The Haven

Chapter 11

Ow.

Elsa flinched as the pain in her neck woke her. Slowly, she raised her head from the bookshelf, cringing at the soreness. She blinked at the unfamiliar room around her.

"Hey–"

Elsa jumped at the voice. Her back scraped against the bookcase. "Ow"

"Sorry," said Nikolai.

OH crap. I'm still here. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "Hey, no I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I fell asleep." She looked up at him, an awkward half-smile creeping onto her face. "You should've told me to get out." Why didn't you?

Nikolai shrugged. "It's not like anyone else is here."

"Yeah, still I–" Oh shit. Mom.Elsa's head jerked down as she dug into her pockets, then patted the floor around her looking for her phone. Her hand found it a few inches from her foot. She poked the screen, waking it up and looking for missed calls or frantic messages about her disappearing all night.

There were none.

Elsa sighed and shook her head. Thanks, mom.

She could hardly feel disappointed. It wasn't like she wanted her mother to hover over her and her friends. But it was 10AM already.Elsa knew she must have stayed up late into the night reading, but she couldn't remember looking at the clock, not even once. She knew she should be getting home sooner or later. If she waited for her mother to get worried and call, she'd be here till graduation. So Elsa shoved her phone into her pocket, pushed herself stifly to her feet, and grabbed her abandoned school bag.

"Where are you going?" asked Nikolai.

What? Elsa looked at him. "Home," she answered. Where else would I be going?

"Oh." He looked surprised, like no one had ever left the house before. "Oh ok. You don't have to go, you know."

"Oh thanks," said Elsa, and for a moment she really wanted to stay, she really wanted to never leave this cathedral of books where she could read and read and read and maybe even fumble some more over discussions of magic with Nikolai... She shook her head. "Mom will worry. Eventually. So I should get home. But... I'll come back tomorrow?" she added hopefully.

"Yeah, of course." Nikolai nodded. He blinked, still looking a little surprise, and now a bit disappointed. He grabbed a fat journal from one of the shelves beside the fireplace, then settled into the window seat Elsa had vacated last night. He let the book rest in his lap and stared out the open window.

Elsa waited for another minute, but she really didn't know what else to say. So, "See you," she said and waved awkwardly. She checked one more time for her phone and her school stuff, then headed out the door.

She took her time getting home.

It was Tuesday, but there wasn't much point in going to class now. The school's office would only greet her with disapproving stares if she showed up at this time. At best, she'd get a late pass with a snippy, Don't let it happen again. At worst, she'd have to sit through a lecture from the senior class administrator and miss a good deal more class anyway. Neither option was particularly appealing to Elsa, so she gave the school a wide berth as she meandered towards the other side of town.