Page 73 of Knox Academy Omnibus
“I’m going to pop,” I groan when we’re done. Everyone agrees.
“Come, let’s get a spot by the bonfire, they’ll be lighting the Guy soon and then the fireworks start,” Kalen tells me. He’s so excited it’s hard not to be infected by his enthusiasm.
“Did anyone get sparklers?” Slate asks.
“Yep and a lighter,” Onyx replies, taking out the lighter and sparking it up.
We find a good spot at the front by the fire, mostly thanks to Elsie and Kalen elbowing people out of the way. I may not ‘get’ the whole bonfire thing, but I am enjoying myself.
I stand close to the flames, with Elsie on one side of me and Kalen on the other. To my surprise, Slate stands behind Elsie and lightly holds the back of her coat to stop her from getting any closer to the bonfire. I mean, there’s a railing for safety, but it looks pretty flimsy and Elsie is gazing at the fire, hypnotised. Onyx stands behind me and wraps his arms around my torso, snuggling up against my neck.This is new,I think to myself,but I like it a lot.
I watch the flames dance and understand why Elsie is so enthralled. It’s mesmerising. I love the sounds of the flames hissing and sparking, the occasional pop or crack of a branch making me jump. The smell is amazing too, though I know I’m going to have to wash everything I’m wearing and my hair to get the smell out. What smells so nice now, won’t be as appealing in the morning.
The Guy is thrown onto the bonfire to a round of applause. I wonder if it’s just my imagination, but the guy looks vaguely familiar.
“Does that look like…?” I begin to whisper to Elsie.
“Headmaster Knox? Yep!” she whispers back.
“Kalen,” we say at the same time, laughing.
“As much as I love to hear two women moaning my name at the same time, I’m not appreciating the laughter, ladies.” He grins at us.
“You did this,” I say pointing to the Guy. The crowd is parting and a second, female Guy is being brought forward and lifted. She too is thrown unceremoniously onto the blaze.
“Laura?” I ask, spying one of the dresses I had seen her in at dinner this term.
“Guilty,” Kalen says with no remorse whatsoever.
“She’ll do her nut when she realises her favourite dress is gone,” Slate points out.
“That’s what I’m counting on.” Kalen gives me a wicked grin and winks. Oh poor Kalen, he’s very much mistaken if he thinks Laura will even notice the dress missing. And if she does, she’ll probably just demand that Monty buy her two more to make up for it.
The fireworks start and I’m sucked into the hype with everyone else, ooohing and aaahing at the pretty colours, jumping at the loud bangs, and pleading with Onyx to light the sparklers already. The magic of the entire evening has taken me back to my childhood, to happier memories before Laura changed and things got bad. We never went to any shows as grand as this, but I do remember staying up late one time to watch fireworks when I was small. My brother wrapped me in his coat and my dad held me in his arms.
“You okay?” Onyx murmurs in my ear. His warm breath tickles my cheek and I nuzzle into him a little.
“Perfect,” I tell him. And I mean it, this evening has been perfect. Or as close to perfect as it could be without Sawyer with us.
I turn my head away from the aerial display and capture Onyx’s lips in a sweet thank you kiss. I know I have them all to thank for tonight, but right now his attention is on me and I want to show him how grateful I am. When I pull back, he’s grinning softly at me, his whole face transformed.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He smiles.
“No, tell me,” I insist.
“Just…you’ve not kissed me like that before. And I liked it.”
“Me too.” I return his smile and then the moment’s lost by Kalen demanding we all draw dicks with our sparklers. We laugh and join him.
Unsurprisingly, Kalen’sisthe biggest.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Amelie
Is it wrong to change my mind? I came here with a chip on my shoulder and a point to prove. I still hate my incubator and want her to pay, but everything else just no longer matters to me. I still miss home, but with each day that passes, Knox Academy feels more like home. The guys and Elsie are fast becoming my second family.
