STAMP OF APPROVAL - a selection story

"you're asking me if i love her"

My throat constricts.

Abri must read the look on my face. "Levi, I'll be fine. I promise. I'll be here when you get back."

I nod. "Of course." I try for a smile.

She pats me on the shoulder. "I'll see you soon."

—

My arrival at the castle feels different this time. I'm not walking up the steps not knowing what to expect. Instead I walk up the steps eager and excited to get past the front doors. I didn't realize how much I had missed Charlotte until we were about five minutes away from the castle. It's only been a few days since she left, but to me, it has felt like a lifetime ago. There's still a fierce reminder in the back of my mind of what is to come as soon as I step through those doors but I bury it, just enough to let the smile on my face become genuine, especially as I expect to come face to face with Charlotte.

My disappointment is bitten back as the first person I see is Quentin.

"Hey, Levi," he greets, giving me a hug. I let myself relax as I see his easygoing smile.

"Hey. Are you the only one here yet?" I ask, gripping my bag.

He shrugs. "I don't know. I just got here." He nods to his bag near his feet. "Bowie and Xander haven't gotten here yet, I don't think, and I have no idea if Ambrose is here or not."

I swallow. "Actually, Bowie and Xander aren't coming back."

Quentin's eyes widen as he turns to me. "Really? How do you know?"

"My home visit was last. Theirs were before mine. I only knew because she came from theirs and I heard they didn't go well. So it's only the three of us."

He lets out a breath. "Oh wow. Only the three of us," he echoes my words.

"Yeah, it's crazy."

"Do you know what happened?"

I shake my head. "I don't."

"Man, they must have been bad. For her to eliminate them after getting down to the five of us..." Quentin rubs the back of his neck, turning away from me, still absorbing the news.

Guilt bites into me as I think of the fight. That could have been me, it was going to be me if it wasn't for Abri and her stubbornness not to let us let each other go. It's all over now, the fight is done, but it's still hard for me to grapple with the fact that I still hurt her, and there isn't much I can do to erase that fact.

The weekend was too long for me to be left alone with my thoughts, without Charlotte there.

Quentin and I head upstairs, where we are told our new suite is. I suppose since there are only three of us left, they'd want us to share. The suite is large, and I notice there are five rooms. But since it's now down to the three of us, the suite feels extra large. All our stuff is moved into each of our new rooms, and for the next hour we spend some time upstairs, in the common room of the suite, chatting about some of the things that happened on the home visit.

I wasn't sure how much Charlotte wanted me to share about her coming early to my house, so I kept all the information about that subject on the back burner. If she wants to tell them, she can. I have a feeling she'll share with the two of them why she eliminated Bowie and Xander anyway, and that'll be a part of it.

By the time I go in search of Charlotte, walking through the halls, I round a corner and find her running into me. "Ooomph," comes her grunt as she takes a step back, fully becoming aware of what she just ran into. A smile lights her face as she exclaims, "Levi! When did you get back?"