After Hours

Chapter 14.

Ember's POV.

   The next few hours before bed is pretty boring. Grayson has lost his humor and seems to have lost his voice too. And what I mean by that is, he won't say a word to me. And, I feel butterflies around him now. I don't know how I'm going to do. Do crushes develop so  quickly? I don't know, I've never really had a real crush before. My mom made us dinner about 3 hours ago. Actually, made me dinner. I honestly don't know how I have been keeping Grayson hidden all this time.

   It's around nine o'clock and I'm sitting on my bed, pretending I'm on my phone when in reality I'm staring at Grayson. Trying to figure out what to say to him. I take a deep breath and clear my throat.

  "I'm going to take a shower now, ok? Can you stay in the closet until I get back?" I ask, almost in a whisper.

   Eyes still on his hands, he nods. He doesn't look at me as I get out a fresh change of pajamas and head to the bathroom. I take a 15 minute shower and send Grayson a text telling him I'm coming back in the room. He doesn't respond, so I knock before going back in my room.

  "Why are you knocking on your door?" I hear my mom say behind me.

   I spin around, almost dropping my phone in the process. She stands behind me, hands on her hips. I think quickly, trying to come up with a believable lie.

  "I really don't know," I say, trying to act like I'm just as confused as she is. "Guess I'm tired."

  "From acting like you were sick all day?" my mom asks. "But, ok. I'm heading to bed too, I have someone I have to visit today. Get to bed soon, honey, ok?" she tells me, kissing my forehead.

   I breath a sigh of relief when she closes the door to her room. I go back into my room and see Grayson in the same spot as I left him. I walk over to my dresser, not saying anything. I take my hair out of the towel and comb through it. I tie my hair in a braid and sit down across from him. He looks up at me for only a second, before looking back down at his folded hands resting in his lap.

  "Grayson," I say, putting my hand on top of his. He jerks his hand away, though, making my gesture of kindness seem useless. "Are you ok?"

  "Do I look like I'm ok?" he asks, his voice still scratchy and husky from his hours of nonstop crying.

   I'm surprised at the harshness of his tone. "I'm sorry for asking." I say, get up, and sit back on my bed.

   I pull of one of my sheets and throw it to him. I hand him one of my many pillows and and walk into the closet. I take out one of my sleeping bags and hand it to him also. And by handing it to him, I mean holding it out to him and when he doesn't take it, I just drop it down by him.

  "It's 10, so I'm off to bed," I say. "See you in a few hours."

   And that is true. Maybe. We didn't go to Disneyland today, so maybe our nights will be peaceful again. I turn off my light, but leave the small one on my dresser on for Grayson's sake. He hasn't even put on his pajamas or gotten his sleeping bag ready, so leaving the light on seems like the least I can do.

   I'm lying on my back, when I see Grayson stand up. Off goes his shirt and I can't help blushing. He then, drags his sleeping bag, sheet, and pillow into the closet. He looks at me for a second, before closing the door. I groan, "Can you turn the light off please?" I ask.

  "No," I hear him say.

   Ok, now I'm annoyed. I get it his best friend is dead, but that doesn't mean he can treat others like crap, right? I unfold my blankets from off my body and click off the light. I crawl back in, and sleep finds me, much to the whimpers of Grayson I keep hearing.

   I wake, feeling very cold. I look down and see that my pajamas, a tank top and sweats, and shiver. I look around, disappointed. I'm in Disneyland. I really thought it would work.

  "Guys?" I whisper. "Anyone here?"

  "I thought you guys would never come back," I hear someone say.

   I turn around and see Jess holding a jacket. She tosses it to me and I wrap it around my shoulders. She's squatting down on the ground, a jacket wrapped around her own shoulders. I can still see her small form under it and I frown.

  "Haven't had anything to eat today, have you?" I ask, squatting down next to her.

  "Nope, do you have anything?" she asks, looking around me.

  "Sorry, I don't. Have you seen the others?" I ask.

   Making a disappointed look, she shakes her head. "Not yet. Just you."

   I nod and sit down next to her. She twists her blonde hair around her fingers and looks at me. "I thought I still had more time. To get out, I mean."

   I frown. "I'm sorry. I wish we could help you."

   She nods, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "I had a life back home. I lived with my mom and I had friends. So many friends. But the thing is here, They let you see your life back home. The papers and social media is blowing up that "Jess is gone", or "Jess got murdered," or something like that. I see my mom, seems like she's always crying. I was all she had left after her boyfriend died," she says.

   I can't think of anything to say, so I nod.

  "I see my friends, all of them. My boyfriend. Everything is gone. And the thing is, I couldn't even say goodbye," she says.

  "I know what's that's like. My dad left me when I was little and I never got to say goodbye."

   She frowns. "I'm sorry."

  "Hey, do you mind not sharing life stories for half a second and some with us?" I hear Vanessa's voice coming from the shadows. "We have to get into hiding; They are coming out soon."

   I walk into the moonlight with Jess. I see Vanessa, Eva, and Cameron. Grayson is keeping to the back, head still down. Eva walks over to me and whispers, "What's his deal?"

  "His friend died of cancer today. He's having a really hard time with it," I whisper back.

   Eva nods and adjust the tracker watch on her wrist. "Unless we all want to die, we need to hide."

   I follow, but keep an eye on Grayson. He's falling behind in the group and I feel like he's not going to be much help if we have an attack. I don't say anything to him, though.

   Why is having a crush so hard all the sudden?

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The picture is of Eva.