3. Everything Dull Leads to Something Bigger
9:40am
Joan slowly awoke from her dreamless sleep. She felt something hit her head. Then another thing. Then another.
"Girardi?" a familliar voice asked her. She slowly opened her eyes and took in the surroundings, the memory of the trip flooding back to her. Grace was standing at the foot of her bed, throwing clothing at her. Joan sat up.
"What? It's not even ten!" Joan complained. Grace rolled her eyes.
"Duh. Lischak wants us down there by ten. The sooner we're down there, the sooner we can get out of here and do something," Grace told her. Joan stood up.
"You're right.."
*
Joan slung her purse over her shoulder as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and she and Grace stepped into the lobby.
"Nice of you two to join us today," Ms. Lischak joked. "Now I'll be spliting you up into two groups of five. I'll take group one, and Mr. Rich, the physics teacher will take group two." Mr. Rich introduced himself. "Alright, group one.. Miss Girardi, Mr. Girardi, Mr. Rove, Miss Davis and Miss Polk. Group two, Miss Kaulfeld, Miss Figliola, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Fredman, Mr. Fisher." Joan, Luke, Adam, Iris and Grace walked over to where Ms. Lischak was standing, and Madison, Glynis, Scott, Freidman and Clay joined Mr. Rich. "We'll meet back here at four."
*
On the tour bus, Adam and Iris were engaged in conversation about one of Adam's sculptures, and Grace and Luke were fighting, as usual, while Joan sat there listing to Adam and Iris. When they're conversation got dull, she tuned into Luke and Grace's.
"If you think it's so dull then why did you come?" Luke asked Grace.
"You're sister talked me into it. I'm just saying I didn't sign on to sit on a tour bus all week. Maybe if we were able to wander the city at will.." Grace said.
"If we wandered the city who knows what would happen. We'd all get lost," Luke countered. Grace smacked him upside the head.
"You're getting on my nerves geek," she said.
"Well if you weren't so stubborn.." Luke said. He and Grace looked each other in the eyes for a second, their glares changing into looks of longing. Grace looked away and sunk down in her seat. Joan shook her head at the two. 'They should just admit how they feel about each other and get it over with.' Joan though.
12:00pm
"Lunch!" Ms. Lischak announced as they all climbed off the bus and into a Pizza Hut.
"If I never see another science exhibit again, I'll be happy," Joan said.
"Unchallenged," Adam agreed. Grace pointed at Joan.
"You owe me."
"Alright everyone, get a quick lunch and then we're off again!" Ms. Lischak told them.
*
4:30pm
"I've got to go talk to Rove," Grace told Joan, leaving the room, passing Luke on her way out. They looked at each other then hurried on their way.
*
"Rove," Grace said, opening the door. "Oh my God. I've gone blind," she said, slamming the door shut. It opened again and Adam stepped out, putting his shirt on.
"Don't you lock the doors?" Grace asked, trying to get the visual out of her mind.
"Don't you knock?" he asked.
"It's four thirty! I though you'd be wearing clothing!!"
"I took a shower. Besides, we've known each other since we were three. It's happened before."
"Ugh. Do not remind me. Anyway, we need to talk," Grace said, walking into his room. He followed her.They sat on Adam's bed in silence for a moment.
"Remember Travis?" Grace said. Adam looked at her.
"You haven't mentioned him since eighth grade.."
"I know. I've been trying to forget."
"Then why are you bringing him up? And now? Oh wait. This has something to do with Luke, doesn't it, yo?"
"Yeah.."
"Dude, you like him. You shouldn't let your commitment issues get in the way of that."
"I don't have commitment issues. I've got trust issues," Grace admited.
"Well if you like him, you should tell him."
"You seem to be missing something Rove. He's got a girlfriend."
"Grace, guys are weird. Take me for example. I'm dating Iris, but.. I think I love Jane.."
"Take a page out of your own book and tell her that then," Grace told Adam.
*
4:41pm
"I'd like to be on the lifeboat, but I'd WANT the right to drownd!" Joan exclamed.
"I hear you Joan, I mean, women and children first? That's unfair. I'd want to live, but we should have the right to go down with the ship!" Madison said as the door opened.
"We're watching Titanic," Joan warned as she heard the door close. The TV screen flashed black, then went back to the movie.
"Must be having signal problems.." Madison said as the lights flickered.
"Or a storm's coming," Joan suggested.
*
Adam hit the down button on the elevator. The doors opened and he stepped in.
"H-h-hold the elevator!" Scott called. Adam hit the 'door open' button as Scott climbed in.
*
Grace took seat on the bench next to the ice machean, where Iris was sitting, drawing something. They ignored each other as Glynis approced with an ice bucket. The lights flickered again.
*
"Why do the lights keep flickering?" Clay asked Luke and Freidman.
"Maybe there's a storm coming," Luke suggested, scribbling something in a notebook.
"Maybe there's a short," Freidman suggested, going through a list of Pay Per View movies the hotel had to offer.
*
In the basement fourteen stories below, the sparks were becoming something greater. Something that would change their lives forever.
9:40am
Joan slowly awoke from her dreamless sleep. She felt something hit her head. Then another thing. Then another.
"Girardi?" a familliar voice asked her. She slowly opened her eyes and took in the surroundings, the memory of the trip flooding back to her. Grace was standing at the foot of her bed, throwing clothing at her. Joan sat up.
"What? It's not even ten!" Joan complained. Grace rolled her eyes.
"Duh. Lischak wants us down there by ten. The sooner we're down there, the sooner we can get out of here and do something," Grace told her. Joan stood up.
"You're right.."
*
Joan slung her purse over her shoulder as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and she and Grace stepped into the lobby.
"Nice of you two to join us today," Ms. Lischak joked. "Now I'll be spliting you up into two groups of five. I'll take group one, and Mr. Rich, the physics teacher will take group two." Mr. Rich introduced himself. "Alright, group one.. Miss Girardi, Mr. Girardi, Mr. Rove, Miss Davis and Miss Polk. Group two, Miss Kaulfeld, Miss Figliola, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Fredman, Mr. Fisher." Joan, Luke, Adam, Iris and Grace walked over to where Ms. Lischak was standing, and Madison, Glynis, Scott, Freidman and Clay joined Mr. Rich. "We'll meet back here at four."
*
On the tour bus, Adam and Iris were engaged in conversation about one of Adam's sculptures, and Grace and Luke were fighting, as usual, while Joan sat there listing to Adam and Iris. When they're conversation got dull, she tuned into Luke and Grace's.
"If you think it's so dull then why did you come?" Luke asked Grace.
"You're sister talked me into it. I'm just saying I didn't sign on to sit on a tour bus all week. Maybe if we were able to wander the city at will.." Grace said.
"If we wandered the city who knows what would happen. We'd all get lost," Luke countered. Grace smacked him upside the head.
"You're getting on my nerves geek," she said.
"Well if you weren't so stubborn.." Luke said. He and Grace looked each other in the eyes for a second, their glares changing into looks of longing. Grace looked away and sunk down in her seat. Joan shook her head at the two. 'They should just admit how they feel about each other and get it over with.' Joan though.
12:00pm
"Lunch!" Ms. Lischak announced as they all climbed off the bus and into a Pizza Hut.
"If I never see another science exhibit again, I'll be happy," Joan said.
"Unchallenged," Adam agreed. Grace pointed at Joan.
"You owe me."
"Alright everyone, get a quick lunch and then we're off again!" Ms. Lischak told them.
*
4:30pm
"I've got to go talk to Rove," Grace told Joan, leaving the room, passing Luke on her way out. They looked at each other then hurried on their way.
*
"Rove," Grace said, opening the door. "Oh my God. I've gone blind," she said, slamming the door shut. It opened again and Adam stepped out, putting his shirt on.
"Don't you lock the doors?" Grace asked, trying to get the visual out of her mind.
"Don't you knock?" he asked.
"It's four thirty! I though you'd be wearing clothing!!"
"I took a shower. Besides, we've known each other since we were three. It's happened before."
"Ugh. Do not remind me. Anyway, we need to talk," Grace said, walking into his room. He followed her.They sat on Adam's bed in silence for a moment.
"Remember Travis?" Grace said. Adam looked at her.
"You haven't mentioned him since eighth grade.."
"I know. I've been trying to forget."
"Then why are you bringing him up? And now? Oh wait. This has something to do with Luke, doesn't it, yo?"
"Yeah.."
"Dude, you like him. You shouldn't let your commitment issues get in the way of that."
"I don't have commitment issues. I've got trust issues," Grace admited.
"Well if you like him, you should tell him."
"You seem to be missing something Rove. He's got a girlfriend."
"Grace, guys are weird. Take me for example. I'm dating Iris, but.. I think I love Jane.."
"Take a page out of your own book and tell her that then," Grace told Adam.
*
4:41pm
"I'd like to be on the lifeboat, but I'd WANT the right to drownd!" Joan exclamed.
"I hear you Joan, I mean, women and children first? That's unfair. I'd want to live, but we should have the right to go down with the ship!" Madison said as the door opened.
"We're watching Titanic," Joan warned as she heard the door close. The TV screen flashed black, then went back to the movie.
"Must be having signal problems.." Madison said as the lights flickered.
"Or a storm's coming," Joan suggested.
*
Adam hit the down button on the elevator. The doors opened and he stepped in.
"H-h-hold the elevator!" Scott called. Adam hit the 'door open' button as Scott climbed in.
*
Grace took seat on the bench next to the ice machean, where Iris was sitting, drawing something. They ignored each other as Glynis approced with an ice bucket. The lights flickered again.
*
"Why do the lights keep flickering?" Clay asked Luke and Freidman.
"Maybe there's a storm coming," Luke suggested, scribbling something in a notebook.
"Maybe there's a short," Freidman suggested, going through a list of Pay Per View movies the hotel had to offer.
*
In the basement fourteen stories below, the sparks were becoming something greater. Something that would change their lives forever.
