The OfflineTV Experience

(R) Streaming with QuarterJade

...

You open your eyes to the feeling of someone nudging you on the shoulder.

"Hey, wake up, sleepy! It's morning!"

The musty morning air invades your lungs and tickles your skin.

You look around, realizing that you are exactly where you fell asleep. Except for the fact that you rolled off of the mattress in your sleep and your body was laying on the hard concrete.

"It's already 9! We're checking out in 30 minutes!" You hear from your right as Lily pulls her phone out of her pocket.

"Shit... how are we gonna bring this mattress back down?" You croak out, your voice still warming up.

She looks back at the thick foamy fabric on the roof as if realizing its existence for the first time.

"Screw the mattress! People are looking for us."

After a few seconds of deliberation, you leave the mattress on the roof, a reminder of the previous night's activities.

You climb down the hatch and take the elevator to your floor, preparing answers to all the inevitable questions.

"There he is! Oh, Lily's with him too! Boom! Gimme my money, Michael!"

You hear Imane's bright laughter as you and Lily walk down the hall, seeing many of your friends conversing outside their rooms.

"What's going on 'ere?!?" Michael asks, feigning anger, as he wraps Lily in a brief hug.

Your eyes meet Michael's, and you can see a curious look in his expression.

"We went for some fresh air a little while ago," you say, making your sentence short to minimize the chance of you being caught in a lie.

"Wearing pajamas and a robe?" Janet, briefly popping her head out of her room, asks.

"Yeah... neither of us expected to see anyone else out in the morning. But... then we saw each other, and decided to walk together."

"Well, anyway, I think you owe me a fat 20 since they showed up together, don't you Michael?" Imane asks, putting her hand out in his direction.

"Fine, fine, I'll give it to ya later," he remarks as he pushes her hand away.

"MICHAEEELL! I could've been in danger! But instead of looking for me you made a BET?!?" Lily speaks up for the first time, slapping Michael's shoulder as she sighs in exasperation.

"Well I-, goddammit, I wouldn't have done it if I thought I would lose!"

You turn away from Michael and Lily's ensuing conversation and enter your room.

Scarra, noticing your presence, instantly asks the question you knew you would hear.

"Hey, where's your fucking mattress?"

"I spilled coffee on it, so I gave it to room service." You reply, hoping your answer didn't sound as rehearsed as it was.

"Ah, ok..." Scarra responds before turning around and tending to his suitcase. You look closely, but you can't read his expression.

You quietly pack your suitcase, wondering how your clothing all fit in there. You do a once-over of the room before stepping out and closing the door behind you for the last time.

The next few hours are a blur. You check out of the hotel and get into a car, and before you know it, your home is in front of you once more. Your thoughts still swirl with pleasant images of the early morning, but you resolve to not dwell on it.