When the Stars Align

We Go Outside the Hotel

"Can I ask you a favor?" I asked Will as we continued down the lunch line in the cafeteria.

"It depends on the favor," he replied.

"I want to go back to my house," I said.

He plopped spaghetti onto his plate. "No."

"I just want to get some stuff and get out," I pleaded.

"You know you can't leave the Hotel," he said.

"I'm going with or without you, and you can't stop me," I replied.

"Max is going to be pissed," he said.

"Since when do you care?" I countered.

"Since when are you so annoyingly stubborn?" he replied.

"So is that your way of saying you'll come with me?" I asked.

We headed towards our table. "It's not like I have much of a choice, now do I?"

"Thank you," I said as we sat down.

"So me and Alex broke up," Avery announced.

"I didn't even know that that was still going on," Will said.

"How come?" I asked.

"We both felt like we didn't really like each other in that way," she replied.

"So you're okay?" Josh asked.

She nodded. "It was never that serious of a relationship.

"Yeah well he sure was in your room a lot," Carrie piped up.

"And in the morning," Will added.

"Oh hush," she replied, her cheeks turning a shade of pink.

---------

I knocked on the hard wood of Will's door. I heard a crash before he swung the door open. He stood aside to let me inside and closed the door.

"What was that crash?" I asked heading over to his closet.

"Well, what happened was I was heading to the door and my toe hit the leg of the bed and I fell," he said a little embarrassed.

I already had on a weapons belt so I slid a few throwing knives and a small dagger into my belt. I tugged my shirt over the belt so no one could see it and turned back to him. He had been staring at me and quickly averted his eyes.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

I nodded as he opened the window. He gracefully stepped out and balanced himself on the ledge. He held out a hand to help me as I stepped out. I lost my footing on the 1 1/2 inch ledge and almost slipped, but Will reached out and grabbed me by the waist to steady me.

He pulled me closer. "Hold on tight, okay?"

I nodded. Together, we jumped. We landed lightly on the ground and he let go of me, my skin tingling where his touch had been. We walked a few blocks before taking the stairs down underground into the subway. It wasn't too crowded and we were able to get on a train within five minutes. I took a window seat and Will took the cold metal seat next to me. A few people glanced our way at different stops but not many paid us any attention. We got off the next stop and walked a few more blocks before coming to a stop in front of my house.