The Sleeping Arrangement

Chapter 1

Then she let go, and my mind registered what she'd just said. Apparently, Thomas' brain was already one step ahead of mine.

"What does that mean?" he asked cautiously, and his head turned slightly in my direction—still no eye contact, though. Strictly no eye-contact. Never. At all. Nope.

"Oh, it just means you have a bigger room and a nicer view!" Hayley enthused, and I knew from the way her expression changed and her cheeks coloured that she was lying. But, being me, I said nothing and accepted her answer. I wasn't sure whether or not Thomas noticed too, but he chose to keep quiet either way.

"Wonderful!" Mr Spokes said. He grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket and swiped it across his brow, before stepping back in the direction of the car and squeezing both mine and Thomas' shoulders on the way. "I'll be leaving you two here, then. Have a great time, kids. See you on Friday afternoon!"

"Bye, Mr Spokes," Thomas said, and this time, as he moved, his eyes did cross with mine and I felt myself instantly blushing as I hurried to look away.

"Bye, Mr Spokes," I called out too, and I focused on Hayley, who was still flashing us all her horrible fake smile.

"Come on, then!" she said, gesturing for Thomas and I to grab our suitcases and follow her as she began a brisk walk back to the building. "Let's get you guys settled before the others return!"

So we followed her. I grabbed the handle of my roll-along case and moved forwards, giving a weak smile in Thomas' direction as I stepped ahead of him. Our suitcase wheels clattered along the gravel driveway as we crossed it, until we reached the large front door in the centre of the building.

The place was huge. It was a red-brick, Victorian-built manor house, with sash windows and at least three huge chimneys, and on the wall beside the entrance was a plaque reading Sunnybrook Youth Hostel and Activity Centre – Founded 2003. Indoors, there was a small entrance hall with a couple of chairs, an end table with a guest book, a noticeboard with several photos of students taking part in different activities at the centre, and dead opposite the door was a staircase leading up to the second floor. This was where Hayley headed for once we were all inside.

"You guys are on the top floor, in the attic rooms," Hayley said, jogging up the first few steps. "Will you be alright lifting the bags?" As though she would help if we weren't...

"I'm fine," I said, shrugging, though really my suitcase was heavy and those stairs looked pretty steep...

"It's okay. I've got them." Thomas' voice appeared beside me, and seconds later his hand was there too, grabbing the handle of my suitcase and brushing against my fingers in the process. His skin was warm. All of a sudden my whole body was warm. I jumped back a couple of feet in shock, and, when he gave me a questioning grin, I felt my cheeks redden to the exact shade of a tomato.

I laughed dumbly and went to push my hair out of my face, before realising that it was already held back in a ponytail. Damn it, I was so stupid. I grabbed for my earring instead and twisted it around in my ear, just so that I was doing something with my hands.

"You don't have to..." I began to say, but Thomas had already lifted my suitcase up off the floor, and was starting up the stairs ahead of me.

"It's okay," he repeated, and he turned his head back to smile at me. "I've got them."

He turned back around. I bit my grin. Head swimming from the rush that came with his smile, I began to follow him and Hayley upstairs. As I looked up, I caught sight of Thomas' behind, and fought to avert my gaze down to the carpeted steps beneath my feet. They seemed to be never-ending, and at the top of each flight we turned a corner onto another set, going up, and up into the roof of the old building, passing corridors lined with white doors on every floor.