Away From Home

Chapter 7-Together

Chapter 7:

Linh's POV

We stand in silence for a minute. Another, more rapid knock startles us.

I take a deep breath, reminding myself that whoever this is, it can't be the Neverseen. Them knowing our names is kinda freaky and I'm not sure what it means but... I... Well... I gather up all the courage I can muster and slowly walk towards the door. Every second feels like 10 years and the eyes of everyone in the room don't really help.

I cautiously open the peephole and my heart stops for a moment as the world seems to stop, my heart racing a hundred miles an hour. I gasp. It can't be.

I swing the door open. My eyes fill with tears. Happy tears.

"MARELLA?! TAM?! FORKLE?!" I yell. I stand there in the doorway petrified. Marrella and Tam rush forward and hug me. Behind me, everyone in the hotel room rushes forward to join us.

"All right all, all right! Enough hugs!" Tam laughs. He's not a huggy type. I give him an extra hard squeeze and then let go.

We all laugh for what seems for the first time in forever. It feels so strange to be together, to touch hands again. (A/N Yes, this is me fantasizing about what it will be like when the shelter in place order has been taken away.)

"How did you guys find us? How did you survive? Where have you been?" Sophie blurts out, vocalizing only some of the many questions I have swirling around in my brain.

Mr. Forkle chuckles, "That is a long story. Including many days, many "are we there yet's" from Marrella, and a spy ball later."

"A SPYBALL???!!!" Dex yells running over to Mr. Forkle with his hands out like a 9-year-old boy asking for candy. "I haven't seen elf technology for days! Besides the obscurer of course, and Sophie's fingernail gadgets, and, well....-BUT THOSE DON'T COUNT! SPYBALLS ARE THE REAL DEAL!" Dex shouts. I think Dex has officially gone bonkers.

"Sure...?" Mr. Forkle hands the gadget to Dex. We all chuckle. It feels good to laugh.

"How did you guys get out?" Forkle asks everyone, except Dex, who was huddled on the sofa stroking the spy ball.

"Lynh! She enclosed us in a... bubble." Fitz says.

"So you survived the apocalypse because of a bubble?" Marrella asks.

"Yup," Keefe smirks.

"I have an idea! Let's celebrate us getting back together! Catch up over a bowl of pasta or something. Did I pronounce that right? Pasta?" Biana asks.

"Yeah! We're in my home town! I know the best place to get pasta! Come on guys let's go!" Sophie leaps for the door, but Biana stops her. I facepalm. Uh oh. Here it comes.

"MAKEOVER! OHMYLOSTCITIES! MAKEOVER! WE NEED TO GO SHOPPING FOR DRESSES AND SUITS AND MAKEUP!!!" Biana squeals, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Can we just grab some jeans and t-shirts on our way there? Please? It'll take to long. Just something that will make Marella and Tam look like humans?" Sophie pleads.

"Ughhhhhh you're no fun. Fiiiiiiiine. But we will have a day at the mall just you wait Sophie Elizabeth Foster, just you wait." Biana says, stomping out of the room.

***

"Can I get little elf cookies, sir?"

"What?" The waiter asks, bewildered.

"I don't think restaurants serve El Fudges Keefe," Sophie says, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry sir, he's not from around here." Sophie awkwardly chuckles. The man raises his eyebrows at Sophie and Keefe.

"You two make a strange, yet cute, couple." The man says, triggering a Sophie and Keefe blushing match. The man hides a grin as Keefe's eyes frantically scan the menu for something to eat, trying to ignore everyone's stares. A chuckle slips through my lips, and Sophie sends me a death glare.

"I'll just get a medium bowl of pasta, no sauce, and extra cheese. You should carry elf cookies though. And no I'm not with Foster, she's nice and I'm nice and we all are nice, really, but she chose Fitzy boy." Keefe says everything in one breath, leaving him gasping for air. He closes the menu and handing it to the waiter, who cautiously takes it from him. Sophie curls up into a ball on the booth.

"I have a lot of work to do If I ever want to go out with you guys again." Sophie mumbles.

"You kids," Mr. Forkle chuckles. "You kids."