Inquisitive (sample)

1.4 - COMPLIANCE: Grayson Paul, did you like that?

~ Gray ~

After I groggily turn around on my bed with eyelids that feel as heavy as sack of potatoes, I see that someone other than Seth lying in the other bed and it takes a few seconds to realize it's Mikky.

Why would Mikky be sleeping in...?

Oh, right, I remember. He came home after we went to that new club yesterday and, for some reason he wouldn't tell us, he didn't want to sleep in his own apartment. I glare at the alarm clock on Seth's bed side table as it slowly ticks closer to the time it's set to go off. I don't actually have classes on Monday morning and neither does Elija—we usually just stay inside his apartment until our only class late in the afternoon—but I can't help waking up early. My body has some kind of weird internal clock or something.

I sit up on my bed and run a hand through my unruly brown hair, and, only a few seconds later, the alarm goes off and Mikky immediately sits upright with wide eyes. "Vad?"

I turn the alarm clock off for him and he looks at me with a bewildered expression.

"You came here yesterday, remember?" I remind him.

"Right," he groans, sliding his hands down his face.

"Can you elaborate on why?"

"I... No. Maybe later."

"Fine, later. What time does your class start?"

"Nine."

"Okay, I'll make you some breakfast."

I walk over to the kitchen, and pull out milk and cereal to pour it all into a bowl, while Mikky comes walking out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His blond hair is all over the place, disrupting his usually perfect appearance.

He sits down with a sigh and when his butt touches the chair he suddenly flinches, hissing out in pain. I set the bowl down in front of him, dunking a spoon in, and ask, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Normally people don't get twinges when they sit down," I say as I sit down in front of him. He closes his eyes with a frown, murmuring something in Swedish, before telling me, "Yeah, I uh... I fell."

"You... fell?" I ask with narrowed eyes.

"Yes."

I don't believe a word he's saying, but fine, I'll let it slide. I don't feel like prying answers out of him. That'll only get him cranky.

He leaves after he's finished the breakfast I so sweetly prepared for him, so I have nothing left to do than to head over to Elija's. I knock on the door and he opens it with tired eyes. "Good morning," he grumbles as he lets me in.

"You look like you didn't get much sleep," I say with a hint of a smile. "Did Seth keep you awake?"

He stops mid-step and stares at me with disbelieving eyes, then bursts out laughing, "You could say that."

I'm a little—if not, a lot—confused at this sudden amusement, but he doesn't tell me why what I said could possibly be so funny, so I shrug it off and drop down on the sofa. He takes the seat beside me, still snickering, and I ask him instead, "What was up with Mikky?"

He instantly stops laughing and sighs, "I'm not going to say anything if he doesn't want you to know."

"Why not?"

"Because it's his decision."

Suddenly, his phone rings and he reaches over to pick it up from the table. Without looking at who's calling, he answer the phone with, "Elija Grimes."