Road to Someplace

Chapter Nine

 Frankly, I agreed with Raveena. I felt stupid for not recognizing Hailey, someone whose face had been shoved in mine more times than I care to remember. I didn't have much time to question Raveena as to why exactly we were in a house full of people I had never met, as Hailey came bounding down the stairs in seconds. She skipped steps, jumping from one to another, making the railing shake a little from the sheer force of her jump. She landed on the floor, a cheery smile on her face. She turned her head a little, and I could see that she didn't have two pigtails in, but rather, three. She had two on either side of her head, and one in the back. Each was held together with a double-ball ponytail holder, the spheres teal with bubblegum pink hearts on them.

After Hailey descended two others, who I recognized as Stewart and Sophia.

Sophia gave off a mature vibe, an almost motherly sense. She wore a faded denim shirt and a pencil skirt. She took her time descending the stairs, her movements very fluid.

As I had suspected from his picture, Stewart was a big guy. He had a bit of an intimidating stature, but the faint smile on his face suggested he was all but. He wore a simple button-down shirt and jeans, a fleur de lis cord necklace hanging off his tanned neck. He was fit and muscular. He was a rather towering figure, only a few inches below Raveena's height.

The three of them huddled around us, passing around greetings as Hailey excitedly introduced us, although the two seemed to already know our names. We stood around for a few moments, swaying back and forth awkwardly.

Sophia gave us a sweet smile. "Here, I can show you two up to your room," She said. I could hear the faint traces of a southern accent in her voice as she spoke. She turned to Stewart. "Stewart, could you carry the bags up?" She asked politely. He nodded, and scooped up the suitcases. Raveena and I followed the two as we climbed the stairs, Hailey trailing behind us. We came to a hallway, and were walked to the end, where two doors were. Sophia stopped and pushed one of the doors open with a soft click.

She gave us an apologetic look before we entered. "Oh, and we only had one spare room, so as it stands, you two may have to share a room. We have two beds in here, but if either of you wanted, you could double up with one of us," She offered, still obstructing our view by standing in the doorway.

Raveena and I exchanged looks, and both shrugged. "We can share," Raveena said. I nodded in agreement. She stepped aside. "Of course. Sorry 'bout the trouble," She apologized. We walked in, and got a better view of the room we'd be staying in.

There were two beds, each pushed against opposite walls. They had blue plaid quilts, coupled with bright white sheets. There was one big dresser, its wood shining and glossy. Next to it was what I assumed was a door to a closet. There were huge windows on the side of the room facing the driveway, two at the headboards of the beds. Sophia rushed over to the windows, pulling back flowy, white curtains, letting a large ray of sun enter the room, brightening it with a cheery glow.

Sophia batted away at some of the faint dust particles in the air, their presence illuminated by the sudden flow of light. She sighed. "Sorry for the dust, this room hasn't been used in ages," She said, tousling her hair with a hand. We shrugged it off.

Sophia fretted over us for a few minutes, making sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. She then left, declaring she was going to begin to make lunch. Raveena began to unpack her things and throw them in the dresser drawers. She only piled her clothes in one side, the compartments divided into uneven halves. I stared at her, raising an eyebrow. I wondered how she could so easily put aside the fact that we were in a house full of hella rich people we had never met, in the middle of a town we knew nothing about, over eleven hours away from home. I couldn't help but worry about if the police were already searching for me, my mind running wild with anxiety and possible escapes from improbable situations. I nervously tapped on my thighs, watching Raveena shove whatever she could into the drawers.