muttered.

“What?”

Kai cursed himself and then shrugged, trying for nonchalance.

“I sleepwalk,” Kai said. He braved a peek at the other boy, searching for a reaction. There was surprise but not disgust or uncertainty like Kai was used to seeing.

“Like narcolepsy?”

“That’s what they tell me,” Kai said with a sigh.