Thanks so much for continuing to read :). I'm wondering, would y'all prefer longer chapters that take more time to update or shorter chapters that update more frequently (ie, 2k words every 2 weeks as opposed to 1k words every week)? I'm fine with either but I want to hear what you think.
It took a little over half an hour to get to Harrisburg, with them only having to stop once when someone woke up and realized eating ten pounds of chocolate didn't combine well with riding a moving vehicle.
Lloyd looked up at the towering hotel, partly apprehensive and partly relieved they wouldn't have to sleep in a dingy alleyway like he'd suspected.
The lobby was just as fancy as the hotel front, all gilt tables and suede chairs nobody was sitting in. Lloyd and his friends looked out of place in their shorts and t-shirts.
"Welcome to the Susquehanna Riverfront Hotel, do you have a reservation?" The receptionist glanced up at Garmadon. "I'm sorry, sir, I have to ask you to take your sunglasses off."
Garmadon took off his shades and folded them slowly, placing them in the front pocket of his suit jacket. "We'll take the penthouse, darling."
"Do you have a reservation?" She repeated, eyes flickering to the teens suspiciously. Jay had found the complementary peppermint bowl and was currently stuffing as many as he could into his pockets, while Nya was trying to determine if the potted fern was real by tearing off the leaves. Lloyd gave her his best totally innocent smile.
"That won't be a problem."
"I'm afraid it will," the receptionist pointed out, pulling up a new tab on her computer. "Our penthouse suite is already booked for the next six months. We do have an executive suite available, will that work?"
"No." Garmadon leveled her with a cold stare. "We'll take the penthouse. If there's a problem, you can call your manager." He paused. "And don't think about pressing the alert button."
The receptionist's hand froze under the desk. She wavered, then slowly withdrew and picked up the phone.
"Good girl."
"Mr. Lancaster?" She spoke into the telephone nervously. "I'm sorry to bother you, there's a man here with some kids...no, I don't think there's any danger, but he says he wants the penthouse suite...I know, sir, I know." She covered the receiver and looked at Garmadon.
"We can't-"
"Tell your manager that Mr. Gadoan is making the request."
"He says his name his Gadoan, if that makes any difference...are you sure?...there's already two people in that room, should I have them relocated?...yes, sir, understood."
She hung up, looking dazed. "Your room will be available shortly."
"Excellent," Garmadon flashed her a grin.
"I can't believe you extorted someone for the penthouse," Lloyd said as they were in the elevator.
"No one was harmed, so it's technically not an extortion."
Lloyd shook his head.
The elevator dinged and opened into a short hallway with a single door. Garmadon extracted the key card and opened it.
A minute passed.
"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Move it!"
They stepped into the room.
"Oh," Jay looked at the high-vaulted ceilings, the floor-to-ceiling windows, the plush sofa, full-sized kitchenette, 4k TV...this one room was bigger than his entire house. And there were still three doors leading to other rooms!
"Wow." Kai agreed.
Cole, who had grown up in an extravagant apartment and was much more accustomed to this style of living, just dropped his suitcase on the couch.
Garmadon opened the first door. "If you need me, I'll be in here. Don't need me." He slammed it shut and locked it.
"Oh, for the love of -" Lloyd ran his fingers through his hair exasperatedly. Kai patted his shoulder supportively.
"How're we doing sleeping arrangements?" He asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"Already called dibs on the sofa," Cole said quickly.
"Okay, Nya and I will take the third bedroom."
Nya crossed her arms petulantly.
"I call the sofa, too," Jay said.
"Okay," Lloyd chewed his lip. "I guess that leaves Zane and me to the middle bedroom."
The others disappeared into the suites, leaving Jay and Cole in the main area.
Cole looked at Jay. "You can take the sofa. I brought a sleeping bag."
Jay rolled his eyes. "It's a pull-out sofa, dork, it can fit two people."
"Yeah, if one of them doesn't snore, and talk in his sleep, and try to kick people." Cole unrolled his sleeping bag. "I'll take my chances on the ground, thanks."
Jay shrugged and made the bed, flopping down on the soft mattress and pulling out his phone to charge it.
"There's still plenty of room up here," he pointed out as he opened Instagram. "You absolutely sure you don't want up here?"
"I'm sure." Cole stood up, taking his headphones off. "I'm going to take a shower."
Jay hummed in response, eyes fixed on his photo album. He had taken over a dozen pictures at the park, mostly with Nya, and now he had to decide which would be the best to post.
He narrowed it down to three - Nya posing victoriously after the most dangerous coaster, a selfie at the front gate, them on the bench eating the fudge - when his phone buzzed.
"Hey, Dad," he answered. "I was going to call you in five minutes, I swear."
"Oh, do you want me to hang up so you can do that?"
"Haha, very funny. Is Mom there?"
"Right here, dear." Mrs. Walker joined in. "How's the trip going? Are you having fun?"
"Yeah." Jay told them about Hersheypark and the rollercoasters. "We're in Harrisburg right now."
"In a hotel?"
"We got the penthouse suite."
"That sounds fun. We'll let you go since it's getting late - don't forget to call us tomorrow. Preferably before 8 pm."
"Got it. Love you guys."
"We love you too, sweetheart."
The call ended just as Cole came back, his damp hair falling over his eyes and down the back of his neck. He sat cross-legged on the makeshift bed and casually fiddled with his walkman, as one of his short sleeves slid down his shoulder.
Jay stared.
"What?" Cole looked up.
"You were wearing a tank top and sweatpants, and now you're wearing a different tank top and sweatpants."
"So? They're comfortable."
"Does that mean you sleep in your clothes, or go out in your pajamas?"
Cole threw his pillow at him. Jay caught it with his hands and face (mostly the face). He set the weapon to the side, glancing down at his phone as an idea struck him.
"Hey, your phone's still lost, right?"
"Mhmm," the other teen said. " I'm completely techless. Ready to go live with the Amish."
"They'd make you give up your walkman."
Cole looked horrified. "Never mind."
"Anyways, do you want to use my phone?"
"No, why?"
"So you can call your dad."
Cole suddenly became very interested in the music player. "Not really. He's probably busy, anyways."
"Oh. Okay." Jay hesitated. "I guess I'll take my shower now."
He returned ten minutes later, wearing his favorite pjs with thunderclouds. Cole coughed.
"You're going to sleep in that?"
"They're called pajamas," Jay said defensively. "You should try them someday."
"No, I mean…" Cole gestured to his throat. "Isn't that a choking hazard?"
Jay touched his scarf. "It hasn't killed me yet."
It probably would have if he slept with it wrapped around his neck, but Jay wasn't an idiot. He actually slept holding the fabric like a security blanket, but it'd be a cold day in hell before he told anyone. Even his friends.
Especially his friends.
X
It was past midnight. Lloyd stared up at the ceiling, listening to Zane's soft breathing from the other bed. The day had been too weird - too surreal. Like a dream. If he fell asleep now, he'd probably wake up in his own bed back home, with his mom making pancakes before she left for work, and his dad nothing more than a nonexistent thought in the back of their minds. Lloyd wasn't sure he wanted to wake up, which was why he couldn't fall asleep.
Plus, he still had a ton of sugar in his bloodstream.
After twenty minutes of tossing and turning, Lloyd threw the covers off and got out of bed. He glanced over at Zane, but the guy could have probably slept through the apocalypse, so he didn't stir when Lloyd tiptoed across the room and opened the balcony door.
The spacious veranda wrapped around the side of the building, accessible via all three suites and furnished with wicker chairs and tables. Lloyd leaned over the railing, looking down at all the matchbox cars and the huge river a couple blocks away.
"Go back to bed, kid."
Lloyd started.
Garmadon was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a book. Lloyd tried to read the cover, but it was in Chinese. Disappointment surged through him, which he quickly stamped out. He didn't care what kind of books his dad read.
Garmadon turned the page. "Didn't you hear me? I said go back to bed."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine. Children need eight hours of sleep."
"I'm not a child," Lloyd crossed his arms. He hated how whiny he sounded, and, even worse, the yawn he couldn't stifle at the end. Garmadon raised his eyebrow.
"Fine," he conceded reluctantly. "I'll go to bed if you go to bed too."
He'd been out here long enough, he supposed - from this location, there were thirteen places someone could spy on him, to make sure he was staying on schedule. Because if word got back that he wasn't….
"Alright." He dog-eared the book and tossed it aside. In the building across the street, he could see the curtains fluttering in the window of a dark room. Maybe sleep wasn't such a terrible idea.
X
Lloyd jolted awake. "What the-"
An incessant wailing sound was coming from just outside the room, like a fire engine had made its way up to their suite.
Zane sat up as well, looking perfectly well-rested, and got out of bed. He closed the door as he left the room, slightly muffling the aggravating noise.
Lloyd rubbed his eyes and fell back down into the mattress.
The door slammed open.
"Come on, kiddo, time to wake up," Garmadon ordered, holding the blaring alarm right next to his ear. Lloyd looked at the time.
Six am. He had to be kidding, right?
"Die," he grumbled as he ducked under the pillow. Garmadon rolled his eyes and bodily dragged him from the warm bed, depositing him in the main room with a bunch of other sleepy, befuddled-looking teens.
"Breakfast at six fifteen. Anyone not ready by then will just have to go hungry until lunch." With that said, he strolled out of the suite, slamming the door behind him. Nya narrowed her eyes.
Lloyd collapsed into Kai and moaned, "Kill me." Kai patted him on the back.
Cole looked like he was going to pass out any second. Jay had his eyes closed and was mumbling unintelligibly. In fact, only one of them had woken up completely.
"There should be coffee downstairs at the breakfast bar," Zane suggested helpfully. That simple promise was the only motivation they all needed to sleepily get dressed.
Nya hastily changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and snuck out the door while Jay was trying to tell Cole about the wonders of different clothing varieties. Her socked feet padded softly down the hall, into the elevator, and tiptoed to the back of the hotel. She might not be an investigative genius, but watching CSI: Los Angeles on the rec room tv after curfew had taught her some things. Like how high one could turn the volume up before a staff member came to investigate. Or how, if a hotel is involved in something underhanded, the most shady actions take place by the pool.
Her hunch was correct. Garmadon was leaning against the picket fence surrounding the pool, talking into a - was that supposed to be a cell phone? Nya hid behind the corner, back pressed against the wall, fingers digging into the cracks of the weathered bricks.
"...be watching the senators today," Garmadon was saying. "There's too many players, but as long as the ball gets on the infield I think they can make it."
What was he talking about?
"I have to go. The game's about to start. I'll call you after it's over."
Nya peered around the wall. Garmadon shoved the communications device in his pocket and started walking- straight towards her. She turned and fled.
Nya made it to the breakfast lounge with seconds to spare, grabbing a plastic cup and filling a fourth of it with coffee as well as grabbing a croissant before jumping into a chair next to Jay.
"What's up?" She said casually, biting into the pastry and decidedly not looking up when Garmadon entered the room. The last thing she wanted was to be the body they found floating in the pool.
