Star Eater
Chapter Four

Kai settled into second period with a yawn. He’d slept through French, which was okay because he was good at French. He couldn't sleep through second period because it was geometry and he needed to pay attention to pass.

Or we could just steal another test, Akuma suggested.

Kai flushed guiltily because he had been trying not to think that. But Akuma had access to all his thoughts and even though Kai was fully aware the demon monitored him, sometimes he didn't want to think what he was thinking.

I’m trying not to make that a habit, Kai argued.

The demon seemed to contemplate this for a few seconds.

We’ve stolen eight tests so far, Akuma said. Come on, it’s fun. And high school is hard.

It was fun. And high school was, indeed, much harder than middle school. Kai hadn’t expected that when they changed buildings between eighth and ninth grade from middle school to high school, that the work would be that much more difficult. He also hadn’t expected his IEP, Individualized Education Plan, to be so goal-oriented. Luckily, his dad, or his assistant—Kai hadn’t figured out which yet—signed the reports every month without reviewing them. Kai had a feeling that would change if his test grades took a nosedive.

He knew stealing tests was a gamble, but with the ability to walk through walls and reach through solid objects like filing cabinets, it seemed a crime not to use his abilities to maintain the status quo. If he didn't steal the tests and started failing, well then his parents would have to get involved, the teachers would have to work harder—

And our nighttime activities would be cut off, Akuma added.

So, really, Kai was helping everyone. Most teachers kept hard copies of their tests in the department offices, but some kept them at home. Last week Kai copied the contact information for every single teacher, which he kept in his secret base for reference. He found they were all within running distance.

Of course it didn't work all the time and he knew that. There were some teachers who made up the tests the night before, the French teacher for one. But Kai didn't need to steal every test. His goal was to pay more attention and only steal when he had to. Like tonight.

Inside, Akuma grinned. He loved these trips. He pretty much loved any trip that involved Kai awake at night playing with him. Kai had asked him once if he got bored doing nothing while Kai had to pay attention at school and Akuma had said, Not really. My whole existence had been about fighting for life, for heat, for food. All of that was wrapped up in the star. And I have a star now. So, even though I enjoy spending time with you and playing, I am at peace when we are not.

Kai couldn't fathom feeling peace with no sleep. Then again he couldn't fathom being incorporeal either.

In the front of the class, Mrs. Gallagher, the geometry teacher, blabbered on about something called a locus. Kai sighed. Why is math so boring? Akuma had no answer. He lay inside Kai content to watch the lecture with detached curiosity. After all, he didn’t need to pass geometry.

Instead of taking notes, Kai turned his attention to the girl next to him. Ava had been in his remedial classes every year since middle school. She wore pink lip gloss and always painted her nails bright colors. Today, they were teal. Her shampoo or her body wash, he couldn't figure out which, smelled faintly of raspberries. And she wore tiny earrings that jingled softly like a bell. He found that enchanting. In Kai’s opinion, Ava was the epitome of cuteness.

Kai liked to spend his mornings fantasizing about Ava as an anime girl. She was an avid anime fan, evidenced by the characters on her schoolbag. It had been the first subject they talked about. Kai didn't watch anime because of his little electricity problem, but he did read the manga. He knew all her favorites and he liked spending his mornings putting her into the stories, into the costumes, and sometimes coming up with original material.  

Since she was the sweet good girl his favorite off-script fantasy involved her magically metamorphosing into a sword-wielding badass. He imagined her in this serious blue armor with silver edges. Her sword was made of enchanted palladium, obviously, and she had a sapphire on her forehead with a gold chain woven into a french braid hairstyle. It was the suped-up, medieval version of Sailor Moon.

Some days he wondered what role he played in these stories. Was he an ancillary character that had a sad backstory and only a one-shot storyline? Sometimes it felt that way.

When Kai was feeling brave, he had an image of Ava after a battle pushing him up against a wall. She took off her battered breastplate. Dirt and minor wounds streaked her skin and she was wearing a very tiny, thin silk bra underneath. Of course, from what he could see, her breasts were perfect. She had the body of an athlete, solid and firm.

He wanted to touch her. Her breasts and thighs and stomach. To wipe away the blood and sweat. He wondered about the texture of her hair against his fingers. But in the fantasy, she wouldn’t let him. She took out a knife, pressed it against his throat, and told him to stay very, very still. And then she kissed him hard, hard enough to bite before melding against him as he completely and utterly succumbed.

“Kai,” Ava whispered, never taking her eyes off the teacher. Kai blinked back to reality, and realized he’d been staring.

“Hmm?”

“Mrs. Gallagher is eyeing you,” she said under her breath.

Glancing to the front, Kai realized, yes, Mrs. Gallagher was indeed eyeballing him. He sighed and swung his legs towards the blackboard, at which point he attempted to focus on the lecture. Mrs. Gallagher continued teaching, using a lot of examples and terms the remedial kids could understand. Kai made a face and read the definition in the textbook. It made no sense, but then he didn’t really care.

You could ask her out, Akuma said, ignoring Kai’s feeble attempts at being a student. Ava would hang out with us.

She would be hanging out with me, Kai reminded him, but didn't pursue the argument. It was an old one between them.

He could ask her out, but it came down to risk and reward. Kai was willing to risk his entire freedom and academic career, cough, such as it was in the stealing of a test. The risk, for him and Akuma, was small. The reward was great. But Ava… Ava was his friend. They texted sometimes outside of class—little things. She’d text him about a particularly funny anime or he’d send her a picture of a great illustration in one of his manga.

But Ava was his only human friend. Kai had been home-schooled until sixth grade. By the time he got to middle school, the cliques had formed. He’d found himself ill-equipped with no knowledge of pop culture or media to hold even a marginally interesting conversation with his peers. And, if he was honest, most of the time he didn't care. He didn't need anyone else outside of Akuma. But Ava was different.

She’d been sweet from the get-go, tolerating his initial awkwardness and laughing at his class commentary. Kai’s biggest fear was that he might mess up their friendship if he did ask Ava out. And then class would be even more torturous. He was pretty sure he might die if she turned him down. He knew himself well enough to know he’d stop coming to class or melt into the floor from embarrassment. The risk, therefore, was too great. The reward… he couldn't think about it. No, just sitting next to her had to suffice.

Ava would hang out with us, Akuma repeated.

You’re the expert on humanity now? Kai asked sardonically. And she doesn’t know about you, remember?

That was the other problem. Akuma liked Ava as much as Kai did. That had never happened before. Akuma didn't like anyone. He had, on more than one occasion, offered to harm people for Kai, including his parents. Kai simply did not trust his demon to stay contained on a date with Ava. The demon shrugged, offering no reassurance to the contrary.

“Can I borrow your notes?” Kai whispered, glancing over at Ava. “I missed the first part of the lecture.”

Ava nodded, even as she wrote. He watched her concentrate hard on the letters. The first time he’d asked to borrow notes three years ago, Ava had stuttered a refusal. It took him a while to figure out why. She was dyslexic. Kai knew she was smart, smarter than he was, but she had a hard time processing certain subjects, which was why she was in remedial math and science with him. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After a bad case of the flu, he had begged for her notes pointing out rightfully that most of the kids in their class didn't actually take any. The begging had gotten her to relent, but when she handed him the photocopies her face was beet red and she muttered excuses for the spelling.

Kai was good at language, though, and he’d learn to read around Ava’s dyslexia as easily as he read French or Japanese. He’d even bought her the gel pens she was using as a ‘thank you.’ Now he borrowed notes all the time.

“Kai, she’s looking again,” she said.

He turned back to the front of the room and tried to think of something funny to say, but was distracted by Mrs. Gallagher winding up to ask him a question. He could tell, since she was pretty much glaring at him. Kai reacted the only way he could. He raised his hand.

“Yes, Mr. Davault?” she asked, a note of exasperation in her voice.

Kai managed to contain his grin. He’d beaten her.

“Can I go to the nurse?” he said. “I’m not feeling well.”

Mrs. Gallagher regarded him, torn between true frustration and resignation.

“Are you going to make it?” she asked.

Kai shrugged. “Pretty sure I will,” he said.

It was good never to give firm answers. He didn't want Mrs. Gallagher to raise her expectations of him. Better to let her continue thinking he was a lost cause. It would be easier to guilt a passing grade out of her if he kept his disability at the forefront of her mind. She waved him off and Kai gathered his books. He managed a covert wink at Ava before trudging out of the room, back dramatically hunched, playing up his exhaustion. That, at least, wasn’t an act.

We really going to the nurse? Akuma asked.

No, Kai snorted mentally. Let’s go to the roof. 

Inside, the demon grinned.

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