Barcrow's: Codename K9

Chapter thirty - Conan's story

After a detour to a row of lockers to get Celeste's keys they arrived at room number 128.

A turn of the key and the door opened.

A girl with purple highlights sat on the bottom bunk closest to the entrance.

'Hey.' She said without looking up from her phone.

'Hi.' Celeste answered while taking off her shoes.

Ellie followed her example.

'You alone?'

'Aha, don't know where Tina's been but she just texted that she's going to a party with Debi. They said I can't go.'

'And Oli?'

'Haven't seen her.'

'Jinx here doesn't have anywhere to stay tonight so I thought since Hina isn't home she could stay here.'

'Uha, okay.' She kept her eyes on the phone.

'I'm gonna go take a shower. That's Hina's bed.' With that she threw her keys on the one above the bed across from Abi's, took a pair of pyjamas from the closet and shut herself in the bathroom.

Celeste silently sighed after she closed the bathroom door. Finally. I really needed some alone time.

She put her pyjamas on top of the closed toilet lid and started to undress.

Ellie was left standing there awkwardly. She tried to look less awkward by looking around the room but it didn't help much.

All of a sudden Abi angrily threw her phone on the bed across from her's. 'Damn it!'

'You okay?'

'Yeah,' she pulled up her knees, 'just lost a bet. Fifty Bucks on what the next born in the family will be.'

'Aren't bucks dollars?'

'That's right. Don't underestimate Barcrows, we've got all sorts of currencies going around.' She sort of closed an eye and smiled on the same side. A goofy but kind face.

'Come, sit.' She patted the bed. 'I don't bite.'

Ellie did as she was told, with a bit of a distance though. She seems fun actually.

Putting one foot on the floor Abigail took her phone back. 'See? That's Emily. She's my new cousin.' She showed her some pictures of the newborn.

'She's cute.' Ellie told her with a smile.

'Yeah, but 'cause of her I just lost a bunch of money! Ah, whatever. What's your name again?'

'Er- Ellie?'

'Ellie? That's a nickname isn't it?'

The sound of running water came from behind the door.

'Well yeah, but no one calls me Elaine and it feels weird when they do.'

'Alright then. Like your hair! Is it dyed?'

'No?'

'You wanna play something? Let's see... if it's just us two we've got Guess Who, Battleship, Chess, Uno...'

'Wouldn't we need more players for Uno?'

She cunningly smiled as she took the deck from the small shelf at the end of her bed. 'Not if we use half the deck instead of just seven cards each.' And she already started handing out the cards.

*

The lock turned and Celeste came out in her white panther spotted pyjamas, carrying a bundle of black clothes under one arm. 'I'm back.' She said while she put the clothes into the corner of the closet. 'So, who's winning?'