Then
The June rain poured from the gutters, blurring the glass so the students gathered in room twelve could not see out the window. Some still tried, not held as others were by the reading of The Hobbit their teacher was delivering to them eagerly. Fourteen desks arranged to form a U facing Mr. Weis, who was perched on a stool. It was encouraged that during reading class, the last of the day on Fridays, that the fifth graders could participate as they wished. A small portion were actively listening. A few passed notes that did not go unseen, and one had pulled up his hood as if that hid the puffed headphones he boldly used as his escape. Three, were enthralled in their own ways.
Ethan sat with his back to the line of windows, tipping his chair carelessly as he listened. To his left Cole laid his chin on his hands and pictured Bilbo's swords glow as the Goblins neared. Across the boys, Anna Jane sketched her imagining of The Shire, stopping every so often to smile at their teacher when he changed voices or to look over the room at her friends. The adventure was their kind of Friday afternoon.
In the seven months since meeting one another a routine had developed for the three. There had never been a discussion deciding what that routine was, it merely flowed. Though only Cole and Ethan were in the same daily class, they all shared lunch together as well as Friday reading. During recess Ethan usually had some pickup game with his crowd, which suited Anna and Cole who preferred quiet outdoor time. And every single day they walked home with each other.
Even amongst ten and eleven year olds, there was talk of this development during the school year. Ethan's friends thought he was crazy, and girls asked Anna which one she had a crush on. To Cole the whole thing was a miracle, he didn't care what anyone else said. And somehow, the other two felt the same.
Through the first holiday season they got to know one another's families and before they knew it, after school was spent together as well. Usually their time alternated from Ethan's house during the school week and Cole's on the weekend, but every once in a while the boys got to experience the chaos of Anna's lifestyle. And now, for Cole's tenth birthday weekend, they were starting what they hoped would be a new tradition. A triple sleepover.
The plan was to spend Friday at Anna's, Saturday at Ethan's, and Sunday at Cole's for his actual birthday. It was a tossup who was more excited, the kids or their respective families.
When the 2pm bell rang, it was the kids.
While Cole gathered his things, Ethan bounced in his sneakers willing him to hurry as Anna dutifully walked up to their teacher to thank him for reading.
"C'mon c'mon!" He solved the matter by hitching the backpack onto Cole himself. "If we don't stop her soon she'll get going on the languages and we'll be here til Tuesday."
Both shuffled up to Anna, and after a full eight seconds of waiting, Cole tapped one of her overall straps, and earned a back kick for his trouble. Ethan, who had just been about to open his mouth to a whine, thought twice.
"I can't wait to hear the next two chapters Mr. Weis, see you next week!" Anna's bright grin quickly vanished once the boys beat her to the door. "Cricket wings. You would think you two were the ones raised by wolves, not me."
"You're only saying that cuz you're too used to living in a hotel to be excited. We aren't." Ethan wagged a thumb between himself and Cole.
"It's not the Plaza. We live in the innkeeper's wing, not a penthouse." But Anna raised her chin a little higher. "Mary set us up in our own room instead though. She said the place was pretty empty and she didn't want real children underfoot making a mess." Anna spoke of the hotels manager.
"Real children." Cole snorted.
"Well yeah. I'm a delight." Anna winked as they pushed through the big doors with the rest of the Friday excitement.
While they preferred walking when able, the rain was heavy enough that they piled on to the school bus that would get them to the main street in town. Anna and Cole sat together, wiggling their eyebrows at each other when Ethan took a seat with a girl a grade ahead of them. Two stops later, they were at the Olympic Grand.
Attached to The Olympic Theatre, The Olympic Grand was both tall and wide, with spirals of dark wooden staircases leading to various balconies all the way to the ground level. The atmosphere reflected that of a theatre itself. When one walked through the door it was into a play, the characters being the staff.
Behind the front desk was Mary Fielding. She had started at The Grand as a maid when she was nineteen. Forty four years later she ran the place as she pleased, working closely with the theatre, and in the last year developed the dream of adding apartments above the house of tragedy and comedy. The reason for furthering that dream, walked into The Grand with her two best friends. She raised a brow at the three of them to keep from smiling.
"Well, I see the troubles have begun. Tracking in mud and wet, Anna Jane I thought I asked you to come in through the back wing."
"You did, but then our guests wouldn't have the true Olympic Grand experience now would they?" Anna marched right up, tugging Cole by the elbow. "One is a birthday boy, remember."
"Hmmm." Mary leaned over the desk. "I thought I heard talk from the kitchens about a huckleberry pie for such a reason."
As Cole's eyes widened, Anna grinned. "Wouldn't you know it, that's Michael's favorite."
"Which room is ours's?" Ethan blurted excitedly and then gulped at Mary. "I mean. Hello Ms. Fielding."
"Hello Mr. Kelly. I will have Brance take you all to your room once you march right back to the mudroom and take care of those wellies. Change into whatever shoes your parents left there for you please."
Anna saluted and led the boys back. They had seen the service and innkeeper wings before, but were clearly eager to jaunt around the rest of the hotel. Once raincoats where unbuttoned and hung to dry, and boots stripped to be replaced with dry sneakers, the three sets of feet scurried back to the lobby, only to halt upon contact with a tall grave faced man.
"Hi Brance!" Rarely affected by the silent soldier like butler, Anna beamed. "We're guests tonight!"
His expression still severe, Brance bowed his head in acknowledgement and led the three back to the main stairs. Ethan and Cole, still highly affected by Brance, kept their hands in their pockets and heads down and followed.
On the second floor Brance led them to the end of the hallway, next to a door that Anna knew was one of the connecting entrances to the theatre. She resisted bouncing in her bold blue shoes. While the boys rushed into the room that housed two queen beds holding their weekend duffle bags, Brance leaned down to Anna's level, handing her two keys.
"Mr. Simone is in the theatre, and Ms. Fielding requests you quietly and respectfully go over and let him know when the three are ready for your dinner. She said he's not to be neglecting his responsibilities."
"Oh, Papa would never." Anna nodded with a wink.
Though his lips twitched, once he straightened Brance's mouth was a hard line as he turned to the boys. "Mr. Masen, Mr. Kelly." And then was gone before the two could manage a goodbye.
"Yeesh, he's like something out of Goosebumps." Ethan shivered.
"He is not, he's just serious. Plus I'll bet if anyone bad came to stay here they'd think twice with Brance around." Anna pointed to a closed door. "We have a bathroom, Mary said it's pretty quiet until tomorrow here but she doesn't want us wandering around."
"What play is Mr. Simone working on?" Cole asked.
"Who knows? I didn't think he was cast in anything, but he might be practicing for his next trip to New York. They're doing King Lear in the capital there this fall."
"Are you going?" Ethan tore his gaze from the TV channel list.
"Probably." Anna shrugged. "If he gets a role it'll be a couple weeks of there. We'll come back though."
"Be sure that you do." Cole imitated Brance, and Anna laughed, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
For the next few hours they kept themselves occupied indoors as children of Washington State knew how. There was make believe and games played, and any arguments were met with laughter. Even as the rainy day turned evening, the room seemed to glow when they were in it.
"We better go see to Papa, or he'll lose track of time and get grouchy." Anna said after Cole won a round of Payday.
After setting the room to rights, they secured the door with Anna pocketing the key, while using the second on the connecting door.
It led to one of the hallways back stage, which was the only area they were allowed in when they visited the theatre. It was bright and covered in wood paneling of different shades. The floor had a thin carpet with swirls that gave the impression of tree roots. They wound their way until they met the side curtain, and a view of the main stage, where seventy one year old Phillip Simone was grasping at his heart, wailing.
"Shh." Anna said quickly and slapped both hands on the boy's chests to keep them from walking further. "He's monologing." After a moment she too patted her heart. "Oh he's doing Claudio."
"Who?" Cole's eyes widened as Phillip collapsed to his knees and appeared to be begging at no one at all.
"From Much Ado About Nothing. It's my favorite play, but I hate Claudio. Benedick, now he's funny."
Ethan shook his head. "I don't know how you keep track of all of them. The Shakespeare ones he does all sound the same to me."
"IS THAT SOMEONE SPEAKING AGAINST THE BARD I HEAR?" At once Phillip roared. His hair was sticking in different directions, grey and curly. His eyes a light blue and wheeling. He spun towards the kids, clutching Anna's shoulders. "Mon rĂªve, he wounds me in my own house."
"Sure did. But also, we're not in a house. Don't have one."
"My own office then. And to think I slaved for days on his birthday cake."
"It's definitely Cole's birthday, and no you didn't."
"Wasn't it Cole who spoke?"
"No, Ethan."
"I'd rather you didn't call me by my first name even if you could get it right." With a roll of his eyes Phillip rubbed his hands at the boys. "Men! Finally! I've been outnumbered this long week. Come! We'll talk of sport." Phillip spun on his heal. "Has that oaf showed you where your room is? Horrid expense, I do hope you brought enough silver to pay for it."
Anna shook her head when Cole hesitated, but Ethan marched right up to keep step with Phillip. "Mary likes us, she didn't ask for a thing."
"For not a thing?" Phillip looked back at Anna. "You ought to try that and get our rent lowered." He added to Ethan "She handles our business proceedings."
"Ours too." Cole nodded and earned a barking HAH from Phillip.
Phillip was stopped a time or two by a cast or crew member. Some treated him with respect as though he carried authority. Others seemed indulgent. Overall, Phillip Simone was enjoyed during his stints at the Olympic Grand. His decades of experience made him an honorary professor if not one of them. And he enjoyed the freer rein that wasn't often given in larger theatres.
He marched with the kids back into the hotel, and then with a surprising speed for one of his age, threw his back against a wall, plastering his arms wide and flat. Automatically Anna mimicked his stance, Ethan mimicked hers, one arm pushing Cole halfway behind him.
"Is it the feds?" Anna whispered to Phillip who shook his head with a look of terror.
"Worse." He said, looking back at each of them. "Enid."
One by one three little heads poked around the corner to take in the stern looking cook that was speaking to Mary. It didn't appear to be a particularly bright conversation.
"It's a slumber party, how much damage can she do today?" Anna insisted.
"Just to be safe, perhaps you lot should hole up in the room. What have you by way of sustenance?"
"I didn't finish my sandwich at lunch today." Cole offered.
"No, but Anna did. OW." Ethan raised the foot Anna had stomped on and then Cole slapped a hand over his mouth.
Phillip rapped his head once on the wall behind him and then sighed.
"If you're through lurking." Came Mary's voice from the lobby.
At once Phillips expression smoothed as he waltzed around the corner. "Evening ladies."
Enid didn't so much as spare him a glance as she held up a hand, eyes narrowing at the kids. "They haven't grown."
"Gumdrops Enid, I'm only responsible for that one and she's grown half an inch this month." Phillip pointed at Anna, who shook her head. "A quarter?"
"There hasn't been a lot of sunlight..." She pressed her lips together at Enid's glare. "I drank all my milk at breakfast, you saw."
Grumbling, Enid zeroed in on Cole. "It's about time you lot came down. I spent two hours yesterday afternoon teaching Mr. Kelly and that girl to make a proper huckleberry pie."
Cole looked at Anna, who was suddenly fascinated with the lobby's tile work and then to Ethan. "You baked the pie."
"Mostly Anna did, Enid said I was ham-handed so if it turns out crappy she's who you can bla OW." Ethan hunched after the cuff. "It was a joke Ms. Enid"
"And you earned a clap for it." Phillip rubbed his hands together. "Birthday boy, you know your way to the kitchens, let's check out this pie."
"Before dinner?" Ethan raised his brows as they walked through the main corridor.
"We don't stand much on occasion here." Phillip explained, looping one hand through Mary's and the other through a gruff but blushing Enid.
Cole's grin was wide as he mimicked the gesture, first with Ethan and then with Anna, tilting his head until it bumped hers.
"Thank you." He said to her and then turned back to Ethan. "And you too."
"This is going to be the best birthday." Ethan bumped the other two for emphasis, swaying them all to the right.
"It's going to be the best weekend." Anna returned as they swung left.
All Cole could think was that it was always going to be the best time, as long as it was the three of them.
