Chapter Five – Hangin' Out
"Hello, Maddie," London said walking over to the candy counter a couple of weeks later.
"Good afternoon, London," Maddie replied. "How are you?"
"Pretty good. When do you get off work?"
"7:00."
"You wouldn't want to hang out, would you?"
"Uh... Yes, actually. That might be fun."
"Ok then. Come up to my suite when you get off work."
"Will do."
"Bye," London said walking to the elevator. She pressed the up button and waited for the elevator to come. When the elevator came, she walked inside. She pressed the button for her floor, the doors shut and the elevator moved upwards. When London got to the fifth floor, the lights flickered on and off in the elevator, before going off entirely. The elevator also came to a complete stop. "What's going on?" she wondered aloud. "Why did the lights go out? Why did the elevator stop?"
"Help! Help!" she yelled. "I'm stuck in the elevator! The lights are out, and it's not moving! Help! Help!"
She gave up and sat down on the floor of the elevator. She stared into the dark space surrounding her until fifteen minutes later, the lights came back on, and the elevator began moving again. Maybe the Martins can help me figure out what happened in the elevator, London thought. She decided she'd go to the Martins' suite and talk to them. She pressed the button for the Martins' floor and the elevator took her there. When the elevator stopped at the Martins' floor, the doors opened and London walked to the Martins' suite. She knocked on the door.
"Coming!" Carey yelled. When she opened the door she said, "Hello, London."
"Hi London!" Cody and Zack said.
"Hi Cody and Zack! Hi Carey!" London greeted them.
"Why are you here?" Carey asked. "Not that I mind."
"I was just in the elevator and the lights went off and the elevator stopped running. Do you know what might have happened?" London asked.
"The electricity went out," Zack replied.
"Why did it go out in the elevator?" London asked.
"It went out everywhere in a one mile radius of the hotel," Cody replied.
"One mile radius? What does that mean?" London asked, confused.
"It means everywhere within a certain distance of the hotel," Carey replied.
"Why did the electricity go out? What happened?" London questioned.
"Well if you didn't notice, there's a large storm coming..." said Carey.
"What does that have to do with it?" asked London.
"It's very windy outside, as well," Cody replied. "Surely you noticed that?"
"Yeah, I noticed," London replied. "Continue..."
"The strong wind gusts knocked out the electricity," Carey aid.
"Oh. The wind can knock out power?" London asked.
"Yup," Zack, Cody and Carey replied.
"Ok. Thanks for the info. Bye!" London said and left. She got on the elevator and rode it to her floor. She got off and walked to her suite. When she got in, she locked the door and put her purse on the floor next to the couch in the living room. She looked at the digital clock on the cable box. Hmmm... It's 3:55, London thought. I should do my homework now. She did her math homework while she was on her bed. A half an hour later, she finished it. She finished her English and science homework, then took an hour and a half long nap. She woke up when she heard the doorbell ring.
"Hello London," Maddie said appearing at the door.
"Hi Maddie!" London said, happily. "Come in!"
"How are you?" Maddie asked.
"I'm pretty good... except for when I got stuck in the elevator earlier."
"Because the electricity went out?"
"Yup."
"That must have been scary."
"Yeah, it was. The lights blinked on and off and then it went totally dark and the elevator totally stopped. I yelled for help, but no one heard, so I just sat on the floor and waited. Fifteen minutes later, the lights came back on and the elevator started. I went over to the Martins' suite to find out if they knew what was going on, and they told me about how the wind knocked out the power."
"Oh."
"Well, what would you like to do?"
"Have you eaten yet?"
"No. I just woke up from a nap."
"I haven't eaten diner yet either."
"Alright. How about I order room service?"
"Mmmmk. What are you going to order?"
"I was going to order pizza. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, totally."
London took her cellphone out of her purse and called room service and ordered pizza and soda.
"So how have you been?" Maddie asked while they were waiting for the pizza.
"Bored," London replied. "I haven't been shopping in three weeks. I have nothing to do."
"Yeah, three weeks is a long time for you to not go shopping."
"Tell me about it. I have nothing to wear! I've worn the same dress three times this month."
"Uh. London, most people do that."
"Like you?"
"Yup. You have like ten times more clothes than I do."
"Because I can afford to."
"Yes, you can. But I bet you don't even wear some of the clothes you have."
"You're right, actually."
"You could give away some of them."
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Yay, the pizza's here!" London explained. She then thanked the room service guy and put the pizza and soda on the table. The room service guy then left with the cart. "I'll think about giving away the clothes I don't wear at all."
"So, about the memorial service?"
"I didn't go remember? That's why I'm stuck here in this hotel."
"Why didn't you go?"
"I didn't feel like it."
"You weren't avoiding the reality of your father's death?"
"No. Maybe... I don't know. It's not like he mattered a whole lot to me. I never got to see him... He always canceled stuff on me, because he was too busy with work. He was always marrying and divorcing women, all of which I never met... well, besides Brandi and my mother, but I barely see her anyways..."
"But he was your father..."
Yeah."
"And despite all of the times he disappointed you, he was still special to you."
"Yeah. I guess that's true."
"That's why you didn't go. You didn't want to admit that it really did hurt when he died."
"I guess," London said. She had tears in her eyes. They had both finished their pizza and were sitting on the couch in London's suite.
"I think you should think about moving in with your step-mom," Maddie suggested.
"Why?" London asked, surprised.
"Because even though you don't like her much, she really does care about you and it could be good for you to get to know her."
"Maybe, but I don't know if she'd even want me to live with her."
"She would."
"How do you know that?"
"When Brandi first married your father, she wanted you to move in with her and your father."
"Yeah. I remember that now... I was so mad."
"Just think about it..."
"I will."
Maddie looked at her watch, and said, "I have to go soon. My grandmother's expecting me home by 8:30."
"Oh. What time is it now?"
"8:05."
"Ok. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Bye. Thanks for dinner," Maddie said, walking out the door.