Cross My Heart

Chapter Nine

I reach up and knock on room 413. Woody opens the door, “Hey Katie!” he says, opening his arms and wrapping me in a hug. He then yells “They’re here!” over his shoulder.

            Will and Kyle come to the door. “Hey there,” Will says to me after high-fiving Kyle, wiggling his eyebrows.

            I grin and cast glance at Dan. “Thought we already discussed this, Will? I’ve been snared in a spider’s web,” I tell him with a wink.

            I let Will process that as I slide through the doorway, Dan following me.

            As I turn the corner to see the rest of the hotel room, I notice a girl sitting in a chair by the window. She has black hair that falls around her shoulders, a round face with caramel skin, and a black jacket.

            She stands up as Kyle walks over and drapes his arm over her shoulder. She narrows her eyes and gives a small wave. “Who’s this?” I ask, looking at Kyle.

            He grins and pats the girl’s head. “This is Shannon.”

            Shannon rolls her eyes, “Gonna tell her more?”

            Kyle rubs her head and she cringes. “Shannon is my girlfriend,” he says, scrunching up his face at her.

            I raise an eyebrow. “Really?” Kyle nods.

            Shannon walks over and looks me over. “Yeah, and who are you?”

            I back up and bump into Dan. He puts his hand on my shoulder and says, “This is Katie.”

            I smile at Shannon and she purses her lips, tilting her head. She stands in silence for a few moments.

            Finally, I get sick of being judged for no reason. “Look, you got a problem with me, say it now or hold your pieces,” I snap at her. I immediately feel guilty when everyone looks at me, shocked.

            Shannon stands in silence for another moment before breaking into a grin. “I like you, kid,” she says. I roll my eyes at the “kid” comment but fold my arms, satisfied.

            The next hour encompasses the six of us sitting on the beds and trying to fill the silence. I keep glancing over at Shannon, wondering how Kyle found her. Eventually, I lean up against Dan and put my head on his shoulder. He reaches over and holds my hand.

            Suddenly, Woody appears next to me. “Hey,” he says, leaning over. “What’s going on?”

            I close my eyes and shake my head. “Nothing.”

            Woody smiles and whispers back, “I don’t think so. Come on.” He stands up and turns to Dan, who is talking with Kyle about which color stuffed cat is better.

            “Hey, Dan?” he interrupts. Dan glances up at him. “Can I take a walk with Katie?”

            Dan looks over at me and gives me a smile. “Yeah, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

            Woody grins at me. “Great! Come on, Katie.”

            I reluctantly get up and follow Woody out. He closes the hotel door quietly behind us and starts walking slowly down the hall.

            “So,” he says after a few minutes of silence. “Tell me.”

            I wrap my arms around myself. “What do you want to know?”