Miss Make-Believe

Chapter 5

“Different set of keys have been provided to each group of three students. Please head to your rooms and be back right here after an hour. Am I clear?” Miss Montgomery alerted all the students dogmatically. Everyone agreed in unison and then, headed to their respective rooms.

There were different floors for boys and girls. The girls were allotted the first and the second floor while the boys were allotted the fourth and the fifth floor. Each room had to accommodate at least three students. My group consisted of me, Suzanne and another girl we didn’t know. Our room was on the second floor. Therefore, we took the elevator. The journey to our room was silent. No one spoke anything and I was oddly content with it.

When we reached our room, I swiped the door key quickly, suddenly feeling anxious to check it out and sprinted inside excitedly, squealing simultaneously. I threw my duffle bag on the plush mattress of the bed and jumped up and down on the carpeted wooden floor, a permanent smile stuck on my face. Suz laughed at my childish behaviour and shook her head. She and the stranger girl also placed their bags on the bed and looked around the ostentatious room.

The walls were cream coloured and the ceiling was of white colour with an intricate plaster of Paris false ceiling design on it at the centre. The bed was a queen sized one with clean, white sheets spread over it neatly. There was a small coffee table standing at the corner with three small, designer chairs set up around it. There were two wooden drawers beside the large bed on which, fancy lamps were sitting, illuminating yellow, bright light on the wooden surface. Two wine glasses as well as a jug of water was also placed on one of the stands.

When we walked into the bathroom, I gasped at the magnificence of it. The walls and the floor were white tiled and they shone like pearls. There was a wide bath tub attached to a glass enclosed shower, a loaded vanity and a clean English pot. The bathroom smelled of jasmine.

We walked out of the bathroom, smiling. Suzanne walked over to her duffle bag and unzipped it. She started taking out her clothes and loading them into a small closet. My eyes trailed at the stranger girl and I simpered at her. “Hey! I’m Whitney.” I pulled my hand out for her to shake.

She looked at my hand with distaste in her eyes. “I don’t care!” With that she strutted in the direction of her suitcase and unlocked it. My eyes widened at the size considering that we were only there for two days. She started unloading her suitcase swiftly. Not willing to be a part the strenuous exercise, I twirled around and headed out of the room, deciding to explore the exquisite hotel.

Just when I had reached the reception area, I noticed Manuel sitting alone on one of the chairs located in the sitting area, attached to the magnanimous reception. I smiled and plugged along over to him. It wasn’t until the clearance of my throat that he noticed my presence and grinned. “Hey!”

I plopped down on a chair sitting in front of him. “What are you doing here all by yourself?”

He simply shrugged. “What are you doing here all by yourself?” He threw back my words in my face and I chuckled.

“I wanted to explore this place.”

He shrugged his shoulders again. “Same here!” I gazed away from his suave face to look over at the receptionist who was attending some calls diplomatically.