Because the Night (The Night Songs Collection) by Kristen Strassel

her half full drink glass against the monitor near Tristan’s microphone, sending liquid and shards of glass showering down on herself, the stage, and possibly some of the audience. She lifted the jagged piece of glass that remained in her hand in front of her face as if she was considering what it was; the drops of liquid left on it twinkled in the light. Then, with a quick movement, she ran it violently across her neck. Blood flashed in the lights as it sprayed across the stage. She collapsed in a heap at Tristan’s feet.
    Security swarmed the stage. Where had they been before? The band stood motionless, like puppets without marionettes as the thick brown curtain made its way back to the middle of the stage. The room stood black and silent. Then the house lights came on along and a voice came over the PA system thanking everyone for coming, asking us to finish their drinks and make their way to the exits. Due to the unexpected events of the evening, The Bloody Heretic Hall called it a night early.
    Most of the people in the club stood motionless, looking lost. Many of them probably thought that the girl was part of the show, and were sobered by the thought of what she had really done. I leaned my head against Blade’s shoulder. My head swam. His demeanor finally softened and he put his arm around me.
    “Let’s go home,” Blade broke the trance.
    I slid down from the bar stool, feeling fuzzier than ever once I was on my feet. Blade put his arm around me, half to steady me, half to protect me. The bright lights and constant pinging of the slot machines as we made our way through the casino seemed obscene in contrast to what we just witnessed.

Chapter Fifteen
    “Have you ever checked out your roommate’s website?” Blade asked out of the blue a couple days later as we sat on the floor of his living room.
    “Of course.”
    “Recently?”
    I didn’t like where this was going.
    “Not since I’ve been in Vegas.” Something told me I should have. I didn’t need to check the Tristan gossip boards anymore now that he was a part of my life again. I watched Blade type on his laptop. He attacked the keys, striking them loud enough that the sound echoed in the room.
    My stomach knotted, I had no idea what was going to happen when he clicked on that link. Had Janelle shared my relationship with Tristan with the whole world?
    The answer was yes, she had.
    I couldn’t believe my own eyes. There I was, a bit blurry in the camera phone capture, at The Bloody Heretic Hall with Tristan’s fingertips on my face. An innocent exchange caught out of context. The caption questioned: “Old friend or new squeeze?”
    “What the fuck is this?” Blade coiled away from the computer, as a cat would round its spine under attack, pushing himself up against the couch.
    “It’s not what it looks like.” I struggled for air. “I can explain.”
    “Please do.” I opened my mouth to start a few times, and closed it. Blade’s eyes burned angry holes in me.
    I looked down at my fingers twisting in my lap. “Do you remember when I told you about my friend from the Vineyard who died?”
    “Yeah.” Not winning Blade over.
    “That was Tristan.”
    “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
    “It’s true. My parents rent our house from his aunt.”
    Blade relaxed slightly, but still had his arms folded defensively in front of his chest. He took a moment to digest that information. “So he’s the dead guy.”
    “Right.”
    Blade sighed. “If he’s just some old friend of yours, why didn’t you just tell me?”
    “Because I was afraid that this would happen.”
    “What do you mean, this?”
    “This! The first time I met you, you already had a chip on your shoulder about Immortal Dilemma, and it only got worse the longer I knew you. Of course I was afraid to tell you. I knew that you’d react this way.”
    “Callie, you can have all the friends you want. Really. Even if they’re dead. But if you hide it from