Iridescent

9 | Hide and Hopefully No Seek

James got me back to the campsite safely before he galloped back to the battlefield. I made a beeline for my dorm, slowing down when I saw Will closing the door.

He turned and saw me, a horrified expression. "It's not what you think! I wanted to check where you were!"

There was a throb at the back of my head. Jaxton.

"I was away for a long time, aye?" I rubbed my head, hiding my nervousness. "A minor hiccup during Practical. No biggie," I pointed at the door. "How did you get in?"

"Oh, your door was open," he said, an honest look in his eyes. "I thought you forgot to close it. You must've left in a rush – I could tell by the half-eaten sandwich and fallen chair..."

He blabbered on – to be honest, I've never heard Will talk that much – but my mind was elsewhere. Half-eaten sandwich and fallen chair? What was that man doing in my room!

I released a light chuckle, "ha, Will, you're so observant! I did leave in a hurry."

Will relaxed and grinned, "yeah, it's cool. Ted and I will be down in the dining cave."

"I'll be right there. Just need to get changed." I smiled, letting him walk past me. "You haven't seen anything else, have you?"

He stopped at the stairs, hand on the railing. "Oh, like... another person?"

My heart took a fall off the cliff. Did Jaxton get mistaken as an intruder? Did they have a fight?

"No! Of course not! Who steals from a troop? We're poor students anyways." Will laughed heartily and I mimicked.

"Ah, yes, how silly of me..." I muttered, waving as he trotted downstairs, looking pleased with himself.

The moment he left my vision, I rushed into the room and flicked the lights on. It was proven that there was a half-eaten sandwich on the table and a fallen chair. The room was empty.

"Jaxton?" I tried softly. I padded to the bathroom, expecting him to be passed out on the floor again, except the tiles and light were lucid white and the bathroom was empty.

I walked to my bed. In my wardrobe, maybe.

"Jaxton?"

Suddenly, I felt something cold grab my ankle. My heart gave a leap.

"I'm here," a voice said, and it was definitely the voice I recognised. I bent down. Poor guy, he was under my bed.

"Your friend freaked me out," he said, not forgetting to add, "or your boyfriend, maybe."

I stifled a groan. "Will's not my boyfriend. Now get out."

"Oh, Will, I see." He wiggled himself out like a worm and I decided to watch him with amusement.

"Can you explain the sandwich and chair?"

"I was hungry so I looked through the fridge and ate your lunch – it was disgusting by the way – and your 'friend' here decided to just check your room. I mean, who does that?" He straightened with a sigh, his eyes were livelier but his expression was still weary. "Clearly Willy does."

"Will."

"Whatever. Out of panic, I threw myself under your bed and knocked your chair over in the process."

I briefly imagined what that looked like. It was lucky Will didn't hear the noise.

"Has anyone else been in my room?"

"Nope," he picked up the fallen chair and slumped on it. "Where were you? You took ages."

I resisted my shiver. "I thought you would have left."