JONATHAN DIDN'T COME TO school that week. The only reason Delilah knew was because everyone kept asking her where he was and whether it was true that they were in a relationship. To both questions she simply shrugged, not caring enough about the rumors to dispel them. She had been too caught up in chasing gods as of lately, so she focused on her school work, finally settling into college. After all, she had been in contact with murderers way too much this past week, the one that had stopped them still not caught.

It was Tuesday in her second week when she saw Jonathan again, right as she was walking with James to the cafetaria. James was enthusiastically explaining a theory he had learned in class today, only to freeze when his gaze landed on Jonathan. If Delilah had not been there with Jonathan when he had broken down, one look at his face now would have made her believe everything was completely fine. He was laughing with a group of people around him, always the center of attention, slapping one of his friends on the shoulder when he made a joke.

When he saw her, his mask of amusement fell for a moment, becoming something sincere as he nodded at her.

"How are you, Delilah?" he said.

His friends began whistling, shouting all over each other, Jonathan seeming to be used to it as he rolled his eyes.

"Look at him go, flirting this early in the morning!"

"Think about us single people, John, this hurts."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Hush," Jonathan said, gesturing at them to shut up," you're scaring her."

They were in fact not scaring her, but she let him have his fun.

James looked between them, hands clenched beside him so tightly his knuckles had gone white.

"I'm fine," Delilah said, glancing at James for a second before she smiled at Jonathan," I'm glad to see you're as well, I was worried. We'll talk later though, okay? I'm heading somewhere with James right now."

"Yeah sure," Jonathan nodded, ignoring the suggestive remarks his friends made about them talking later.

Right as he passed her he turned to look over his shoulder, voice clear.

"Hey Delilah," he called out," if you ever need anything, let me know, alright? My brothers know to help you as well, whenever you need them to. You're always welcome at my frat."

James frowned, lips parting like he wanted to say something, but he refrained in time. Instead she spoke, voice warm.

"You know I'm always there if you need someone to talk to."

He smiled, something so bright his earlier expressions paled in comparison.

"Thank you."

When they moved on, James was quiet, only breaking the silence when they had turned the corner.

"So it's true?" he said," you're dating that guy?"

"No, I'm not," she replied easily, pointing outside," look! That cloud is shaped like a heart, how adorable."

James looked taken aback, stopping in the middle of the hallway, causing her to come to a halt as well. He placed his hands in front of his face, sighing, and when he moved them out of the way to push his dark hair back, his cheeks were flushed, relief glittering in his eyes.

"Thank God," he whispered.

"James?" she asked.

"It's nothing," he said, shaking his head," I was just -" He paused, before continuing. "It's nothing."

He started walking again, catching up to her, a smile on his face. She watched him curiously and he tried to wipe the smile off his lips with a hand, with no success.

"I'm sorry," he said," I don't know why I'm smiling."

"Why are you apologizing for smiling?" she asked, ruffling a hand through his hair," happiness suits you well, James. And anyway, do you think I would have kept things like me dating Jonathan from you?"

Though it wasn't true she told him everything, she did confide in James whenever she could. The only times she didn't tell him things were when they were spiritual and she knew he would find it hard to understand. When she was younger she had tried to explain the ghosts she saw to him, but she had seen in his eyes that he was unable to comprehend any of it. She was open about everything she believed in, but for some people telling them would only be a burden. For James, it would mean he had to change all his ideals to believe her.

She rather not force him to choose between her or his almost religious believe in science.

"I know," he said, lowering his gaze to the floor," it's why I refrained from asking you first, but just now - I don't know, I wasn't sure anymore." He glanced over at her. "Either way, Jonathan isn't your type, right? You said you preferred serious guys, once."

Had she? Honestly, she didn't even know what she had said five minutes ago, never mind any other remarks she made. Either way it was fine, she supposed serious guys were fun to tease. For a moment she thought about the Reaper, but she shook him out of her mind before he could settle there.

"Anyway," James said suddenly, blurting the word out a bit too loud, before he continued with a quieter voice," anyway, I mean. What are you doing this Saturday? I have two tickets to a planetarium, I know you always love to go."

"You know me too well, James," she beamed at him," of course I'll go. As friends, right?"

It was something she added lightheartedly, but mostly for him. Mateo joked about it, but she knew James was in love with her, how he had been for a very long time now. Still, he had never confessed and so she never had the chance to think of any possible future between them. Perhaps they would be good together, but she would only read the cards when he gathered the courage. For now she wanted some clarity, just so she would know with what mindset she had to go in Saturday.

He hesitated, before replying, voice quiet. "Yeah, as friends."

She smiled at him, not intending to pressure him at all. When or if he chose to say anything was fully up to him, even though Roshan had let drop to her multiple times that he had gotten annoyed by how often James asked him what the right moment would be. Neither of them had the time to linger about it any longer though, because Theresa appeared then, walking beside James as she started speaking.

"Listen to what I just heard," she said," apparently there's a new rumor going around that Jonathan had an one-on-one fight with a serial killer and won. He knocked the guy out so hard he fainted."

"Oh really?" Delilah said amusedly.

"I don't believe any of it," Theresa snorted," I've dated the guy, loud noises scare him, never mind a psychopath with a knife. Still, he's strangely popular around here, where are the rumors about me?"

"You should be glad," James remarked," I can't believe how bored those people must be to create rumors at all, they should focus on the heap of assignments we get every week instead."

"But you see," Theresa told him," I don't want to focus on the assignments we get."

Delilah chuckled, but before she could say anything someone bumped into her, causing the book she was holding to fall to the floor. She crouched down to grab it, but her hand touched the stranger's at the same time, and when she looked up, it was in eyes which reminded her of torches in a misty room, burning right through her soul. Or well, her lack thereof.

The man flashed a smile at her, his fiery red hair almost looking scorched at the end, clothing entirely black. When she looked at his hand, his rolled up cuffs showed the body of a snake turning around his arm, fangs spreading on the back of his hand, eyes glowing so eerily it almost seemed alive. He spoke then, drawing her attention back to his face again. His voice was melodic in the sort of way a funeral song was, hauntingly beautiful, to the point you wouldn't be able to close your ears to it without feeling like you were committing a sin.

"How terribly foolish of me," he said," it's my clumsiness, I swear, it'll be the death of me." When she took the book from him he placed his hand over her wrist, pulling her closer so quickly she couldn't stop herself from falling against his shoulder. "Or who knows, perhaps you can teach me your tricks to being immortal someday?"

He held her gaze, something undecipherable in it, but when she didn't reply at once he smiled, all seriosity gone again.

"I'm just kidding," he said," I don't want to live anyway."

He got to his feet then, offering his hand to her, a certain elegance in his movements which told her his blood flowed blue.

"I haven't met you before," she said as she took his hand, letting him pull her up easily.

"I would say I've forgotten my manners," he said," but unfortunately I've never had any."

"Delilah," James said, stepping forward protectively," is everything alright?"

The redhead simply laughed, placing his hand on her face. For a second she could hear the snake hiss.

"I've always wondered what the mind of a soulless one was like," his voice echoed in her head," this is quite a nice place you got here -"

James grabbed his wrist, the voice disappearing at once when the contact was lost.

"What do you think you're doing?" James snarled.

Despite his own anger, the stranger's voice was so cold it chilled them all to the bone, clashing against the amusement he wore still.

"You are not holy enough to touch me, heretic," he said," get your hand off me, before I burn it for sacrilege."

"Have you gone insane?" James frowned," is this some new pill you've taken which makes you hallucinate? I swear, the drugs the youth are on these days."

Delilah moved to step in between, knowing that whatever threats this stranger was making, none of them were empty. Before she could interfere though he glanced out of the window, displeasure creasing his face as he sighed.

"Fucking fanatics, always chasing me wherever I go."

He opened the window, setting one foot on it as he turned around to look at her.

"I'll see you again soon, soulless one," he said.

"This is the third floor!" James exclaimed, reaching out to keep him from jumping, but he was too late.

When they looked out of the window, he was nowhere to be found.