»Part Two: 6:00 «
Ed and I stood inside, panting and using the wall for support. As it turned out, it wasn't my mom at all, but a neighbor pulling in next door. My family was still on their trip. We had sprinted inside for nothing.
"That..." I began, "Was too close."
"Yeah," Ed breathed.
"I think we need to--" the phone rang. I held up a finger signal for 'hold on' and walked over to answer it. "Hello? Oh, hi mom. Yeah, I'm okay."
Ed was doubled over, still trying to catch his breath.
"What? Nothing, I was chasing puppy around," I lied about my heavy breathing, "Yeah, okay. Okay. Uh-huh. Love you too—bye." I hung up.
"Was that... your mom..?" Ed asked, his breathing just about normal again.
I nodded. "She said she won't be back for a few days, that gives us more time."
"Oh," Ed looked away, "What day is it?"
"Sunday."
"What'll we do for tomorrow, then?"
Tomorrow? I hadn't even thought of that... "I have school!"
"School?" Ed wasn't familiar with this kind of school, I guessed.
"Yeah," An idea formed in my mind. "What if—no..."
"What?"
"Nothing," I shook my head, but then I considered my idea. "What if you came to school with me?" I said aloud.
Ed shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do,"
"What about Al?" Surely Ed knew that seven-foot suits of armor were not everyday arrivals in this time.
"Al? He'll be fine," Ed laughed, "You got a cat?"
"Yeah," I said, "His name is Oliver."
"Okay then, Al is no problem. He loves cats."
"Alright," I sighed, "I guess... I guess you're coming to school with me tomorrow."
"Great!" he smiled, "Where do I sleep?"
"Okay, here it is." I pointed to the couch. It was blue and had white flowers on the tapestry. Tisdale had chewed it up some, and it was pretty tattered to begin with, but it's have to do. "I think it folds out."
"That's good," Ed replied. There was silence. We stood there, in front of the couch; he was in light-blue flannel pajamas and I was in my favorite South Park stuff, both of us staring at the couch. "So... uh... need help pulling it out?"
"Actually... I don't know how." I looked at the ground, then back at him for help.
"How should I know? It's your couch." He stared back at me.
"Um, okay," I voluntarily stuck my hand under a cushion and reached around for some sort of handle. When I felt a cold, pole-like object around my hand, I pulled. There was a displeasing 'snap!'
We looked at each other again. Then Ed spoke, "Uh, maybe I'll just..."
"...we don't have to pull it out..."
"...yeah."
I gave a nervous sigh and let my shoulders drop. "There's some extra blankets and pillows upstairs," I offered.
"That's okay," He said, pulling an old blanket off of an arm of the couch, "This is enough." He held up the blanket.
I nodded. "And Al--"
"He's fine, he doesn't need to sleep," Ed reminded me, "And that suit of armor can't feel the cold."
"Right," I said, "School starts at 7:30, be awake by 6:00."
"6:00?" He questioned, "Isn't that a little... early?"
"You're telling me," I muttered. "So you better be up by 6.'"
"I know, I know." Ed sat down and looked at the gold clock we had on the mantle, then at his own pocket watch, which was sitting on a table next to the couch. "'6:oo.'" He repeated.
"Goodnight, then," I turned off the living room lights.
"'Night."