✔️| [2] Straight On 'Til Morning

☆ Chapter 5 ☆

My eyes fly open at the sound of a bottle crashing. An overwhelming silence suffocates my ears instead of what I thought I heard, but slowly the illusion dissolves and I am in my dark room. I rub my wet eyes and look around my dark room for anything to comfort me but I see nothing. Except, perhaps, my Winnie The Pooh plushie sitting on the dresser opposite my bed.

I smile faintly at the memory of when I got the bear, but my mind clouds with the color red instead of focusing on that happy recollection. I wince slightly at the sudden change.

I strip the covers off of me. I reach for my glasses sitting on the end table and slide them onto my nose.

I walk into the hallway and peek into Lily's room. She is sleeping soundly.

I go to the staircase but pause to look at the loft where we had discussed our game plan the night before, and my mood brightened. Everything was all figured out.

The blueprint.

After glancing up the staircase on the third floor where the gang slept, I crept down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Mindlessly, my hands open the fridge door to see what's in it. I squint at the cool light the fridge gave off, but once my eyes adjusted, I caught sight of the pie that I made last night while we were discussing the portal. I smile and slide it out of the fridge.

In the drawer, I take out a butter knife and cut myself a generous slice before pouring myself a glass of milk.

I sit down at the island at slide the blueprint towards me, analyzing the design by fridge light. I take a bite of the pie and start to read the fine print. I do this for a while, not caring that the bright green number on the microwave reads 2:13 AM.

I'm surprised how much I enjoy a silent house. The only sound that reaches my ears are the scratches of my pencil when I make edits to the plans. I am mesmerized by this and I slowly drop into my zone.

"You know, you aren't that quiet."

I turn to see Hiro leaning on the wall. I roll my eyes at his (failed) try to be cool, especially since he has a broken leg. I wonder how he came down the stairs without me hearing him.

"I assume you are a light sleeper," I mutter.

"Sometimes."

I don't reply. Instead, I focus my attention on the blueprint in front of me, hoping that he'll get the hint and leave.

"Need any help?"

"No."

"You sure?"

I tighten my grip on the pencil and watch as he sits in front of me, watching my movements carefully. I squirm slightly under his gaze.

"Yes, I'm sure," I say, irritated.

He doesn't respond and we sit in silence, except for the faint sound of my eraser tapping the counter. After a while, I hear him sigh and my pencil is suddenly taken away from my grasp.

I look up at him, "Hey! What gives?"

"I'm sorry, Valerie, but I can't bear to see you like this."

I cross my arms, "Like what?"

"Like how you were back in San Fransokyo." He tells me, his eyes filled with worry.

I tilt my head slightly at his words but once I understand what he meant, my lips form into an 'o' shape and I don't meet his eyes. I suddenly feel shy and nervous under his gaze.

"I....understand that you're worried," I tell him, finally looking up. "But I can handle this."

"And how did that work for you before?"

I send him a glare and abruptly get up from my seat. "Look. I can do this on my own, I always have. I don't need you to be worried about me."

He sighs. "I know you can do it, but it's your well-being I'm worried about. I don't want you to become... distant."

I'm becoming more and more angry. My hands are on my hips and my ears are getting warm. I wonder why Hiro isn't standing, but I suddenly realize and take my hands off my hips. "I'm not going to become distant," I say. "I'm just working hard."

"Yes, but I don't want you to work too hard. I don't want you to work in the middle of the night-"

"It was only one night!" I sigh and lower my volume. "And I have to work hard if you want to get home." I wave a finger in his face. "Someone has to," I mutter under my breath.

Hiro looks hurt.

I can tell that he's trying to think of a something else to say so I grab my dishes and put them in the sink. I then slide the blueprints across the island where he sat without looking at him.

I look up to face him and he's just been watching me. His eyes meet mine and he immediately looks down.

"It's getting late." I say in a much softer tone than before, "I think you should go."

"What about you?"

I awkwardly sway back and forth, my hands trying to find a comfortable spot but failing to do so, "I'm just gonna....go to bed also."

I take a quick look at him before quickly rushing up the stairs. I take a look behind me one more time before I entered my room.

Hiro was looking down at the blueprint, his arms hanging lifelessly to his sides. He looks like a statue. A sad one.

I sigh and flop back down on my bed. My mind wanders to Hiro's face. It was a face of pity. I knew that face all too well.

I take a glance of my reflection in the mirror and I see the same thing Hiro probably saw.

A mess.

I lay back in bed. I close my eyes hoping that my mind isn't restless tonight.
_______________________

Um.

Yeah.

This happened.

IMSORRYPLEASEDONTKILLMETHISHADTOHAPPENIMSORRYIMSORRY

It was going to happen whether you liked it or not!

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But maybe I should still hide.

.......

Yeah. That would be best.

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But as much as I liked their friendship, sometimes fire and ice don't mix very well.

It was bound to happen eventually.

So why not sooner than later? 😅

.....

(I'm still hiding though.)

Anywho, don't be shy! Comment, vote, share! Don't be a shy reader! I love love LOVE to read comments! ❤

See you next time!

- DisnerdFangirl 🐞❤