gritted teeth, “it’s nothing. It was just a little keepsake, and I—I found it. It was in my bag after all.”
I regarded her. I knew she was lying, but I thought better of calling her on it right then. Pick my battles carefully, I thought. “Oh. Well…good. Glad we solved that riddle.” I looked back to Michael. Ellie was walking back toward us, holding one hand up. Something dangled there that looked like keys.
I could already feel the shower running over me, washing away the dirt and grime.
“We use cash for everything,” Michael said. “And no phone calls to home. I think that’s how they found us.” I watched his face. Something wasn’t right. It was like he didn’t believe what he was saying. His blank expression said more. I tried to tell myself he was just finally feeling tired, but then I didn’t believe what I was saying.
CHAPTER XIV
ELLIE HAD PAID FOR two rooms with the cash Michael had given her. He wanted us all to share one room, saying, “We’ll be safer if we stick together.” Ellie vetoed that idea though, on grounds of decency. Her stock began to rise in my estimation at that point.
“Hey,” I elbowed her as we left Michael to himself and made our way to the girls’ room, a few doors down. “Good call.”
“What, keeping you and your hormone-happy boyfriend separated? No problem.”
“Yeah, no, it’s not a problem,” I reiterated. “And again, thanks. I’m not your average girl and I don’t think it’s cool to place myself in…awkward situations.”
She stopped and looked at me, sizing me up again. “You’re welcome, girlie. We’ve got to look out for one another, right? Besides, you’re right. It would be a bit ticklish, that.”
I laughed, and it made her smile. The sight of that expression on her face filled me with such a confusion of emotions that I couldn’t sort it out at first.
It’s like watching someone die: you know they’re going to a better place, but you also know you’ll never see them again. I didn’t know how else to look at it; it weirded me out. Why would I feel like that? I chalked it up to my special abilities, which were still, after all, pretty new to me. How would I know when I had plumbed the depths of all the gifts my angel blood had given me?
We had arrived at our room. She turned the key in the doorknob, and before either of us could enter, Kim barged between us and bolted for one of the beds. “This one’s mine!” she said and jumped on it like a little girl. She began peeling off layers, starting with her hideous red sweater.
We had to hurry inside and close the door before she flashed the whole parking lot from the second floor. “Geez, Kim!” I said.
“I’m first into the shower!” she ran into the bathroom in nothing but her underwear and slammed the door.
“The room’s already thrashed,” Ellie said. She groaned as she looked around us. “I’m not picking this stuff up; it’s nasty.” Kim had been a tornado of dirty smelly clothes.
I could hear the shower start up. I was a little jealous of that, but I figured I could wait. I kicked her shirt and jeans into a pile against her duffel bag, which had fallen into the space between her bed and the wall. “There,” I said, “out of sight, out of mind.”
“Did you see her…?”
“How could I miss her,” I said.
“No, I mean the bruises. You saw it, yeah?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“She looks like a user.”
I was shocked at Ellie’s frankness. “Wow…but that’s weird. Why would you say that?”
“What?” Ellie said, pulling her own sweater off over her head. She pulled the hem of her white t-shirt down and sat heavily in one of the chairs by the modest table.
I lowered my voice. “Because I was just thinking the same thing out there.” I motioned to the grassy park outside, beyond the closed curtains.
“Look, it’s no great stretch of the imagination.”
“Duh,” I said. “I’m just sayin’.”
“Tell you what, Airel. Why don’t you go next.” She motioned to the shower. “I’ll go get us some ice, maybe see if I can scare up a soda or two.”
“Um, sure?” I gave her a confused look.
“It’s not you,” she said, trying to explain her abruptness. “I need regular alone time or I get grouchy.” She smiled, again setting off the emotional fireworks within me.
What the heck, dude.
“You know what else…we’re gonna need some new clothes,