Chapter 23
The next day...
Riker POV
I woke up pretty early. I still didn't exactly feel the greatest, but I felt a little better than I did yesterday.
I rolled over so I was facing Jeff. He was sleeping. I grabbed my pillow, and whacked him.
"Mmmm... Riker..."
I whacked him again.
"Stop..."
I did it again anyway. And that turned out to be a bad idea.
Jeff shot up in bed, and pinned me down.
"It's too early for this, Riker!" Jeff groaned, still half asleep.
I pushed him off, and he laid down again. I yanked the pillow out from under his head.
"Riker, come on!"
I threw it across the room. Jeff just glared at me.
"Someone's feeling better," Jeff said, annoyed.
"A little."
Jeff pushed my shoulder a little bit, making me laugh.
I got out of bed, and unzipped his sleeping bag. And then I yanked it away from him.
"Riker, I'm cold!"
"Too bad!"
I ran up the stairs with his sleeping bag. I quickly tossed it outside, and hid behind the couch in the living room.
"Riker, come on. Where are you?"
"Hiding!"
"Ugh!"
I watched him walk all over the house, looking for me.
"Riker, I just want to go back to sleep!"
"You'll have to find me first!"
He walked over and found me behind the couch.
"Get out. And give me my sleeping bag back."
"Someone's not a morning person."
"Riker."
"What?"
"Where is it?"
"I hid it."
"Duh!"
"Well you'll have to find it."
Jeff glared at me.
"Riker, seriously."
"Seriously, I hid it!"
"I know! Tell me where it is!"
"Nope."
"Then how can I find it?"
"We'll play hot and cold."
"Fine!"
Jeff walked into the kitchen.
"Cold."
He walked closer to the fridge.
"You think I put it in the fridge?"
"I honestly have no idea where you would've put it, Riker!"
"Ok, ok sheesh... Calm down a little..."
"I would, if I had my sleeping bag back!"
"You're cold."
Jeff rolled his eyes, and walked towards the staircase that went upstairs.
"Cold."
"Where did you put it!?"
"It's a secret!"
Jeff walked over to the basement steps.
"Still cold."
"Ugh!"
He rolled his eyes, and then walked over to the living room.
"Cold."
"Riker, there's nowhere else it could be!"
"Yes, there is!"
Jeff sighed, glaring at me again.
"Then tell me where."
"Nope!"
"Riker."
"Nope! Go find it!"
He rolled his eyes again, and then started walking.
"You're getting warmer."
He walked a little closer to the front door.
"Warmer..."
He passed the door.
"Colder!"
He turned around.
"What? You put it out there!?"
Jeff touched the door.
"You're hot."
He opened the door.
"Jeff, you're on fire!"
He grabbed his sleeping bag, and went to come back inside. But before he could, I shut the door, and locked it. He started banging on it.
"Riker, let me in! It's cold out here!"
I laughed to myself.
"Riker, come on!"
Mom came down the stairs, and walked over to me.
"Who's at the door?"
"Jeff."
"Riker, let him in!"
I rolled my eyes, and unlocked the door.
"Why'd you lock me out!?" Jeff asked, annoyed.
"It was funny."
Jeff gave me a look, and then went downstairs to the basement. I followed him.
"Are you going to go back to sleep now?"
"No! I'm wide awake!"
"Great. Let's go have breakfast!"
We went back upstairs together.
Later...
Jeff POV
Riker seemed to be becoming his old self again. He hadn't gone down to the basement to be alone today. He kept hanging around me. And I liked it. I was glad he seemed to be feeling better and was happier.
"Kids! We're leaving tomorrow morning, so make sure you have all of your stuff packed up!" Mom called.
Today was Friday. So we were leaving tomorrow so we'd be home by Sunday.
I went downstairs to go pack up my suitcase and stuff. Riker followed me down.
"Jeff?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to sit with me on the way back home?"
"Probably. Why?"
"Just wondering..."
"Why?"
"I don't know..."
Riker started packing up his suitcase too.
Later...
Jeff POV
We were told to go to bed early. We'd be waking up at 4:30 so we could leave by 5:00.
I crawled into my sleeping bag as Riker came out of the bathroom. He'd just taken a shower.
He shut off the lights, got in bed beside me, and took off his glasses.
"I'm not looking forward to the drive home tomorrow," Riker said, quietly.
"Why?"
"It's not comfortable for my back. It sort of just messes it up."
"Oh..."
"Hopefully I'll just sleep for most of it... But if I sleep weirdly, it also sort of hurts..."
Riker sighed.
"But you were feeling better today, right?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"That's good."
"Mhmmm..."
Riker sighed again.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"Yeah... Just tired."
"Oh... Then go to sleep."
"Ok... Night, Jeff..."
"Good night, Riker."
Morning...
Jeff POV
"Riker. Riker, wake up. It's already 4:45!"
Riker slowly opened his eyes, squinting a little.
"Riker, come on! We leave in 15 minutes!"
I was already dressed, so I brought my suitcase upstairs, and brought it out to dad, who was loading the van.
I went back downstairs, and Riker was still in bed. I lifted the side of the bed, and he fell on the ground, still in his sleeping bag.
"Ow! Jeff!"
"Get up! Mom said we'd get in trouble if we're late!"
"I'm not even awake yet..."
"Riker, come on, seriously."
He got out of his sleeping bag, and pulled out some clothes from his suitcase. I packed up his sleeping bag while he changed. He didn't even go in the bathroom to change, which sort of surprised me, but I guess he was just really tired.
He closed his suitcase, slid on his shoes, and then went upstairs with me. We gave our stuff to dad, who put it in the van.
"Alright. I would recommend using the bathroom," I said to Riker.
"Right..."
We both went inside, used the bathroom, and then got in the back of the van.
"Ugh, it's so cold!" Riker whined.
I looked over at him.
"Why are you wearing shorts!?"
"I didn't even look at what I grabbed..."
I rolled my eyes. I was able to grab Riker a blanket from the back, and I gave it to him. He wrapped it around himself tight, shivering.
Everyone else got in the van, and then we left.