The Seven Kings of Jinn

Hanging out with her friends sounded like a great idea after the weirdness that had just occurred. So relaxing. So normal. So real. Perfect. She grinned shakily and skipped to the passenger side door.

Ari struggled to open the jar of pickles. She slammed the top off the edge of her black granite kitchen counter. “Crap,” she groaned, shaking out her reddening hand.

Rachel, who leaned against the opposite counter munching on some chips, rolled her eyes. “Give it here.”

“You’re, like, half the size of me. If I can’t get it, you can’t.”

Her friend quirked a blond eyebrow. “I’ll have you know this tiny package is made of steel. Give it.”

To her amazement, the lid popped open in Rachel’s hands. Ari eyed her suspiciously. “Have you been taking steroids?”

Again with the eye rolling. “Oh please, I leave the drug use to Charlie.”

Ari glared at her.

Rachel laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, cheap shot.”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Really, I am sorry. How are you anyway? You seemed so down yesterday.”

Not wanting to get into it with her, Ari shrugged. “I’m fine.”

Her friend exhaled wearily. “I’m not stupid, Ari. I know when something is up with you.”

God, how Ari wished she could talk to Rachel about college and how much she was freaking out, but Rachel, despite being her best friend, was the last person Ari could discuss it with. Rachel had wanted to be a doctor since her cousin died of leukemia when they were eight. That kind of determination and single-minded focus was a huge part of who she was. Unfortunately, she tended to judge and thought that people who lacked focus were flakes and unworthy of her time.

At her extended silence, Rachel grinned mischievously. “I know what would help.”

“What?”

“You need to have sex. Finally.”

Nearly choking on her pickle, Ari watched as a rice packet flew out of one of the open cupboards and whacked Rachel across the head. She burst out laughing as her friend’s eyes popped open in shock.

“What the hell was that?”

Ari chuckled. “That was Ms. Maggie defending my virtue, you tramp.”

“Your frickin’ poltergeist?”

“Yup.”

“I thought you were kidding about that!”

“No way!” A.J. suddenly loped into the kitchen, grinning. “Ms. Maggie totally took me out last time I was here when I cracked a joke about women ‘in the kitchen and in the bedroom’.”

“Good.” Staci strolled in after him, Nick on her tail. Ari’s spirits dipped a little at the sight of Nick and she hoped her expression hadn’t said so when Staci explained, “Nick was in our class. We offered to rescue him.”

“Of course.” Ari forced a smile. “The more the merrier.”

He smiled back. “Thanks. I thought I was going to die of boredom back there.”

Ari nodded, trying her best to fake relaxation. “Can I get anyone a drink?”

“You got any beer?” A.J. asked, pulling the refrigerator open and taking out her dad’s beers before she could respond.

They settled in her living room, eating and joking around as they took turns on the PlayStation. And by taking turns, Ari meant while the boys hogged the controllers. Hanging out with Nick was a little uncomfortable, but being with the group made it easier and soon he and A.J. were so engrossed in video games there was nothing to be uncomfortable about. Ari laughed as Staci made fun of the look of concentration on her boyfriend’s face.

“Oh God,” she mumbled to her girlfriends. “That’s his sex face.”

The three of them burst into loud laughter, drawing the guys’ attention.

“Uh, what’s going on over there?” A.J. asked suddenly, looking worried.

“Nothing.” Staci avoided his gaze by turning to Nick. “So, Nick, you excited about playing college basketball?”

Just like that, the conversation switched to college talk and, for Ari, the temperature in the room abruptly dropped. A cold sweat erupted across her skin and she excused herself, hurrying into the kitchen, thrusting open the window above the sink and gulping in huge wafts of fresh air. She stood in perfect peace for a couple of minutes before she felt the heat of someone’s gaze on her back. Craning her neck around, she saw Nick standing in the doorway.

“You okay?” he asked.

She turned to face him as he walked farther into the room. He lifted a hand, placing his empty beer bottle down on the counter. He had large hands. They reminded her of the invisible ones that had rescued her today from near death, and another sheen of cold sweat broke out under her arms. “I’m fine,” she responded, clearing her throat as the last syllable came out a cracked whisper.

He smiled shyly, this crazy cute smile that should have made her knees weak but didn’t. “You know we’re only going to be a state away when we go to college. Maybe I could visit you sometime.”

Her heart fluttered in panic at the thought. “You’ll be way too busy to come visit me.”