Fallacies

Chapter 4

My bedroom feels pretty much the same as most everything is still here, comforting and warm like it always is. Having packed my pajamas away, I have to just take off my dress, but it feels fine since I know that no one would dare come in here. Falling asleep is easy, but the dreams I have make me feel like I never sleep. Once I wake up to the sunrays beaming down through my window onto my eyes, I feel too groggy to focus on what today has in store for me. I put my dress from yesterday back on and go downstairs to rummage through the neatly folded clothes in my bags in search of an outfit. The moment my feet hit the ground of the entrance hall, a tall, muscular figure walks from the living room to greet me. It's Sean, who I forgot had slept here last night.

"Morning," I say, feeling a little embarrassed with my hair messed up when I'm still wearing yesterday's dress.

"Morning," he replies, his hair ruffled just as bad, like he just got out of bed too. "How'd you sleep?"

"Decent." I unzip my gym bag in search of a shirt and pants, which isn't easy when both are separated in piles layered on top of each other. "How about you?"

"Good." He stands there for a minute, quietly looking over the house. "Are you ready for today?"

"I'm not ready to let my brain think that far ahead." I finally reach that aha moment when my hands grab a pair of jeans and a bedazzled black t-shirt. I fish at the very bottom of it for a pair of socks and underwear, hiding them in my arm so he doesn't see. "Were you ready?"

"Not at all. It was nerve-wracking."

"That I can imagine," I laugh a little, knowing that's precisely where I'll be in an hour or two. Glancing around, I notice that the house is silent for how late it looks in the day. "Is anyone up yet?"

"No. It's only 7 am."

"Oh. It feels a lot later. I guess I went out like a rock last night."

"Me too. Although, it feels weird being in the city again."

"That's right. You haven't lived in the city for two years now. How is it different?"

His eyes twinkle when he answers, "For starters, the place doesn't feel like a fire drill with a sergeant screaming in your ear to get up." He doesn't look serious in his example at all and I wonder if he's messing with me.

"But you're that sergeant," I say, pointing out the obvious.

He shrugs, giving nothing away. "True, but I still have to hear myself screaming every morning."

I laugh sarcastically. "I can't wait to experience that."

"Oh, don't worry. You will."

That confirms he's not serious. A sergeant wouldn't come all the way up to my new room to yell at me, let alone all of the other recruits living in so many different apartments. With the conversation starting out so nice between us, I don't see a problem with asking one semi-deep question. "Are you planning on visiting your parents while you're in town?"

"Careful," he says threateningly, but a smile plays on his face. "You think I can't tell when you're poking around for answers?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you could." I zip my bag and stand up. "Doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

With these words, I head up the stairs to take a shower.

"Oh and since you're up," I call back to him, planning to be in the shower for at least half-an-hour. "Feel free to grab whatever you want out of the fridge. My parents don't tend to get up until 8 or 9, so we have a while to go."