Midnight

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

I wake up the next morning, disappointed. Why? Well, I'm still stuck in this crazy mess. Unfortunately, it wasn't just a dream. I knew that it wasn't a dream, but I secretly hoped last night that if I wished hard enough, I would wake up, back home. 

I get up, out of the bed, and look for Aaron. He is still sleeping. 

I decide to wait for Aaron to have breakfast. I walk around the hotel room a couple of times, trying to see what to do while I wait. At the corner of my eye, I see the room phone. I walk toward it. I hesitate to press the buttons. I hear Aaron's words from when we were in the airport ringing in my head. 

Remember, do not try to contact anyone from before. Not your friends or family, no matter how close they are to you.

He is still sleeping. What he doesn't know won't kill him. Just to be on the safe side, I leave the hotel and go to a nearby boutique. I ask them if I could borrow their phone, and they gladly let me borrow it. I decide to call my closet friend, Lisa. I hear the phone ring a few times. Then I hear Lisa voice

"Hello?"

"Lisa!"

"Lia? Where are you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm grounded." I lie.

"But this number... It's not from New York..."

"I'm fine. Don't tell anyone I called you, not Violet, Amy, or Ella. Understand?"

"Yes. But-but why?"

"I-I can't tell you. I'm fine. Just make sure everyone knows I'm fine. Tell them I'm on a vacation, which I am. Okay?"

"Lia, you're scaring me."

"Everything is okay. I'll see you soon?"

"See you soon."

With that, I end the call. I hand the woman in the boutique back her phone. An thank her. I walk back to the hotel. When I enter the room, I see that Aaron is now awake. He is pacing back and forth, in front of  the TV. I can hear the news channel on. 

"Aaron?"

He immediately faces me. 

"Lia! Where were you! I thought you were dead!" 

"Aaron, calm down. I'm fine. I just went to the cafe." I say, trying to get him to stop yelling.

"You could have at least told me!"

"Aaron, you were sleeping!"

"So! I've been watching the news channel for the mast twenty five minutes to see if someone reported a dead fifteen year old girl!" He says waving his hands everywhere and his voice getting louder and louder. 

"I'm sorry! Do you want to go and eat breakfast?" I ask him. 

"Eat breakfast? After all this? Eat breakfast?! Okay." He says, grinning. 

I chuckle and grab some money. We both leave the apartment an head out to a cafe for some breakfast.