Underground

6

Estelle
I woke up in a bed, silence and darkness was the only thing I could register.
Groggy from the sleep, I get up and feel around for a light switch, which was right next to the door, obviously I flip on the light, looking around.
I was in a bedroom, as previously predicted.
There was a vase with lilies on the dresser and minimalistic art hung on the walls, the main colors were white, black, and grey, with a few pops of color.
It was pretty clear I wasn't home.
I push open the door and walk out into the hallway, immediately hearing movement in the kitchen.
Following the noise, I find my way to the kitchen and walk in, rubbing my eyes. "I fell asleep on the sofa, how did I get upstairs?"
After the lack of an answer I look up and see two strangers staring wide eyed at me.
"Is this a robbery?" I ask, not really having control of my mouth because of the fact I just woke up.
"No." The redheaded one responds, an accent thick on his tongue.
"Then who are you?" I ask, followed with a yawn.
The darkhaired one speaks up. "I'm Stefan, and that's Ned."
"I'm Estelle." I respond, giving a slight nod.
"How'd you meet August?" Ned, the redheaded one, blurts.
"Well, I bumped into him outside a telephone retailer." I respond.
"So that's you?" Stefan asks. "You're mystery elephant phone girl?"
My face flushes red. "I like my elephant phone case."
"That answers your question, anyway, Mr. Jones headed out to buy some milk."
"Mr. Jones? I thought you two were friends?" I ask. "Are you two like really close housekeepers?"
"Uh, I'm an artist." Ned says.
Stefan smirks wryly. "I am a future star actor."
"Which means he's a clerk at the local Walgreens." Ned cuts in. "Anyway, love, what does a ride like you do?"
"I'm an intern at South-side Labs." I say, using the lie Jane told me, to keep everything a secret. Even though they did pay me for the chores and tests I help with.
"Oh did you hear about the file leak? Did you do that?" Stefan asks, eyeing me, obviously knowing I'm, well, me.
"No, but I heard about it, tragic." I say, bobbing my head a bit.
"Who reads shabby articles like that?" Ned asks.
Just then the door opens, revealing August, who walks into the kitchen and places a thing of milk on the granite counter.
"I see you've met my friends." August nods, turning to me, smiling. "Jackson'll pick you up soon, he texted my phone."
"Do you have any idea where my phone is?" I ask.
"You left it on the coffee table, it should be there." August says, turning back to his friends.
"Okay..." I say, dragging on the 'ay.' Then turn on my heel, and walk to the living room, grabbing my phone off the table.
It chimes almost immediately, in my hands.
'Five minutes away, see ya soon.'
I was gonna text back but then I realize there wasn't really a point.
I walk back to the kitchen and the three boys were kinda just talking, Stefan preparing coffee.
"How'd you sleep, Est?" August asks, looking at me with those wonderful brown eyes.
"I slept good, well, until I woke up, I was kinda confused." I smile.
"I carried you upstairs, the couch isn't the nicest place to leave your guests." August says.
I smile and nod, turning to the other guys, smiling and talking to them until there was a knock on the door.
August and I went to answer it, because it was probably Jackson, but when he opened the door, Logan was standing there, her black to blue ombre hair pulled into a high ponytail.
She looked up from her phone and met eyes with August. "So you're the guy who wrote my favorite book?"
***
Logan and I stop at a little café, and were seated at a table for two.
"So, Dad's done everything he can to insure your safety for now." Logan says, setting her menu on the wooden table.
"That's good." I smile, taking a sip of my water.
She smiles and drinks from her black coffee, before looking back at me mischievously. "So you and August, are you ever gonna like date, or whatever?"
"I dunno, I mean we kissed, but it was to make someone less suspicious of me." I answer.
"You kissed!? Oh, that's great." She says.
"Well, what do you want me to say, we didn't go any further than that." I murmur.
"Good, you shouldn't be sleeping with someone who you just had your first kiss with." Logan says, waving down a waitress and telling her our orders.
"Well, he doesn't know what I am, which I guess is what I'm going for." I chime.
"You're gonna have to tell him eventually." Logan says. "Or he's gonna think you're an idiot for saying pasghetti."
"I will." I smile. "How's college?"
Logan smiles as she starts rambling about classes.
***
I sit in my apartment, doing yoga in the hallway before defensive training, before there's a knock at the door.
I push myself out of the downward dog position and walk to the door.
Another knock rings through the apartment.
I pull open the door, revealing a smiling Jackson behind it with a container in his hand.
"Oh, hi." I say, smiling and stepping aside.
He walks in, smiling at my small living space. "So, my mother came into town earlier today, and she brought at least a thousand cookies." He says. "And Nigel told me you didn't make it to dinner so..." He hands me the container. "My mother made you dinner, which is quite cute of her."
I smile. "I would love to meet her, how long is she in town for?"
"A week." He says.
"I promise, I'll meet her, and thank her for this dinner." I smile.
"Well." He takes a long exhale. "You were doing yoga?"
"Yeah, just some warmups before training, Abagail suggested it'll keep me calm and stuff." I answer.
"Well, not a bad idea. I should go, my mother's waiting." Jackson says, turning on his heel and walking outside.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I say, closing the door.