Picture Perfect: A CaptainSparklez Story {COMPLETE}

Chapter 16: Rekindled

TWO DAYS LATER...

"You guys!" I said excitedly. "What is going on? You kept me out all day today! You guys have gotta be up to something! And where the hell is Jordan? I haven't seen him in two days!"

"Stop asking questions!" said Ruby with a giggle as she pressed the button on the elevator. "You'll see when we get upstairs."

"Yeah!" said Mark with a suspicious grin. "It's a surprise!"

I had been released from the hospital earlier that afternoon, and ever since then Ruby and Mark had been acting rather strange. They kept driving me around the city, stopping at the most random places and marveling at the beauty, which I couldn't understand. They had obviously lived in Santa Barbara longer than I had. What else was there for them to marvel at?

I was discharged around eleven am that day. I checked my watch as we stepped into the elevator; it was now a quarter past six.

"A surprise?" I asked curiously as the elevator doors slid shut. "Guys, come on! We've been driving around the city at least eight hours! I'm exhausted! What could you possibly have as a surprise?"

"Carrie, I swear to God if you ask one more question I'm gonna pitch you over the apartment balcony!" said Ruby, trying to sound strict, pointing a stern finger at my nose.

I raised up my hands in a surrender and laughed. "Alright, alright! Geez, no need to get hostile."

"C'mon, Ruby," said Mark. "Carrie's got a point. I mean, we did keep her out all afternoon."

"See, see!" I said, poking Mark repeatedly in the shoulders. "Someone here understands!"

"Psh," Ruby scoffed, "this surprise will perk her right up. I guarantee it."

I rolled my eyes and glanced up at the red numbers marking the floors of the complex. I was surprised to see we had passed floor four, which was our usual stop.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "We passed our floor! Why aren't we stopping?"

"Carrie, we're not going home yet," Ruby explained, linking arms with Mark and copying his sly grin.

I opened my mouth to speak again but quickly shut it, knowing Ruby would get annoyed with my constant and persistent questions.

The elevator climbed one more floor, stopping on floor seven. The soft ding signaled the doors to open and we stepped out into the hallway.  Ruby and Mark each took one of my arms and began leading me down the hall as if I was some helpless old woman.

"Ow, ow!" I said painfully, giving Mark a glare. "Watch the hand! I'm still sore, remember?"

"Right," he said quickly, "sorry about that."

Mark and Ruby continued to lead me down the hall until we stopped in front of a door bearing the number 294. The number was unfamiliar to me, as was whomever that lived there.  Underneath the number was a small purple post-it note with a three word written message.

"Close your eyes."

"What is going on here?" I said, looking from Mark to Ruby who were trying to sustain their giggles. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Do what the note says, Carrie!" said Ruby excitedly, slapping me lightly on the shoulder.

I sighed and did as I was told.

There was the soft sound of Mark or Ruby's knuckle knocking on the door. There was the soft click of the door opening and the slight creak in the door's hinges. I felt Ruby's tiny hand lightly curl itself around my uninjured wrist as she led me inside. I heard Mark close the door behind him.