Aurora Grove

2

"Checks"
I groaned in displeasure and squinted my eyes as a flash of light shone into my face. As if reading my thoughts, Max's voice spoke;

"Sometimes I have the urge to grab the flashlights out of their hands and jam it down their throats."

I turned my head to see Max upright in her bed. She sounded tired, and I wondered what had kept her occupied enough to sacrifice sleep.

"How much longer are they going to do that?"
I whined.

"Lucky for you, this is the last check until breakfast time. Lucky for me, this is my only chance to sneak out of this room"
She lifted her covers and ran across the room to peek her head out of the door window.

I watched in amusement as she pulled cotton out from the hole in the door lock, and slowly stuck her slippers in the entrance so that the door was left ajar.

She whistled to herself, like this was a common occurrence, and she couldn't be bothered to stress over the fact of getting caught.

I blinked softly to make out her face in the dim light coming from the hallway. Max's curly hair looked as if fingers had been running through them all night, and her gown, way to big for her short frame, was outlined with wrinkles.

"Well what are you just laying there for, aren't you coming?"

Max's question snapped me out of my wonderment and I struggled to regain my composure.
"Wha- I don't-" I mumbled nervously.

"You wanted to find out why you're here right? Well this is your chance."

"Won't I get into trouble?"

"Wont I get into trouble?" She mimicked, "look we do this every night, and we never get caught"

"We?" Did she mean Maia?

"Barbie and I, but I'm guessing by the conversation I heard you all having in the hall, we're not going to see Lana for a couple of days" Her voice slightly cracked at the mention of Lana's disappearance.

I wanted to pry. Why wouldn't we see Lana? What had Mrs.Moriarty's threats meant? How'd you get that lighter? What happened to Maia? Did you really-

My thoughts were cut off as Max reached for my covers and ripped it off of my bed.
"Come on, this is a two person job. I can't do this without you"

For the first time Max's voice wasn't cold, instead it was soft and laced with desperation.
She ran her hands through her curly hair as she awaited my answer.

"Sure, why not"

I giggled as Max clapped in excitement at my compliance and pulled me out of bed.

I fidgeted with the blue uniform, "could this thing be any shorter?" I joked.

"Could you be any taller? Anyways we're going to need those long legs for our mission."

"What?" I questioned in disbelief.

Max laughed in response as she dragged me into an empty hallway.

"All of our files are in a room near Dr.Lahey's office. Unlike the rest of the staff, Dr.Lahey actually shows up to night shifts."

"How are we supposed to sneak in there, if he's in there?"
This wasn't going to work, I thought in my head.

Getting in trouble wasn't really an issue for me, but I felt like getting in trouble here, meant more than a simple detention.