Stranger Danger

Part 6

The next morning, Cassidy was woken up by a pounding sound on her bedroom door, followed by Glinda's enthusiastic voice on the other side shouting, "Wake uu-uuup!" Cassidy quickly snapped her head up, feeling dazed from sleep. She rolled over on her back and sat up slowly, temporarily forgetting where she was. Looking around the dark room with no windows, she remembered, but frowned as she realized she wasn't in her own guest room... Who's room- 

Just then, something on the bed moved. Cassidy quickly looked to her left. On that side of the bed, the sheets were crumpled up in a big heap. But... was there something, or someone under there? Cassidy gently lifted a top part of the covers, revealing a small patch of skin. Her eyes widened. Tyler! She quickly released the covers as the events from the previous night came rushing into her memory. She jumped out of bed, looking for a place to hide, afraid of Glinda catching her in Tyler's room. But lucky for her, it sounded like Glinda had moved down the hallway and was speaking to someone.

Cassidy waited until she heard footsteps heading down the stairs and voices fading before relaxing a little. She glanced at Tyler's hidden, sleeping body before heading towards the bedroom door, where she slipped out, cautiously checking the hallway, which was illuminated by many lights. The brightness took her by surprise, which was why she didn't notice Ruby slipping out of her own room at the same exact time. "Hey!" came Ruby's harsh voice, startling Cassidy. Cassidy spun around, her eyes wide. She quickly composed herself and cleared her throat. "What are you doing?" Ruby questioned, her arms crossed menacingly over her chest and her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What- what do you mean?" Cassidy tried to sound innocent.

"How come you're coming out of that room. Weren't you placed right next to mine?"

"Well, uh..." Cassidy scratched her head, thinking of an excuse. "I had forgotten something in Tyler's room."

Ruby examined her. "What?"

Cassidy crossed her arms over her chest, feeling annoyed that Ruby felt entitled to question her. "Nothing too important," she said evenly. Her slightly harsh tone kept Ruby silent. Cassidy took a few steps forward. As she got closer, her harshness melted a little. Despite the stern, arrogant look on Ruby's face, Cassidy could see that her skin looked blotchy, and her eyes were red like she'd been crying all night. Cassidy's face softened as she peered at Ruby and moved a little closer. "Are you okay?" she heard herself ask without much thought.

Ruby drew back, clearly surprised by the question, and blinked. "E- excuse me?"

All of the events from the previous night were now clear in Cassidy's head. She remembered what Aaron had done. "Are you okay?" she repeated, the softness not leaving her voice.

Ruby was silent for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "I'm fine," she snapped. "And good morning to you too. Hope you can get used to waking up early."

"Well, I won't be here for long."

Ruby smirked. "Right," she muttered, though Cassidy heard her.

She started to walk away but Cassidy said, "Wait! Is it still raining outside?"

Ruby spun around. "Probably." Cassidy's face fell. "Breakfast is soon. You have some clothes in your room to wear after your shower. You better hurry if you're hungry." Ruby then left and went down the stairs. Cassidy scratched her head and went into her own room, where she brushed her teeth and took a shower.

With a towel wrapped around her damp body a short while later, she looked at the plain-looking attire that was neatly placed on her bed and remembered what Tyler had told her: