We climbed up the stairs, and entered a hallway with a lot of doors on either sides of it.
"Where are your parents?", John asked, curiously.
"Oh, we moved out when we were eighteen. We meaning me, James and Eva..... Max did too."
I twisted my lips, so we were living alone without an adult's guidance. Must have been fun.
"Eva's and my rooms are downstairs. James rooms is right there," she pointed towards the door at the end of the hallway. "So, there are seven rooms to choose for yourself. All have connected bathrooms and well.... ", Kimberly fidgeted for a moment, seeming to think about what to say next,"You can come down for dinner after you are all cleaned up", Kimberly finished, as if proud. But then she blinked rapidly.
"You can join dinner even if you are not cleaned up though",she said quickly.
I let out a chuckle,"I am going to take a shower. I don't want to smell like a rotten fish", I announced, though I was sure everyone felt the same.
"Me too."
"Yeah."
"Sure." All the answers were the same as me, except Stalla's.
"I will not take a shower. You cannot boss us around just because we are staying in your house for a bit."
That received Stella a sharp kick to her ankle by Callie. And that was the lamest retort ever in the history of lame retorts.
Kimberly swallowed but didn't say anything.
"I apologize for her rudeness. She just gets a little cranky when she doesn't get her dose of food", I said. I was a gentleman, alright. I never do anything remotedly wrong..... I was sure setting Ash's shirt on fire wasn't bad. It was only because it was smelly and dirty and I thought that the colour was bad. It must actually be considered social service for I don't know how many poor souls would have died seeing that ugly shirt.
I shrugged to myself. I am just too good-hearted for my own good, aren't I?
"Yeah, I will leave now."
With that Kimberly scampered off, tripping on her way once.
I turned to look at Stella and gave her a small scowl.
"Be good."
There were nine doors, but since Kimberly told us that there were seven rooms to choose from, I guessed that one room was James's and the other must be occupied or that it simply was't suitable for staying in. Perhaps a bathroom.
I decided to stay in the room closest to the staricase for I knew I was lazy man by nature and wouldn't bother walking all the way, especially if I was sleepy even if the matter was of dire need. The door felt like a welcome into my old life, though I knew the moment I stepped inside this house was the doorway for my past.
Once I entered the room, I immediately threw the heavy bags off my shoulders and onto the royal blue mattress of the bed. I looked around the familiar room, at the walls the same color as my bed and at the study table near it on which a big photo frame sat proudly.
I went near it and took it in my hands to examine it. It's frame was of leather and looked worn out. There was a photo of me, Kimberly, that guy named James and of Eva. All of us had cheeky grins and goofy expressions on our faces. I looked at the boy with the same hair as mine.
We looked exactly the same. Same green eyes, same dimpled smile, same dark hair. Everything was similar except the shine in our eyes. His was bright, carefree, happy and most of all, it looked like he knew what he wanted. Like he knew who he was, what he wanted with life, like he had everything he desired and couldn't have been more happier.
Mine were indecisive, still trying to figure out my life and separate the truth from the web of lies, still trying to grasp onto my nature and life.
I sighed and placed the frame back on the table where I took it from. I then walked up to my bags and unzipped them. I picked up the clothes I wanted to wear after I showered, threw them on the bed, took my towel and strode towards the bathroom. I had always picked out my clothes and kept them on the bed before I went for a bath. It was a strange habit that I had for as long as I can remember, which really isn't that long. But I can only guess that I always had this habit even before the tragic thing happend and that I still continued doing it even after my memories were lost.
I pulled the door open. I looked at it for a moment and then blinked. It surely didn't look like a place where you clean your body of dirt. It was a walk-in-closet.
Shaking my head at myself and snickering quietly, I made my way to the door I had previously thought of as the closet's. I opened the blue-colored door, thankful of the fact that it was a bathroom and not another walk-in-closet that was build by fault.
I hung my towel on the hanger near the big, oval shaped mirror, framed by what looked to be silver. I removed my clothing and carelessly threw them over my shoulders on the clean, white marble floor. There was a white tub in the middle of the room, with white curtains covering it partially.
I turned on the taps and soon practically jumped into the water. The warm water soothed my aching body and freed my knotted muscles. The water moved from side to side, revolving softly inside the tub and relaxing me further. I closed my eyes and sighed, happily.
I can only hope that I don't fall asleep here and miss dinner.
I was certainly looking forward to talk and reconcile with my long-lost friends.
After cleaning my body, I stepped out of the tub and moved to grab my towel. I tied it around my waist and exited the bathroom. I stopped in front of the long mirror to the side of my bed.
I sure had a nice body.
I smirked to myself as I looked at my six-pack. I didn't have one at first, but after I started working out with my friends, I developed muscles. And being a Protector helped me keep it without being dehydrated. I was a tall and lanky guy with only very little muscles and now I knew that I was better than good-looking.
Still smirking, I put on my clothes.
The dinner was awkward. That's it. Awkward.
Awkward. Awkward. Awkward.
Everyone were staring at eachother's faces and moving their food on their plates. Everyone seemed to be aware of the dreaded silence except for Ash and Stella, who always had a snarky remark to all of Kimberly's attemts at conversation.
Soon, all the people in the room retired to their rooms after bidding a good night. I was currently sitting in John's room with Callie, Ash, Stella and the habitat of the room himself, discussing about The Blacks and ofcourse, about if I had regained my memories.
"I will be right back guys", I got up from my place on the white colored mattress of the bed and walked out the door. I hopped downstairs, counting the steps. I went to Kimberly's room, which she had shown me during the tour of the house after dinner. I learned that apparently, the room I was staying in was the room I was using before I lost my memories and that it had always been mine.
I wanted to thank Kimberly again, personally for all the help she has been doing. As I neared the room I heard soft cries, Kimberly's to be precise. My steps faltered.
Why was she crying?
I slowly opened the door, as to not make any noise and peeked in through the door. I knew it wasn't nice of me to look into a girl's room without her permission but I could care less when my bestfriend - or who used to be my bestfriend - was crying. She sat in the middle of her dark red colored mattress, with a photo frame identical to the one back in my room, clutched in her hand, tightly. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked just like a weak, vulnerable little girl who was lost in a crowd.
I stood there for about ten minutes, contemplating whether or not I should eneter the room, when she sniffled, got up from her bed and walked into what looked to be the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
After a few seconds of hesitations, I entered the room and went towards her bed. I took the frame from the bed to look at it.
It isn't considered snooping if I look at only one thing, right?
The color drained from my face when I looked at the picture in it.