Interlude [h.s]

ninety

By the time Alouette gets to Jesse's rooms, she's ready to beg her way through it all.

The guard she's come to know as Brooks is standing next to the door, fiddling with his phone, and it's the first time she sees a phone on the upper floors of the Palace. It makes her wonder if he's snuck it in. She shifts closer to him quietly and peeks at the screen—he's playing a game, something about a worm rounding a square and jumping through parallel realities to eat watermelons. Suddenly a bird swipes in and ears the worm, and then a cat jumps on a branch and eats the bird.

Brooks lets out a huff and looks up—and jolts when he finds Alouette standing next to him. "Where the hell—!"

"You were distracted." She's not judging him. She is, a little bit. "I need to talk to Jesse."

Brooks puts the phone back in his pocket with an awkward cough. "Haldings is sleeping. I think. I hope."

"Can you let me in?"

"It's not allowed."

She crosses her arms. "Harry said it was okay." Lie. But she's certain he wouldn't mind, if she were to ask him, so half-lie?

He raises an eyebrow. "Mr. Styles said that," he repeats sarcastically, and it's clear that he doesn't believe her. Maybe she's underestimated him.

"I'll clear my throat the next time he's standing behind you without you knowing?"

Brooks rolls his eyes at her offer, and Alouette gets ready to either beg him to let her in or knock on the door until either Jesse wakes up or the door falls off its hinges. It's a metal door encased in wood, but she's very determined. Then Brooks sighs and swipes his card over the lock and types in a quick code. "Be quick, and don't make me regret it."

She smiles. "I owe you one." She sneaks inside and closes the door.

The lights are off, but Northfair glints through the window, illuminating the bed and the figure soundly asleep on it. Alouette creeps closer, watching her step. A packet of chips is on one pillow, Jesse is on the other. He doesn't hear her.

She rounds the bed. Jesse still doesn't move. She crouches beside him, waits a moment, and then, "Hey."

Jesse screams and flings the packet of chips at her face. Alouette falls back on her ass with a squawk, hitting her head against the nightstand.

"Oh, fuck—"

"Jesse, what?!"

He stares at her with eyes wide and hair ruffled, like a ghost that was yanked out of the otherworld by mistake. "Jesse what?" he repeats, "Alouette what! Why did you... Oh my—"

"Wake you up?!" She shakes her head; there's a chip in her hair.

"I thought I was going to die!"

"Who would kill you?!"

"Are you kidding me?! There's a whole list!"

"Oh come on, Harry wouldn't do that!"

"Then why is he the first one you thought of?!"

There's a knock on the door. "Is everything okay?" Brooks asks from outside.

"Yes!" Jesse and Alouette shout at unison.