Soaring Above The Stars (ON HOLD)

Chapter Four

Chapter 4

I wake with an almost empty room, only Celia is still here, and it looks like she’s waiting for me. I stretch out on my bed like a cat, which reminds me how Serena always calls me a panther when I wake up.

“Where is everyone?” I ask sleepily, blinking away everything I had dreamed of.

“They’re already down at the dining hall, I decided to wait for you since you don’t really know your way around yet,” she replies, standing from her place on her bed. “You might want to hurry, otherwise I might leave without you; I’m starving,”

“Okay,” I groan, getting up and grabbing some blue jeans, a tank top, and a loose, off-the-shoulder top. Going to the bathroom, I stretch more then get dressed, brushing my hair into a slightly messy ponytail. “Let’s go,” I say, and we both head out of the dorm. 

“How much do you want to bet that I can beat you down the stairs?” Celia asks tauntingly.

“Nothing while I’m half asleep,” I give a tired smile as we head down for what seems like forever in my exhaustion. We reach the bottom of the five floors rather quickly, and head through the maze of a school. I don’t know how the hell Celia can navigate this place, it’s just a jumble of turns and twists for me, but sure enough we end up in the cafeteria next to John, Allison, Arthur, and Blue. “Hey guys,” I mumble, resting my head on my arms.

“You look like you’re having a bad hangover,” Allison comments bluntly. 

“You sort of sound like it too, have you been drinking?” John asks playfully, earning a glare from me in the process. “Okay, sorry,” he immediately apologizes, frowning and furrowing his eyebrows at my irritation.

“Sorry you guys, I’m just tired,” I close my eyes as they shrug it off. “So what are you guys doing?” I ask, trying to get my mind of off the headache pounding through my brain. That’s what it feels like anyway. The others start to talk but I drown it out, knowing I can get away with spacing out. I’m left undisturbed for the most part until about twenty minutes later when I feel a pair of eyes studying me.

“What was that last night?” Arthur murmurs to me, my eyes flutter open and for a second I just stare at him uncomprehendingly before shrugging, retreating back into a half-sleep. “Come on, you looked like you were about to die,” 

“It’s happened once before, I don’t know what’s happening,” I sigh, looking up at him through slightly blurred vision. “I also don’t know why, it looks like every time this happens I’m automatically exhausted.” I slump even more-if that’s possible. “I’m guessing this isn’t normal dragon rider stuff,” I say.

“As far as I know, no,” He puts a hand on my back in an attempt to soothe me. I don’t need to be soothed, I need sleep, urgently.

“I think I’m going to go ahead and just go upstairs,” I get up then almost fall back down. Grabbing the table, I see Arthur in my peripheral vision shooting to his feet as my dizziness fades.

“I’m going to help her; she doesn’t need to take a fall down the stairs,” Arthur slips his hands under my legs and I can feel others’ stares as he carries me bridal style out the doors, across the manicured lawn, and starts up the four flights of stairs. “Ronnie, you’re lucky you’re light,” he says as he reaches our room.

“I can walk, you know?” I joke when he carefully lays me on the bed and I take off my shoes. “Thank you, I’m sorry to be so much trouble.” I apologize sincerely, not having planned on being an issue for everybody.

“You are a little trouble, you owe me more and more every hour, at this rate you’ll be repaying me all through high school and college.” Arthur smirks, “Besides, if you weren’t any trouble I wouldn’t have an excuse to hang out with you.”