Baby

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen:  Worried

unedited

I entered the room quietly, mindful not to bother Beverly, who was already asleep. I removed my shoes and placed them neatly under my bed, then climbed quietly onto my own bed. It was 5:15PM Thursday, and it had been a nice day overall. However, after the events of the day, I felt completely drained and decided that a nap was in order.

;?;

The sound of laughter outside my dorm filled my ears, jolting me awake. I sat up on my bed, relieved that a nightmare hadn't woken me up.

As I came to, I saw Beverly lying in her bed, still on her phone. After a few seconds, she noticed me and smiled.

"You're up!" she exclaimed, her voice cheerful.

"What time is it?" I groaned, still half-asleep.

Beverly glanced at her phone before answering, "6:55."

I sighed, relieved that I hadn't overslept. Taking naps often threw off my sleep schedule, but the exhaustion was undeniable.

Beverly wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, prompting my confusion. I tilted my head and furrowed my brows, asking, "So what?"

Beverly gave me an incredulous look, her arms thumping down on her thighs. A sly smile played on her lips as she exclaimed, "What do you mean 'so what'? How did your visit to Silas's house go?"

Ah, that. The events that took place there had almost left my mind.

"I don't even know where to begin-" I started, but a sudden ding from my phone interrupted me. I immediately reached for it, my heart racing, and my breath quickened.

It was a message from Silas. 

S: Everything is fine. 

I blinked a few times, trying to process the emotions welling up inside me. It was good news, but why was he being so concise? 

That's it? Everything is fine? How is she feeling, did she get mad? Fine can mean a number of things Silas. 

"Earth to Baby!" Suddenly, my ears snapped to attention, realizing that Beverly had been trying to get my attention. "You're doing some heavy-duty texting there," she remarked, curiosity in her voice. "What happened?"

"All right," I began, recounting the events that had unfolded at Silas's house. "When we first got there, things were going well. I was having a great conversation with his mother, and it felt like I had known her for years. She was incredible. Then, out of nowhere, she just collapsed. I screamed for Silas and anyone who could hear me. The guards came and took her away, and Silas sent me home, saying that he would text me when he knew something."

I glanced over at Beverly, and her expression immediately signaled her shock. Her mouth was wide open, and her eyes were as round as saucers.

Another sharp ding from my phone pierced my ears, demanding my attention.

"Holy shit, and he just texted you right? What did he say?" 

S: You don't have to stress about my mothers health but she's okay, I promise. Doctor said she can't go anywhere without her oxygen so she's a bit bummed. Other than that, nothing critical. 

I let out a huge sigh of relief and dropped my head down. "Silas said she's going to be okay and that I shouldn't worry," I lift my head back up, "At least she's awake and conscious now, right?"

"Yeah, it's good news. But I do agree with him - you don't need to stress out, Baby. Queen Evangeline is a very strong person, and she has endured a lot throughout her life."

"We're just stuck here in the dorm, with nothing left to do except work and think about this situation on repeat," I complained.

Suddenly a smile, no, a sly smirk came across Beverly's face. I know that face.

Before she could utter a single word, I quickly blurted out, "No more frat parties for at least a decade."

She looked at me with a frown, insisting, "It's not a frat party, I swear! It's a party at Penelope's boyfriend's place. They invited all the girls, and they said we could bring friends, so they asked us to come."

I let out a weary sigh but nodded in agreement. It wasn't ideal, but at least it was better than moping around in the dorm all night long, dwelling on the fact that I had almost... No, I had to remind myself that it wasn't my fault.

Beverly let out a little squeal, her excitement bubbling over. "I need to change real quick. I look like a total mess," she explained.

She looked me up and down and chuckled, "You look great though, did you sleep in those clothes?"

I nodded, admitting, "Yeah, I was exhausted from everything that happened. I had to take a quick nap," I replied. "By the way, where does Penelope's boyfriend live?" 

Beverly ran her hands over her shirt, still fixing any little details, before finally answering, "They live in the actual apartments near the diner downtown, I believe."

She looked satisfied with the changes she had made, and we both made our way to the girls' room.

I gave the door a firm knock and after a few short moments, Selina greeted us with her usual smile.

"Hey girls! Come on in," she said, welcoming us inside. "Penelope is just getting ready!"

We returned her smile and stepped into the dorm room. We spotted Penelope analyzing her outfit in the mirror. "Do you think this is good? I don't know if Enzo will like it." 

She turns around to look at her dress from the back. 

"You look incredible," I assured her, my words earnest. Her curled auburn hair cascaded down her back.

"Thanks, Baby," she replied, content with her choice.

As I watched her get ready, a thought crossed my mind. Was this how it always was when you had a mate or a boyfriend? Constantly worrying about how you looked? I made a mental note to ask Beverly about it later. Wait, did Beverly ever have a boyfriend herself?

After a few more minutes of girls frantically getting ready, Selina grabbed her purse and we all made our way to the door. Penelope let out an enthusiastic yell, "Alright, let's go!"

As we left the dorm, I silently hoped that everything would go well at this outing. However, deep down, I knew trouble had a way of finding me no matter where I went.

;?;