||IF ONLY||

Chapter Three

I had sent the VKs off to bed before curfew and got ready to go to bed. As I lay in bed, I heard the alarm for the museum go off. With a sigh, I threw on my robe and teleported to the museum entrance where I found the VKs running out. With my arms crossed and my foot tapping, I'm sure I resembled Mrs. Potts when she had to wake me up. "What's the meaning of this?" I ask with a glare as they stare at me sheepishly. 

"We just wanted to explore," Jay tries to excuse them with a shrug and a guilty smile. I stared at them blankly. They were all dressed in their clothes of the day, seemingly not changing. They fidgeted nervously but Mal stared at me with a cocked brow waiting for my response. I sighed as I cursed under my breath. 

"Uh-huh. Back to bed, all of you, and make this the first and only strike you loose please," I said pinching my nose with my right hand and waving my left hand to teleport them all back to their rooms. I went back to my room and lay down on my bed. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard four knocks on my door. I groaned and angrily stomped over to the door before throwing it open. I stared blankly at the four VKs who stood at my office door, dressed in their pajamas. 

"We never slept away from home and our advisors are idiots and they're mean so can we stay with you, please? You're nice and you haven't judged us so far and we really really really don't want to sleep in a space where we don't feel safe. It quite literally feels like if we fall asleep in our rooms, we might not wake up," Evie rushed out. 

I moved out of the way and they all barreled into my office. "We can share my bed but I swear to god if I feel someone touch me where they shouldn't, I'll kill all of you myself, "I grumbled, rubbing my eyes. I sleepily lead them to my room where we all lay on my large bed. Somehow, I ended up in the middle of everyone, with Mal and Evie on my right and Carlos and Jay on my left. I heard them mumbling as I closed my eyes and I just ordered them to go to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, Carlos was curled up into my side, Jay's hand splayed across Carlos and onto my waist, Mal was holding my hand and Evie was not in bed. As I realized this, Evie walked into the room somehow perfectly balancing five plates of breakfast. I struggled to get out of Carlos' death grip but when I did I walked over to Evie. "Good morning," I greeted with a yawn to which she shook her head with a small smile.

"Good morning. I brought everyone breakfast from the cafeteria. The cooks just finished cooking so the food is nice and hot so I have to wake those gremlins up," she said looking at them fondly. In my absence, Mal and Carlos moved closer to the middle and ended up holding each other forcing Jay to move closer. Jay's hand-stretched across both their bodies and held the two close. "I'm going to wash my face and brush my teeth while you do that," I said going to my bathroom and doing exactly as I said I would. I threw my brunette hair into a low bun as I washed my face. 

I brushed my teeth quickly and walked back into the room where I found all of them up. "You coming to eat or what?" Mal said motioning to the plate next to her. I nodded and walked over but before I could sit down, Evie pulled me down making me fall into her lap. "Oh! Sorry. I just wanted to tell you that the King saw me coming into the room and told me to tell you that there was a meeting with the entire council this afternoon," she said casually holding my waist. I nodded with a shrug and just grabbed my plate to eat.

I fought back the blush that was making its way up my neck as I shifted in her lap. I felt her hold tighten a bit so I just stayed still. It was nice to be held like this even though we were somewhat strangers. As my brain reminded me we were strangers, I observed them quietly as I ate. They were nice but I still had to remember where they grew up, this could always be a ruse. For now, though, I was just going to relax and enjoy my breakfast. In Evie's lap.

I guess this is normal for them to do with their friends since Carlos was currently sitting in Jay's lap. "You guys have class in a few minutes," I reminded as Evie rubbed circles into my skin.