The Fire Starter by Misty Wright, Summer Sauteur Page A

it, but he was serious when he did, and it explained why I felt sluggish right after seeing that child smile at me. My mind travelled back to that moment, when I felt something coil around me like an invisible string.
    And then there was that fire… I didn't really see it, but I felt it touch me. Where did that fire come from? Was that also a part of their ritual? Was Spencer also burned by that fire when he came to my rescue? But when I bathed this morning I didn't see any burn marks on my body. Spencer didn't seem to be hurt in any way either.
    Maybe I was already hallucinating back then. That's the only thing that makes sense.
    I would not have gone to dinner if it wasn't for my rumbling stomach. I decided to just drop by, get my plate full, and march to an empty table. I should stop sitting with them. They're all probably mad at me anyway.
    Everything was okay when I entered the room and headed straight to the buffet table. But Kyle spotted me and waved at me, indicating the seat I usually took. Because of her, I was distracted and bumped into someone.
    I know it's weird, but since last night, I already felt familiar with Spencer's temperature. So I knew without looking that it was him. "Sorry," I muttered without looking up, but he quickly held my arm to stop me.
    "Sorry for shouting at you earlier," he whispered, guiding me to a table with, surprisingly, cheesecake. He put a huge slice on my plate and waited for me to respond.
    "I should be the one apologizing to you," I said at last. "I shouldn't have done that, and I shouldn't have said anything. It's just that…"
    Spencer stopped me by tugging at my arm, and I was forced to look at his beautiful eyes. "Let's just forget it, okay?"
    I nodded in approval. It seemed like the only thing left to do anyway.
    "Someone's kissed and made up," Blake announced just as Spencer and I reached the table. I smiled weakly and noticed that Spencer was blushing just as much as I think I am.
    "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused," I said around the table.
    And I was met with laughter. "What do you mean trouble?" Reid asked, eyeing my cheesecake with interest.
    "I got Spencer suspended, and Blake had to stay up late to watch over me, and--"
    "Kayleigh," Xander said, cutting through my litany.
    "We did all that because we're your friends," Evan answered, a sheepish grin already in place on his face. Then, before I could stop him, I saw his fork descend down my dessert, and a few others followed suit.
    I laughed genuinely for the first time. They were my friends. Of course. They weren't mad at me. They were concerned, and they wanted to make me feel better. I've never felt happier. I looked at them, tackling the slice of cheesecake Spencer had given me, and I couldn't help but be contented. These are the kinds of friends I wouldn't want to lose. Or leave.
     
     

Chapter 9 - A Slow, Painful, Torturous Process
     
    It's not all fun being with my friends, but most times it is. Like right now, for instance. Spencer and Evan had started their brotherly feud, and I thought I smelled something burning in the oven. I don't even know how they got access to the kitchen, but Evan had just come out with a wicked expression on his face as though he was particularly proud of what he had done this time.
    With a weird spring on his step, he reached us at the cafeteria and dropped onto the table what appeared to be an aluminum cooking dish with nothing but the long-sleeved shirt I saw Spencer wearing the other day. I have to tell you, it wasn't pretty. There were holes and I could smell the remnants of Spencer's cologne, only it was fairly undetectable since the gray smoke issuing from it was so overpowering. Spencer, who was sitting beside me, let out a sigh and brought something out of his bag.
    After seeing Evan's prank on Spencer's shirt, I thought Spencer would get mad, but it seems that they had been doing this for a long time already. Spencer had a prank of his own, and it involved Evan's