The Cabin

Chapter 33

The smell of popcorn and butter wafted through the kitchen. AJ gently kicked the refrigerator closed with his toe, his arms filled with multiple cans of beer. He set the beer on the cupboard and hurried over to the microwave, popping the door open to prevent the popcorn from burning. He removed the bag and shook it to disperse the butter, then poured the popcorn into a large bowl. He hooked his elbow around the cans of beer, hugging them close to keep them from falling as he made his way to the living room. He set everything on the table in front of the couch and went back to the kitchen to retrieve the small bowls of candy he had already poured.

Returning to the living room, he set the candy bowls next to the popcorn and shivered. The temperature in the room had dropped significantly between the two rooms. He hugged his arms to himself, walking over to the thermostat to adjust the temperature. He froze, sensing someone watching him.

He nearly jumped as he turned to find Melanie standing halfway up the staircase. She was completely still, her face expressionless, and her eyes were locked on him. AJ exhaled to release the anxiety he had felt and he smiled up at her.

"Hey, you," he greeted cheerfully, his eyes moving up the stairs to where Mel was standing, keeping an eye on Melanie. She looked amused, having seen him get spooked.

"Is she coming to watch the movie?" AJ asked, walking up the stairs and taking Melanie by the hand to guide her down the remainder of the stairs. Mel shrugged.

"She just got up and walked away from us lot," Mel replied, leaning over the banister at the top of the stairs. "I wasn't sure where she was going. Just wanted to make sure she wasn't going outside again."

"She can come hang out with us," said AJ. "You girls are welcome too." Mel shook her head. The guys had talked about watching 'Mars Attacks' at dinner. None of the girls had been interested.

Mel shivered, suddenly feeling the draught come up the stairs.

"What is with the heat in this place?" she grumbled. "It keeps getting so cold in here." AJ shrugged, not sure what to tell her. The thermostat said the temperature was ideal, yet some rooms often felt way colder than they should. He guided Melanie over to the couch and tried to get her to sit down as the rest of the guys slowly trickled into the room.

Kevin placed a few logs into the fireplace and started a fire to combat the cold as AJ grabbed the blanket hanging over the back of the couch and wrapped it around Melanie to keep her warm. Her eyes remained glued to AJ, watching his every move, but he didn't seem to notice.

"You girls sure you don't want to watch?" Nick shouted up the stairs, receiving a resounding no from the girls. Nick snorted back a laugh and rolled his eyes. "At least you've got good taste," he said, sitting next to Melanie on the couch and cracking open a beer for himself.

AJ poured himself a bowl of popcorn and sat next to Melanie, sinking into the corner and resting his elbow on the arm of the couch. Still feeling like he was being watched, he glanced over at Melanie to find her eyes locked on him. He smiled and offered her some popcorn, but she didn't respond.

"What is it, Melanie?" he asked curiously, trying to read her mind and wondering if she was trying to tell him something. Brian glanced back at the two of them as he opened the DVD cartridge and placed the disk in the DVD player. He cried out as he received an electrical shock through his finger as he tried to close the DVD drawer. All of the boys looked at him to see what had happened, but Melanie continued to watch AJ.

Brian put his finger in his mouth and looked at the DVD player curiously, not understanding what had happened. He tentatively touched the machine, testing to see if it would happen again, but it seemed to be fine. The movie began to play and the remaining boys found places to sit.