Codes

Chapter 14- Declined Invitations

A sense of Deja Voo struck me as I walked towards the seemingly deserted hotel with Lia, Evan, and Jackson. There were only two other cars in the lot beside our own and it looked exactly the way we left it this morning when we said our goodbyes to Lilith and Nathan.

We entered the hotel, the lobby was small and messy. I began to understand why no one seemed to come here. There was a small old lady at the reception desk.

"Hello!" She said cheerfully.

"Hi," I said, "How are you?"

"Very good," she replied, "Would you four like a room? Maybe two?"

"No, not today, we're just looking for some friends," Jackson told her.

"Oh" She looked disappointed. "Were they the couple that checked in this morning?"

"Yes ma'am, there was a brown-haired boy and a black haired girl," Evan told her.

"Room 216," the woman said, "they're the only two people that have checked in here besides a young man around your age with green eyes and brown hair, do you know him as well?" 

"No," Lia said, "I can't say we know anyone by that description. Thanks for the room number though."

"You're welcome," the reception lady said, "My name's Lynda if you need anything"

"Thanks," I said as I began to walk out of the lobby towards the door, Jackson, Lia, and Evan following behind me.

The hotel was indeed deserted, this hotel obviously wasn't in the best shape, no wonder it wasn't very expensive. We reached room 216 and I knocked. It was Lillith that opened the door.

"What are you  guys doing back here?" She asked, looking down the corridor that we had just come down as if she as expecting someone to have followed us to her room.

"Lillith?" I heard a boy's voice, probably Nathan's ask from inside the room, "Who is it?" 

"It's the people we met last night in the woods" She looked back at us "I'm sorry I forgot your names," She said apologetically.

"I'm Cora," I tell her, "and this is Jackson, Lia, and Evan," I gestured to each of them as I said their names.

Lillith repeated our names back to Nathan, and he joined her at the door.

Nathan's hair was messy and he looked pretty tired.

"Oh, hey," he said, "what are you guys doing here?" 

"We were wondering if you guys wanted to come stay with us for the night," Lia said, "Just so you can catch up on sleep in a place that isn't so... disorganized." 

Nathan looked down the hallway, "No, that's fine I think it would be best for us to keep away from you so that you don't get into trouble for associating with people like us." he said looking down at Lilith.

"Oh," Lia said, "but at least take our numbers so that way if you need anything you can just call." She smiled.

"Ok," Lilith said, "Nate, go get your phone." 

"Do you not have a phone?" Lia asked.

"No, I had to leave it at the asylum when I escaped just in case someone put trackers on it,"  Lillith responded. As Nathaniel disappeared to go find his phone.

"Oh... That sucks," Lia said sympathetically.

"Found it," Nathan said, coming back into view behind Lilith. "What are your numbers?"

We all exchanged numbers and parted ways, "if you change your minds feel free to call!" Lia told them cheerfully, obviously happy to have made some new friends.

"Soooo..." I said, "is everyone up for a horror movie?" 

"Hell yeah!"  Jackson said.

"I need to use the bathroom first though," I said, "I'll be right back."

I found the public bathroom and told the others that I would meet them in the car and that if they even thought about leaving me as a joke I would kill them in their sleep.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, by long blonde hair was kind of messy but surprisingly I didn't look as tired as I felt. The last few nights had been pretty crazy and in the last two days I had made friends with two rouges, been accused of being a rouge, managed to end up sleeping next to my brother's best friend, worn his hoodie, and ended up agreeing to stay at Lia's house for a week! Life is crazy sometimes. I splashed some water on my face and walked out of the restroom.

I was on my way back to the car, my mind wandering off in some distant land of daydreams. Suddenly I hit something or someone that caused me to fall to the ground with a thump. I looked up, standing above me was a boy. He looked around my age, maybe a year or two older. He had long dark brown hair that grew to his earlobes and bright green eyes that were now staring right back down at me. 

"Oh!" He exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," he offered his hand to help me up, "Are you ok?"

I felt a sense of Deja Voo as the boy helped me up, it was the second time that week that I had bumped into a guy and fallen. Except for the first time, I may have been knocked unconscious.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm fine." I pushed my hair out of my eyes, "I have to go." I told him as I pushed passed, "have a nice day."

The boy looked surprised, as if was still processing what just happened, "you too..." he replied, his voice trailing off as I walked away.

I pushed through the door, the cold afternoon air hitting my face as I hurried to the car.

"So," I said once I was inside of the warm car, "movie and pizza?"

"Sounds great!" Lia said.

"Oh yeah!" Evan added.

"Can we get popcorn?" Jackson asked. We all looked at him.

"What? It was just a suggestion," He added quickly.

I rolled my eyes. "We can get popcorn but you're paying for it," I told him.

"Fine," he mumbled, "but it's going to be cheap."