I Believe We're The Enemy

Ginny’s P.O.V.

As soon as we emerge from the car upon reaching the diner some sort of strange animal instinct takes over me and I find myself hugging Frank for all he’s worth, burying my face in his chest and refusing to let go. After a moment of slight shock he returns the embrace, cooing softly to comfort me. Seeing him so close to death had made me remember why I hadn’t wanted to befriend him in the first place, but something told me that it was too late to keep worrying about that now. I had to just call myself an idiot and move on to more important things, like Sun Beam’s obvious crush on Ray.

Luckily, Sun Beam thinks I haven’t noticed the way she’s all over Jet-Star by now. It’s pretty obvious. To my surprise, every time she gives him her flirty little giggle and beams him that white-teeth grin something inside me goes crazy and I find myself planted firmly between them, making it quite clear to Sun Beam that Ray has chosen me and only me. Some hungry monster lives inside my chest, and I can feel it ravaging my throat and making my heart beat way too fast whenever he smiles back at her. I’ve never really been jealous of anyone before, and I quickly find that I don’t like the way it turns my stomach inside out and makes me want to throw up. Well, maybe I was a bit envious when Gerard kissed Frank. I kinda like Frank, just a little bit, but he’s mostly just like a long-lost brother to me. And he’s not nearly as attractive as Ray.

Ray’s P.O.V.

Confession: I feel like shit. Poor Ginny is so damn jealous of Sun Beam, and I can tell it’s ripping her apart. She’s trying to stay as neutral and unaffected as she can, but at the same time she won’t let anyone else even come near me. On the other hand, I saw her face when Gerard kissed Frankie. Ginny obviously has at least some feelings for our little black-haired friend, even if she just thinks he’s kinda cute. I wish I could say that didn’t get to me.

Ginny is exhausted by the time we get back to the diner, so she goes straight to bed, shutting the door behind her. The rest of us stay up to eat, and then Mikey, Gerard, and Frank retreat to the back room, leaving me alone with Sun Beam.

“So you really like this Ginny, don’t you?” she asks lightly, fingering her sunglasses. My heart sinks. I was trying to avoid this rather awkward confrontation.

“Yes, Sun Beam, I’m not going to deny it. I do.”

“She doesn’t know what happened last time I was here.”

My throat dries up and I stare carefully into my spoon. “No.”

“You do remember, right?” she asks, leaning forward. I refuse to meet her gaze, even when she takes a long, careful look around the diner and removes her sunglasses.

“Yes, Sun Beam, I remember.” I do remember, very well, but I don’t like thinking about it.

“Look at me, Ray.” She grabs my chin in one of her slender hands and and lifts it so that I’m looking her right in the eyes. I can’t keep from shaking as I pull away. Her ghostly eyes wouldn’t scare me at all if it weren’t for what they remind me of.

It was winter, and the desert had suddenly become cold, icy, and for the most part, inhospitable. Every day a new Killjoy would show up at the diner, some with good news, some with bad news, some healthy, and some on the brink of death. Sun Beam was one of the first arrivals, but unlike the others she stayed for day after day, prolonging her visit for as long as she possibly could, as if she was waiting for something. She was; however, it wasn’t a thing she waited for, but a chance.

One unusually warm evening, we had just returned from a graciously successful food hunt, and after dinner I fad gone straight to the back room, ready to sleep. I closed the door behind me and walked across the room to the tiny window, opening it just enough to cool down the stuffy space. Then I heard the door click shut again, and I turned to see Sun Beam standing there, her back against the doorknob. As I watched she removed her sunglasses with a slow flourish, revealing her hauntingly pale eyes. “Hello, Ray,” she whispered, boring her unmoving gaze into mine.

“Um... hi?” I asked, wondering what in the world she was doing. Her face split into a rather chilly grin and she crossed the floor in five long, smooth steps. I backed up, nervous, and as I hit the wall she reached me, her face still unreadable.

Before I even knew what was happening her lips were pressed against mine, moving softly but harshly as she pressed her body into my chest. My eyes closed as instinct took over and I kissed her back, ignoring the absurd ferocity of her hands as she grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my head down toward her. I felt my heart hammering anxiously in my chest as her knees hit the wall on either side of my legs, her bony hips pressed pressed against mine. Coming to my senses, I tried to push her away, but she won’t take no for an answer. As I fought to escape her grasp she tore off her shirt faster than I thought possible in a wild attempt to convince me to love her. Then she backed up, away from the wall, and collapsed onto the mattress. I tried to get away from her, but her fingers were firmly entangled in my long, curly hair, preventing my escape. Before I could stand up and get away from her she rolled on top of me, her lips finding mine again, and I was trapped, unable to fight off the beautiful monster now practically feasting on my neck. One of her hands trailed down the front of my shirt and her fingers found the button on my jeans, and as I struggled to escape she undid the button and the zipper with practiced ease.

Knowing exactly what she was after, I let out a hoarse yell, hoping that somebody would come and rescue me before Sun Beam managed to remove my pants entirely. Luckily, Mikey was there within moments, and after a brief bout of cursing her managed to drag Sun Beam off of me, screaming at her to put her shirt back on and get out. She did as she was told, wincing at the collective shrieking of the Way brothers but still managing to glare viciously at me as Frank, Gerard, and Mikey kicked her out of the diner.

“She didn’t... you know... do anything, did she?” Mikey asked later, trying to help me recover as Frank and Gerard talked in the front room.

“No,” I replied, exhausted. I felt horrible. Has Sun Beam actually thought that I liked her too, or was she just making out with me for the sake of it? “She was close, though.” Mikey shook his head in confusion and hugged me, holding me close to his skinny body until I finally stopped shaking and fell asleep.

“What do you think Ginny would do if she knew about that?” Sun Beam asks smoothly, pulling me out of my memories. “What would she think if I told her?”

I shudder, leaning as far away from her as I can. “Don’t,” I whisper. “Please don’t.”

She smiles wickedly. “Just one slip of a word, and I could make it sound as if it was your fault. As if you loved me,” she says. “So easy.”

I can barely breathe through the aching fury and anxiety in my throat. “Stop, Sun Beam,” I growl. “Leave her alone. It’s not her fault that I picked her over you.” Before Sun Beam can respond I jump out of my seat and trot swiftly over to the back room, letting myself inside and slamming the door behind me. The noise wakes Frank, who’s sleeping next to Ginny on one of the cots. “Move,” I snarl, and he obliges, crossing the room and curling up next to Gerard and Mikey. Ignoring the sick feeling rising in my chest, I lay down behind Ginny and put one arm firmly around her waist, pulling her towards my body. She murmurs something in her sleep and turns toward me, burying her face in my chest. I look down at her fragile form and blink back unexpected tears. Please, please, please, don’t let Sun Beam hurt her. I love her so much.

Sun Beam stalks into the room a few minutes later, and as she flops onto the mattress in the middle of the room my arm curls tighter around Ginny’s waist and pulls her closer to the safety of my body. I smirk at the idea that Sun Beam is all alone while the rest of us have someone to sleep with, but my smile quickly disappears when she turns to look at me. I glare back before burying my face in Ginny’s hair, successfully blocking out my old demon.