Ravan's POV
Another day, another slay, I returned to school as normal. I tried to dismiss the thoughts of the person that creepily knew my home. They plagued my mind; no matter what, where or when, they were at the front.
I was in English, sitting next to my dearest boy, Rowan. We were working on Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Bennet had just been in the rain, telling Mr Darcy that they could never be together because their lives are so hard. This scene was reminiscent of my own struggles.
Rowan found the book exceedingly boring and was constantly complaining that the entire plot was just a bunch of stale white people going to each other's houses. While I agreed with him to an extent, I could also appreciate the wonderful romance and prose that I deeply wished for in my own life.
Well, I guess I did have a merman boyfriend.
I was one of the only people in the class who seemed to like the book, and for that, my English teacher, Mr Barnaby, was very impressed. I was getting the best grades I had in all of my highschool education because Mr Darcy was hot, which was pretty great.
"I just don't get it," Rowan whined, slumping backwards in his seat. "Everyone talks like they swallowed a thesaurus all the time."
I smirked, "that sounds like Rylan. 'Mathematics is of vital importance to your highschool education, Ravan.'"
"He doesn't talk like that!"
"He said those exact words to me yesterday."
Rowan rolled his eyes. "At least I didn't fall in love with him because he has a nice house, which is what your precious Elizabeth did," he pointed out.
"Mr Darcy has other good qualities," I interjected. "He really cares about Elizabeth and you can see it in his dialogue."
Rowan muttered something about wishing there was less dialogue, but I was too invested in the beautiful words on the page.
Just like Jane Austen's writing, my throat was getting really dry and painful from talking to Rowan all of the class. I reached for my water bottle only to realise that it wasn't there. I knew Mr Barnaby wouldn't let me leave class to get a drink from the tap because depriving students of their basic needs was his favourite pastime, so I turned to Rowan instead.
"Hey, I'm thirsty," I started. Rowan looked up from his book.
"For Mr Darcy? Yeah, I know." I blushed and shook my head furiously.
"No, I- Can I drink from your water bottle? Pwease?"
"Oh, you are actually thirsty for water... for once. Yeah go on babe."
"Thanks" I whispered, knowing that any more talking would only worsen the desert forming in my throat.
He picked it up smoothly, the rigid muscles on his arms flexed as he grabbed his top to clean the rim of the bottle. He is very concerned with the wellbeing of others, especially in terms of transmitting germs. I thought it was very sweet of him to be worried.
I reached over to take the dark water bottle with a heavy ghost white Gerard Waye skull on it, and a blood red MCR logo from his hand. As I raised it to my lips, I quivered slightly. This was his bottle; no one else but him had ever put their mouth here.
An irritating thought appeared in my head, as I hoped that maybe Rylan had drunk from it too.
Even though Rowan and I had kissed so many times, this felt somehow more intimate.
Shaking myself of the feeling, I closed my lips around the cool metal rim, and let the water pass through them like floodgates against a tsunami. The drought of my thirst broke, and I was quenched.
As I drank, there was a strange taste that I felt wash over my tongue; stinging slightly and chemically sour. Maybe this was Rowan's scent, although I had never smelled it on his breath before?
I put down the bottle and couldn't help but make a face. Rowan raised his eyebrows at me.
"What's wrong babe?" He asked.
"What the heck, why does your water taste like I'm drinking piss?" I replied.
"It does? I haven't drunk out of it today, my mum filled it up for me this morning?" He took the bottle from my hand, which felt strangely clammy without the contact of its cool metal surface, and opened the lid to peer into it.
"Looks fine to me, maybe the taste of your breakfast is combined with the water like toothpaste does with food."
I tried to formulate a snarky retort but found that my words got stuck in my throat. My head swam suddenly, and I hoped that my iron deficiency wasn't making me dizzy. This was definitely different, though. A dull ache was forming behind my eyes and my tongue was large and cumbersome in my mouth.
Rowan's teasing expression turned to concern and he put his arm around my shoulders. "Ravan? You look really pale? Are you..."
I tried to strain to make out what he was saying but my head hit my desk with a thud that I barely felt. From across the room, Gael looked up from his book with wide eyes and rushed towards me. He had seen me struggle for many years with my iron deficiency so probably assumed it was just another episode.
As I was closing my eyes for the final time, I saw Rowan reopen his bottle and take a long sniff. His face dropped suddenly, realisation hidden behind his bejewelled pepsi logo eyes; something was terribly wrong; We both knew it, and then I was gone.
Gael POV
I kneeled over Ravan's limp body, while the rest of the classroom dissolved into chaos.
"RAYRAY!?!" I called out, even though I knew she couldn't hear me.
Mr Barnaby had called First Aid and shoved Rowan out of the way, who was a stuttering mess. It was just me alone by her side, as it had always been. It wasn't the first time this had happened, so the teachers knew to let me stay with her.
I hated how I must have made her feel these last few weeks, and I wanted more than anything to apologise. The realisation that this could all be my fault crashed down on me and I reached out to hold her hand in what I hoped was a reassuring way.
"Don't worry bestie, I'll keep you safe," I promised.