Waves

CHAPTER 026

MOUSE

Mouse ran his hands through his hair for what must have been the sixtieth time that night. He stared at the screen in front of him as Kerrbox's face filled the box. It was nearly midnight, but Mouse didn't want to sleep yet. He had too much to do.

"I don't know, man," Mouse said softly, "She's so happy here. And I don't know how she'd respond if I did something like that to her."

Kerrbox frowned and said, "It's for her own good, though, Mouse. Whether she likes it or not."

"Yeah, but what if she hates me?"

"I don't think she will, but you have to do it soon, alright?"

"I have a day off tomor-well, today. I'll see what I can do. She's not gonna like this, I don't think," Mouse ran his hands through his hair again.

"Just get it over with, mate. But for now, go to bed. Best of luck, see you on Sunday."

Kerrbox clicked the hang up button on his computer and Mouse was kicked out of the call. He sighed, rubbing his eyes, and stumbled from his seat.

Time to get some sleep.

NORA

On Saturday morning, Nora woke to the sound of Harrison and Maxi arguing loudly in the kitchen. She slipped out of her bed and sock slid out her door and into the hallway, where the voices only grew louder.

On the other side of the hall, Mouse opened his door, rubbing his eyes. He looked exhausted.

"What's going on here?" He boomed as he walked out of the hall entrance. Standing behind him, Nora jumped in surprise. She'd never heard him speak like that before.

A few unfamiliar guys, Maxi, Harrison, Jesse, and Jules were all standing in the kitchen. Harrison had a frying pan, and Maxi had the eggs, and the unfamiliar guys were all standing around the island. Jesse was by the patio door, his head in one of his hands, and Jules was sitting at the counter with her head buried in her palms and her eyes fully covered.

"We weren't supposed to wake you, sorry," Harrison was the first to apologize.

"Well now I'm up, and I'm very confused," Mouse retorted, sounding quite irritated, "Kerrbox?" He asked.

One of the guys standing next to Maxi shifted uncomfortably, Nora watched as he said, "They're not great at cooking breakfast."

"I see that," Mouse dragged his hand down his face, heaved a sigh, and whirled around.

He jumped when he came face to face with Nora, who was staring at the whole interaction with wide, confused, and extremely concerned eyes.

"Nora!" Mouse gasped in surprise, putting his hand on his chest, "I didn't realize you were there."

"Sorry," Nora said.

"Not at all. Excuse me," Mouse slipped past her and went back into his room, closing the door with a loud thud behind him.

Nora looked from Mouse's door to the guys standing at the counter staring at her, then back to Mouse's door.

Jesse was the first to break the awkward silence as he said, "Nora, have you been introduced to these guys?"

Nora shook her head.

"Well, those two are Quiggers and Quinno, and that one over there," Jesse pointed at another guy standing helplessly with what looked like the salt shaker in his hand, "Is Kerrbox."

"Hi," Nora gave a little wave and a small, extremely awkward smile, and then said, "I...I'm just gonna go and get dressed. I'll be right back."

"Okay," Jesse offered her his signature smirk, and Nora beelined out of the room.

She closed her door and locked it, and then slipped out of her night gown and changed into a pair of striped athletic shorts and a plain black tank top with a bow that tied the two sleeves together at the back.

She did her morning routine in the bathroom and put her hair up in a tight bun at the back of her head. And then she was ready to go back outside.

Mouse had returned from his own room by the time Nora arrived in the kitchen. The floor was cold against her bare feet, so she took a seat next to Jules and watched as Mouse and Quinno worked out how to make scrambled eggs. Beside her, Jules looked more than amused.

"They're hopeless. How do they even eat when they're home alone?" She whispered to Nora as the two observed Mouse trying to crack an egg and then slipping and dropping it on the counter.

Nora grinned at her, "An unhealthy amount of takeout and burnt frozen pizzas," She replied.

Jules laughed even harder at that, "You're spunky, girl," She said.

"Why thank you very much."

A minute after the clock turned to eight thirty, Mouse's phone began to ring. Mouse jumped up and raced across the room, his eyes on the clock for a moment and then down to look at the caller I.D. on his screen.

"I gotta take this, guys, I'll be right back," Mouse turned and bounded into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Nora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Never before had she seen him act like that. Normally, he was so calm and collected that she wasn't even quite sure how he was feeling.

"What was that all about?" Nora asked Jules.

Jules returned her look of confusion, "I have absolutely no idea," She replied.

"O...kay? Anyway, subject change. I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but-" Jesse interrupted Nora before she could finish.

"Why in the world are fi-four, sorry, Jules, four extra guys and a girl crowded into your living space at eight o' clock in the morning on a Saturday?" He asked.

"Yeah, that," Nora agreed, turning to look at him.

He grinned, "That's simple. We're all going surfing, and your apartment is the closest one to the beach, so we all decided to meet up here. Matt Dee should arrive in, like, five minutes, and Harries should be on his way as well."

"Uh," Nora said, not sure how to respond.

The whole kitchen burst out laughing, including her, although her laugh was much more awkward than theirs.

A few minutes later, Mouse reemerged from his room with both a satisfied and a nervous expression on his face. He grabbed his car keys, stepping into his shoes at the same time and then pulled a hat off of his hook and flipped it onto his head backwards the typical Mouse way.

"Come on, Nora, put your shoes on. We'll join these doofuses later, alright?"

"Sure?" Nora responded, her voice a partial question. She hopped off of her stool and smiled at Jules when the female lifeguard patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Nora slid on her KEENS and followed Mouse out the front door nervously. The two walked down the hall and across the lobby, going out the main entrance doors and then to the underground car park, where Mouse's white SUV was sitting. It was already started from the remote start.

"Hop in, kiddo," Nora hopped into the back of the car, knowing full well that Mouse was very against her riding in the front passenger seat. Something about her being 'too small'.

"Where are we going?" Nora asked.

"Put your seatbelt on."

Nora clicked her seatbelt on and watched as Mouse pulled out of the underground car park and down the road.

"Where are we going?" She asked again.

Mouse glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his expression having lost the satisfaction from earlier. Instead, it was filled with apprehension and tightness.

Nora suddenly had a very bad feeling about what was going on.