What If?

Chapter 14

The movie finished at 10:30, exactly the school's curfew time, but with a 20-minute travel from here to SCU, we are so not getting in even if we had made a quite reasonable excuse. The theater closes at 11 P.M., so we stayed until the end credits are finished.

"Ella?" Chase said, shaking me.

"Huh?" I slowly opened my eyes.

"You fell asleep through the end credits." Chase said.

"Really? Damn. I must've been so tired and sleepy then." I said, yawning.

"I'm sorry. This is my entire fault. We should've just watched the movie tomorrow."

"Well, what's done is done, so it's okay." I smiled.

"So, what do we do now?"

"Now that you've mentioned it, I really don't know. Are we really gonna sleep here? I don't think I can because I'd freeze to death if we would. All I want to do is just sleep. Do you know some place we could stay where we could sleep in through the night?" I said, yawning again.

"Well, we could get a hotel if you want."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well, what do you suggest then?"

"Do you know any 24-hour coffee shops we could stay in?"

"I thought you wanted to sleep?"

"Right, I'm sorry. I'm just so sleepy that I don't even know what I'm saying anymore." I said, yawning again.

"And that's the 3rd time you've yawned. Well I guess we're sleeping in a nearby hotel then, whether you like it or not. I won't harm you or anything, I promise."

"I didn't say that I don't trust you, it's just well..."

"C'mon Ella. We're leaving so that you can sleep comfortably. Ahrayrt?" Chase smiled. He held out his hand and pulled me out of my chair.

"I feel woozy." I said, yawning again for the 4th time. He laughed.

"You're such a yawn queen Ella. Here, let me carry you then."

He took his hoodie off and let me wear it. Chase piggybacked me out of the movie room and into the cinema lobby. Rowena was standing outside and smiling at us.

"Did you two lovebirds enjoy the movie?" Rowena smiled.

"Yep! But someone here seemed to pass out during the end credits. She's very tired and sleepy that she yawned in every sentence when she talks." Chase smiled.

"Uhhh, no I don't." I said, yawning again. Urgh, spoke to soon.

"Aww, poor baby. It's 11 PM already, and your school has a curfew right?" Rowena asked.

"Yep, it's too late if we have to travel all the way there. I guess we're just going to have to spend the night in a nearby hotel. My princess is already dozing off to sleep." Chase smiled. Is he really gonna play this all along? Little did he know that Rowena knew about us; that she knew about what I felt.

"Well, as much as I'd like to offer you two staying at my home, I can't. My nieces are there and they're occupying the vacant rooms right now, I'm sorry. The only thing I could offer you guys is a call and a ride to the hotel. Would that be alright?" Rowena smiled warmly. I'm glad that she's not the type of adult who'd go panicking in this was the situation.

"That's more than the help we need Rowena. Thank you very much." Chase smiled at her.

"No problem. Just give me a sec, I'll call the hotel to get you 2 rooms."