Chapter 46
The receptionist sitting behind her desk in the hotel lobby nearly dropped her cell phone out of her hand when she saw one of the odd teenagers, who was staying at the hotel, parade across the room as he struggled to carry another one of the teenagers who's backside was completely covered in dust. She continued staring with wide eyes as the tall kid with frizzy blonde hair paused before the stairs to hoist the other boy higher up in his arms, and then began to shakily proceed up the stairway.
"Hello? HELLO?" a man's voice called through the phone in the receptionist's hand. "Susan! Susan don't you dare ignore me again!"
Zigzag climbed the stairs as quickly as he could-considering he was still carrying Squid and his arms were getting very tired. But he didn't have to worry about his arms breaking off for long, as soon he was standing before room 31. Having his arms so occupied Zigzag had to knock on the door with his foot, a difficult task as Squid was shaken so ferociously that he almost fell out of Zigzag's arms.
"Hurry up!" Zigzag yelled through the door, and to his relief it flew open a second later to reveal a large group of curious looking teenagers.
Chase rushed forth to greet Zigzag and the moment she saw Squid, lying lifelessly in Zigzag's arms, her jaw dropped in horror.
"Squid? Oh my God, is he gonna be okay?" she asked as she followed Zigzag to one of the beds where they set Squid down.
"He'll be fine," Zigzag replied as he rubbed his tired arms. "He's just sleeping cause he drank too much."
"He was at a bar?" Twitch asked, his eyes growing wide with excitement. "Woo hoo!"
"Oh, Squid," Chase cried, sitting down on the bed beside him and gently placing her hand on his forehead. "This is all my fault."
"Hey Squid!" Zigzag said, lightly slapping Squid in the face. "Wake up!"
It took a little bit more slapping before Squid finally moaned in response. "What?" he asked, shaking his head in a sleepy manor. "I'm awake! Stop hitting me!"
Squid opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times before he finally realized where he was and who'd been slapping him. He lay there, peacefully staring up at everyone, unaware of who the beautiful blonde girl in the tight, white top was as she stared nervously down at him. He smiled up at her; she was gorgeous whoever she was, and he was just wondering what she would like without that tank top on when the realization hit him.
Squid shot backwards, propped up onto his elbows as he stared wide-eyed at Chase.
"Squid I-" Chase began, but she was immediately cut off.
"I told you I didn't want to see her again!" Squid said to Zigzag who simply shrugged his shoulders in return.
"Come on guys," Lei said, moving towards the door. "Let's leave them alone."
As the others got up to leave as well Squid groped for words. "Don't leave me alone with her!" he cried, looking to Zigzag for help but feeling to ill to get up and leave for himself.
Xray shook his head when Squid stared at him for support. And even as Armpit, the last person to leave, slowly closed the door behind him, he mouthed a firm "No" and Squid was left alone with Chase.
Chase sat there, nervously glancing from her shaking fingers to Squid's menacing glare; she'd been around loads of drunk people before and not once had she enjoyed it.
Squid felt as if the room was spinning around him. But he couldn't lose his straight face in front of Chase; then he'd probably wake up hours later to find himself being cared for by Chase and he couldn't act all mad at her if she Chase was taking care of him. So Squid just sat there, feeling as if he would pass out soon, as he glared sourly at Chase.
"So," he said after a while. "What are we supposed to talk about?"
"Don't make this harder Squid," Chase said hesitantly, she wasn't sure she wanted to say anything to him when he was in this terrible condition.
"What? Harder for you?" Squid cried. "All you ever think about is yourself, Chase! It's pathetic!"
"Harder for us!" Chase retorted. But as quickly as her anger had come it had passed and her body became limp as she heaved a great sigh.
"You're just saying that now!" Squid cried, not being able to think of anything good to say-he could hardly think at all.
"Shut up Squid," Chase said wearily. Then, to no one's surprise, she lay down beside Squid and rested her head on his chest.
No explanations were needed. It was just like that day when they'd embraced on the side of the road when they had both admitted their love for each other; no words were needed as Squid gave in, realizing his faults and how unnecessary his stubbornness was.
It would have been Heaven-if Squid wasn't feeling so sick. For the rest of the day he lay about feeling miserable while Chase bustled about tending to his every need, constantly looking worried. Squid's head was burning with a painful headache and he felt as if he'd just swallowed a bull. Plus the ever spinning room about him kept him feeling even more nauseous and he felt as if he might spin out of control-was it possible to spin into another dimension?
But Chase was there, and everything was fine when Chase was there.
"How do you think they're doing up there?" Magnet asked as he and the other D tent members sat around two different tables in the hotel's little restaurant.
"I dunno," Lei replied, looking anxiously up at the ceiling. "I just hope Chase is okay up there with him."
"Why?" Zigzag asked. "He's not gonna hurt her or anything."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Static said quietly. "This morning Squid supposidly got a little bit violent when they were having that fight."
"Yeah," Fidget added. "And now that he's drunk-well, it's just a little more risky you know."
"What?" Armpit cried. "Squid wouldn't hurt a fly! Well, maybe he has beat up lots of fools in the past but he would never hurt a girl!"
"Yeah," Zigzag said, furrowing his brow. "If you guys had told us all the details about this morning I wouldn't have left Chase alone up there with him!" He suddenly jumped to his feet, wove his way around the tables, and headed for the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Zig, I bet Chase's fine!" Rogue cried, jumping to her feet as well. From the corner of her eye she noticed X-ray suddenly sit up straight. But Rogue ignored her obvious admirer and continued towards Zigzag. "Remember what she did to that guy at Green Lake? She nearly tore his lips off his face! She's a tough girl: she can protect herself. And I think the last thing they need right now is for us to go barge in on them right now."
Zigzag hesitated for a moment a he pondered everything Rogue had just said.
"Yeah," he finally said. "I guess you're right."
"Good," Rogue replied, sitting back down and glowering at X-ray who was gaping at her with a dreamy look in his eye.
But as soon as Rogue had sat back down, exactly as Zigzag had expected her to do, he had begun to race up the stairs, still worried about what could be happening to Chase.
"Zigzag!" Static cried, tearing after him.
Chase nearly jumped out of her skin when Zigzag came crashing through the door, wildly staring about. She'd just been sitting there, stroking Squid's forehead while he suffered in his sleep when all of a sudden the door had been thrown open and Zigzag had nearly fallen inside the room, Static right behind him.
"Oh look," Static groaned. "Squid was sleeping and Chase is perfectly fine."
Zigzag wondered how many times in one day he was able to grin sheepishly.
"What the heck is going on?" Squid asked groggily, squinting at Zigzag with tired eyes.
Zigzag shrugged his shoulders.
"You guys!" Fidget cried as she and the others all appeared in the doorway as well. "You didn't have to just run off like that!"
"See, what'd I tell ya'," Rogue said sternly. "Chase is a tough girl and I'm sure she's handling this little hangover well."
Zigzag slowly backed out of the doorway.
"Will you people go away?" Squid groaned. "I was sleeping!"
"Come on guys," Lei said, directing the others back towards the restaurant downstairs.
"Alright, alright," everyone grumbled as they turned around and slumped back down the stairs.
But just before Zippy turned around to leave she stopped in the doorway and grinned broadly at Squid and Chase. "Eeeeeeeeeee!!!! You two are back together!" she squealed happily. "I could just stand here and smile at you two all day! It's so good to say you two again! This is so exciting! We're a big gang again and you two finally, FINALLY love each other! And I-"
"Okay Zippy," Zero said, gently pulling at her hand. "Let's leave these two love birds alone now."
"Did you hear that?" Zippy called as she was pulled down the hall by Zero. "These TWO love birds! That's you guys!"
Chase laughed as she watched her best friend being practically dragged down the stairs.
"She's right," Chase said, looking thoughtfully at Squid. "The gang is back together now. And I have a feeling that this time we're gonna stick together."
Squid smiled in spite of his pounding head. "Yeah," he said, taking Chase's hand in his own. "I bet you're right," he said, just before he kissed the back of Chase's hand.
Boy were they wrong
The receptionist sitting behind her desk in the hotel lobby nearly dropped her cell phone out of her hand when she saw one of the odd teenagers, who was staying at the hotel, parade across the room as he struggled to carry another one of the teenagers who's backside was completely covered in dust. She continued staring with wide eyes as the tall kid with frizzy blonde hair paused before the stairs to hoist the other boy higher up in his arms, and then began to shakily proceed up the stairway.
"Hello? HELLO?" a man's voice called through the phone in the receptionist's hand. "Susan! Susan don't you dare ignore me again!"
Zigzag climbed the stairs as quickly as he could-considering he was still carrying Squid and his arms were getting very tired. But he didn't have to worry about his arms breaking off for long, as soon he was standing before room 31. Having his arms so occupied Zigzag had to knock on the door with his foot, a difficult task as Squid was shaken so ferociously that he almost fell out of Zigzag's arms.
"Hurry up!" Zigzag yelled through the door, and to his relief it flew open a second later to reveal a large group of curious looking teenagers.
Chase rushed forth to greet Zigzag and the moment she saw Squid, lying lifelessly in Zigzag's arms, her jaw dropped in horror.
"Squid? Oh my God, is he gonna be okay?" she asked as she followed Zigzag to one of the beds where they set Squid down.
"He'll be fine," Zigzag replied as he rubbed his tired arms. "He's just sleeping cause he drank too much."
"He was at a bar?" Twitch asked, his eyes growing wide with excitement. "Woo hoo!"
"Oh, Squid," Chase cried, sitting down on the bed beside him and gently placing her hand on his forehead. "This is all my fault."
"Hey Squid!" Zigzag said, lightly slapping Squid in the face. "Wake up!"
It took a little bit more slapping before Squid finally moaned in response. "What?" he asked, shaking his head in a sleepy manor. "I'm awake! Stop hitting me!"
Squid opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times before he finally realized where he was and who'd been slapping him. He lay there, peacefully staring up at everyone, unaware of who the beautiful blonde girl in the tight, white top was as she stared nervously down at him. He smiled up at her; she was gorgeous whoever she was, and he was just wondering what she would like without that tank top on when the realization hit him.
Squid shot backwards, propped up onto his elbows as he stared wide-eyed at Chase.
"Squid I-" Chase began, but she was immediately cut off.
"I told you I didn't want to see her again!" Squid said to Zigzag who simply shrugged his shoulders in return.
"Come on guys," Lei said, moving towards the door. "Let's leave them alone."
As the others got up to leave as well Squid groped for words. "Don't leave me alone with her!" he cried, looking to Zigzag for help but feeling to ill to get up and leave for himself.
Xray shook his head when Squid stared at him for support. And even as Armpit, the last person to leave, slowly closed the door behind him, he mouthed a firm "No" and Squid was left alone with Chase.
Chase sat there, nervously glancing from her shaking fingers to Squid's menacing glare; she'd been around loads of drunk people before and not once had she enjoyed it.
Squid felt as if the room was spinning around him. But he couldn't lose his straight face in front of Chase; then he'd probably wake up hours later to find himself being cared for by Chase and he couldn't act all mad at her if she Chase was taking care of him. So Squid just sat there, feeling as if he would pass out soon, as he glared sourly at Chase.
"So," he said after a while. "What are we supposed to talk about?"
"Don't make this harder Squid," Chase said hesitantly, she wasn't sure she wanted to say anything to him when he was in this terrible condition.
"What? Harder for you?" Squid cried. "All you ever think about is yourself, Chase! It's pathetic!"
"Harder for us!" Chase retorted. But as quickly as her anger had come it had passed and her body became limp as she heaved a great sigh.
"You're just saying that now!" Squid cried, not being able to think of anything good to say-he could hardly think at all.
"Shut up Squid," Chase said wearily. Then, to no one's surprise, she lay down beside Squid and rested her head on his chest.
No explanations were needed. It was just like that day when they'd embraced on the side of the road when they had both admitted their love for each other; no words were needed as Squid gave in, realizing his faults and how unnecessary his stubbornness was.
It would have been Heaven-if Squid wasn't feeling so sick. For the rest of the day he lay about feeling miserable while Chase bustled about tending to his every need, constantly looking worried. Squid's head was burning with a painful headache and he felt as if he'd just swallowed a bull. Plus the ever spinning room about him kept him feeling even more nauseous and he felt as if he might spin out of control-was it possible to spin into another dimension?
But Chase was there, and everything was fine when Chase was there.
"How do you think they're doing up there?" Magnet asked as he and the other D tent members sat around two different tables in the hotel's little restaurant.
"I dunno," Lei replied, looking anxiously up at the ceiling. "I just hope Chase is okay up there with him."
"Why?" Zigzag asked. "He's not gonna hurt her or anything."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Static said quietly. "This morning Squid supposidly got a little bit violent when they were having that fight."
"Yeah," Fidget added. "And now that he's drunk-well, it's just a little more risky you know."
"What?" Armpit cried. "Squid wouldn't hurt a fly! Well, maybe he has beat up lots of fools in the past but he would never hurt a girl!"
"Yeah," Zigzag said, furrowing his brow. "If you guys had told us all the details about this morning I wouldn't have left Chase alone up there with him!" He suddenly jumped to his feet, wove his way around the tables, and headed for the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Zig, I bet Chase's fine!" Rogue cried, jumping to her feet as well. From the corner of her eye she noticed X-ray suddenly sit up straight. But Rogue ignored her obvious admirer and continued towards Zigzag. "Remember what she did to that guy at Green Lake? She nearly tore his lips off his face! She's a tough girl: she can protect herself. And I think the last thing they need right now is for us to go barge in on them right now."
Zigzag hesitated for a moment a he pondered everything Rogue had just said.
"Yeah," he finally said. "I guess you're right."
"Good," Rogue replied, sitting back down and glowering at X-ray who was gaping at her with a dreamy look in his eye.
But as soon as Rogue had sat back down, exactly as Zigzag had expected her to do, he had begun to race up the stairs, still worried about what could be happening to Chase.
"Zigzag!" Static cried, tearing after him.
Chase nearly jumped out of her skin when Zigzag came crashing through the door, wildly staring about. She'd just been sitting there, stroking Squid's forehead while he suffered in his sleep when all of a sudden the door had been thrown open and Zigzag had nearly fallen inside the room, Static right behind him.
"Oh look," Static groaned. "Squid was sleeping and Chase is perfectly fine."
Zigzag wondered how many times in one day he was able to grin sheepishly.
"What the heck is going on?" Squid asked groggily, squinting at Zigzag with tired eyes.
Zigzag shrugged his shoulders.
"You guys!" Fidget cried as she and the others all appeared in the doorway as well. "You didn't have to just run off like that!"
"See, what'd I tell ya'," Rogue said sternly. "Chase is a tough girl and I'm sure she's handling this little hangover well."
Zigzag slowly backed out of the doorway.
"Will you people go away?" Squid groaned. "I was sleeping!"
"Come on guys," Lei said, directing the others back towards the restaurant downstairs.
"Alright, alright," everyone grumbled as they turned around and slumped back down the stairs.
But just before Zippy turned around to leave she stopped in the doorway and grinned broadly at Squid and Chase. "Eeeeeeeeeee!!!! You two are back together!" she squealed happily. "I could just stand here and smile at you two all day! It's so good to say you two again! This is so exciting! We're a big gang again and you two finally, FINALLY love each other! And I-"
"Okay Zippy," Zero said, gently pulling at her hand. "Let's leave these two love birds alone now."
"Did you hear that?" Zippy called as she was pulled down the hall by Zero. "These TWO love birds! That's you guys!"
Chase laughed as she watched her best friend being practically dragged down the stairs.
"She's right," Chase said, looking thoughtfully at Squid. "The gang is back together now. And I have a feeling that this time we're gonna stick together."
Squid smiled in spite of his pounding head. "Yeah," he said, taking Chase's hand in his own. "I bet you're right," he said, just before he kissed the back of Chase's hand.
Boy were they wrong