smiling in the doorway – but it was empty. That was odd…
“What’s wrong?” Ryland asked, as I looked out into the empty hallway through the still-open door.
“Nothing,” I said, glancing around the room once more before eyeing the ceiling. Alex’s room was directly above mine, he must have gone there first.
“Is that your dress?” Ry asked, pointing to the garment bag hanging over the back of my desk chair.
“One of them is, yes,” I said, grabbing my toiletry bag from the bathroom, suddenly eager to be done packing.
“Can I see it?”
“My dress? Why?”
“I don’t know, I want to see it.”
“I tried to show you the sketch the seamstress did and I believe your exact words were, ‘What’s it matter, aren’t all dresses the same?’”
“I changed my mind,” he said, hopping off the bed. “Which one is it?”
“The top bag,” I said, giving up the fight with him in favor of starting one with the zipper on my suitcase. “Just be caref–” I stopped short as suddenly it all came together; Ry leaving the door open, feeling Alex nearby but not seeing him, Ry wanting to see my dress... And it almost worked.
Almost.
Just as Ryland’s hand went for the garment bag, I reached over and snatched it away. “Nice try,” I said, triumphant grin on my face.
“What?” Ry asked, eyes a bit too innocent.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I said, laying the garment bags down and turning to the “empty” space in the middle of my room, shaking my head with a scowl. “You are in so much trouble…”
My threat hung in the air only a second before there was a visible ripple in the air and Alex appeared, standing in the corner of my room, a guilty grin on his face.
“That’s so cool,” Ryland whispered in awe as I glared, crossing my arms.
“You were hiding from me ?”
“Wish I could do that…” Ry continued to moon.
“And you,” I snipped turning to him, “this is why you came to see me? So you could help pull one over on me?”
“No,” Ry said, defensively, “I came on my own, thank you very much. Then Alex saw me coming in and asked me to help him,” he finished, looking over to Alex to back his story.
Alex shook his head. “Nope, didn’t happen.”
“Did too!” Ry yelled, shocked and appalled at the betrayal.
“Sorry buddy,” Alex shrugged, “every man for himself.”
Not about to be turned on, Ry grabbed the pillow from my bed and took a swat at him. “Traitor!” Alex easily avoided the assault, stepping back with a laugh, grabbing the pillow and pulling Ry toward him, flipping him around. A moment later, Alex had the pillow in one arm while holding Ry in a playful headlock in the other.
“What he actually came to ask,” Alex told me with a chuckle, “was if we wanted to go to dinner tonight.”
“Not sure I want to eat with either of you,” I said, raising my eyebrows.
“Me either!” Ry mumbled as he struggled against Alex’s arm.
“What if,” Alex said letting him go, “I make it so no one can see you when we walk back to your dorm after dinner?”
“Really?” Ry asked, perking up immediately. “The whole way?”
“From the dining hall all the way to your room.”
“Awesome!”
“I still have to pack, so how about we meet you over there in an hour?” Alex asked him.
“Cool!” he said skipping to the door, completely distracted by the idea of spending a good five minutes of the day invisible. “See you there! Bye Becca!”
As Ryland took off down the hall, I continued to glare at Alex as he went over to the door, shutting it slowly. Once he clicked the lock into place, he slid his hands into his pockets and turned back to face me, his eyes smiling as they looked out from under his eyebrows like a guilty puppy.
“Hi... Sorry… Hi…”
My eyes narrowed as my lips pressed together. “You do not hide from me, sir.”
“Sorry,” he smiled.
“Mmmhmm.” I pursed my lips.
“Maybe I can make it up to you,” he suggested,
“What’s wrong?” Ryland asked, as I looked out into the empty hallway through the still-open door.
“Nothing,” I said, glancing around the room once more before eyeing the ceiling. Alex’s room was directly above mine, he must have gone there first.
“Is that your dress?” Ry asked, pointing to the garment bag hanging over the back of my desk chair.
“One of them is, yes,” I said, grabbing my toiletry bag from the bathroom, suddenly eager to be done packing.
“Can I see it?”
“My dress? Why?”
“I don’t know, I want to see it.”
“I tried to show you the sketch the seamstress did and I believe your exact words were, ‘What’s it matter, aren’t all dresses the same?’”
“I changed my mind,” he said, hopping off the bed. “Which one is it?”
“The top bag,” I said, giving up the fight with him in favor of starting one with the zipper on my suitcase. “Just be caref–” I stopped short as suddenly it all came together; Ry leaving the door open, feeling Alex nearby but not seeing him, Ry wanting to see my dress... And it almost worked.
Almost.
Just as Ryland’s hand went for the garment bag, I reached over and snatched it away. “Nice try,” I said, triumphant grin on my face.
“What?” Ry asked, eyes a bit too innocent.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I said, laying the garment bags down and turning to the “empty” space in the middle of my room, shaking my head with a scowl. “You are in so much trouble…”
My threat hung in the air only a second before there was a visible ripple in the air and Alex appeared, standing in the corner of my room, a guilty grin on his face.
“That’s so cool,” Ryland whispered in awe as I glared, crossing my arms.
“You were hiding from me ?”
“Wish I could do that…” Ry continued to moon.
“And you,” I snipped turning to him, “this is why you came to see me? So you could help pull one over on me?”
“No,” Ry said, defensively, “I came on my own, thank you very much. Then Alex saw me coming in and asked me to help him,” he finished, looking over to Alex to back his story.
Alex shook his head. “Nope, didn’t happen.”
“Did too!” Ry yelled, shocked and appalled at the betrayal.
“Sorry buddy,” Alex shrugged, “every man for himself.”
Not about to be turned on, Ry grabbed the pillow from my bed and took a swat at him. “Traitor!” Alex easily avoided the assault, stepping back with a laugh, grabbing the pillow and pulling Ry toward him, flipping him around. A moment later, Alex had the pillow in one arm while holding Ry in a playful headlock in the other.
“What he actually came to ask,” Alex told me with a chuckle, “was if we wanted to go to dinner tonight.”
“Not sure I want to eat with either of you,” I said, raising my eyebrows.
“Me either!” Ry mumbled as he struggled against Alex’s arm.
“What if,” Alex said letting him go, “I make it so no one can see you when we walk back to your dorm after dinner?”
“Really?” Ry asked, perking up immediately. “The whole way?”
“From the dining hall all the way to your room.”
“Awesome!”
“I still have to pack, so how about we meet you over there in an hour?” Alex asked him.
“Cool!” he said skipping to the door, completely distracted by the idea of spending a good five minutes of the day invisible. “See you there! Bye Becca!”
As Ryland took off down the hall, I continued to glare at Alex as he went over to the door, shutting it slowly. Once he clicked the lock into place, he slid his hands into his pockets and turned back to face me, his eyes smiling as they looked out from under his eyebrows like a guilty puppy.
“Hi... Sorry… Hi…”
My eyes narrowed as my lips pressed together. “You do not hide from me, sir.”
“Sorry,” he smiled.
“Mmmhmm.” I pursed my lips.
“Maybe I can make it up to you,” he suggested,
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