Just A Boy (ON HOLD)

Chapter 12

***Chapter 12***

Annie began walking towards the stairs with one of my bags while chatting animatedly, completely oblivious to the small staring contest Finn and I were having. Almost painfully, I tore my eyes off his and followed her obediently upstairs.

I ran my hand over the polished wood of the banisters that was smooth to even the most sensitive touch. I lowered my head and focused on the sleek marble beneath my feet. Each vein in the rock seemed perfectly placed; it felt wrong that we were walking on it. From beneath my eyelashes I sneaked a glance where Finn had been standing, but he had disappeared from the archway. I let out a small breath and followed Annie.

My feet felt the cold wooden floor than lined the landing at the top of the stairs. I looked up and saw the walls were lined with multiple doors. Expensive paintings hung on the wall; some were abstract and others more professional. One or two of the paintings were neither and held names in their corners proudly displaying that they had been painted by the residents of the house. Despite how lavishly the house was furnished it still seemed incredibly warm, welcoming and homely and I had been here barely five minutes.

Above my head chandeliers adorned with crystals warmed the room with a happy glow emitted from their bulbs. It was a stark contrast from the harsh bright light at school. We walked past many doors and up a small set of steps. The landing curved onto a small corridor and here the white walls were punctured by only five doors.

"We'll go to your room first. Is that ok?" Annie asked as she turned round while still walking. Her words pulled me from my admiring thoughts of the house and I nodded as we continued walking.

She opened the first door we reached with a small flourish. My breath was taken away as I stared into the room.

"This is my room?" I asked disbelievingly. Annie murmured in agreement and my jaw dropped to the floor.

In the centre of the room was a large four poster double bed that had hangings flowing from the sides. At the end post of the bed there was a small light blue loveseat and underneath it was a stripy rug that looked soft even from the other side of the room. A large window adorned most of the far wall and was covered by floor-length curtains. A wardrobe and chest of drawers stood opposite the bed and a large mirror hung on the wall beside them. In the corner was a desk with a laptop set up on it ready for me to use. There was a lot of empty space in the room that was perfect for me because I definitely took up a lot of room.

"I chose this room for you because I remembered your favourite colour was blue." Annie said looking happy.

"Wow I can't believe this!" I said just managing to form coherent words.

We dropped my bags and my suitcase on the floor and traipsed out to the room next door, which was Annie's bedroom. Her room was even more impressive than mine, though it followed a pinker colour scheme. Her room was on the same side of the corridor as mine and looked out over the back gardens that were just as perfectly looked after as the front of the house. A small extension jutted out form the back and through the glass roof I could see an Olympic sized swimming pool that I was almost itching to get into.

Annie showed me the laundry room that I could get towels from and a small bathroom that I probably wouldn't need to use because my room had an en suite, which explained two more closed doors, but she said nothing about the last door at the end of the corridor that was on the far wall.

I went back into my room and got out my books to do some homework before dinner and made myself comfortable on the rug. It was so fluffy it felt like frolicking on the back wings of an angel and I sighed contentedly as I sat down and began my work.