Chapter 25: "warmth"
~Present~
"Actually… about today," Leo began, "Melanie wasn't the one who got bullied." Both Gael and Ivan turned to him. "She actually bullied someone in the canteen. The girl was hit in the face."
"What?!" Ivan shouted, shooting up from the couch. "Was Lisa there? Or did she do it?"
Leo shook his head. "No. Lisa didn't hit anyone. It was Sophia." He explained the full story of what had happened in the canteen, watching their expressions shift as they listened. Ivan's jaw tightened. Gael sighed deeply.
"I don't like that girl," Gael muttered, rubbing his temple. "But still… I have to look out for her."
Ivan scoffed. "I don't get what's wrong with Lisa. I've warned her so many times about Sophia and Melanie, but she just won't listen. Always going around, letting that girl bully people."
"Forget it, Ivan," Gael said, getting up and patting him lightly on the shoulder. "We'll talk to her. Properly this time."
Ivan gave a reluctant nod. "Okay, sleaze, I'm off to bed," Gael added with a smirk, walking toward the closet. He grabbed his pyjamas and disappeared into the bathroom.
The moment the door clicked shut, Ivan rolled his eyes. "Of course. Gael would never skip his bath."
Leo chuckled. "I'll just continue with my project."
Ivan flopped at the study table. "You always complain about Gael's neat freak habit, but look at you. You're the same."
"Television, here I come!" he cheered next, skipping toward the living room like a child released from school.
*Girl's hostel~ Last Floor*
"It's okay, Tris. I'm full, seriously," Nell groaned, pushing the spoon away. Tris, spoon still in hand, glared.
"Nope. You've had just ten spoonfuls of rice."
"Ten spoons, Tris? For crying out loud, I'm full." Nell leaned back, holding her stomach in mock pain.
"Fine, fine," Tris said, finally giving up. "I'll put the rest away."
"No, let me do it," Nell offered, reaching for the bowls. Tris snatched them before she could.
"You are the patient here. That means no chores. Go join Gabby in the room, or watch TV or something. Anywhere but the kitchen."
Nell gave a dramatic sigh. "Okay, fine. Nurse Tris wins again."
Tris smirked. "Damn right I do."
Nell walked quietly into the living room, where Gabby was already sitting cross-legged on the large sectional couch, remote in hand, flipping through a list of movie titles on the TV screen with little interest. Nell hesitated. "Um… can I stay here? I mean, if you're watching something"
Gabby didn't look up but waved a hand lazily. "Sit down already. You're not a guest, you live here."
That made Nell smile a little. She moved to sit next to Gabby on the couch, tucking her legs in.
"Sometimes I wonder if I even belong here," Nell murmured, looking a bit uncertain. "Like… everyone's close, and I'm just trying to catch up."
Gabby paused, then smirked. "You're in. Tris practically spoon-fed you dinner. That's like... sacred territory."
Nell chuckled. "Trust me," Gabby continued, "if Tris didn't like you, she'd let you starve and pretend she forgot."
Gabby tossed the remote to Nell. "Pick a movie."
Nell looked through the options and suggested, "How about Annabelle?"
Gabby raised an eyebrow. "That horror movie? You sure?"
Nell nodded. "Yeah, I love horror movies."
Gabby shrugged. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."
Just then, Tris walked in with a towel around her neck, her hair damp from a shower. "What are you two watching?" she asked, walking toward them.
"Annabelle," Gabby replied. "Nell's choice."
Tris smiled and dropped onto the other end of the couch, near Nell's feet. "Good choice. I love a good scare."
The three girls settled into a cozy arrangement: Nell sat in the middle, Gabby to her left, and Tris at the other end of the couch, with Nell's feet near her. As the movie started, they all relaxed into the comfortable silence, but it didn't take long for the tension to build.
As the creepy scenes unfolded, Nell and Tris would jump and scream, laughing afterwards. Gabby, trying to act brave, would scoff and say "It's just a movie," but her eyes would betray her fear.
During one particularly intense scene, Nell let out a loud shriek and grabbed Tris's arm, burying her face in her shoulder. Tris laughed and wrapped her arm around Nell, holding her close.
"It's okay, I've got you," Tris whispered, smiling.
Gabby rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You two are so dramatic."
But as the movie reached its climax, even Gabby couldn't help but jump in her seat, her eyes wide with fear.
The movie ended, and the girls all let out a collective sigh of relief. Nell was still clinging to Tris, who was laughing and stroking her hair.
"You okay?" Tris asked, smiling down at Nell.
Nell nodded, her face still pale. "Yeah, I think so."
Gabby stood up, stretching. "Well, that was a terrible movie. But I guess it was fun watching it with you guys."
Tris grinned. "Definitely doing that again."
As they all laughed and began to clean up, Nell realized that she was having a lot more fun than she had in a long time.
The girls continued to chat and joke around, their fear from the movie slowly dissipating. They talked about their favorite scenes, and which ones had scared them the most.
As the evening drew to a close, the girls decided to call it a night. They headed to the bedroom to change into their pyjamas. Gabby slipped into a delicate lace nightgown, while Tris changed into a pair of soft, gray sweatpants and a matching hoodie. Nell slipped into her cozy, cartoon-character PJs.
As Nell lay in bed, she couldn't help but think about how different this was from her usual routine. It was her first time staying away from home, and she was still getting used to the new surroundings. She wondered if she would be able to sleep peacefully, or if she would miss her family too much.
She thought about her grandma, who had been ill lately, and how much she wished she could be there to take care of her. Nell's heart ached with homesickness, and she wished she could be there to hold her hand and tell her everything would be okay.
Nell pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to her mom. "Hey Mom, just wanted to check in and see how Grandma is doing. Missing you guys. Goodnight."
She waited for a few minutes, but there was no response. She smiled, knowing her mom was probably busy or already asleep. She typed out another message, "Goodnight, Mom. Love you."
As she drifted off to sleep, Nell felt a sense of comfort knowing that she had her mom and grandma's love, even if they were far apart.
The lights went out, and the room fell silent, except for the occasional sounds from outside. The girls slept peacefully, their dreams filled with visions of the spooky movie they had watched, but also with the warmth and comfort of their newfound friendship.
RB