Twenty Fifty-Six

-7-

We finish eating our lunch in silence.

"Okay. We need to lighten up. Do something fun," Daniel says. I can tell he wants to stop thinking about Alex.

"I have an idea," Dave says. He turns to the guys to run the idea by them.

"Okay. Truth or dare party tonight!" Daniel announces.

"Our dorm," Oliver adds.

"Okay," Tess agrees, looking excited.

"Wait," Paige says. "We don't know how to get to the boys dorms."

"We'll come get you," Ethyn says.

"Or," Dave says loudly, then whispers to the guys. But Dave sucks at whispering, because we hear every word he says.

"We could invite Lee and Marigold and some of their 54 friends, and a few 53 guys. Then the 54 girls could help these girls find their way."

"Nah," Tristan says. "Lets keep it to just fifteen year olds this time. Plus, what kind of mentor helps their, like, uh, little person, or mentoree, or what ever you call it, sneak out at night?"

"A good one?" Dave suggests, making everyone laugh.

Oliver speaks up. "Girls, just be ready in the girls lounge at five to midnight."

"Eleven fifty-five," Sadie says. "Got it."

---

When curfew rolls around, Tess and I are under our blankets, with our normal clothes on. Paige will have the hardest time sneaking out, because she's in a dorm with Zoe and Marie. And they aren't invited.

Tess and I exit out room just fine, and meet Dawn and Sadie in the girls lounge. 

"Where's Paige?" I whisper. 

"I don't know," Sadie says, "I guess trying to get out without Zoe and Marie noticing?"

"Probably," Tess agrees.

We wait a few more minutes.

"What dorm is Paige in?" Dawn asks.

I bite my lip. "I don't know."

"Dorm b," Tess says. "I think."

Sadie looks to Tess. "Let's go. You two wait here."

Dawn intervenes. "No. You two are major chatter boxes. Amber and I are quieter. You guys wait here for the boys."

Tess nods. "Okay."

Dawn and I head down the hall.

"I wonder why the triple room isn't room a?"

I'd never thought about that. "I don't know," I whisper back.

We get to dorm b and look at each other. I gesture for Dawn to go ahead and push the door open.

"No, no. You go ahead," Dawn whispers, smiling.

I shake my head.

But before our little argument is resolved, the door opens, and Paige creeps out of her dorm, bumping into me.

She lets out a little shriek. "Amber! I didn't see you!"

I laugh. "We were coming to get you. Sadie and Tess are in the lounge."

Paige nods, and we stealthily head back to the lounge, where the boys are waiting with Tess and Sadie.

"Okay," Daniel says. "We were just explaining to these two that our way of getting back to the boys dorm isn't the nicest, but it works."