"No, see, it's not free for more than one night. You said it yourself. You even said we need to break our habit of letting the hitch hikers in for free, at the staff meeting!"
"Mmmm, I guess you are right. I just hope they'll be okay. Do you think we can find them a place to stay tonight?"
"No Ma, they're adults, they can manage themselves."
"I'm not so sure about the girl, though, she seems like she has problems..."
Chell rolled over to face the door so that the sun from the window caught her back. Two people were having a conversation just outside of her room. And it sounded like it was about her and Wheatley. Before she could even get up to check through the peephole, someone knocked on her door. She stretched and slid out of her bed to open the door. She was greeted by the same roundish woman but instead of "Jeremy", she was with a boy who couldn't have been more than 17 with the same reddish brown hair.
"Good morning, um... Michelle," Chell cringed at her real name being mentioned. "We are, ah.." It was clear that the woman was having a hard time, so her apparent son stepped in the room and guided Chell out with a hand on her back.
"Going to have to ask you to leave. Sorry, it's been fun, come again." He closed the door behind her and pounded on Wheatley's door with his fist.
"WOT? WOT'S 'APPENIN!" Chell stifled giggles as she heard the "thump" of Wheatley falling off of his matress.
"Sir, if you'd just open your door, It's time for you (sigh) to leave."
Wheatley flung the door open nervously. "Ahmm, Yes, ah, we'll be on our way now.." He glanced over to Chell who shrugged and woman smiled and directed them towards the elevator. Wheatley and Chell stepped in and looked at each other.
"Well, wot now?" Wheatley half-laughed. Chell looked at her feet and grinned. Still free, she thought to herself as the door walked out of the hotel and into the early morning's dim light. Very few cars were about. The two crossed the street and walked along all the picket fences and mailboxes. These fragments of humanity seemed to shove Chell around inside. She reached out to run her fingers along the side of a car. Wheatley grabbed her arm.
"Stop! No!" he yelled. Chell glared and shook her arm free. "You don't know what that is! What if it's some kind of disease spreading animal?" a woman across the street took her son's hand and pulled him along in the opposite direction. Chell patted Wheatley's shoulder and shook her head, smiling. Wheatley blushed and folded his arms and walked faster out of embarrassment. Chell caught up with him and smiled at the sun that sprinkled reassurement on her shoulders. She didn't notice the older woman who held her curtain aside and stared as they walked past.