"No, B, I promise. I've been clean as long as Jonny."
"Jonny's on drugs?"
"Not anymore. I didn't want to come here but I know about … he told me-- and I never told anyone, I swear it-- about your healing ability." His voice turned to a whisper and he looked at her, conflicted. He'd been Jonny's best friend for ten years, and they'd started the Goth-vampire stage when they got to college. She never thought much of their black clad, piercing-decorated vampire girlfriends and couldn't help being irked that Jonny had told his friend her biggest secret!
"What're you telling me, that Jonny's hurt?" she asked.
"I think so."
"You think he's been eaten by a vampire."
"Not eaten, B," Kyle corrected her. "Just bit his … actually, it was his arm, right in the middle of his forearm. She bit him there."
"Kyle, you're scaring me. But, whatever. We'll talk about the drugs later. I'm going to get him."
"I'm not going back there," he said resolutely.
"You've been inseparable for ten years," she said. She studied him, alarm swirling through her for the first time. "What gives?"
"I don't know, Bianca," he whispered. "You shouldn't go either. We should just call the police. They can go. We'll stay here. You'll be safe."
"Show me where this party is," she told him. She'd never seen him so upset in all the years she'd known him. She retreated to her bedroom to grab her purse. "You sure you're not hurt?"
He gripped his forearm in the same spot he'd told her Jonny had been bitten but shook his head. More blood trickled onto her tile. She frowned, uncertain what to think of his story. She planted her hand on his forehead, coolness flowing through her. His arm was wounded, and something akin to poison ran in his blood. She couldn't quite understand what the poison was; it wasn't a normal infection, and yet it couldn't be anything else.
"You were hurt," she murmured, pitying her brother's friend. "And if you tell anyone I can do that, you'll be in big trouble."
"I feel strange," Kyle murmured, trailing her out the door.
"How far is this party?" she asked. "Oh, wait, don't shut the-- " The door to the apartment clicked shut, locking automatically. "I forgot my keys. You have a car?"
He nodded and led them into the rainy night. His ancient, rusted Camaro was illegally parked in front of the building. She almost scolded him before stopping herself. The kid was already too upset about something. His body assured her he wasn't on drugs when she'd healed him, and she couldn't grasp that any normal party would upset the usually jovial young man.