What About Me?|| Hayley Leblanc

n i n e

my eyes snapped open. 

I was in a different place than when I first fell asleep. I was on the couch in our hotel room. I looked around and saw everyone fast asleep. Mommy and Annie were sleeping is separate beds, with their back turned to each other. My eyes fell onto the bright silhouette of the clock on the side table. It's digits read 3 a.m. My body shifted over towards the door where I saw they room key sitting on the vanity next to Annie's backpack. 

Then, I got an idea. 

I needed a place to think. the crammed hotel room was too crowded. I slipped on my sneakers, and grabbed my phone and wallet, and the room key of course. I slipped out the door and tip-toed  into the lobby. nobody was here at night, except for the security cameras. I went over to the snack machine and got some goldfish and two packs of cheese sandwich-things. I opened the back door of the hotel into the courtyard. I knew a place in the back of the hedges that was almost like a secret garden. there was a tiny fountain and a bench all hidden behind plants. Annie or Jayden didn't even know about it. It would be the perfect place to think. I went through the bush and onto the bench. When i sat down, somebody left some goldfish and wrappers in the seat. That meant somebody had to be here- I wasn't alone. I peeked through the bushes to my left, and saw a figure about my size sitting on another bench eating crackers. 

"Hello?" my voice quivered. I saw the person turn my way, and scoot of the bench to where our faces met.

"Who's in there?" the voice sounded like a girl, but it wasn't high pitched or deep. It was perfectly in the middle, and I liked that.

"I'm over here..."

"Who's I'm?"

"Hayley Leblanc... what's your name?"

"How about you come over here; I need to see a stranger before I meet one."

I scooted through a opening between the hedges, and that's when I saw a clear picture of the girl's face. She was tall, taller than me. She had short wavy, dirty blonde hair and some scattered freckles to top it off.

"I'm Annabelle. Annabelle Tibbits."