I was woken up by someone shaking me. I starched as I yawned, rubbing my eyes, I noticed we had already landed. Picking up my luggage, I walked out of the airport, I hailed a taxi, placed my luggage in it, and told the driver to drive to the destination while I got into another one.
I was so exhausted doing all the switching, I just have to wait until we go to a hotel, then I don't have to do this anymore.
Sighing at the thought, I leaned my head against the window. Looking at the familiar roads and shops which were now a little modified, but were still the same.
I smiled at the thought of Jay and I making trouble in the bakers' shop every time we stole a cookie. The owner would always chase us away, but the saleswomen used to make excuses for us.
The cab soon stopped in front of the hotel that Sterling had booked for us. I was surprised when the hotel manager led us to the suite on the top floor. As soon as the manager was gone, Jesse and Justin entered. Without waiting for a second, they flung themselves on the beds, Justin was out like a light.
While Jesse started to search through the fridge. He turned to me and started to say something when I stuffed a muffin in his mouth, signaling him to shut it. Shaking my head at their childish acts, I went through the room first checking the picture frames and after finding what I was looking for, I plucked them off and turned them off, they were in lamps, under the curtain holders.
Then I checked the bathrooms and threw water on it as the light went off after taping the first end of the T.V. remote I sat on the edge of the bed. "You can speak now. No one can hear us," I sighed.
But when I got no reply I turned to check if he was still there and he was with his mouth agape, muffin on the floor as he pointed a shaky finger towards the devices, I just threw on the bed "Are those bugging devices?"
"Yes, there are in every single room of this hotel, though I removed them, so we should be safe," I assured him.
"B-But, how did you know?" Jesse stuttered
"Oh, Ya, I've been trained for this stuff. Any way you can take some rest, freshen up and eat something. Tomorrow we have to do a lot. Since we are only here for 3 days, that should be it. We should not mess up the schedule, okay?" I said.
Nodding his head, he turned the T.V. on while I went to freshen up. Taking the bugging devices in my room.
"First, we'll go to my old house, I need to collect some things for dad," I say to Jesse and a still sleepy Justin. I have no idea how the guy can sleep so much.
"Woah," the guys next to me in unison as we got off the bus looking at the villa before us in complete awe. "You lived here?" Justin asked, now completely awake.
"Didn't know you were rich?" he said wide-eyed
"Never said I was," I shrugged, finding the key under the flower pot.
"B-bu-but-" his stutter was cut off by me
"What? That I lived in a villa? It was given to my dad by a very close friend of him before he died." I answered.
Opening the door, I took in a deep breath before entering. Immediately, I was reminded of the long-forgotten scent of my childhood house.
The guys looked around the house while I went straight to my parents' room. Before entering, I tried to control the familiar scent of my mother, but they ended up falling. Sniffling, I opened their closet, which was completely rather a box, sat with my parents' stuff in it.
Taking out the box I sat on their bed, looking through their albums and photo frames and some old documents until I halted spotting the familiar locket; it was the same as the one Sterling wore except it was white, I remembered my mother never took that thing off.
Gathering up my thoughts, I wiped my face off before going to my room. I quickly planted one of the bugging devices under the lamp. Looking at those familiar surroundings, I sat on my study table, randomly opening the desk drawer. I found an old picture of Jay and me. As I stood up, the picture fell off my hands and slid under the table, crouching down. I raised my hand to pick the picture when I noticed an uplifted corner, which was forced down by the wall. But before I could do anything about it, the guys entered the room. Quickly snatching up the picture from under the table, I slid it into my jacket pocket.
"Hey, we should go, I think someone's outside," Jesse said
"We'll go through the back door, alright?" I said.
We silently made our way out of the back door. Jesse was carrying the box for me. To avoid any suspicion, we quickly got on the bus and headed to the hotel.