Madeline's Boardinghouse

IV

Christine laid on her bed debating whether to take a shower or slip into her pajamas since she finished packing. She then got a whiff of her body oder which was a caused of being trap in a van most of the day.

She sat up dragging her feet to her dresser grabbing the necessities and left her room. It was late beyond late. She remembered Madame Giry telling her and Meg all of Madeline's house rules. One of them was don't leave your room past ten.

Christine felt disgusting with all the sweat build up. She wondered why Madeline hadn't installed a bathroom connected to the rooms or at least closer. She reached the end of the hallway to the door she opened it.

The bathroom was probably the most updated room in the house. There was new tile. There was a shower stall and a separate tub with jets. A row of two sinks. It was paradise in bathroom form.

She turned on the shower stall hoping it wasn't loud enough to wake anyone or surely she'd be kicked out for disobeying. She stripped and entered the hot shower. The feel of warm water on her skin was a stress relief.

She washed her hair with the shampoo that was provided which smelled like kiwis. Her mind wondered as she scrubbed the shampoo in her hair. She wondered if she should cut her hair for a more modern look. Her hair was both a hassle to wash and to comb.

Then she thought of how funny she'd look with short hair. Her long brunette curls were part of her charisma she couldn't live without them. She shaved her under arms with the razor she grabbed before she left her room.

She decided that she'd shave her legs tomorrow. They weren't in bad shape since she shaved them the day before. She turned the facet off. Grabbing two towels one for her hair and the other for her tiny frame.

She threw her dirty clothes in the hamper that was kindly provided. She opened the door and slowly made her way back to her room. She left wet foot prints as evidenced of her journey.

She heard footsteps. They weren't her's. She hoped it was Meg because if Madeline found her she'd surly be discarded. The footsteps were to large to be that of a woman's.

She was curious walking right past her room making her way down the stairs. Someone was in the kitchen grabbing a midnight snack. She stumbled upon the back of a tall figure looking in the refrigerator.

He didn't realize she was threw to preoccupied with finding something to eat. He hadn't eaten in a couple of days since he was working on composing a master piece. He reached for leftover box of pizza something his mother ordered two night before.

But he felt someone touch his shoulder. He flinched at the touch of other human. "Can I help you?" She asked concerned that he was another student but one who broke in to steal food.

He couldn't muster the courage to turn and face this girl. She removed her hand realizing the state of dress she was in. Another pair of steps were heard. He panicked. Quickly grabbing the girls wrist without taking a single look at her. Hiding her with him in a secret passageway.

Her mind did not know how to react to such a quick moment in time. His grip was very painful. He stopped and waited covering the brunette's mouth with his hand. He listened for a mere moment.

"Christine?" Meg called as she yawned looking into the brightly lit kitchen. Only the towel for Christine's hair laid on the floor. "Where did you go?" Meg asked the empty air. She then turned of the lights and shut the refrigerator door assuming Christine return to bed. Meg went back up stairs to follow suit.